“She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard. She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong.” Proverbs 31:16-17
When you invest time, energy, and financial resources into something, you do so with the hope that the return on your investment will be fruitful. Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn’t. Sometimes the return comes slowly, sometimes quickly. Then sometimes, in very rare cases, the return is supernatural.
When Aracely joined the Redeemed Women’s Program, her immediate goal was to continue her education, as she’d only graduated from 6th grade. Her long-term goal was to own a store in her remote community. The store would allow those in her area to have easier access to healthy food and other daily necessities. JPLA’s goal with Aracely help her succeed, become self-sustainable, and give her and her children a brighter future. Her location was a hindrance to her success, but we hoped that over time, she would be able to provide for her family. The odds didn’t look to be in her favor. But God was.
Through our Redeemed program, not only has this widowed mother graduated junior high and high school, she has accomplished far more than was ever expected. In only 3 years she completed 6 years of schooling, has launched her own business, built her own home, purchased a solar powered light for her home (there is no electricity in her community), and is providing daily breakfasts and tutoring to the children in her community. She is also working expand her store and construct something in block, so that it is more sustainable. And most importantly people are being drawn to the Lord through her and what they are witnessing. Her own mother recently decided to get baptized and people are coming to her community for church. God is using her to inspire hope and change in others.
Before Redeemed, Aracely lived like everyone else in her community – in makeshift homes of sheet metal and adobe, wooden posts, and dirt floors. Water was only available once a week, there was no electricity, and it was an hour’s walk to the closest town. This walk was required to buy food, clean water, go to school, or charge cell phones (a necessity through COVID with remote schooling). Most importantly, the community was spiritually dead and without hope.
With God’s help, this has all changed. Aracely has overcome great odds to make a difference in her life and in the lives of others. For someone who had nothing, she is now giving back to her community. She is an inspiration to us all.
Aracely would like to expand her tienda (store) and build it in block. This would allow her to bring more food options and necessities to her community, including refrigerated items. We’ve already seen the benefits to the community of having healthy food available and we are excited about her dreams for the future. She needs approximately Q11,000 or $1,500 to build her tienda. She has saved Q4,000 of her own, but we would like to help her with the rest. Would you consider making a donation and supporting the amazing work she’s doing in her family and community?
With God’s help, Aracely has changed the future for her family and is impacting her community for generations to come. She truly is a Proverbs 31 woman!
