Encouragement

I still believe this is one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life.Trying to help a community reorient around business and begin to help itself to work out of abject poverty is difficult. When you add a cultural and language divide it becomes so much harder. Sometimes I wonder what good I'm doing. But then I remember that I am here at the leading of the Holy Spirit and that I am simply asked to be obedient. God has to be responsible for the outcome, not me! Still, I have to confess to times of self doubt and questioning.

Then days like today happen and I can rejoice in what the Holy Spirit is doing!

Today I met with three of our leading entrepreneurs. One by one they told me of all of the ways that they had been helped by BVA, and also shared stories of others whose lives are now changed becasue of what God has us doing here over these last four years.

Sarah runs a trucking company and as a result of our training, encouragement and investment, now is the exclusive transport provider for BAT for all of their tobacco operations here in Arua District and has become a trader, moving goods from Kampala, Gulu, Ginja and Arua in Uganda to destinations in the Congo.She moves agricultural products from Uganda, and returns with loads of scrap iron from Congo. Today we were discussing expansion, the correct treatment of depreciation and mainenance costs and the appropriate salary for her to be taking from the business. I can't tell you how far she has come in her understanding of business in the last three years. If you have any trucking needs in Uganda, I have your woman .....

Silvia runs and internet cafe in downtown Arua. As a result of BVA training she has expanded into the photocopying and printing business and has now added a stationary line. Rent is one of the biggest costs that retailers face in Arua, and the more product that can be carried in each store, the more the rent can be amortized across the businesses and the lower the costs per product line. Silvia has taken this teaching to heart and has established three businesses in her small store. We talked about ways to launch and market her newest product line. She has a very keen mind and absorbs ideas and information quickly. You have to be careful what you recommend - she just might do it!

Moses is a very successful entrepreneur in Arua. He is the MTN franchisee(the largest cell provider) in the area and also has timber lands, real estate and is now moving into the construction business. We spent time talking about the construction business and how to grow that business. I think this will represent a very attractive opportunity for investors in the US to make a good return while helping provide significant employment and build vital infrastructure (e.g. schools and roads)in the West Nile region. We spent time walking through the opportunity and talking about how we could prepare an investment document that I could take back to the US. Social investing anyone?

In addition they shared with me many other stories of people whose lives are being changed by BVA activity. I hope to share some of these stories later in the week.

Encouraged? You bet! Thanks be to God!