In late February, I had the privilege of visiting one of our
Honduran local business affiliates in the capital city of Tegucigalpa along
with their longtime partner from the US, the Honduras Pella Affiliate. This was a special opportunity to see the
fruits of years of sacrificial leadership from a diverse group of local and
international people.
This partnership is by no means a shooting star that quickly
fizzles. Rather, this partnership is held up on all sides by people that have
firmly committed themselves to walk with God’s children in what I consider to
be very challenging circumstances. Together, they’ve been on top of some
incredible mountain peaks and at the depth of some deep valleys, yet their
commitment to service remains.
In February, we saw firsthand
numerous examples of the impact of that commitment and passion for
transformation in the small businesses they serve. Enjoy the story below an
example of two such businesses.
ERICA AND MADIAN are the owners of two rapidly growing small
businesses – a transportation company (think multiple varieties of taxis) and a
printing business that provides small scale portable and temporary signage as
well as lettering and decals for the transportation industry (buses,
taxis, etc.). After a few minutes at their office, it’s clear they are special
people with a deep-seated entrepreneurial drive – their businesses are growing
(6 employees) and as is the case with most business owners, they admit there
aren’t enough hours in the day. This husband and wife team faces all the
challenges common to entrepreneurs – meeting payroll, sales, orderly
administration, stiff competition, rapidly changing marketplace – and the list
goes on. Yet they clearly love what they’re doing.
Beyond their business acumen, what really caught my attention was
a story Madian casually told about a few of his employees.
Their businesses are located in Nueva Suyapa, a neighborhood on a
hill on the outskirts of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, packed with people and the
sounds of life. Unfortunately, Nueva Suyapa has a few rough edges – one
of which is a large gang presence.
In spite of the dense population, it’s a relatively small
community, meaning that there aren’t many secrets – most people have a very
good idea of who’s associated with the local gangs. This can be a major
obstacle for young people looking for a job – and a brighter future.
Outsiders are skeptical because of where these young people live and locals
can’t afford (physically or economically) to employ someone with ties to a
local gang. It’s just too risky. Thankfully, Madian & Erica are
not typical entrepreneurs.
Sometime ago, Madian hired a few young men, knowing that they had
a bit of ‘history’ and quite possibly a ‘present’ – no one else gave them the
time of day. As usually happens when
someone is shown grace, they turned into excellent employees so much so that others
tried to hire them away. However, loyalty thrives in these circumstances and
they continue working with Madian and Erica. Not only that, but the young men often join
them at Church. Amazing! God is good and His grace abounds!
While Madian and Erica have taken advantage of business training
and loans via Partners Worldwide’s local partner, MCM (Ministerios Cristianos
de Mayordomia), their commitment to serve through their business is deeply
personal. This is exactly the type of
business person we seek to serve at Partners Worldwide - small business owners that
see their calling to business as a calling to ministry. With that commitment and access to the right
mix of business support services, Madian and Erica’s growing business will
continue to be one of the best, most relevant and lasting sources of
transformation and blessing in their community that anyone could hope for.
I hope you will join me in praying for the right mix of wisdom,
people, and resources to continue walking with Madian and Erica, and many more
business owners like them.
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