Touched

Monday, September 17

Where do I even begin? This was the most impactful day so far. We start our mornings with breakfast, followed by "team time" which includes devotions and soaking. It started out emotional when Jill talked about how today was a moment in time that we would never experience again. That really struck me and I now realize what that meant.

We went back to the church that we visited the day before. We were greeted by one of the Savings Groups. A savings group is made up of 10 women. Each of them has a leader that the ministry has raised up. The leader is a Christian while other members of the group may or may not be. This is absolutely a place where they can belong before they believe. The group meets on a regular basis and they have worship and prayer time along with training, and talking about other stuff. The group is made up of members of the community and they live close to each other in the slums. Here is one of the groups. 

What these ladies do is pool their money together so they can open a savings account. They typically put in 20% of their wages per month. Here is the absolute shocking part. They typically put in an average of $2 per person/per month. Yes, if you do the math that means they make about $10 per month. Most of them clean houses. It's unbelievable! Some women can only pay .50 cents per month and some can pay up to $4 per month. The entire group decides on the amount and they all pay the same. The way it works is that if there is a need, they lend their money to someone in the group. Sometimes they will go in on things to start businesses too. 

One of the ladies in this group just lost her husband. The group has now helped her with expenses and is trying to help her get on her feet. This is a great opportunity for these women. When they are in a group they learn how to read and write so they can fill out the necessary paperwork at the bank. Most of them can't read or write when they come into the program. They feel as though they have a purpose and that they are doing something to help themselves and their family. For 24 months they are guided through this time with a lot of hand holding. After 24 months, the women are on their own. They continue to raise up new leaders to start new groups. Some women are in more than one group. Maybe one group is just paying $1 per month but they have more to save. Then they can join another group and maybe pay $2 per month for that group. It is all their very own money. No money is given to them to get started. This is very important and gives them a sense of appreciation and ownership. The ministry is moving away from Mirco Loans and is focusing on the savings groups. It is working out great!

These women came to the church today especially to greet us, perform for us, and to have us bless them. I am amazed by the love and joy in their eyes. We are always greeted with the most beautiful smiles. It is an honor to be here.

Today I was so touched by this sweet little girl.
We had just walked into the church and sat down.
I saw this sweet little face looking at me and I smiled at her.
Before I knew it she was standing at my lap touching my hand and patting my leg.
We were instant pals and she stayed close to me for most of the program.
Her name is Monsi and I fell in love with her.

 After the program her mother kept asking to take her picture with me.

It was really sweet. Her mother is not a believer...yet!

Monsi was fascinated by my phone and she loved looking at herself. :)

I turned the lens around so she could see herself in the camera and we snapped a couple of pictures.

Leaving was very hard. 

They followed us out to the bus and waved and waved.

These women were so beautiful inside and out!

My heart was deeply touched and I will never be the same!