FAIR Blog

Update on the Venezuela Lifeline Project

Have you heard the news? Venezuela made history again. The country of long-term hyperinflation is pulling out all the stops. They moved the decimal point six places to the left with all numbers related to their currency. That means that if you had $32,000,000 in your account today, tomorrow you will wake up with $32. It would be big news if this were the first time, but it is the third “zero elimination” in the last thirteen years. Amazing!

Hyperinflation is a heartless monster, and given the fact that Venezuela imports 70% of its food, grocery prices have risen astronomically.  Even those who are fortunate enough to be fully employed are finding it almost impossible to feed their families.

We are so grateful to the Gleaners organizations in BC, Alberta, and Ontario who have made it possible for over eight tons of dehydrated food to be shipped to Venezuela this year – in addition to the six tons sent last year. The food is received by the NGO and then is distributed to ministries in Caracas, and in three other locations.

We would like to take this opportunity to introduce to you Richard and Katerin, missionaries from Colombia who are planting a church in Vargas State, the area hit by the disastrous flood of 1999.  Richard is an evangelist and Katerin is a nurse, and together they lead a team of ten volunteers who are serving in 18 different ministry locations including nursing homes, group homes for children and adolescents, and centres for those suffering from addiction and homelessness. They even reach out to the tourists who come to surf at the beautiful beaches!

The outreach of this pastoral couple and the volunteers has continued even during COVID. They report that: “At the beginning of the pandemic, it was difficult to help people because of the quarantine … but for us, it’s hard to stay still and only observe, so instead of reducing our service to families and the community, the ministry grew as we visited families suffering from both lack of food and from COVID.  We don’t deny that we were afraid of being infected … but the Lord always treats us with so much mercy, love, and faith … that we became immune to the disease …  Many people felt better after eating the soup we provided and when they asked what was in it, we told them that the most important ingredients are faith and prayer.”

So Little Does so Much

It costs $65 Canadian to send one box of dehydrated food which provides 1,200 meals. In addition to the food, people also have the opportunity to meet Jesus who will change their lives forever.

We were amazed with the outpouring of generosity when the Lifeline Project was launched, and we estimate that there will still be funds to send a limited number of boxes into the next year. However, we do not see an end to the crisis in Venezuela and we trust that additional donations will be sufficient to keep the supply chain going for the foreseeable future.