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"The Repairman's Mother In-law"

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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 a Pentecostal, publicly mentioned the other day that he thought the City Council is full of a lot of corruption. Many people know this to be true, but no one of such prominence ever said it before. Council members responded, "Where is the evidence?" He responded, "I have the evidence, and if it comes to court I will show the evidence. However, maybe we should wait and see if the Council will change and stop its corrupt ways, and we won't have to bring it to court." They have been balking at not following past ways in which they always received bribes from the mayor. Everyone knows if it comes to court, the Council does not have much hope of winning, so Francisco has them over a barrel.

Three days ago three persons who work in Human Rights were killed. In January, 21 persons were assassinated in this region. In some ways it seems the light is coming through the new Mayor and Padre Francisco's courage to say no to corruption. And in other ways the darkness seems to be fighting the light with these killings. Pray for the light to overcome the darkness in Barranca and for the protection of the Mayor and Padre Francisco.

I had a good talk on with one of the CPTers about how my peace evangelism, as she called it, is different from many CPTers' way of peacemaking here. However, I still find myself anxious and depressed at times when I think about the issues. Pray that I could just somehow simply trust God in the waiting and through it all.

Thanks much, and peace to you today,

Jim
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