COVID-19 getting worse in Costa Rica

The situation in Costa Rica has not improved over the last month. In fact, it has become worse. As of today, there are 11,534 cases, resulting in 66 deaths. The lock-down has become more restrictive for most of the population, including us. Driving is limited, churches are closed, and masks are required. This is our world right now, just as it is yours.

But in the darkness, the light shines brightly. The Brook recently received a generous donation from our friends at Matrix Ministries (Fences for Orphans) in McKinney, Texas. The gift provided salary for five pastors, and assistance for five churches to purchase the supplies needed to comply with new sanitation requirements.

This kind of gift is a modern version of the amazing story of 2 Corinthians 8. In that chapter, Paul mentioned the generous giving of the Macedonians as an inspiration for the Corinthian Christians to help the poor in Jerusalem. Paul sent Titus to collect the offering from Corinth, and the end result was God being glorified because the global church got to experience what it means to bless others.

In this modern retelling, the pastors of Costa Rica are the poor in Jerusalem, The Brook is Titus, and Matrix Ministries is our Macedonia. They are a great example of those who “gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people” (2 Corinthians 8:3-4).

Our prayer now is that there are other Christians in “Corinth” who will be inspired and give as God leads them to help others who are in need. If that is you, I hope you will allow The Brook to help distribute that need. In this difficult time, that is the role we find ourselves filling.

Remember that God is still on the throne, and the Spirit of God is still in you! Stay strong, be safe, and fear not.