Farming is not an easy business to be involved with in Jamaica, especially if you are trying to raise a herd of beef cattle and grow a business so more Jamaicans can earn and help their families. ACE and Green Life Farms are not exempt from struggle, no matter how lofty our goals.
This past week, our prize bull Big Red was slaughtered in our own field at night during a full moon. Yes, it was tragic. And yet, we don’t know what to do. In our book, The Mango Tree Gospel, we write about desperate people doing desperate things, and there is the fine balance of need versus crime. We pray for those who feel the need to take from others and for how we can prevent this in the future, like the ability to hire more personnel to stand watch. We are doing our best to build a business, but the loss sometimes makes us want to quit.
The hopeful news is that Big Red left behind at least 18 to 20 pregnant cows who will drop their calves in August if all goes well. Maybe one of them will be a male. Pray for the protection of our animals, our health, and our staff as we continue to move forward in this part of ministry, pursuing our micro business opportunities amid challenges like this.
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TRIP COST
There is an old proverb, “If you give a man a fish, he’ll eat for a day, but if you teach a man to fish, he’ll eat for a lifetime.” History proves that lasting change in a poverty culture is achieved by empowering the people to reach their full potential and become self-sustaining. ACE is invested in our community long-term and in conjunction with our partners in the US, we are identifying the circumstances of those around us in order to find real solutions for their unique needs.