TPPC has received a letter from our brothers and sisters in our sister parish in Jiñocuao, Nicaragua noting the monumental changes that have taken place in our world recently and their “non-stop praying for ourselves and for you.”

The letter, dated June 23, was signed by Julio Huete, the chair of the Twinning Committee, Maribel and Otila.

“Brothers and sisters, incredible things have happened in the world, unexpected things that we would never imagine,” writes Julio. “Like this pandemic that has affected the entire planet, racism in your country and that has spread globally. Corruption of governments, both right and left, for ambition to power or staying in power. The infanticide carried out by Saudi Arabia on the population of Yemen, and the death of several priests and priests due to the coronavirus.”

“In our country, the situation is difficult. We see that the government is hiding information on the progress of COVID-19, it does not have the economic capacity or material to combat this pandemic. In our community we have difficulties with food, basic grains have risen in price, people do not have enough financial resources to face this pandemic. They need to buy face masks, alcohol gel, chlorine, disinfectants and medicines. Here we are doing what we can -- non-stop praying for ourselves and for you, washing hands with soap and water, and avoiding going out to the city because it is there where there are more cases.”

The letter says that while the San José Church continues to have in-person services, few people attend out of fear.

“We continue to have church services taking the necessary precautions and meditation on the word of God as food for our souls and our lives,” writes Julio.

The letter ends on an optimistic note:

“There is unemployment but in this situation, God manifests himself with us, he has sent us rain, we are planting corn, green beans with the hope of having a harvest within a month. In this way, we will be able to survive.”

“Greetings to all dear brothers and sisters of our sister church, to our dear ones on the Takoma Park Twinning Committee, on behalf of the community, your brothers and sisters from the twinning team.”