Last November, I took a group of Home builders to the Dominican Republic, where we met Vicente. She lives in the small village of Samana in the Dominican Republic called Terra Blanca which translates to “white land” – named after the white color of the dirt caused by the amount of charcoal ash in the area. To provide for her family she runs a small stand selling fruits and vegetables.
She is one of the first people in Terra Blanca to receive a loan 13 years ago when our partner Esperanza International felt God’s leading to help the people in this area. Vicenta was extremely impoverished, living on less than a few dollars per day and struggling to provide for her 3 children. She received a loan of 5,000 RD, equivalent to $100 USD, which she then used to purchase inventory for her business. Since her 1st loan she has grown her business to what you see here.
Her son Jairo was very small at the time and attended the biweekly solidarity bank meetings. Through his interaction with the loan officers and those in his mother’s solidarity group, he came to know Jesus as his personal Lord and Savior. It wasn’t until recently that his mother accepted Jesus, she says that she owes her faith to the transformation that she saw in her son. Watch this video as we worship alongside Jairo and his mother during out last trip to the Dominican Republic last November.
There is room left on our November Builder trip to the Dominican Republic from November 3rd to November 5th. If you or a builder you know may be interested, contact Carson Bennett at cbennett@homes4hope.org or call 205.617.6094, and we will send you more information on how to register.
