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Recently, we have helped Lawrence and Jeremiah start their own businesses.
Before his family was displaced, Lawrence worked as a tailor. Unable to continue in this profession, he has done manual labor for the past few years to support his wife and two young children. But his dream has always been to own his own tailoring business.
We loaned Lawrence $700 to start a tailoring business. He purchased a sewing machine, materials, and shares a shop with Jeremiah. He calls his business “Vision Tailoring.” When we told him he would be receiving a loan, his eyes lit up with such joy. He had already been gaining customers and had been making beautiful clothing. He is living his dream and is now able to support his family with a consistent income, working at something he loves to do.
However, please be praying for Lawrence. Last week as he was headed to his shop, he was in a car accident. The matatu (a van that serves as public transport here) that he was riding in flipped several times. Thankfully, he only broke his collar bone and he and his family are doing fine. Please pray for healing and quick recovery as he will be unable to work for the next five weeks.
Jeremiah is a 27-year-old young man who lives in Camp Vision. Jeremiah has been doing casual labor for the past four years, finding work wherever he can. He worked as a barber before the elections, and has dreamt ever since to open his own barbershop.
We loaned Jeremiah $300 to start a business. He named his shop “Zion Kinyozi.” He has purchased most of his supplies and has already gotten a lot of business! He is joyful and thankful that God has given him the opportunity to pursue this dream.
God is transforming lives here, and one of the ways He is doing so is through employment. He is giving men and women choice and opportunity, something they haven’t had in four years, something so precious and priceless. No amount of money can buy that.
Thank you for caring. Thank you for praying. Thank you for supporting this. We always want to give you a tangible look into what God is doing here and lives He is impacting.
Four lives have already been changed forever, but there are still so many families who are struggling, so many who need opportunity.
In the next blog, I will be giving some specific ways that you can get more involved in what God is doing here. But as always, we welcome your prayers. Pray for our four friends and that God would bless their businesses incredibly, especially over this holiday season as they get started. We know God moves here in incredible ways because you pray. Thank you!
