Pray for CEPAD as We Aim to Resolve Property Dispute

Update: As of Sept. 6, we have regained access to the Nehemias property with the help of police. Our delegation and partner staff members expect to resume working from the offices there on Monday. We will continue to work toward a longterm resolution to the dispute over ownership of the property and are in the process of renovating a currently unused CEPAD facility in Managua. We request your continued prayers and support.

The following is a letter from CEPAD delegation coordinator Doug Orbaker on behalf of executive director Damaris Albuquerque.

Dear friends of CEPAD,As many of you know, the property of CEPAD Nehemias (like a lot of property in Nicaragua) has been in litigation for some time.  Now the final court decision is that CEPAD is not the owner of that property, even though CEPAD purchased this property in good faith in 1994.

In February the new “owner” placed a crossing gate and armed guards at the entrance to the property, but did not restrict access.  However, on the morning of August 24, these guards were directed to not allow anyone to enter for any purpose related to CEPAD.  When the director of the Nehemias program came, she was refused access, but the guards also would not show the court order to her, nor allow it to be copied.  CEPAD has not been served with any such court order.  For the first week the guards did allow the CEPAD watchmen to come and go, and they even allowed the cook to take lunches to them.  As of this week, they have not allowed that, and the CEPAD Nehemias Center is now without an internal watchman.

Besides property of CEPAD, there are items worth thousands of dollars inside that belong to the “Cristo Centro” Church, to PRESTANIC and to private individuals, all of whom are being denied access to the property.

CEPAD has discovered that the request for a legal eviction was taken to the correct judge, and DENIED.  So there is not a legal court order for CEPAD to vacate the property.  If there were such an order, CEPAD would legally be allowed access to the property to remove our belongings, and those of other groups.

We are terribly troubled  that this is happening, but we also know that injustice happens to many people here, and CEPAD recommits itself to the struggle for peace that is built on justice for all.  This past week, the General Assembly of CEPAD reaffirmed that commitment with approval of a campaign in support of workers who suffer from unsafe and unhealthy working conditions.  While we are all very concerned about this, it has not stopped the work of CEPAD.  The ongoing work in every area is continuing, and we are confident that we will soon be ready to host delegations again in different facilities.

We ask you to support us in prayer at this time.  Please pray that justice may prevail and CEPAD be allowed to continue its ministry of service to the “least of these” through connections with churches and friends in other countries who come here to support this work.

Thank you.

In Christ’s Service,
Doug Orbaker on behalf of Damaris Albuquerque