The Life of Farmers

Hello all, today I would like to tell you about what life is like for the farmers here in the dessert villages. In one word "Gambling". They save or barrow all the money for the seed, plow, watter, fertilizer, and pesticieds. Then they hope to recieve a good enough price per kelow to make it worth the long hours in the hot sun.

This is the story of my friend Alfonzo. He farms the Tomatillo, which is a tomato like plant that grows in a sack and is green. He plants and takes care of his plants by hand and weeds his 2 achre by 2 achre plot by hand.

I have had the pleasure of serving him on serval occations by working along side him by weeding, and praying for a good harvest. With every thing rideing on the harvest the price fell hard the day of his harvet. Which could mean two things either the price trully fell or the buyer is only going to pay a lower amount and with fruit on the vine there is not much you can do about it. I know it is criminal because Alfonzo recieved 1 peso (10 cents) per kelow and they sell for much much more down south in Mexico City, which is where all the tomatillo goes. Some 50 trucks per day. Which is 50 farmers who are barlly making it.

As the workers picked in Alfonzos field the buyer was rushing them so much that they left over 1 ton of fruit on the plants.

Devestated and shattered Alfonzo did every thing he could to make them finish but the buyer said it was alfonzo's problem he had enough in his truck.

After 2 days of intense prayer by all of us Alfonzo found a buyer who would take the rest of his crop but only if he picked it him self. So without hessitations Lacy and I, 2 of the Wilky boys, and Alfonzo's entire family set out in his field and picked for hours. till all the fruit was picked then we boxed and loaded it into his truck and my van. Then delivering it to the man Alfonzo only recived .80 pasos, less than 30 cents.

It was a hard day for all but it is life for them. That is why we must always pray for all believers to have strenghth. In america that means try to remember to pray, but here streighth has a different meaning. It means the ability to go on loving the Lord and working for his kingdome when all is against you.