In part one of this series, Aaron shared that his home church had traveled to the Dominican Republic to answer three questions about microfinance: Does group solidarity really work in the repayment process? How are the spiritual needs of the individuals addressed? How can we impact our local community using the principles of microfinance? This week, Aaron continues to describe the community bank repayment meeting they attended.
Maybe sometimes the Lord just plans it out like this, but in our second loan meeting of the day, located in Hato Mayor, a member was missing from one of the solidarity groups, and so, consequently, was her biweekly repayment. Some of the American bankers in the group perked up at the announcement with eager anticipation to see the dynamics of group solidarity play out. The loan officer, Carmen, announced the situation to the entire bank and prayed:
We pray, Lord, that you would help our sister with the difficulties in her family, with the difficulties in her business, and we pray that you would bless her family, that they would trust you, and that you would bless their business.
I’m not sure if you pray in your local bank, but we do here in the local Banks of HOPE, a lot. It is the responsibility of the loan officer to set the tone of the meeting and, along with the president, treasurer, and secretary of the bank, to maintain the solidarity of the community. Loan officers always encourage a daily practice of prayer when they talk to their clients. Continue Reading…
As I’ve made the transition to HOPE International [from the for-profit sector], I’ve been struck by the level of connectedness between ministry organizations. Even organizations whose missions seem to have nothing to do with one another invariably have some common connection: former employees, connections through churches, friends of friends. While the ministries themselves are radically different, the passion for spreading God’s Word and their welcoming spirit are universal. As a newcomer to HOPE International, it’s been so inspiring to learn about the breadth of ways that these organizations answer God’s call.
