Building God’s Kingdom in Paraguay

May 23, 2023

We were honored to have Judah Mooney join us for the launch of the Keystone Custom Homes Homes for HOPE project in North Carolina last month. Judah is the president of Diaconía, HOPE’s microfinance partner in Paraguay. Judah, who is a part-time homebuilder himself, paid his way through college in the United States by framing houses. After college, he felt called to return to Paraguay, the country where he grew up and felt most at home, in order to serve its people. It is not often that our home launches coincide with a field leader’s availability, as they are based in the regions where they operate and are rarely stateside. During his time with us, we were privileged to hear stories of transformation from the field.  

Paraguay has a high poverty rate of 24% of the population and 10% living in extreme poverty. This lack of opportunity is due to weak or inaccessible economic markets, limited financial tools, and insufficient financial education. Working women face additional challenges, such as gender inequality, stigma, imbalances of power and autonomy in the home, abusive or absent partners, and overburdened childcare roles. 

Diaconia was founded in 2011 to address this reality and work towards developing long-term solutions for families and communities. The organization now provides a variety of services, including financial literacy and vocational training, church-facilitated savings groups, Microfinance loans, and other financial services. They now serve over 6,500 clients with over $700,000 dispersed in loans. Diaconia believes in the holistic development of the people they serve creating an environment where clients can hear the Word of God and receive companionship along with tangible tools and resources.   

Judah is a passionate director with a strong resolve to abide in God’s presence and is committed to alleviating poverty through sustainable development. He is also a gifted home builder himself. Five years ago, he started a building company with a single project as a side hustle. Over the years, he has expanded his operation and now has over 40 projects in development in Asunción, the capital city of Paraguay. 

Be sure to watch the client story below that Judah shared during his presentation.

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