Newsletter - August, 2017
| August, 2017 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 |
From time to time, we like to go back and revisit some of our loan recipients from years back to see how their businesses are still doing. This month we’re going to revisit one of our first loan recipients, Alfredo Lainez. Back in 2000 or early 2001, Alfredo was just starting a pet supply business, and he applied to the Society of the Good Shepherd for a small loan to get his business going. It was a somewhat bold venture at the time. Not because there’s a shortage of dogs and cats in Honduras. Rather, it’s because traditionally most Hondurans just fed their pets table scraps. In fact, most dogs and cats in Honduras are malnourished. However, there has been a growing middle class in Honduras over the past 30 or 40 years. And Alfredo sensed that many families wanted to take better care of their pets and that they could now afford to buy dried dog food for their dogs. Since most people in Siguatepeque don’t have the cash on hand to purchase a large sack of dry dog food, Alfredo repackaged the large sacks into smaller sizes—making them economically accessible to more people. He proved to be a good businessman in many areas. Alfredo was also very faithful in paying off his loan promptly, and God prospered his business.
As a result, the Society made a second loan to Alfredo after he had paid off his first loan. He continued to add new products and services to his business. One of the more successful areas Alfredo moved into was giving vaccines to dogs (something legal in Honduras) and selling various veterinary supplies. Alfredo’s business has continued to grow through the years.
About ten years ago, when a position became open on our Honduran board of directors, we naturally turned to Alfredo. We had seen his proven business skills, his faithfulness in his loan payments, and his godly life. He has proved to be a very valuable asset on the board. When Alfredo took out his first loan, his oldest daughter, Maria Jose, was just a small child. Through the years, she worked at her father’s pet supply store and learned the business. Now she has graduated from school, and with an interest-free loan from the Society, she and her father have jointly opened a second store. Maria Jose is the manager of this new store. She is very excited to take on this responsibility and has been working hard with the rest of the family to make this happen.
This new store opened just two months ago and is doing well so far. Alfredo’s original store will now be more dedicated to the veterinary side of the business (selling medicine, administering vaccines, etc.). The store Maria Jose is running concentrates on pet food and pet accessories like leashes, bird cages, and dog beds. She will also be selling small pets like dogs, birds, and fish. The two stores are not far apart, so if one store does not have something, it can easily refer their customers to the other store.
It’s exciting to see Alfredo’s original tiny pet supply store grow and prosper into two stores, with now the next generation so involved in the family business as well. It’s been even more exciting to see Alfredo’s faithfulness and integrity through the years and the love of God he and his family demonstrate.
The Society of the Good Shepherd, P. O. Box 122, Amberson, PA 17210 • (717) 349-7033
Click on the following link if you would care to make a donation to the work in Honduras: Donations
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