Have you ever thought about that spoonful of sugar you place in your coffee every day? Or the bag of sugar in your pantry that you make sweet treats for your family with?
Well, neither did I. Every morning I get a small teasponn out of this cute container and stir it in my cup and begin my day without a thought beyond.
Last Sunday, while in church, I was blessed to be able to hear a 5 minute testimony from the missionary Freddy Cooper. Him and his wife Paula are missionaries in The Dominican Republic and Haiti.
They briefly shared the truth behind the slavery that takes place in the sugar fields. Men and women forced to work 16 hour days cutting the sugar cane with macheties. Cildren as young as 5 or 6 are also handling these razor sharp tools and forced to work as well. 7 days a week for about $3 a week. They have little food, contaminated water and no medical care. Many of these dear souls cut and injure themselves on the job but nothing is done to help them.
After a touching video presentation, He asked us if we ever thought about where our sugar came from? He asked us to say a prayer for those people and for the missionaries who are going there to help them and bring them the gospel every time we spooned sugar in our coffee.
Since last Sunday morning when I heard this, I have not been able to look at sugar the same. Prayers go up whenever I spoon that white sweet grain in my hot cup and I also Thank the Lord for being free.
So, today I ask you.... where does your sugar come from???
I have heard about this before.
ReplyDeleteMakes me so upset and OUTRAGED that this MADNESSS is still going on in this day and age!
It's a GOOD REASON to give it up all together.
Oh my....I have never heard this. This world - thank God it's not home. It's just temporary. Thanks for sharing this. I am going to check into which sugar companies buy from legit farms (or whatever sugar places are called - lol).
ReplyDeleteIt's SO sad - and happens with more products than just sugar. You can buy "Fair Trade Certified" sugar and foods - to help support farms where people are treated properly.
ReplyDeleteThe products seem hard to find though - probably easier at a whole foods or something. I first noticed it when I bought a bag of dried cherries a few years ago that had a 'Fair Trade Certified Sugar' logo on the front.
http://www.transfairusa.org/