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. When we first became acquainted with Nery several years ago, his business was quite small. He had just heard about our interest-free microloan ministry through one of his church leaders, Alfredo Lainez—who is also one of the Society’s directors. We granted Nery a small business loan, which he put to good use. His business quickly grew, and he now has seven employees. So the loan not only blessed Nery and his family, but it has provided employment for seven other men. Nery was able to pay off his loan from the Society ahead of schedule.
However, tragedy struck last year. Nery was in an automobile accident, and his medical bills ran fairly high. Not only that, but he was also unable to work for many months. By the time he fully recovered, Nery was in a deep hole financially. So he approached the Society with a request for a second business loan. This time, the loan was not for his furniture business. Rather, he and his wife Sandra had thought about turning part of their house into a pulperia.
As most of our readers know, in Honduras a pulperia is a small neighborhood grocery store. Since Nery and Sandra Hernandez live on a busy street corner, their house is perfectly located for a pulperia. Two of their children are now grown and are no longer living at home, so Nery and Sandra had space in their house to use for a pulperia. Nery converted one of the bedrooms, plus a side porch, into a pulperia. With only one child at home, Sandra has the time to run their new pulperia.
A second loan from the Society helped them to purchase much of the initial inventory to get the pulperia started. Sandra has done an outstanding job with the pulperia, and it has quickly grown. In fact, the new pulperia has done so well that Sandra and Nery paid off their three-year loan from the Society in only one year. They were able to do this by setting aside part of the receipts each day toward paying off their microloan.
Nery and Sandra perfectly illustrate a principle we have seen over and over again in the microloan ministry: God blesses those Christians who are both (1) industrious and (2) faithful in fulfilling the commitments they make.
Nery and Sandra have seen God’s timing in enabling them to set up their pulperia in 2019, before Covid-19 hit. As a result, during this pandemic, they have not only been able to provide for their own family, but they have also been able to donate food to needy families. They recognize that God has blessed them, and they know they are called to help others in whatever ways they can.
Nery told us that he and Sandra have clearly seen God ‘holding their hand’ through everything they have experienced—from the first loan, through the automobile accident, and up to the present day with their pulperia. It has been a clear testimony of God caring for His children. Nery also said he wants to say “thank you” to our donors for the opportunity they have twice given him to ‘get started.’ In Honduras, it is very difficult to obtain a loan from a bank, and the interest rates they charge are crippling to a new business. So our interest-free microloan ministry, made possible by our donors, has proved to be a huge blessing to thousands of people like Nery and Sandra.
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