Holy Week 2020

The month of February we went home and visited family and friends in the Pacific Northwest. It was a great time to reconnect and make some memories. Our granddaughter Irely is just precious! We returned to Costa Rica in March just as the coronavirus was spreading around the world.

Back row: Our son-in-law Patrick McMurchy, Bridget, our son Lance. Front row: Our daughters Joy McMurchy and Kelly Testerman, Paul and Kelly’s daughter Irely.

 

There are more than 450 cases of coronavirus and 2 deaths so far in Costa Rica. March 17 they closed the schools so Bridget’s not teaching English for now. There was a driving restriction at night except for essential services. This week a total travel restriction will be in place 24 hours a day. This is significant because Easter week is April 5-12 and the time everyone goes on vacation to the beach or mountains. The government is asking everyone to stay at home as much as possible to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Stores are still open and well stocked, but there are limits on how much each family can buy (example: 6 bags of flour). They also limit the number of people who can enter and shop at one time. When you are ready to leave you keep 2 yards between yourself and the next person in the check-out line. In Costa Rica the nutrition department has a free breakfast and lunch program in the schools. The cooks are giving that food directly to the families to cook at home. It is a blessing to the parents who are not working.

The US embassy in Costa Rica sends us regular updates about the driving restrictions, notifying us that airlines have discontinued flights until May, and that any foreigner with Costa Rican residency leaving the country at this time will forfeit their residency status. Not sure when things will get back to normal here. We are not planning to return to the US, but are staying put and taking care of the mission center. We are content and in good health trusting the God to guide us and provide for all our needs.

As we start into Holy Week we want to thank the Lord for His graciousness to us personally. As young adults God showed us we were lost and condemned to death. He helped us believe that Jesus’ death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead were the only way we could be saved. As we confessed our sin to God He forgave us. We turned away from the evil but also the good we tried to do to win God’s favor. Jesus traded us our sin nature for His right standing with God. We were both baptized and have followed the Lord Jesus Christ ever since. We are not perfect but each day as we read the Bible we look to the Holy Spirit to teach us to walk with the Lord. We have always found Him faithful and true.

Grace and peace,

Paul and Bridget