Greetings to you as we celebrate the Advent of Christ!

The Fungua Maisha widows’ group at HEAL Africa just had their year-end program celebrating the many activities these faithful women in our church organize to help others in need:  cooperative gardens, relief to the refugees, widow support, gardening projects, home visitation, village savings and loan to help get families out of poverty, and of course the goat program among others.

Each year several women give testimonies and this year they were to be about the ‘savings and loan’ program.  Several women talked about how they have been helped immensely by these loans (most averaging ~$50) to start small businesses and then used monies made to feed their families or send a child to school…and how proud they were to repay it!  As they wrapped up the time, a woman beneficiary of the goat ministry program insisted on giving her testimony … about her goats.  We thought you would like to know how the goat funds continue to bless widows here in eastern Congo.

Her name is Baseme Christine.

In the early days of the program, she received a mother goat. That goat had twins. Christine sold one to be able to feed her children.

(Then the mother goat was given to another lady.)

The goat she kept had twins. Now she has a little flock of 4 goats … and says she feels rich. She was so full of JOY as you can see from her face as she recounted these blessings.

1 Peter 1:8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.