Published by the Society of the Good Shepherd
Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.” Matt. 25:40
P. O. Box 122, Amberson, PA 17210. (717) 349-7033
April 2024
eCommerce on a Micro-Scale
Two of our most recent loan recipients are Gerson and Angie Velasquez. And their loan came at a critical moment in their lives…
March 2024
Seven Years of Trials
Seven years ago, Alexi Santos started a bakery with his brother. They named it, “Los Brother’s Panaderia.” (Panaderia is Spanish for bakery). They produced a good product…
January, 2024
Helping the Poor Through Co-Ops
One of the two communities where the Society of the Good Shepherd concentrates its work in Honduras is Taulebé. The main income for people in the Taulebé area comes from small businesses and rural farms….
December, 2023
The Year in Review
As we arrive at the end of 2023, it’s exciting to look back at the ministries the Society of the Good Shepherd has been working on during this past year…
October, 2023
Helping Needy Widows
Since the beginning of the ministry of the Society of the Good Shepherd, we have had a vision for helping widows…
September, 2023
The Sewing Machine Project
Honduras is one of the poorest countries in the western hemisphere. And among the poorest of the poor in Honduras are the Lenca Indians…
August, 2023
Bathrooms for the Poor
Imagine living without running water. Now, also imagine living without a bathroom—no toilet, tub, or shower…
June 2023
Melvin’s Taxi Service
Cars are a luxury that most Hondurans can’t afford. Most working-class men use a motorcycle to get to work. They transport their families…
May 2023
Fighting Poverty Through Co-ops
As is the case in many underdeveloped countries, Honduras has often been plagued by dishonest government officials…
April 2023
Building a Dental Clinic
This February a crew of 22 brothers and sisters flew down to Honduras to begin work on a new dental clinic for the Taulebé rural medical center…
March 2023
A New Chapter Begins
. Over the past 23 years, Deborah and I have made nearly 40 trips to Honduras…
January 2021
Protecting the Privacy of Victims
Over the years, the Society of the Good Shepherd has helped on many construction projects for the regional hospital in Comayagua. Some of the projects we did in 2021 for the hospital were enlarging the maternity ward…
December 2020
The Fruits of Putting God First
Last month, we discussed the wide impact of microloans. They not only bless each loan recipient but also their extended families. Furthermore
November 2022
The Wide Impact of a Microloan
David Bercot. A few weeks ago, my wife Deborah and I were in Honduras. While there, Deborah had a conversation with Alisson Portillo, one of our loan recipients. Alisson told Deborah, “You have no idea of the wide impact that your microloans have…”
October 2022
Delma Matta
Delmis Matta is a widowed sister in Christ who owns a pulperia (small neighborhood grocery store). Her pulperia is actually 80 years old…
September 2022
Dixy Barahona: A Heart for Ministry
Over the past several months, we have been introducing you to our Honduran board of directors. This month, we want to introduce you to our very first board member, Dixy Barahona
June 2022
Luis Vega: A Key Man of God
uis Vega has been a key part of the ministry of the Society of the Good Shepherd since its start. He has a huge heart for helping others…
May 2022
Serving the Poor Who Have Diabetes
Diabetes has become an epidemic in Honduras. Most cases are type 2 diabetes, which is closely associated with obesity. Over 21% of the adults in Honduras are obese…
March 2022
Alfredo Lainez: A Man Devoted to the Poor
What has kept the Society of the Good Shepherd running smoothly over the past 22 years…
February 2022
Love Builds a Health Clinic in San Jose
John Wesley famously said, “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can.” The Society of the Good Shepherd endeavors…
January 2022
A Woman Who Never Gives Up
Ada is a friend of another Christian sister, Iris Fernandez, who has also persisted through some tough trials…
December 2021
Sharing God’s Love With Others
As 2021 began, Honduras was recovering from two hurricanes and a pandemic that had locked down much of the country…
November 2021
Experiencing the Love of Christ’s Body
Ada Luz met her husband José soon after her conversion in her early twenties. They eventually married and had four daughters…
September 2021
The Godly Blacksmith
Francisco Gomez has been running an old-fashioned blacksmith shop from his front yard for the past 15 years…
August 2021
Ministry and Frozen Tacos
Jose Ramon and his wife Jenny are the parents of three adult and adolescent children (22,19,15). For the last 22 years Jose had worked as a mechanic, but he had always felt very constrained…
July 2021
The Amazing Ambulance Saga
On June 1, 2021, after a journey of 3500 miles, a shiny white ambulance finally pulled into its new home—the rural health clinic of Taulebé, Honduras…
June 2021
Improving Medical Care for the Poor
While one crew was working on the maternity ward, the Society had a second crew working on another urgent project for the hospital….
April 2021
Saving Mothers’ Lives
The community hospital in Comayagua is among the many buildings damaged by the two hurricanes of last November in Honduras. The high winds and torrential rains of the hurricanes damaged the already dilapidated roof…
March 2021
From Sugar Cane Poles to Bricks
This week we celebrate one year since the Covid pandemic hit Honduras. The only reason I use the word “celebrate” is that God has been so incredibly faithful…
February 2021
A Man Who Perseveres Through Difficulties
Three years ago, Francisco Ulloa was struck from behind by a hit-and-run driver. He was left bleeding in the road, with his right leg badly crushed….
December 2020
The People of Honduras Thank You!
Honduras has seen a year like none other, and as we come to the close of 2020 we want to celebrate the faithfulness of our Shepherd…
November 2020
Back-to-Back Hurricanes Hit Honduras
But then, during the first week of November, Hurricane Eta hit our country. It was the strongest storm to ravage Honduras since Hurricane Mitch in 1998. Between the winds and the torrential rains, thousands of homes were washed away or severely damaged.
October 2020
Starting Anew a Second Time
Nery Hernandez is a highly skilled cabinet maker who runs a business in Siguatepeque called the “Furniture Place.” Nery and his employees not only make many types of cabinets, but also dressers, tables, wardrobes, and a variety of other furniture.
September 2020
Building a Clinic in Camalotales
So what happens when they have a medical emergency? Perhaps their baby is due or they have a sick child. For most people, this has always meant at least an hour’s walk to the nearest health clinic, which is at Taulebe.
August 2020
Search and Rescue
Covid-19 has now apparently peaked in the major cities of Honduras, and most people have been able to return to work at some level. However, the economy of Honduras has suffered enormously, causing widespread economic distress.
July 2020
Letting Christ’s Love Shine in Dark Times
As I write this newsletter, 49% of Hondurans are without jobs as we continue more never-ending days in this pandemic. Before the beginning of the pandemic, 60% of the Honduran people lived on an average of $1 a day. Now 80% of the population lives on 50 cents a day.
June 2020
The Blackberry Ministry
High in the mountains of Honduras sits the small Indian village of Guajiquiro (Gwa-he-key-row). The Lenca Indians who live there are very poor, and one of their few sources of income is harvesting the blackberries that grow wild on the mountainsides. The harvest begins each year in mid-March and lasts for several months. However, just as the harvest was beginning this year, the whole country was placed on lock down due to COVID-19.
May, 2020
COVID-19 Stories
As we explained in the last newsletter, most of Honduras has been under total lockdown for the past two months. Mail is not even allowed to enter the country.
April, 2020
COVID-19 Hits Honduras
As we send out the current newsletter, the entire world is dealing with the COVID-19 virus. Millions of people in the United States are out of work, and families here are facing financial difficulties as a result. Thankfully, however, we in the United States have food and basic necessities. This is not the case for many in Honduras.
March, 2020
The Challenges of Running a Taxi Service
When He was speaking about the necessities of life, Jesus promised, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Mt. 6:33). Rafael Argueta is a Christian brother who has sought to put the kingdom first in his life.
December, 2019
A Man of Prayer Gets His Own Business
There have been several studies in different countries about microloans. These studies have demonstrated that the infusion of capital to an impoverished economy in the form of microloans, paired with business and budgeting training, not only helps the recipients of those loans, but also has a trickle-down effect on many others in that area.
October 2021
Pulling Together as a Sister and Brother
Our newest loan recipient is a hardworking young lady facing a world of uncertainties, but pressing forward in her small business. Her name is Lilian Matute…