COVID-19 in Peru
On March 15, Peruvian President Martín Vizcarra declared a national state of emergency. Under this declaration, citizens were called to mandatory self-quarantine for 15 days. On March 26, the President extended the national state of emergency and mandatory self-quarantine for 13 more days. It is scheduled to lift on April 12. All international travel both in and out of Peru has been banned. This left many tourists, including Americans, stuck in Peru and unable to return home. Different countries have begun sending for their citizens, though many are still trapped in Peru.
The military and police are working to protect the country's borders, to oversee the mandatory self-quarantine, and to provide assistance to the people during this difficult time. The quarantine greatly restricts all movement in Peru with the only exceptions being to travel to the hospital for emergencies, supermarkets, pharmacies, or banks. A curfew has been put in place. Over 36,000 Peruvians have been detained for breaking curfew.
It has been noted that Peru has taken some of the strongest measures to protect its citizens from the COVID-19 outbreak. There is no way the Peruvian healthcare system could stand such a pandemic. Though these measures are taken with great reasoning, it is providing an incredible strain on the majority of its people. Because there is already such a survival culture in Peru, many Peruvians worry they will die of hunger before dying of the coronavirus. The government is assisting in passing out food to the poorest of the poor and supplementing income as well. The President stated on March 26th that the government will pay 35% of all wages of any employee earning less than 1,500 soles a month (roughly $440 a month). However, over 8 million Peruvians live in poverty, and unemployment rates are high. The government is working to put more financial directives in place to help its people. It is offering 380 soles to Peruvians who were registered in 2002, but this does not cover all Peruvians and does not cover many people who are living in extreme poverty and in rural areas. Two hospitals have opened in Lima to help with COVID-19 cases.
As of today, March 31, 1,065 Peruvians are infected with COVID-19 with 24 deaths. Specifically, in Iquitos, there are 53 cases if COVID-19 with two reported deaths. Scarlet, Ministry Finance and Accounting Manager of Kings and Queens Peru, says, "What is despairing here is not the virus, but rather people not being able to go out and work. Many people here work day to day for their income. This is a big problem, on top of the fact that we have a very bad health care system. We are praying for God to take control."
Prayer Requests
With the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic, there are numerous prayer requests we have for our ministry, the local community in Iquitos, and for Peru in general. Please join us in prayer for the following:
1. Pray God would have mercy on Peru, provide for the people, and bring peace to a desperate and hurting nation, specifically to Iquitos.
2. Pray God would bring healing to those suffering with COVID-19 and for the spread of the virus to stop.
3. Pray for President Martín Vizcarra to have wisdom and compassion.
4. Pray for Marcos, one of the young men of Casa de Reyes. He was visiting his family on the summer break when the quarantine began. He has been unable to return to our home, and his family has been desperate for food. We have been able to send them money to buy food and other needed supplies. Please pray for the well-being of Marcos and his family. He will return to Casa de Reyes as soon as he is able.
5. Pray for Kings and Queens employee, Juan Manuel. He stepped on a rusty nail and has not had a Tetanus shot, as he is unable to get one during this time. Please pray there would be no infection and for complete healing of his foot.
6. Pray for Alonso of Casa de Reyes. He needs to have a tooth pulled and cannot right now due to the quarantine. Please pray for his pain to subside and for his tooth to be taken care of as soon as possible.
7. Please pray for the local community we serve on a regular basis. Pray for the families and for the children we have come to know and love. Pray for God to meet their needs and show His love to them during this time.
We serve a mighty God who hears us when we pray! He is bigger than any problem we face!
Good News
Even during a terrible time, there is still good news to be shared. Walter and Juan Manuel were able to go at 4:30 AM this morning to buy enough supplies to last through the rest of the quarantine. The boys are pictured above unloading the supplies.
Generous donors have given over $4,800 to go directly towards financial relief in helping the local community during this crisis. Kings and Queens employees and the young men of Casa de Reyes are continuing to safely serving their community during this time. One day, they passed out bread and drinks to the military and police in the area. They are also assembling baskets for the local community families that contain rice, sugar, milk and oil. We also are making efforts to financially help friends and some of the boys who no longer live in Casa de Reyes during this time. What a blessing!
Rivaldo, one of the young men of Casa de Reyes, recently became ill with Dengue fever. This is a disease carried by mosquitoes. There is a current health alert in Iquitos because of an outbreak of Dengue fever in Peru. There are currently over 3,000 cases throughout the jungle regions of Peru. It causes flu-like symptoms and even death. We are praising God that Rivaldo is recovering and doing so much better!
Summer Mission Trip Postponed
Unfortunately, with the current travel bans both in the United Sates and in Peru and the coronavirus pandemic, our summer mission team has been postponed. We have no way to determine when we will be able to return to Peru, but we plan to do so as soon as possible. The information for the postponed trip is to be determined.
All About the Boys
We are thankful that the boys of Case de Reyes are safe on our land during the quarantine. They are stocked with plenty of food. During this time, they have been resting at times and have been playing at times- soccer, ping pong, foosball. They are simply making the best of a difficult situation. Virtual school is beginning for some of them during this time since schools are closed across Peru. Waltahir has been able to use his time to work on an extended project for college (pictured above). See the above prayer request section for specific prayer requests for Marcos and Alonso during this time.
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Jeremiah 29:11