Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Ephesians 3:20-21
Ephesians 3:20-21
Many of you know the heart I have for the poor around the world. You may know that I have traveled to Ukraine three times and to the Dominican Republic once to meet, serve, and fellowship with our brothers and sisters. I wrote about our trip to the DR here. I firmly believe that we do not have a problem with resources in our world. We don't have a shortage of food. There is plenty. What we have is a distribution problem and I believe that it is our God-given and humbling responsibility to distribute the resources as best we can.
The global population is 6.46 billion people.
Did you know that .88 billion (14%) live on $1 or less per day?
Did you know that 2.60 billion (40%) live on $2 or less per day?
Did you know that 5.15 billion people (a whopping 80%....80%!!) live on $10 or less per day?
And did you know that the average American individual lives on $90 per day?
That is just astonishing to me. Four out of five people live on $10 or less while the average American lives on $90 per day...
In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:16
Josh and I are on the Regional Board of Directors for HOPE International. It is a tremendous organization that is making a lasting impact on both physical AND spiritual poverty in the poorest parts of the world. Our brothers and sisters around the globe are just like us. They have desires to work and provide for their families. They want to raise their children to be healthy, smart, successful, happy, and to have a better life than they did. They have dreams to have a proper shelter, to see their children's children. But because they were born there....and not here in America... they struggle to meet just their very basic needs. There are few jobs. There is no available capital to begin their own small businesses. There are no avenues for saving so that they can save up the little income they receive in order to send their children to school next year. In short, there is no hope for a better tomorrow.
This is where HOPE comes in. HOPE is fully focused on sharing the truth about Jesus and salvation and that although we have trouble in this world, God has overcome the world (John 16:33)!! How hard would it be to hear this message and fully receive it as the truth when you have an empty stomach and you don't know how you'll be able to feed your babies dinner? This is why HOPE focuses on both spiritual and physical poverty. In short, HOPE provides small loans to individuals (88% are female; the majority are mothers or grandmothers), along with training and support, so that they can start or supplement their own businesses and earn income so that they can provide for their families.
Instead of giving them a fish...which is consumed, leaving them in the same position the next day... HOPE teaches them how to fish and enables them to procure a fishing pole, boat, and bait, so that they can fish over and over and over and over again...
The loans are short term (generally six months) and have an extremely high repayment rate (last year HOPE disbursed 1,350 loans in Congo worth $701,662 with a 100% repayment rate).
I am very business-minded. With an MBA in Finance, this is of no surprise. I view my charitable contributions much like my financial investments. I want a good return on my investment...in both my 401(k) and with the money I donate. For this reason, I intentionally do not provide financial contributions to many admirable organizations (such as United Way or Compassion International) because I think my money can work harder for me elsewhere. As you can imagine, $50 goes farther in Rwande than it does in Minnesota. And with HOPE, that $50 is multiplied over and over (some micro-finance research shows that it is multiplied 20 times). So my $50 donation becomes $1000!!! That is a HUGE return on my investment! The donation is multiplied because the $50 is lent to one HOPE client, repaid within six months, then lent to another HOPE client, repaid, then lent to another HOPE client...and so forth.
Let me share a short story about a HOPE client, Angela Mercedes, in the Dominican Republic. Her relationship with HOPE began six years ago, just months before she became a single mother to five children. She first sought an $80 loan to sell gas to local passerby. She repaid the loan and used her second loan to open a vegetable stand. Today she runs a convenience store. Angela has received and repaid 12 small loans, ranging from $80 to $130. She provides literacy training, dental care, and health care in her community. She said, "I feel happy and content. I have my own business. I have my children. Although I may not have much materially, I am rich." She named her business "Fe y Esperanza en Dios"- Faith and Hope in God.
You can make a significant and lasting change for other young parents..or grandparents...single individuals...or married women just like yourself, who by their circumstances, are struggling to survive day to day. A small amount goes a long way. If you'd like to learn more or make a donation, visit HOPE International at www.hopeinternational.org.
Also, we are holding the 1st Annual Drive Out Poverty golf tournament in Minnesota on August 8th. Consider playing in the tournament or spreading the news with your friends that golf. Josh and I will be there!
Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things. ...
You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in their distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat.
Isaiah 25:1,4
Some information was taken from HOPE International's 2010 Annual Report.
In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:16
Josh and I are on the Regional Board of Directors for HOPE International. It is a tremendous organization that is making a lasting impact on both physical AND spiritual poverty in the poorest parts of the world. Our brothers and sisters around the globe are just like us. They have desires to work and provide for their families. They want to raise their children to be healthy, smart, successful, happy, and to have a better life than they did. They have dreams to have a proper shelter, to see their children's children. But because they were born there....and not here in America... they struggle to meet just their very basic needs. There are few jobs. There is no available capital to begin their own small businesses. There are no avenues for saving so that they can save up the little income they receive in order to send their children to school next year. In short, there is no hope for a better tomorrow.
This is where HOPE comes in. HOPE is fully focused on sharing the truth about Jesus and salvation and that although we have trouble in this world, God has overcome the world (John 16:33)!! How hard would it be to hear this message and fully receive it as the truth when you have an empty stomach and you don't know how you'll be able to feed your babies dinner? This is why HOPE focuses on both spiritual and physical poverty. In short, HOPE provides small loans to individuals (88% are female; the majority are mothers or grandmothers), along with training and support, so that they can start or supplement their own businesses and earn income so that they can provide for their families.
Instead of giving them a fish...which is consumed, leaving them in the same position the next day... HOPE teaches them how to fish and enables them to procure a fishing pole, boat, and bait, so that they can fish over and over and over and over again...
The loans are short term (generally six months) and have an extremely high repayment rate (last year HOPE disbursed 1,350 loans in Congo worth $701,662 with a 100% repayment rate).
I am very business-minded. With an MBA in Finance, this is of no surprise. I view my charitable contributions much like my financial investments. I want a good return on my investment...in both my 401(k) and with the money I donate. For this reason, I intentionally do not provide financial contributions to many admirable organizations (such as United Way or Compassion International) because I think my money can work harder for me elsewhere. As you can imagine, $50 goes farther in Rwande than it does in Minnesota. And with HOPE, that $50 is multiplied over and over (some micro-finance research shows that it is multiplied 20 times). So my $50 donation becomes $1000!!! That is a HUGE return on my investment! The donation is multiplied because the $50 is lent to one HOPE client, repaid within six months, then lent to another HOPE client, repaid, then lent to another HOPE client...and so forth.
Let me share a short story about a HOPE client, Angela Mercedes, in the Dominican Republic. Her relationship with HOPE began six years ago, just months before she became a single mother to five children. She first sought an $80 loan to sell gas to local passerby. She repaid the loan and used her second loan to open a vegetable stand. Today she runs a convenience store. Angela has received and repaid 12 small loans, ranging from $80 to $130. She provides literacy training, dental care, and health care in her community. She said, "I feel happy and content. I have my own business. I have my children. Although I may not have much materially, I am rich." She named her business "Fe y Esperanza en Dios"- Faith and Hope in God.
You can make a significant and lasting change for other young parents..or grandparents...single individuals...or married women just like yourself, who by their circumstances, are struggling to survive day to day. A small amount goes a long way. If you'd like to learn more or make a donation, visit HOPE International at www.hopeinternational.org.
Also, we are holding the 1st Annual Drive Out Poverty golf tournament in Minnesota on August 8th. Consider playing in the tournament or spreading the news with your friends that golf. Josh and I will be there!
Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things. ...
You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in their distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat.
Isaiah 25:1,4
Some information was taken from HOPE International's 2010 Annual Report.
1 comment:
How interesting, Whitney! Brent is very much the same as you when it comes to charitable giving- He doesn't want it to be just a drop in the bucket. I will share this with him this evening and decide what we can give. Thank you!
-April
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