Letter to nursing home

Our daughter Elena was given a wonderful assignment in one of her classes at Lee University.  She was asked to write and send letters of encouragement to residents at a local nursing home.  I was personally so blessed by the letter I wanted to share it with you here:

Hello! I wanted to take the time and write to you just to say that you are special, and I am thinking of you! I know that the present situation of staying inside and isolated is challenging and can become lonely. I want to remind you of one person who will never catch this virus and that we do not need to keep our distance from: Jesus Christ! He promises to never leave us and never forsake us. As He says in Deuteronomy 31:6, “Be strong and courageous…for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.” I have drawn strength from this verse because I can rest knowing that no matter what happens in life and during this crisis, the one constant that we will never lose is Jesus. The Bible also assures us in Psalm 27:1 that “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?” With God on our side, we can rest knowing we are safe in Him despite what is happening around us. As Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” God knows what we need before we ask and promises to always be with us during our time of need. His promise in John 16:33 remains true even now: “In this world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” Jesus is more powerful than this crisis; it did not surprise Him. We can rest in His peace and trust Him knowing that He will never leave us alone. “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful” (John 15:15). I will be praying for your protection during this time and that you will experience God’s peace and comfort. You are special and loved! “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:8).

Waking up the moon

On Saturday night, March 28, our neighbors were banging pots and pans, blowing whistles and air horns, and setting off fireworks for about half an hour.  A Mayan friend in town messaged us to let us know that people were trying to wake up the moon!   This is what the moon looked like that night:

Our friend sent us this description of the old Mayan tradition here that used to be practiced when the moon was eclipsed:

"One should make noise with something
silver colored, like the moon; a pewter
or metal item, so the moon won't be
allowed to die."

Our friend said some men had been spreading the news that the coronavirus came because the moon had died.  We were quite amazed by the amount of noise our neighbors were making.  Even the dogs were edgy. 

Well, the good news is that in the following nights, the moon did indeed come back, little by little, so they must have done a good job waking it up!