“Do not forget to do good to others, and share with them, because such sacrificess please God.” Hebrews 13:16

A  little over a year ago members of Forefront Church went to Ouidah and established a church across the square  from the voodoo temple.

Since this church has been established the Pastor of the church has had his motorcycle vandalized.  Acid has been thrown in his window.  Fortunately he was not in the room at the time.  Also, numerous church members have had their businesses burned.

Last month with support from Forefront Church, The Gemach Project and Forefront made twenty loans to members of the church to start small businesses.  While these funds were being given out many of the local voodoo worshipers came and paraded back and forth in front of the church.   We can only assume that they were trying to put a curse on our efforts.

As these people try to leave their dark past and start a new life with our Lord we ask that you keep them in your prayers.  We know that what they are facing in this community is far beyond the type of persecution any of us face for our faith.

Banigbe's drrinking water

Idol hut

When we went to Banigbe we were told that the week after we were leaving, an annual festival was to take place which would last for two weeks.  During this time the men would run around naked worshiping idols and the women and children could not leave their huts.  If a man who did not belong to this cult was found outside he would be beaten.  Women were known to disappear if they were caught outside.  It was assumed that they were sacrificed.  We were due to leave on a Wednesday and the festival was to start the following Sunday.  We had been there for about four days when our hosts pulled us aside and told us that they had been told that the local idol priest had moved the festival up a week.  Obviously he did not like our presence in Banigbe and our trying to introduce Christianity.  We had approximately 100 school age children with us from the city so it was decided that we had no choice but to finish up as quickly as we could and leave early.  We wrapped up what we were doing, established a church with Lucien as a pastor and on Sunday we left.  The same day the festival was due to begin.  On the way out we observed many men in robes walking down the middle of the street and one man being beaten.  They let us pass without incident.

Several months later, the church was thriving and The Gemach Project with support from Grace Chapel and Forefront Church decided to make several small business loans in Banigbe with Lucien overseeing the loans.  They formed three groups and three group loans were made to raise pigs, goats and chickens.

The annual idol festival approached, Lucien not thinking about it was walking in the village taking care of his parish.  He was immediately surrounded by several men who were idol worshipers.  They were going to beat Lucien when the idol priest appeared and told them not to touch him that he had done too much for the village.

We at The Gemach Project realize that the word of Jesus being spoken to these people is far more important than anything we can do.  We do hope and pray however, that God is using The Gemach Project as a tool to show his love for these people.  We ask that you pray for the light to grow in this world that has known only darkness for thousands of years and that he will continue to bless The Gemach Project so that we can be a small part of what he is doing.

Next:  a second story of the Spiritual Warfare in Africa where your prayers are needed.

During the next few days I will be posting two blogs dealing with Banigbe and Ouidah, Benin.  These will demonstrate this spiritual battle and how The Gemach Project must be both aware of it’s existence and it’s role in it.

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”  Ephesians 6:12

The Kisoni Orphanage

In late 2010 we were fortunate enough to be able to visit this area.  We agreed to start a pilot program with the Kisoni Orphange.  Loans were made in Jan of 2011 and I am happy to report that 100% of those loans were repaid with businesses started by the end of the year.  The money was then used to make more loans to those in need.  Because of their excellent track record and attention to detail we asked them if they would like to expand which they were eager to do.  God provided the funds and last month we were able to provide loans to ten additional widows through the Kisoni Orphanage.  Those widows have a total of 58 children.  Please pray that their businesses would be successful and that they would be able to provide basic needs for themselves and their children.

"Main Street" Butembo, DRC

The Mirembe House was established by Miriam Koote to provide a safe haven for unmarried pregnant women.  It provides a safe place for these women to live while they have their child and enables them to keep the child and not have to give it up to an orphanage.

We have supplied Miriam with the funds to give loans to ten of her house mothers.  This enables them to start a business and continue to volunteer at the Mirembe House.

This is our first project in Uganda and brings us into our seventh country.  God continues to bless our efforts.  More exciting news to come as we are continuing to grow.

“We have wanted to be a part of micro-loans for years and we were delighted to find you after an extensive search into both participants and common practices. Your group is exactly what we were looking for after much frustrated research.
While we have been interested in Christ-centered micro-loans for years, we had never dug into it until recently.  In our research into how micro-loans normally work, we were astounded to find that there appears to be some loan-sharking going on in many micro finance institutions once the western organization turns the money over to those in country.  We were greatly disturbed to see the money made off the backs of the poor, with some micro finance institution’s interest rates between 30% – 70%!  I could not as a steward of God’s resources participate in profiteering on the backs of the world’s most impoverished.  It was disturbing enough that we would not be able to be a part of something that we find to be an integral and strategic way to help those struggling with a means to find dignity and respect that is as illusive as physical provision in many parts of the world.  Then we found you!  We were ecstatic to finally find your organization that charges no interest throughout the loan chain…such a gift from God!
A micro-loan is such a great way to give dignity as well as a path to a better place.  Thank you so much for operating in the Biblical way!  May God, Jehovah Jireh, multiply ever dollar for His kingdom and His glory!!!

For the King and His glory,
Alecia and Brian

We anticipate expanding soon in Uganda and Niger so if you are thinking about donating we can still use the funds.  They will just go to a different place.  We have a request for loans in two villages in Niger that we would like to make.  The total cost of these loans will be $4600.  We would like to make these loans as soon as possible as they are anticipating a famine in this area soon.  It is estimated that it will put one million children at risk.  One hundred thousand have already crossed the border from Mali into Niger in search of food and it is only the beginning.   We would only make a small dent in helping but it would seem like the world to those that get the loans.

For those of you that have made donations and not received information on where you funds went, I want to let you know that we just sent funds to Benin to fund loans in two additional villages.  As soon as the information is received on those that received the loans we will be providing you with more information.  We just had another fifty loans in Benin paid back at 100%.  Our people on the ground in Benin are doing such an excellent job it made sense to expand through them.

Kisoni Orphanage

The Kisoni Orphanage is Butembo, Democratic Republic of the Congo has received a 100% return on the loans made to widows and orphans.  All of these funds have been relent to new recipients.

They have requested that we make ten more loans to ten widows in their community.  These ten widows are caring for fifty-eight children.  The Gemach board has approved these loans but we do not have the $1,000 needed to make these loans.  If anyone can help please click on the donate button and make a donation.

When you give to The Gemach Project 100% of your donation goes directly to the poor.  Now you decide where you would rather have your donation go.  Into someone’s pocket or to the poor to lift them out of poverty, enabling  them to feed their children, get medical attention and an education.