14/05/2020
Dear Everyone,
Beryl was able to send me an email on 14.5.2020 to let me know she was in Asuncion and on wifi. Unfamiliar as I am with using What’s App to make phone calls I was able to get through and we had a long phone call
Paraguay has been in lock down like us since the end of March and Beryl was unable to leave the ranch in the Chaco. She was able about two weeks age to travel a shorter distance to Lomo Plata where she was able to pick up medical supplies from the retired Doctor Trudy who normally helps Beryl with medical trips to the Indian villages.
The villages are shut down and only the men who have motor bikes can travel to Beryl’s clinic on the ranch.
Beryl told me she can see patients there and provide medicines for blood pressure, diabetes and epilepsy.
I think she was legally able to visit the capital Asuncion because she brought down with her a patient who needed to go to the hospital.
The difficulty that Beryl had was that her 20 year old vehicle had old spark plugs that no longer started the vehicle. A car mechanic on the ranch called Tito was able to start the engine but Beryl had to drive to Asuncion by keeping the engine going for the whole journey.
Paraguay has been able to stop the Covid 19 virus spreading and have only had 10 deaths. The businesses in Asuncion are all close apart from Food shops and chemists and Beryl is hoping that today Saturday 16th May 2020 a friend who is a car mechanic will able to put new plugs into the vehicle and get it going normally. The same safe guards for health are being used In Paraguay like facemasks and social distancing but they are also using disinfectants to keep shoes clean and entrances to buildings safe.
Beryl has been able to get help for the villagers in the Chaco thanks to the help of a man called John Holland who created a charitable Christian organisation in Paraguay a number of years ago. This man has been unable to leave Paraguay since the lock down and is living I with other expatriates in a hotel in a hotel in Asuncion and he organised food to be sent up to the Chaco where Beryl with the help of one of her health promotors get food distributors in Sombero Piri. Beryl has a twoway radio which helps her to contact the health promotors that she works with in the villages.
There is a church office for St Andrews Church in Asuncion but like all our offices is closed but Beryl is in touch with Miriam who works from home at present. Fortunately she has been able speak to the Ranch owner Rhett Butler by phone and he will be able to help Beryl settle all her outstanding accounts. Beryl at present can use her ATM in Asuncion but she is unable to do any online banking as she can only access her account by landline phone calls to the UK as the bank does not seem to accept what’s app calls from Beryl’s IPhone for security reasons.
Despite all of these difficulties Beryl sounded very cheerful and full of faith for her safety and wellbeing. The government were doing their best to help those unable to work with cash pay outs and her house and Jordy the young man who is looking after house was supported by Sharon the 80 year old American Christian friend who has always supported Beryl in her work for many years. This was because Beryl could not get to town for over two months.
Now we know that life for Beryl has had all the extra difficulties of the virus but she has been well supported by al the prayers that have been offered for her and she has been very certain of God’s presence during this difficult time for everyone.
I think Beryl will hope to drive back to the Chaco next week so continue to keep her in your prayers for that journey.
Eileen Hollingsworth