Newsletter - April, 2006

The Least of These My Brethren

April, 2006

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

Setting Up Small Businesses in Prison?

Prison Entrance

In last month’s newsletter, I described our visit to the state prison in Comayagua, Honduras. I mentioned that we wanted to help some of the prisoners there set up micro businesses. This will enable these men to sustain themselves and to help support their families. This month, I want to introduce you to two of those businesses we are involved with.

“Evil” shows us one of his painted mirrors

The first business will provide work for five or six of the men there. It will be spearheaded by the brother in prison who was nicknamed “Evil” when he was formerly a gang member. The men will purchase wall mirrors from wholesale distributors and then paint sketches of people or cartoon characters on the mirrors. These men will then sell these painted mirrors to the public through local stores. Mirrors like this are quite popular in Honduras.

It will only require about $1000 to set these men up in this business, and I told “Evil” that we would furnish the start-up capital to get this going.

Jose Alberto Juarez

A second business we want to help with is one that is already running. It is a small shoe factory run by Jose Alberto Juarez. Jose has been in prison for many years, and he is in his forties. He is married and has a family that he supports with his shoe shop. The shop is set up in a small storage room within the prison. When we visited his little shop, he showed us the sewing machine on which he sews his shoes together. It has provided him with years of good service, but it is obviously near the end of its useful life. I told him that we would try to get him a new or refurbished sewing machine.

Jose’s present sewing machine

Most of the time, we help our brothers and sisters in Honduras to set up small businesses by making interest-free loans to them, which they pay back from the profits of their businesses. However, in the case of these prisoners, we feel it is better to make an outright gift of the capital needed to get their businesses going or to help them maintain a present business. Their opportunities are much more limited than it is for non-prisoners, and their families typically have greater needs.

Jose’s prison shoe shop

If we are pleased with the results of these two prison endeavors, we hope to be able to help other prisoners in the future—particularly those who have surrendered their lives to Christ.

At the end of our March trip to Honduras, we were also hoping to visit a brother named Roger, who is also a former gang member. He is serving time at the large prison in San Pedro Sula, the principal industrial city of Honduras. Unfortunately, we arrived too late to be able to see Roger. So we will have to save that for our next trip. Nevertheless, we were quite blessed at seeing the prison. The reason is that as we drove up to the prison, Deborah and I noticed what the government had printed on the prison wall:

Matthew 25 on the Prison Wall

“I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, Naked and you did not clothe Me, Sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.”

Matt. 25:43

Imagine the government in the United States putting that on a prison wall! I’m sure it would cause a protest, and that the courts would rule it to be unconstitutional. Yet, some believers still imagine that we live in a Christian country!

The government in Honduras has its share of problems and corruption. However, unlike our government, it is not antagonistic towards Christianity. In fact, from the moment we go through customs upon entering Honduras until we leave, I always feel like the Honduran government is glad we are there. We are always glad to be there as well.

100% of all donations go to our work in Honduras. All overhead and travel expenses are paid through other means.