Last year, when Richard and I were teaching at the Instituto Libertad, I taught an economics’ unit.  I had the students create a business plan and present it to me.  If approved, the students were then given a ‘micro-loan’ to start the business.  All of the students were required to learn about starting and operating a small business, but the choice to enact their plan was up to them. 

One of my students, Belem, took me up on the offer and presented a business plan to start a baked goods business out of her family’s home.  In Mexico, running restaurants or selling food out of your home is very common.  Very few workers pack lunches or eat at sit-down restaurants.  There is little refrigeration and the average person tends to buy food from a food cart or stand throughout the day.

Belem e-mailed me concerned, though.  She wanted to return the money because she had not been able to start her food stand.  Just as she was looking at giving up on the plan, though, the doors began to open.  I’ll let her tell you…

“God heard your prayers.  This last week, I started selling empanadas de cajeta and cookies at my house and I've been blessed!!!!!  I wanted you to know this.  I'm so grateful with God for you, and the faith you had on me. You were that impulse that God used to help me.”

I am blessed to see this young woman of God being given an opportunity to pursue something she loves and clearly has a talent for (just take a look at the pictures below)!  Less than two weeks after the first e-mail, Belem sent me yet another update…

“God is blessing me in business! This week I got a lot of surprises as molds, materials to make cookies, a shelf to put my stuff and a small table to work. I'm really happy and I wanted to share this with you.”

As Richard and I were praying over our goals for this coming year, we felt God leading us to help start micro businesses—10 in the coming year.  As Belem contacted me to share the joy of her experience, Richard and I can’t wait to see what God has in store for her and for others.  It never ceases to amaze me how little can mean so much—Faith, encouragement, and $50!

Pastor Carlos of Cristo es el Camino Church asked us to teach his family English. We kept discussing with him the need for his church people to learn English, as many of them work for the area hotels. After brainstorming the idea, we decided to teach free English lessons at his church on Friday at 5:30 p.m.—offering the lessons just before the Friday night prayer meeting. Class size was limited to the first 25 to sign up.  Of the 25, our goal was to limit half to regular church attendees and offer the remaining openings to friends, relatives and/or acquaintances.

Richard and I were blessed. We were telling a different Carlos, our water delivery man, about the free classes and we gave him Pastor Carlos’ phone number to sign up. This Carlos was so eager to take lessons that he was the first one to sign up!

Before beginning the classes, we expanded the offerings to include to Richard teaching English at Pastor Miguel’s church and me teaching at Pastor Carlos’ church. Pictured here is Richard’s class.