I am leaving to buy fruit. It is much harder these days to
buy fruit then it used to be. The market is closed and surrounded by police barricades
to keep people out. It is impossible to get within two blocks. And so to buy
food you have to go hunting. I put on my face mask to drive. It is illegal to
be outside of your house without a face mask. It has been interesting since most
people do not own masks and do not have the money to buy them so they have resorted
to making their own. Some are just simply an old shirt tied around their head
and others have taken cloth and sowed their own, complete with ear loops. They
are quit pretty, made with flower patterns. I even saw a sewing shop selling
them for 4 soles.
Not two block from my house I pass the bank. The line to get
in is two blocks long. It is only 6:50am and it does not open for another hour
and ten minutes. The people are in line to receive their emergency relief money
from the government. Most Peruvians live day to day. Making just enough money
today to buy food tomorrow. Most have been two weeks without work and things are
getting tough. The government is stepping in and giving 380 soles to families
living in poverty. It is about $110. Not much, but an average family can eat
for a month on that so it is a huge help.
I pick my way downtown. The police and military are
everywhere. They are letting people drive around because it is legal to leave
your house and buy food before 10am. Curfew is 4:00pm. If you are outside of
your house after that you can be arrested. So far 4000 people have been
arrested in Peru for breaking quarantine laws.
Downtown I meet Elvis. He works for the mission. Our motorcycle
has broke down and he is looking for parts. This is difficult because all the
part stores are closed. The only option is to knock on the doors of the part stores
looking for one where the owner lives there as well. With luck he will open the
door and sell you parts, although it is a risk as it is illegal.
I finally make it to the fruit stand. It is disappointing.
He has some fruit but it is all the same as was there two days ago. It looks
old and rotten and there are flies all over. I buy the last mandarins and he promises
that more fruit will arrive today. That is what he said two days ago.
Life is hard in quarantine but I do not want to complain. As
of this writing there are only around 1000 cases in Peru. The quarantine seems
to be working at stopping the spread. The government is doing a good job controlling
it and helping the poor. Still life is different, very different. But I am
thankful that we have food to eat and we are safe. I trust that God has a plan
for this too. What else it there to do but trust?
