Welcome to Microfinance Monday!
A pastor rides his bike one-and-a-half hours on a bumpy gravel road to church…
As we have talked about previously, we love helping pastors and their spouses launch small businesses with Microfinance lending. Check out today’s video to hear the inspiring story of Pastor Marc and his wife Janie. Marc pastors a small church outside Belmopan, Belize, in the impoverished village of Valley of Peace. When Marc received his calling to this church a couple years ago, he didn’t have a place to live in the Valley of Peace, and didn’t own a car. So, he rode his bike one-and-a-half hours each way to and from Belmopan and the Valley of Peace on a bumpy gravel road, until he found a place to live. What an incredible commitment! And he did this for over one year. Incredible.
Now Marc’s church, a beautiful little cement block building with a small modest home next door for Marc and his family, is thriving. The Nazarene Church is a beacon of light in this very challenging little community where dozens of locals are refreshed with Marc’s weekly messages and the inspiring music provided by his wife, Janie.
One of the challenges these little churches face is that the pastors hardly make any money. Because of that, they are forced to try to make a living while growing their church and meeting the needs of their members. A difficult task. This is why we love funding pastors and their spouses with microfinance loans. Janie has a dream of starting an Internet cafe. Many of the local members of the community lack access to reliable internet, and an Internet cafe would provide them with a place for gathering and fellowship. And the business would help provide Marc and Janie with a sustainable income that would also be a blessing to their church. A win-win! Our goal is to provide Marc and Janie with a $3,000. microfinance loan.
Microfinance is a powerful force for good in the developing world, helping families break the cycle of extreme poverty - and empowering churches and the Kingdom.
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