H1N1 Novel Flu in Oaxaca

Saludos desde Oaxaca…where life is flowing at a bit slower pace this week due to the fear of the H1N1 Novel Flu. Thanks to all of you who’ve been asking about my well-being and praying for me and for Mexico. This wasn’t what I intended to blog about this week, but I guess it’s apropos.

As I’m sure you’ve all heard/read, the first death from this flu in Mexico was in Oaxaca. I’ll be honest, we still don’t know what part of Oaxaca this woman lived in or any of the details. Initially people were using face masks, though the use has dwindled some as the week has progressed. Many of the shops are closed today, but it is a holiday (Labor Day). The supermarkets are open, but not very busy. The traditional market near my neighborhood was open today (it only is held on Fridays) but I didn’t venture within the confines of the tent city that springs up for this one day of the week. I have been staying pretty close to home, so I can’t really tell you alot of how the general population is reacting. I know my neighborhood has been quieter than normal. And for the first time in my memory, Oaxacans have been greeting me and each other without shaking hands — this is so ingrained in polite culture that I guess one could take this as an indication of the level of concern. But other than that, I suspect that life is pretty much going on as usual for most people here. Many are used to a hard life and face difficulties as just a normal part of the daily struggle to live. This is just one new thing in a long line of things that they deal with.

I am hoping that this will be a good time to revisit the importance of good hygiene — hand washing, trash disposal, and such. I know that this sounds basic, but there is still a lot to be done in this area  which could improve life greatly in many villages and neighborhoods. So a good thing that could come out of all of this is a renewed emphasis and understanding of the importance of hygiene and sanitation.

As some of you know, this flu outbreak caused us to cancel the Mexico Pastors’ Retreat planned for this week in Metepec, Puebla. We hope to be able to reschedule it, probably in the fall. Thankfully, we were able to make the decision before the team from New Hampshire flew in. It is a great disappointment for all involved, but we trust that this is just a postponement and not a cancellation.

So what is this week’s photo?  I went out looking for something to shoot showing the impact of the flu outbreak, but really didn’t find anything interesting.  It’s kind of hard to shoot what isn’t there!  So I decided to include a photo taken from inside my house, looking out towards the sidewalk.  I have a whole series of these images, primarily taken from my office window, showing what scenes pass by throughout the day.  I hope to share more of these glimpses into my life and my world through the weeks to come.

Please let me know what your thoughts are from what I’m sharing, and feel free to ask questions or for me to address topics of interest to you.  I hope to get back to sharing about Todos Por la Salud (Together for Health), the Semillas de Saludproject funded by the VBS offering of the Evangelical Covenant Church this past summer.

In the meantime, remember:  

Cover your cough

Wash your hands

Be Well

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