Lending a Helping Hand
One of our core values at Developing Workers is to be a ministry that is generous. We want to give, care and share all that God entrusts to us. So we are looking for ways to come along side pastors and leaders in other communities around the world who are struggling to get back on their feet after the debilitating effects of the pandemic.
During 2020 many businesses were closed and bankrupt due to the government regulations of shutting down because of COVID. These small businesses are trying to start back up but many don’t have the capital to open again. Therefore, we are in the process of developing plans to give micro-finance loans to some leaders of small businesses around the globe.
The small loan will help the leader open up their business again. We want to empower (not enable) people to be independent, self-sustaining and earning their own income. In addition, as the loan is paid off over 2 to 3 years we can recycle that money to other people in need. We have some local finance experts in Arizona that are developing these plans with each small business leader to determine the funding needed, as well as the best way for the business owner to repay the loan while still succeeding in their field of work.
We have funded our first loan with a long time ministry partner, James, in Haiti. James helps us every time we travel to Haiti – translating for us, networking with people in the area and helping us with our pastoral training. We chose James because:
- we have partnered with him for so many years and know he is a Godly, reliable man and
- his community has been especially hit hard by COVID and the businesses have closed so there is no food locally.
He is married and is starting a small store front out of his home. He buys and sells products like rice, beans, flour, oil and other necessities. People are so grateful to not have to travel long distances to purchase food. Down the road, James is also hoping to employ 1-2 people.
If you would like to help fund some of these life-changing loans for people who are struggling, please consider giving to our Crisis Fund.
We are praying that God works through this in a mighty way for the people He sends us. Thank you so much for your support!
Speaking of the Crisis Fund…
We started the Crisis Fund last year to aid struggling pastors in Kenya and to help develop a program in Honduras called “Connected by Your Word”. We came along side our ministry partners in Honduras and helped co-create the program that provided psychological support for at risk children through a series of weekly phone, counseling sessions.
We recently met with one of our partners from Honduras who wanted to say thank you for the success of the program:
Because of your financial support, the program “Connected by Your Word” sponsored by YOU, Developing Workers, helped to connect children in need of psychological support with powerful resources during the global pandemic in 2020. The program goal and initiative offered at-risk children access to vital counseling treatments. Professional psychologists, mental health educators, and Hope Center support empowered kids to combat the harsh realities and negative impacts of abuse and isolation.
Here is what your gift gave to others:
- Professional psychological support and mental health education for 68 at-risk children that participated in the program across 3 different regions of Honduras
- Mobile access for children to participate in consistent psychological counseling sessions
- Psychological treatment over the course of 12 sessions per child that helped identify sources of depression from sexual harassment, emotional instability, violence/abuse, and other problems common to areas of deep poverty
- Valuable data collection at the end of the 12 sessions revealing that 59% of the children who participated in this program demonstrated significant improvements in their mental health and wellbeing
Your gift helped children like Child I:
Child I is a 13 year old girl attending the Hope Center Dorcas in Honduras. She has recently struggled with depression and shared with her psychologist that she has tried to take her own life on many occasions. After this participating in this program, she is still provided regular visits with a psychiatrist and continuing treatment. She has shared that she is grateful to God that she is still alive and for the unconditional support from her psychologists. She currently attends church and is passionate about reading the Bible and going to youth services.
Thank You! Your gift makes wonderful things possible!
God is Opening Doors for our Foundations Training!
When we “launch” a new discipleship training center in a new country, our preference is that we would be there in person. Launching Ukraine in-person was not possible because of COVID restrictions on travel. However the leaders there clearly communicated that they did not want to wait for us to begin the training later in the year. They had worked hard on translating the discipleship material and wanted to launch now! So in February, at 12:45AM we got ready for Zoom to go live so the training would be convenient in their time zone. From 1:00am until 6:15am we trained 18 leaders in Workshop 1 on how to build a multiplying disciple-making ministry. We thank God for the incredible receptivity, the engagement with questions and the supernatural cultural connection we experienced even though we were not together in person!
Also in February, God opened the door for us to travel to Mazatlan, Mexico to coach and mentor Pastor Luis and pour into his church community. We praise God for the evangelism training we led with Pastor Luis’ leaders, equipping them to share the good news of Christ and to be the disciples that God is calling them to be. We also saw God moving in the men of the church who attended our training on transparency and vulnerability with other men. Likewise, we know God planted some seeds as we preached His word to the congregation about His power through prayer.
