The COVID pandemic has brought misery to most of the world and has had a profound effect on Honduras. The illness has infected a large number of the citizens and is especially hard on a city the size of Trujillo. The government has imposed some strict mandates, while failing to provide much in the way of relief for the average person. As you know we have been sending money to the five congregations in Trujillo for the purpose of buying food for the out of work, disabled, aged, and very poor. This week we sent our 13th transmittal providing food. This brings our total food contribution to about $10,000, and we are feeding almost 400 people on a regular basis.
The COVID closed the schools, including Trujillo Christian School, in mid-March 2020. The staff at TCS has struggled to maintain an “online” learning program and each of the teachers regularly conducts classes online and delivers homework or assistance to those student that lack computer access. This has been moderately successful, but no more than the success we have experienced in the U.S. We have maintained our payroll and continue to pay the complete staff and maintain the facilities and equipment. Many of our students’ families are receiving food delivered by the different church ministers.
COVID has proven to be a huge distraction to our lives and also to those Christians in Trujillo. Fernando, the minister at the Bueno Aires congregation, lost his father to COVID and his grandmother to heart attack while visiting his father in the hospital. These deaths occurred little more than a week ago. We have lost additional Honduran Christians in Trujillo to COVID. Additional Christians have died with COVID. Last week, Belinda, the TCS principal and member of the Campemento congregation was diagnosed with COVID.
The pandemic has stressed our financial resources. We have lost some sponsors during this period and our funds for 2020 are nearly depleted, School will officially end in late November. We plan on beginning the 2021 school year in February and to build on the success of the last 14 years of our stewardship of Trujillo Christian School. To serve that purpose we need to keep the teachers paid, classrooms supplied, students furnished with clothing and supplies, and facilities maintained. We ask that you consider becoming a sponsor or joining with someone as a sponsor. We also ask that you contribute generously to the special contribution on October 11. God has blessed us all and is using us to bless people in Trujillo. We ask that you continue to pray God’s blessing on our efforts there and wherever we have opportunity. Please make your checks payable to “Trujillo Christian School.”
Thank you,
The Shepherds