Delmis Matta is a widowed sister in Christ who owns a pulperia (small neighborhood grocery store). Her pulperia is actually 80 years old, being originally run by her mother. Delmis inherited the business and home from her mother, who trained her in the business from childhood. The pulperia is located in the front room of the house. The home and business are located a few blocks off of the main town center and marketplace.
Delmis is a faithful servant in her local church where she teaches Sunday school, serves as the treasurer, and is in the process of becoming a deaconess. When Delmis is not attending to the management of her store and her various church responsibilities, she prays and reads her Bible. She always has a word of hope and encouragement for anyone who stops by her shop.
Delmis has three grown children who are serving the Lord in different capacities and raising families of their own. Her two grandchildren live with her daughter and son-in-law in Guatemala. Her youngest son recently moved to San Pedro Sula, the main industrial city of Honduras, where there are more job opportunities. As a result, Delmis now lives alone in her house. She is in good health and perfectly able to live by herself, but being alone has caused her some security concerns. Although her home and pulperia are ideally suited for business, the neighborhood can be dangerous at night.
So Delmis felt she needed to put some extra security measures in place. Back in 2015, Delmis had obtained an interest-free loan from the Society of the Good Shepherd to increase her inventory and make various improvements to her store. She had faithfully paid off her loan ahead of time. So she applied to the Society for a new loan to put some extra security measures in place, to buy new fixtures, to increase her back-up inventory, and to add some new products to her store. Because of her past faithfulness, her second loan application was met with an exuberant yes.
With the new interest-free loan, Delmis was able to have new doors and locks installed and to put in a metal curtain that she can lock at night to provide more security. Although Delmis knows the Lord watches over His people, she recognizes that He also expects us to use sensible precautions in guarding our safety. She is very grateful to have this extra protection that the new loan has provided. With the loan, Delmis also purchased some new shelving to display and organize her products. (Her previous shelves had been ruined by termites, humidity, and wear and tear.)
As with most pulperias, Delmis finds that the most popular products are drinks—juice, soft drinks, milk, and bottled water. Chips and other packaged snacks are also very popular. Unfortunately, these products carry the lowest profit margins. So Delmis is wisely investing part of her loan money in different products that her competition doesn’t offer and that carry a higher profit margin.
One profitable item that Delmis has featured for many years is homemade popsicles. These are a favorite with her customers, and most of her recipes were handed down from her mother. Some of her customers’ favorite flavors are peanut, coconut, and chocolate banana. Delmis also experiments with new recipes. One of her recent flavors is “corn flakes in milk,” which has proved to be a big hit with her customers. Each popsicle sells for 20 cents, and they are the perfect treat for kids and adults alike. The Society sometimes purchases a case of them to use as refreshments at our annual meetings.
Delmis loves her job, and she believes that this is the place where the Lord has placed her. Her joy and love for Christ shine through her pulperia as she seeks to be a light to others in Siguatepeque.
The Society of the Good Shepherd, P. O. Box 122, Amberson, PA 17210 • (717) 349-7033
Click on the following link if you would care to make a donation to the work in Honduras: Honduras Donations