Today's country is the Dominican Republic. It's on an island in the Caribbean, sharing the island of Hispanola with their news-making neighbor, Haiti. The DR is a nation of 9,823,821 people. Out of this almost 10 million, 42.2% are below the poverty line. 14.2% are unemployed.
Now, yesterday, I discovered something. In my ignorance, I had not realized something: I didn't really know what the "poverty line" is. I just didn't know. So I have reasearched. The poverty line varies a lot from country to country, as everybody has different amounts that it requires to live "nicely" and thus, there is no standard. The UN uses $1.25 USD as the standard line, but of course, this is inaccurate. In some countries, US money is worth tons. The lesson here is: if they are below the poverty line, then they are struggling to get by, and that's as much detail as we can have. I just thought I'd clear that up.
The D. Republic has a high risk of disease, with HIV/AIDS, typhoid fever, hepatitis A, malaria, and dengue fever being common issues. However, their life expectancy is still in the 70's, which is pretty good.
Spiritually, 95% of the country is Roman Catholic, with another 5% being other religions. This 5% may include Protestant Christians. Needless to say, they have a lot of people professing to know Christ.
Father, we pray for the lost of the Dominican Republic. They need you, God. Also, we pray for the Christians there, that they be engulfed in your love and be compelled to share it with all. We pray for the physical needs of DR and that you provide for the people of this nation. Thank you God. In your Son's name, amen.
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