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If the churches are too poor to help, the government poses administrative hurdles. Cano and Sánchez joined 10 other displaced families and sought a government loan to launch a poultry farm. But to qualify for a loan, these impoverished families must join a chamber of commerce, have a bank account (which requires a $70 minimum first deposit), and present statements from lawyers and accountants. Loan forms came on four computer diskettes.

Each family must also provide written proof of solvency, which entails returning to the very places the displaced people had fled. The two families heroically met all these requirements—only to see their application rejected because the place where they sought to build the farm was deemed too dangerous.

The numbers of the displaced, and their sense of hopelessness, continue to rise. Long-term displacement feeds the illegal drug trade, which offers the homeless one of their only hopes for a living wage.

Spread on a table before Cano and Sánchez at Teusaquillo are replies to their letters to the embassies of the United States, Canada, Italy, and Switzerland.

"They all feel sorry for us, but nobody helps us. Meanwhile, you beg and suffer hunger," Cano said, adding that the painful experience has lowered his standing in the community. "We're not displaced people. We're now beggars. It changes you."

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Also posted today

Why the FARC Hates Evangelicals | The terrorist group has many misconceptions about Colombian Christians.

Lessons from a Hostage Pastor in Colombia | A young minister works to prevent guerrilla kidnappings.

Yesterday, CT posted two dispatches from Colombia:

New Life in a Culture of Death | Hope for Colombia dwells inside its most lethal killing field—Bellavista prison (Feb. 2, 2004)

'I Was Looking for Peace and Found it in Christ' | A converted felon in Colombia reflects on life in the guerrilla ranks. (Feb. 2, 2004)

More CT articles from Colombia include:

Kidnappers Release Two Christian Relief Volunteers in Colombia | Ransom demand paid for evangelical lawyer and businessman. (Jan. 05, 2004)

Colombian Rebels Kill Evangelical Pastors | Two church leaders ambushed in August. (Sept. 03, 2002)

Rebels Force Churches to Close in Colombia | Christians accused of political involvement in May 26 elections (May 16, 2002)

Missionaries Defy Terrorist Threat in Colombia | U.S. Embassy says North Americans are guerrilla targets. (April 30, 2002)

Missionaries May Be Target Of FARC Guerrillas | U.S. embassy in Colombia issues warning to missionaries and churches. (March 08, 2002)

New Tribes Missionaries Kidnapped in 1993 Declared Dead | Mission concludes Colombian guerrillas shot the three men in 1996. (Sept. 27, 2001)

Risking Life for Peace | Caught between rebels, paramilitaries, and crop-dusters, peacemaking Christians put their lives on the line in violent Colombia. (Sept. 07, 2001)

Hostage Pastor Released Unharmed In Colombia | Wife pledges to stay in Colombia because the kidnappers cannot stop the Lord's work. (Aug. 20, 2001)

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February 2004, Vol. 48, No. 2