Gathering at a time of social distancing felt incongruous, but in Thai culture literally camping out with the family at a time of bereavement is one of the highest values. 

I must be vulnerable and say that I have had anxiety, not crippling fear, but worry for our family as we head into the last two months of our fundraising for support for our second term, years three and four as urban missionaries to the city of Lebanon, Pa.

Our COVID-19 measures have been called some of the strictest in the world. Though sometimes at first glance our city looks lifeless, it is anything but. Life has just moved to the roof.

The challenge that the U.S. confronts is magnified for the people here in Guatemala. The transmission of the virus to the villages would be catastrophic, where many people already have compromising health issues. 

After nine years in Thailand, we were planning to move to Pennsylvania in early April. As reports of an unknown virus grew into a major worldwide concern, flights from many places around the globe were being canceled. When it happened to us, we decided to book new flights and leave as soon as possible.

COVID-19 became a worldwide pandemic, Costa Rica was not an exception. I was given the opportunity to return to Ohio, but I decided not to.

The first case of COVID-19 in Germany was confirmed on January 28. On March 14, our city’s Senate prohibited meetings of more than 50 people. 

For a few weeks, we watched as borders closed one by one. The U.S. embassy sent out notices asking its citizens to return. We watched the news as the virus started in the capital and spread to the other parts of the country first slowly, but then more quickly.

On March 23, we went into lockdown with each part of the U.K. enforcing their own rules. In Wales, we were only allowed to leave the house for essential food and medicine, to exercise once a day, or if we must go to work. 

Chiang Mai, as a whole, has done well in managing COVID-19 with 42 confirmed cases reported, and we see restrictions slightly lifting this month. The pandemic occurred during the annual Thai new year called Songkhran, and everyone honored the government’s requests to stay at home and not go out to celebrate.