It's difficult to even know what to say. We've now been on a quarantine lock-down for 76 days. The president made a statement that the quarantine was to end on Monday, but she also gave authority to local governments to decide what's best for their districts. Because Santa Cruz is the Covid hotpots of the country, our quarantine has again been extended for two more weeks. This is the third extension.
The reality is, we aren't going to be in a better situation in two weeks. The idea behind the lock-down was to give the government time to better prepare our hospitals and clinics to deal with the virus. They were to buy supplies and equipment (ventilators for example) that our hospitals don't have.
Unfortunately, that didn't happen. As seems all to common here, corruption and incompetence at the higher levels of our government resulted in nothing being to done in the past two months to prepare. The only result of the quarantine has been to slow down the spread of the virus and delay the inevitable.
Santa Cruz is currently experiencing three to four hundred new cases a day. People haven't been able to work for going on three months. As in other parts of the world, there is a growing fatigue and frustration here. Many people have no money for food or basic needs for their families. For the most part the police and military have given up enforcing the quarantine. My morning bike ride to the home has become much more "adventurous" as I dodge more and more cars every day. This week, for the most part, it's been difficult to even believe that we're still under a quarantine.
So what does that mean? Will the government just let things continue as they are? Will the military be re-deployed to crack down again? We have no idea. I suppose we'll see on Monday.
We would appreciate your prayers. We're as tired as everyone else. Thankfully, with the support of many of you, we have money for food and our other needs. Many others are not as fortunate. Please pray as well for the people of Bolivia, as we continue to navigate this challenging time.
I don't want to sign off on too heavy a note, so I'll tell you another of my "Ken" stories as my friends like to call them.
On Sunday I was biking over to see the guys. I don't live that far from them, so I try to get over as much as I can. We've been watching a movie Sunday afternoons, and just hanging out.
I had my headphones on and I was listening to music as I biked. I generally avoid the main roads and just bike through residential neighbourhoods, but I do have to cross a couple of busier roads.
I came up on one of those roads, but since there hadn't been any traffic, I wasn't paying that much attention. Plus it's a bit of a blind corner. At any rate, as I entered into the intersection, I suddenly saw a vehicle out of the corner of my eye. I quickly braked and actually skidded and had to do a quick circle to avoid hitting....
...a truck full of policemen. Of course it was. I think they were as surprised as I was. I was right beside a big park, so I booted it into there and carefully watched to see what they did. Fortunately they didn't seem to care much and they just continued on their way. It definitely gave me a good shot of adrenaline though.
Ah yes, the life of a missionary. Well...this missionary at any rate...
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