What does a Missionary do during a Pandemic?

Amy Speake, our Missionary in San Jose, Costa Rica is having to adjust to life in a pandemic, just as we are. Her city, the capital of the country, is in lockdown, with travel and interaction greatly restricted. Alturas, her mission program, is located in the slums. Schools are closed, as is the program for our 45 students who attend classes on Thursdays or Saturdays. Basic living needs including food are in short supply. Many local residents have lost jobs, making matters worse. Alturas is helping the students and staff survive this crisis by buying a few staples twice a month—rice, beans, oil, etc. Typically these cost well over $1,000 each time and provide minimal help for approximately 60 families, including the staff and a few of the key women in the women’s ministry program. We hope to continue to offer families this help at least until August, when we are hopeful schools and Alturas will reopen.

When Amy brings food to a distribution point where students are present, they greet her warmly and tell her they miss her as well as the love and support of the staff. They say thank you to GUMC for the various ways in which we support Alturas. For Amy, there is great risk in many ways—leaving the safety of her home to go to the bank which is not nearby; carrying cash to make purchases; going to the safest grocery locations she can, and convince them to sell her many times the normal government limited amounts; and finally, making two or three trips to deliver to distribution points in the slums.

During her “down time” Amy talks regularly with her staff. She hosts a Bible study via Zoom and provides counseling via phone for her women’s ministry. Life in Costa Rica is not easy. Please pray for Amy, the children, the women and the staff. Thank you for your past donations and for your continued support of this ministry.

To help provide food for the Alturas Ministry children, you can click here to be taken to our donation page.