When we arrived in Mexico, a fellow missionary was helping us move into the compound that we were to be caretakers of.

 “I want to warn you,” he said. “Most of the people around here keep to themselves. It might take awhile for them to warm up to you.” As we unloaded our last bag into the house, we saw a figure at the gate. A neighbor. He was carrying a bag of guavas. Our friend willingly translated for us that this man wanted to be a good neighbor and come and introduce himself while offering my children some guavas from his tree. There began a beautiful friendship. 

When you are in a new country, a new city, or a new town, you are vulnerable. Nobody knows anything about you. You are responsible not for sharing your accomplishments with the world but your kindness and love. Oftentimes in America when you meet someone for the first time, they will ask you what you do for a living. It used to be that when you responded that you homeschooled that you would be looked down upon (unless you were approached by a fellow homeschooling parent). This is no longer the case. Homebound parents are reaching out to the homeschooling community for help. Even though their students are still doing their schoolwork assigned by their teachers, they are still at home, which is a dynamic many parents are ill-prepared for. 

We need to be willing to help these parents. What I learned in Mexico is that when disaster strikes, we are in it together. There was a time while my family of seven was on the mission field and our entire compound flooded. It was a stressful and emotional time in so many ways, but we weren’t alone. Our neighbor’s home flooded as well. They lost many important possessions and others were destroyed, including a new Bible that was given to a recent believer. 

We all mourned the loss of our things together but we realized that they were just “things.” We still had each other. Looking back, I am thankful that I was able to experience this alongside those we were ministering to. They knew that we were in it together. That in and of itself gave them comfort. 

This is what makes the COVID-19 pandemic so powerful. It has the power to tear us apart or draw us closer together, as families, as communities, and even as believers. We are all in this together. We are not an island unto ourselves. We are not alone. Reach out to someone today that might be struggling with being home alone, that might not be prepared to teach their child in a home setting. Be a light and offer them some encouragement so that they know that they are not alone.