At our meeting on July 19, we made 12 microloans and were left with a balance of $5.95. The significant part is we were able to fund these loans entirely with loan paybacks. No money came from our restricted funds. We made loans in Azerbaijan, Senegal (2), Ghana, Samoa, Costa Rica, Mali, Togo, Ecuador, Kenya, Cambodia, and Sierra Leone. We are now up to 543 loans.
I don't want to give you the false impression that now we can relax because our loan paybacks generated the money for our microloans. Kiva announced this week that the number of prospective microloans far exceed the funds coming in to underwrite these loans. Now more than ever Kiva needs people to step up to finance the volume of loans. This is a critical time for third world countries. Because of better health and sanitation measures, as well as improving economies, populations are exploding. The populations in African countries are growing up to eight times faster than in the rest of the world. So the more generous and vigilant we are, the better chance Africa has to avoid a catastrophe.
We give thanks for those who were instrumental in making these loans possible and will hope that generosity continues. You can either select your own loans or give to Wellshire Microfinance through offerings and we will make the loans for you. Either way you are doing the Lord's work. The harvest is ripe.
Blessings on your efforts,
Wes Smits
Wellshire Church partners with KIVA, an international program committed to alleviating poverty and creating opportunity through interpersonal lending. Wellshire Microfinance is open to all, so please feel free to join and contribute! "... what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" -- Micah 6:8
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