What do we do in life when we are thrown multiple whammies? Sometimes we may want to shrink back, run and hide under the covers until it all goes away. Sometimes we may want to shout out, “I can’t take any more.” Whatever our mode of operation is, it usually pops up when more than we can handle on our own gets put on our plate.

In El Salvador and around the world, the Coronavirus has thrown us all for a loop. We’ve all been taxed with restrictions, fear prevailing in the media, and the desire for it all to just be over. We are a culture of instant assess to all answers.

This past Sunday, El Salvador woke to devastation. What was predicted to be just three days of rain, had turned into a tropical depression over the country with mudslides, flooding , downed trees and power lines, loss of power, loss of homes and most shockingly loss of life, this time not due to the coronavirus.

On the farm, we have had trees down, loss of a transformer and electricity to one side of the farm, water lines break, mudslides and part of the riding rink washing away. The road in was blocked and covered with mudslides in places, washed out in others, requiring a 4 wheel drive pick up to get in.

But what did we see? We saw the Salvadoran people rise. We saw resilience. We saw neighbors out cleaning the road, repairing parts that have washed away. We saw our farm workers hard at work trying to clear trees, cover areas that are eroding with sheets of plastic and clearing mudslides. Everyone and put their efforts into clean up, even when the rains are continuing. We saw our homes cooking lunch for the workers who were cleaning up around the farm.

Can we learn a lesson? Oh yes, we can. This small country has been crippled by the martial law lockdown in an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Many have been without work for months now. Many are hungry. Many are suffering economically and emotionally. And then, a natural disaster. But this natural disaster got people up on their feet, fighting. Fighting to preserve, fighting to survive. And fighting together. They are strong; they are not giving up.

Please join us in prayer for the people of El Salvador and for the ways we can all be God’s hands and feet in this world.