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Mexico Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update


Mexico appears to be about 10 days behind the US in the transmission of the coronavirus. The number of confirmed cases just surpassed 100 yesterday, and I heard that the first person died from it yesterday as well.

My guess is, though, that the numbers are even more skewed than they are in the US, and the actual number of those infected is probably 50 to 100 times more than those reported. I believe that’s due in part to the extreme poverty of many people here, the lack of testing, and the overall poor quality of healthcare in Mexico (we do have a private hospital near us that has great healthcare!).

The Secretary of Public Education has cancelled all pre-college classes for a month, and many universities (including the seminary here) have also moved classes online.

But most people do not seem to be taking this seriously. Semana Santa (Holy Week) vacations are coming up in two weeks, and many people are still planning to travel and go to beaches. Unfortunately, the president of Mexico does not seem to be taking it seriously either.

Most likely the crisis here will become as serious as or potentially worse than the situation is in Italy, and it will take Mexico much longer than the US to recover both in terms of health and economy. The peso has already lost over 30% of its value, and it continues to lose more each week. It’s helpful for us since we get more pesos per dollar, but very bad for the Mexican economy.

This epidemic is especially difficult for those of us in ministry. Ministry generally involves being around people, and that’s becoming increasingly difficult or impossible in some cases. Just like many teachers, we’re going to have to learn how to do our work (ministry) online. Starting next week, my Greek class will be online. At some point soon, we’ll have church services online. And hopefully we can find ways to connect with the children’s homes online as well. It’s a learning curve for sure, but we’re determined to do what we can to minister to people during this difficult time.

If we think this situation is difficult for us, it is much more so for so many Mexican people here who live day-to-day. They have nothing saved for emergencies, and frankly don’t have the ability to save, because they barely make enough to survive. If businesses close, many people won’t have anything to eat. Now, more than ever, it’s important for us to be as generous as we can to help people around us. We’re praying about how to help seminary students and people at our church to make sure they’ve got the food and supplies they need to survive.

And as a husband and father, I’m also concerned about taking care of my family. Sarah, since she is pregnant, is considered high risk. I’m trying to balance caring for my family and ministering to others in their time of need.

We know the situation is bad right now in the US. Many have lost jobs, lost a significant portion of their investments, or even gotten sick with the virus. We’re praying for you, our family and friends. We appreciate your prayers too.

What an opportunity for us who are believers to shine the light and hope of Jesus in this dark and seemingly hopeless time! May people recognize us as followers of Jesus because of our unwavering faith in God and his promises and the love we have for one another and for all people.

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