major fire in managua

Friends, I know there is plenty of suffering all over the world every day--I just want to share one piece of that suffering that is affecting the families of people here in Nicaragua this week.

There was a major fire in Managua's largest open-air market (some say it's the largest open-air market in Central America) a couple days ago. It took the fire fighters two days to put it out, and in the meantime it destroyed several acres of land covered with various little stores where people sell all kinds of household items, clothing, shoes, automotive supplies, food, and anything else you can think of--a grand total of at least $2 million dollars worth of merchandise. Yes, dollars. Many of these small business people had loans with various banks that they used to buy of the goods they sell--and they lost everything. Others had been building their business for 2o years and it all (literally) went up in smoke this week.

The press reported today the apparent cause of the fire was a circuitry issue caused by someone who was stealing power from the electric company.

The economic situation here is already so hard for so many people, with prices rising and work hard to come by. I just ask for your prayers and good thoughts, for those of you so inclined, on behalf of the hundreds of Nicaraguans who lost so much this week and are beginning the work of rebuilding their businesses and their lives.

Que la paz, la gracia, y la sabiduria de Dios sea con todos que han perdido tanto la semana pasada. Ayudales a levantar sus espiritus and comenzar el trabajo de reconstruir sus negocios en una manera que te glorifica, aun en medio de esta tragedia.