A Yazoo missionary living in Italy found her world turned upside down when the COVID-19 pandemic swept the nation. Rather quickly, the situation progressed, leaving her family and her community making sudden adjustments to flatten the curve in a country overwhelmed with the number of infections and deaths.
Her name is Marti Sanders Pasquale, and she is asking that her native community understands the severity of COVID-19.
“The measures seem hard and the struggle is real, but it is so needed,” Marti said. “We’re a lot more extreme with the lockdown and shutdown than the United States, and look how bad it is here. Do it for the elderly, weak immune systems, those who are sick. Do it to save the health workers. It could be worse.”
Marti, the daughter of Max and Rita Sanders of Yazoo City, lives in Monte Porizo Catone in the province of Rome with her husband Danny and their four-year-old daughter Lylia.
Marti said her family found out about COVID-19 about mid-February when cases started to appear in northern Italy. In fact, she was in the area doing ministry visits when news of the virus just started to spread.
Marti admits the mindset of her village was “it’s in the North. We’ll be fine. It’s like the flu. It will end soon.”
“This went on for quite a while with people still going on about regular life while the North rapidly plunged into mass emergency,” Marti said.
Marti said people began to notice more cases spreading down to the southern region on March 7. Almost a month later from the initial word of the virus, she said the townspeople began to stay home more and social distancing themselves.
“You saw the first masks and gloves coming out,” she said. “And stores began to limit the amount of customers inside. The North was already in severe lockdown at this point, and schools were out.”
Italian schools were closed on March 5, and total lockdown happened during that time period.
“But people were still not heeding the warning, and it was out of control in numerous areas.”
The prime minister enacted a total shutdown with only grocery stores and pharmacies opened. More restrictions came to curb the spread, decreasing store hours and only allowing people to leave their community for essential work or medical emergency.
“People began to be much more panicked,” Marti said. “There were very few people out, and people were scrambling for masks, hand sanitizer and gloves that already hadn’t been available for almost a month.”
Marti said the Italian government has done an excellent job keeping the public informed and taking the necessary measures.
“There are roadblock checks around, and you must carry a certificate stating who you are, where you live, where you are going and why,” Marti said. “There are big fines for those with no documents or who are out for no legitimate reason.”
Marti said she and her family began remaining at home on March 12. Her family must remain inside their home, which does not include a yard or balcony.
“Just a couple of days ago, the prime minister gave an allowance that one parent could take one child outside for a walk for only about 20 yards,” Marti said.
Their daughter is doing well, but she is beginning to feel the strain of no playmates and no outside life. There is an indoor area within their building that she can play soccer or rollerblade some days. And the family enjoys baking, cooking and doing crafts.
“We provide some food and desserts to the mini-market under our home as they work non-stop and eat very little,” Marti said. “We have also been able to help them by purchasing bulk fruit and vegetables for their store.”
Marti said it was strange at the beginning of the lockdown because the weather was still quite cold. With the spring season coming in, it has become harder.
“Our daughter cries now some days when we tell her she can’t go outside,” she said. “She begs and promises to wear her mask. She tells me, ‘look at the beautiful sun, please take me outside.’ It breaks your heart. She is quite sensitive to the reality of the situation. But she prays every night for healing for the sick.”
The mother and daughter team are now preparing gratitude bags with chocolates and Biblical messages inside.
With special permission to leave their community for work purposes, Marti and Danny are able to utilize their car to help their neighbors stock essential items. Danny is also teaching online and operating the couple’s ministry efforts.
That ministry is the Italia Bible Institute where Danny serves as vice principal and academic dean and Marti is the head cook and kitchen coordinator. The couple has also had to make a variety of adjustments to accommodate the eight students who live and study on the campus.
But the ministry continues. They created an evangelistic video to provide hope. They deliver groceries to the elderly and others within their community. They continue to hold mission classes online.
And it is that hope and commitment to God that keeps Marti and her family optimistic and safe within their homes. Life is different, but the foundation of ministry and hope remains.
“It will get better, and the sacrifice is worth it,” Marti said. “It will be alright even if death comes from the virus for those whose faith and hope is in Christ. That’s the message we hope to share here and abroad.”
