Newsletter - April, 2009

The Least of These My Brethren

April, 2009

Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me." Matt. 25:40

Published by the Society of the Good Shepherd, P. O. Box 122, Amberson, PA 17210. (717) 349-7033

A Society Loan Leads to an Unexpected Blessing
Ovidio Gonzales is a brother in Christ who attended a local Bible college in Siguatepeque to prepare himself better for the ministry. He now serves as an associate pastor in one of the local congregations. He is also a musician, and he serves as the counselor at the Christian school that his church founded several years ago.

Pastors do not get paid very much in Honduras; however, as a single brother, Ovidio managed quite well. However, in thinking about the future in raising a family and also in supporting his elderly mother, Ovidio looked for a means to supplement his income. He prayed and asked God for guidance. That is when he was presented with the opportunity to buy a house that was under construction. The owner of the house was no longer able to make the loan payments on it, and he had run out of funds to complete the house. So he offered the house to Ovidio if he would take up the construction loan payments.

Brother Ovidio didn’t have a sufficient income to make the payments either, but he decided to explore the possibilities. He decided to enter into an arrangement with a life-long friend and a sister in Christ, Norma Pineda. The arrangement was that they would pay the monthly loan payments jointly and that Ovidio would later pay Norma back once the bank loan was paid off.

Meanwhile, Ovidio needed money to complete the house so it could be rented out. Norma Pineda was herself one of the persons that the Society of the Good Shepherd had helped with a small business loan. So she suggested that Ovidio ask the Society for a loan to complete the construction of the house. After looking into his situation, the directors decided to grant Ovidio the loan. Ovidio then finished construction of the house, and he was able to begin renting it out in a short time.

But then the unexpected happened. Ovidio and Norma ended up falling in love with each other. Before long, they got married. Today, Ovidio and Norma have a beautiful 4-month-old baby girl, and they are enjoying the blessings that God is giving them through the rental house. Ovidio has been very faithful with his loan payments to the Society, and he is now almost finished paying off his loan on the house. Norma finished paying off her loan from the Society a few years ago.

In addition to being faithful in his loan payments, Ovidio has been a great help with the meetings we hold with our loan beneficiaries twice a year.

Thank you so much for your prayers and donations to help brothers and sisters that need a hand! God bless you! NANCY BARAHONA

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