As 2021 began, Honduras was recovering from two hurricanes and a pandemic that had locked down much of the country. The Society of the Good Shepherd was at work bringing food to families, rebuilding houses, and constructing a rural medical clinic. As the economy opened up again, we resumed our interest-free microloan ministry. Each of the persons helped during the past year has a story to tell. Yet, we have been able to share only a few of their stories with you. As we stop to look back at this year, we thought we would review the stories of some of the lives that have been touched and transformed through the compassionate hearts of our donors.
January and beyond: We were delivering food and other essentials to desperately needy families.
February: Francisco Ulloa obtained a loan from the Society to purchase a Z-moto delivery cycle. Francisco is still ahead on his loan payments and continues to use his Z-moto for all sorts of deliveries and for stocking the many small stores called “pulperias.” Despite a serious leg injury he received last year, his attitude is always cheerful and positive as he presses forward despite many challenges.
March: Danilo Hernandez and his family in El Ocotal were hugely blessed with help from the Society of the Good Shepherd and several churches as we shared the Lord’s love towards them by providing them with a new, but simple concrete block house. Danilo (not a Christian) still battles alcoholism, and we ask for your continued prayers for this family.
April thru June: We keep hearing many reports of how the maternity ward that the Society built at the hospital in Comayagua has blessed the women of the community. The new roof and lighting that we provided for the three auxiliary buildings at the hospital have created a dry, safe space for all the medical supplies and medicines. Hospital Coordinator Violeta continues to share her gratitude for these much-need additions and improvements.
July: We witnessed a truly amazing story of love crossing borders and finding no bounds as Victor Fox sought a way to get back to Honduras during the pandemic in order to reunite with his fiancée and get married. In the process, he was able to partner with the Good Shepherd Society to donate to the Honduran people his mode of transportation: an ambulance! Jesy, the director of the medical clinic in Taulabe, shares her gratitude for how God has provided the clinic with a reliable emergency vehicle.
August: Jose Ramon stepped out in faith and left his full-time job to start a frozen taco business. This has allowed him more time for his ministerial studies and for ministry opportunities. With his loan, he was able to purchase a chest freezer, a meat grinder and a tortilla maker. He is expanding his business and also serving the kingdom of God.
September: Francisco Gomez used his loan to lay a new floor and roof for his blacksmith and metal working business. What was literally a mud floor became a solid concrete slab, allowing new growth and dreams of expansion. The loan also allowed him to purchase the welding tools necessary to expand his business to embrace other metal work like roofs, car parts, and metal balconies.
October: With a loan from the Society, Lilian Matute was able to replace two important machines for her printing business. She continues to pursue her vision in graphic design work while doing a variety of printing projects for businesses and missionaries across Honduras. She writes, “I thank God for allowing me to learn about the Good Shepherd Society this year. Thank you for trusting me to receive a loan. This year has been a full harvest of love for me and my brother. Blessings and hugs in the love of our Lord.”
November: Ada Luz, a widowed mother and small business owner, has been blessed again with a loan from the Good Shepherd Society after an extremely trying time for her school-supply store when schools in Honduras were shut down for two years. She had been a faithful steward with her previous loans, so the Society was happy to provide her with a new loan to meet this emergency situation. As Christmas approaches and schools prepare to re-open in February of 2022, she has now been able to restock her store, buy new printers, and update the technology she needed to get back to business!
Jose Ramon (August) leaves us with this blessing, “We pray that the Lord continues giving resources and His provision to the Good Shepherd Society so that many others may be blessed in 2022 as I have been blessed through you.”
May the Lord continue to be glorified in the coming new year through each of you.
Julie Nyhoff de Valladares
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