Skip to main content

A FARC Phone Call

Image
By
Hello friends,                      A FARC Phone Call
“Hello, this is Commander Morales of the FARC. We are taking over your farm.” The FARC is the largest guerrilla group in Colombia.
At this Jose and Maria with their son Jorge left quickly with just the clothes on their backs. “Jose was crying as he gave up his dream of the farm to provide a future for his son,” Maria chimed in as they told me their story.
 Jose added the following: “Maria was pregnant with our next child. The farm consisted of acres of coffee, and many cattle. We had 20 hired employees. The FARC said they wanted to recruit our 8 year old son Jorge because they noticed he was such a good worker and therefore would make a good soldier.
 “The FARC found us in the town where we tried to escape. The FARC then sent four guys to his school and told the school they were sent by us to pick him up. Neighbors told us this was happening, so we called the police, the police went there, and then the four guys left. Thanks be to God. We since have moved even further away. Numerous other farmers including my Dad have lost their farms in similar ways.
“Many times the armed groups have told me and other farmers to go to town to a certain shop and ask for a package. We had no choice but to cooperate or else.  The FARC of course were extorting money from the businesses.
“Another time when I was 16 I was herding cattle while the FARC and Paramilitaries were shooting it out between mountains overhead. At one point both groups were cutting up farmers they thought were helping the other side with chain saws then throwing them in the river. The Paramilitaries tried to recruit me but I would have no part of using a gun. They would have paid me a good salary.
“When I was young life was good and peaceful where we lived. Then when drugs came into their lives farmers got rich, then the armed groups came and the farmers were caught in between them. War causes so much suffering.”
I responded, “I am so glad they are talking in Havana.” “I am too” said Jose. He also pointed out, “My hands and feet were sweating just from telling you these stories.”
We then prayed together for several minutes. I cannot say where, when, or who this was for their protection, lest the FARC or Paramilitaries might find them.
 Thanks for listening. Pray for a Colombian good peace agreement and a cease fire.
 Shalom, Jim

Ps. This is the first of several letters I hope to write from my recent time in Colombia.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

An Incredible Prime Minister

By
           An Incredible Prime Minister     Dear Friends, a hopeful happening,                  Two years ago, Ethiopia was a basket case. The government seemed to be losing control The majority Oromo people were restive under a rule that seemed to rob them of their place. The traditionally powerful Amhara rioted. A state of emergency brought silence on the surface, but underneath the nation seethed. Civil war threatened. A foreigner was killed. Tourism waned. Finally, the prime minister resigned. The church prayed earnestly. Then, unexpectedly, eight months ago, the relatively unknown Abiy Ahmad was elected prime minister. What followed was equally unanticipated. In a bold, courageous acceptance speech; Ahmad announced a policy of peace, love and unity for the nation and its relationships with the rest of the world. He made sweeping promises and, to the surprise of a world cynical of political promises, kept them. “We need friction but not hatred, argument but not insult,”
Post a Comment
Read more

"The Repairman's Mother In-law"

By
Dear Friends, "My mother in-law Nellie read that Peace Pilgrim booklet you gave me. She was very moved by it, and she would like to read more by Peace Pilgrim. Do you have any thing else? And she would like to talk to you too," our repairman excitedly said to me. I responded, "I don't have any thing else by Peace Pilgrim, but you can give her this book Restorative Justice by Howard Zehr." Later I got to talk to Nellie. Nellie then shared, "Oh yes, that was really inspiring. We have to build peace person by person and house by house by the way that we relate to and treat each other. What Peace Pilgrim has to say is very important. And I really like the book Restorative Justice that I am now reading. I especially like to read stuff like that." I responded, "When you get that one finished, I can loan you another book!" The political saga continues in Barranca. A prominent Catholic priest, Padre Francisco, a close consultant to the Mayor, who is
Post a Comment
Read more

informe de salud

By
  Queridos amigos, Les escribo para informarles que hace unas semanas me diagnosticaron Parkinson vascular. Tenía problemas para mantener el equilibrio y caminar. Vi a un neurólogo y me hicieron una resonancia magnética de mi cerebro, y a partir de eso y de mi historial, me diagnosticaron Parkinson vascular. Me siento muy bien con mi doctora. Mi Parkinson Vascular es causado por mini accidentes cerebrovasculares que bloquean la sangre en la parte del cerebro que controla la marcha. El Parkinson vascular afecta principalmente a la parte inferior del cuerpo, y por lo tanto, afecta la marcha y el equilibrio y regularmente no suele provocar temblores. Es diferente del Parkinson clásico que es causado por la falta de dopamina. El tratamiento principal para el Parkinson vascular es tratar de detener los accidentes cerebrovasculares manteniendo bajo control factores como la presión arterial y el colesterol; esto puede evitar que la enfermedad progrese. Por lo tanto, no necesariamente empeorar
Post a Comment
Read more