Newsletter - November, 2013
| November, 2013 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 Published by the Society of the Good Shepherd, P. O. Box 122, Amberson, PA 17210. (717) 349-7033 |
Carlos Villanueva is a shoemaker who moved to La Paz about ten months ago hoping to find better work opportunities and a safer environment for his family. He and his family are originally from a town located in the south of Honduras. He had been a shoemaker for almost 30 years there, and he eventually owned his own shoe shop. However, the economy there got harder and harder for him to make a living. After much prayer and thought, he decided to venture out of his hometown and try to start a new life for his family somewhere else. Besides being unable to make a living in his hometown, the town had become full of violence and insecurity. 
With his pastor’s blessing, Carlos and his family moved to La Paz. “La Paz” literally means “Peace,” and in Carlos’ words, “It is a town that honors its name.” He immediately felt very welcomed by the town and by his new congregation there. A couple of months ago, seeing Carlos’ desperate financial situation, his new pastor told him about the microloan ministry of the Good Shepherd Society. Before he received his interest-free loan from the Society, Carlos’ situation was really desperate. He did not even have enough money for food, let alone money to buy materials to make shoes. On top of everything else, two of his family members fell ill with dengue fever. However, God answered his prayer with a Society loan to buy needed materials to make shoes to sell. His family members also recovered from dengue fever.
God has surely blessed Carlos’ hard work since then! After receiving the loan, he’s been making shoes and more shoes. His wife goes out to sell them on the streets. In addition, in a small town, word of mouth advertising is very effective. So many people go to Carlos’ house to order shoes. During our visit to La Paz in September, we witnessed just how much work Carlos now has! At first, we thought there must have been a death in his family or something, as so many people were lined up outside his door. We could barely make it inside, and once we did, we found more people inside his house waiting to have their foot measurements taken. Honduras’ Independence Day was approaching, and dozens of families were ordering custom-made dress boots for special school activities.
Now, Carlos’ shoe shop keeps his whole family busy, and he has even had to hire additional help! It is amazing to see what God has done in Carlos’ life in such a short time! Carlos asked us to thank all of you who made his loan possible. Nancy Barahona. 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: Donations
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