Prayer for Our Neighbors

This weekend, elections are being held in Zimbabwe. I don't know if it is a result of being closer to the situation, or not, but my heart has been burdened to pray for the people of this nation and to ask others to do the same.  I found a good article, which discusses some of the challenges that they face. Please be in prayer for our neighbors to the South.

In an Online Article from the Washington Post:

"What distinguishes this election from the previous ones is that we have 150,000% inflation. We have never had an atmosphere where people are so desperate. Even some of the security forces are openly refusing to salute Mugabe. Within the security forces themselves, there are divisions and fissures.

In eight years, Zimbabwe's once-prosperous economy has been destroyed, primarily through Mr. Mugabe's policy of seizing farms from 4,000 white farmers and distributing them to the elite of his Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front party.

Once the bread basket of southern Africa, Zimbabwe is now a basket case, with the world's highest inflation rate, unemployment at 80% and critical shortages of almost everything.

A loaf of bread costs Z$25-million, about half a farm worker's monthly salary. Basic supplies are so expensive and scarce that housewives are said to buy carved-off slivers of soap, and cooking oil is sold by the spoonful.

A quarter of the population has already fled the country (and cannot vote), while one in three families depends on remittances from relatives abroad. The UN's World Food Program says more than three million Zimbabweans cannot feed themselves.

'If Mugabe wins, you can expect a huge exodus of people into surrounding countries,' Mr. Shumba said. 'We may need international intervention to prevent a disaster.'"


To read the full article go to:
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/world/story.html?id=407192