The Rudder

Proverbs 11:1 (New Living Translation)

Proverbs 11
1 The Lord detests the use of dishonest scales,
but he delights in accurate weights.

I'm here in Nicaragua learning all there is to learn about coffee. For instance, it is the second largest commodity sold on the New York Stock Exchage. Second only to oil.

From one pound of coffee, certain coffee companies can sell 30 cups of Vente coffee at $1.85, or 30 foo foo drinks at $4/per drink. So as you can see, what a coffee company acqires wholesale coffee at per pound at compared to the final product resold, the profits can be astounding. If the scales are dishonest, companies can take advantage of the farmers and increase profits by a huge measurable amount.

So the problem is that some companies in spite of public perception, use scales that are dishonest by about 10%. One reason the company I'm with down here can survive and flourish is that they are honest in all their dealings from the scales, to the quality rating, to the repayment in 10 days or less compaired to 60-90 days for others. So many other things.

Esperanza Coffee Company besides supplying beans to Dunkin Donuts and Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf uses their profits wisely. I have been to where they build orphanages and rehab centers and drill wells, support the farmers and their families. There is a great kid here at the B&B they took off the streets and now lives here. He hadn't had a real meal as long as he could remember, hadn't had a bath or had his hair cut for years, had no shoes and clothes were barely there. Even though he is only 11 and we pray and fellowship with him, and is getting straight A's in school.

I brought a football with me. He'd never seen one before, so his first few throws were just like when mom throws a ball. We cured that that fairly quickly.

Many lives hang in the balance.