bright spots

Last week was another roller-coaster ride of ups and downs in my work, but as I reflected on where I started  more than a year ago and where the women's groups are today, I can't help but be thankful for where God has brought us and what he is teaching me.

In 2 different communities I led another session on how to avoid losing money in your business, and why selling on credit is bad for your business. It was a lesson adapted from the material I wrote in my first year in Teguc, and it went over better than I thought. It was pretty interactive with lots of stories and discussion questions, and the women in both groups participated enthusiastically with plenty of personal experiences to beef up my simple examples. I loved it! It is always so fun for me to interact with the women and feel like they are learning something, but also that they can recognize how much  they already know and can apply to their fledgling enterprises.

Other exciting moments...
In one group, the women took seeds that ACDIM gave them a few weeks ago and they are already seeing sprouts in their small garden plots at the municipal office where they meet (yay for year round growing season!).

In the second group we visited, they were ready to purchase a piece of property where they can build a small structure for their bread-making business and other ventures. It was such a proud moment to see the women hand over 25,000 Lempiras (about $1250) of their own hard-earned, hard-fought money to pay the neighbor for a small plot of land. For them, it is a huge amount of money, and the fact that ACDIM did not give them one cent of it is pretty exciting. I told them they need to be proud of themselves for where they have come, and it's because of their own hard work and determination. To see the group start with 60 and work its way down to 14 or 15 faithful workers, to sit through trainings month after month, and now finally see some forward motion for their dedication--it's pretty awesome.

These moments help me remember why I am here and why I do this work. I care so much about these 4 groups of women and their well-being in the short and long term. They are up against a lot--don't get me wrong--and every week brings new obstacles. They need lots of things to keep their small businesses going, and we are doing the best we can with the little bit we have. We can't give them seed capital, or build them a building from the ground up.They face issues of division, pressure from other organizations who wish them ill, and any number of things that drag them down. But we are present with them, walking alongside them; not to pull or push (though sometimes, its hard not to!) but to encourage them, support them and offer what we have that may be of use to them. I never know what each week will bring, but it's the bright spots like this that help us keeping moving forward.