In this beautiful country of Central America, called Honduras, we have 121 children studying at PEPE project. At the units of Tibuca, children are assisted in a partnership with the NGO World Vision and the Honduran Institute of Coffee. These children belong to the coffee planting workers’ families, which without PEPE, would be working in the planting and harvest of coffee in that region.
We also have other units among the ethnic indigenous, who do not have financial resources and were hardly affected during this pandemic time. Among these groups not even our missionary-educators have a phone with Whatsapp. They live in a very remote area, where most of the time, they need to climb the mountain to get a phone signal to talk to our national coordinator. There are 72 children who are having any type of class because the parents do not have even a simple telephone. Worried about these children, Alejandra, our national coordinator, managed to deliver a school kit for each one of them with exercise books, pencils and school tasks for a month, and also a package of food for the families.
About a month ago we were shocked with the news that Alejandra were infected by Covid-19 and needed to go to the hospital, because we know about her great strength and availability to assist PEPE’s children with such love. She stayed five days at the hospital and when she was released, she needed to return to same hospital to take her husband who was also infected. We joined as international team to claim for this family we love. I share with you what this great woman of God wrote:
“The greatest problem we had these last two months was that I started feeling ill and with the exam, I tested positive for Covid-19. My husband had to admit me at the hospital and when I was released to continue the quarantine at home, my husband also got ill, presenting a case more serious than mine, he was admitted at hospital for nine days. Worried about our two teenager children, I had to stay going from my home to the hospital, to follow my husband’s situation, at the same time I had to take my children to test as well. Thanks God, they tested negative. It was a battle time, but I know that as an answer to all the prayers, today we are all at home, with our health being restored bit by bit. I want to thank with all my heart the great support I received from my coordinators Gladys and Carmen, who called me every day following all the process and helping me to walk through the death’s valley. I thank so much for the prayers of the whole team of PEPE International that never stopped praying for us. My heart is broken and the tears fall on my face writing these words because I am still isolated from my children and husband, but God never left us and feel completely strengthened to keep the ministry because God never stopped blessing us, and even when I was sick, the Honduran PEPE did not stop because for sure PEPE BELONGS TO GOD!!!”
We keep praying for Alejandra and her husband to have their health completely restored and for all PEPE’s children to receive food and tasks to keep studying, even during the pandemic.
Carmen Lígia
Continental Coordinator of PEPE Americas
