God gave us food from the earth. He gave us trees and plants that bear fruit so we can sustain ourselves. He made them as a good thing. He made the vegetation and said it was good. He made the sugar cane plant and said it was good.
Here in Nicaragua, sugar cane is one of the biggest exports. To work in the sugar cane fields is a job occupied by many poor and uneducated Nicaraguans.
When you don't have the money or resources to go to school, there is no hope of an education. When there is no hope of an education, there is no hope of a safe, well-paying job. There is one option: to work in the fields. When your one choice is to work in them, thee is no hope of escaping the kidney disease. When you get the disease, there is no hope of a long life. There is only inevitable death.
This is the plight of our dear, close friends in this country!
Yesterday, we visited the village of Bethel, a small community of friendly, loving, beautiful Nicaraguans who have slowly built their lives back up after the devastation of Huricane Mitch in 1998 took their homes. Since coming to Nicaragua, we have been getting to know these people, building relationships and sharing love, back and forth.
Many of these people are without members of their family. Why? Because they have died. They have died because they have to work in the sugar cane fields. The reason being that to save money, the people who own the fields spray the plants with a cheap toxic pesticide. The workers inhale these fumes ALL DAY LONG.
Yesterday, a man named Antonio passed away. We had gotten to know this man and his family. One of our closest friends, Jahaira, was this man's cousin. They knew his time was coming, but the sadness and pain of losing yet another member of the community had the entire village silent.
Yesterday, another murder was committed.
I'm going to be honest, I have a lot of anger toward the owners of the fields. How dare they take away innocent lives just so that they can make a few more Cordoba? How dare they take the gift that God gave them and turn it into a death trap? What God meant for good they have perverted and made evil.
This morning, God is just telling me to cry out. Cry out for the hearts of the heads of the companies, that they will be convicted. Cry out for their salvation.
Please join me in prayer for them. And also for the village of Bethel, especially Antonio's family. That their hearts will be full of peace. That they will be comforted, that they will remain strong in their relationships with the Lord, even though this terrible thing has happened. Pray that LOVE will rule their lives and be present in their days.
