Posted by Lori
Lori Allison, GO Journey Coor.
May 03
Initial blog for Guatemala BPI
Well, we are off to Guatemala again on May 12 and return on May 16. At the basic level, the objective of our trip is to help poor members of a partner church congregation to start successful small businesses.
But, if God is in it, the ultimate objectives are: economic development at the grassroots level; empowerment of the poor; enhancing church leadership and resources; marketplace discipleship; and, ultimately, cultural transformation.
Anyone who has spent time with our Guatemalan brothers and sisters in Christ comes back in awe of their faith and their hearts for the Lord. We are conscious of preserving these in the transition to the business world. While we strive to share with the entrepreneurs the best business tools and wisdom with which to start a business, the primary objective is the creation and management of businesses that conform to God's will.
We will conduct the program in three phases.
Phase 1 (May 12-16) shows them how to define their business and leaves them with research assignments and the task of drafting their business plan.
Phase 2 provides them with one-on-one counselling to refine their strategies and business plan and to develop their 3-year financial plans in a comprehensive spreadsheet.
Phase 3 teaches them how to manage their business once it is up and running.
Based on the subsequent assessments of the instructors and the in-country ministry team, a select few of the entrepreneurs will receive start-up funding as a loan from a revolving fund. If you are interested in donating to that fund - or you are interested in participating in a future trip, please click here to email us and let us know.
As in everything, we need prayer for this ministry during this trip and on an ongoing basis. Please pray that God would teach through us, that the students' hearts and minds would be open, that the in-country team and our partner church, Showers of Grace, would be blessed and that God would bless the entrepreneurs and the resulting businesses and that He would work through them to expand His Kingdom in the Guatemala marketplace and culture.
We thank you for your support and prayers.
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