Hope Lutheran Church 250 Avenida Los Angelos The Villages, Florida 3162 (352) 750-2321

MOMENT FOR MISSION – HOPE LUTHERAN

NOV. 26 & 27, 2005 – FAIR SHARE COFFEE

            Jose works many long hours on his small piece of land, cultivating and caring for his coffee bean plants.  His wife and four children live with him in their simply constructed home.  Life is much better for Jose since he started selling his coffee beans to those who manage the Equal Exchange fair share program in his country of Nicaragua.

            For years the family in which he grew up and his family struggled to make ends meet, often going without sufficient food and clothing.  They worked just a hard as they do now, even more so, but for years they sold their beans to the local marketers who gave them a very low price so that they could make more as the middlemen to the American and European salesman.

            Now, with a fair price for their beans, they are much happier.  All the children can go to school because they can afford the fees and uniforms required. While they do not have much, they have what they need and are grateful for this change for the better in their lives.

            You, members of Hope Lutheran, and others who participate in the Equal Exchange fair share program, have made this happen.  The idea of an honest wage for an honest day’s work is something we have accepted as part of our life for a long time.  But with Jose that is only come recently to his life. 

            Thank you for purchasing nearly a thousand dollars worth of Coffee, tea and chocolate this year. That’s twice as much as 2004! This means that persons like Jose and others in Latin America, the Caribbean, India and Tanzania are directly helped.  By buying a bag of this organic, quality coffee, which is actually cheaper than gourmet coffees, you are contributing to a better life for Jose and thousands of other small farmers.

            A bag of coffee, tea or chocolate makes an excellent hostess gift for a holiday party.  Many of our members enjoy drinking this coffee and tea regularly at home and feel it is better than what they have been drinking from the supermarket.  If you haven’t done so, why not give it a try?  We work on a system of trust where you simply pick up your product and envelope from the display in the narthex. Place your money in the envelope and put it in the offering plate or in the church office. Thank you.