PANDEMIC RESILIENCE RECONCILIATION THE COURAGE TO SCALE Through savings, training, and small Spiritual renewal is one of Plant With Plant With Purpose experienced business, communities and partner Purpose’s three core program unprecedented growth this year, even farmers were able to build resilience components. And while this can be with additional challenges and restrictions to face crises, even including a global difficult to measure with numbers and due to the pandemic. God is faithful, and pandemic. graphs, it is made evident through a we have seen Him work. change in attitudes and actions. Self-reliance in Oaxaca, Mexico Overcoming differences in the DR Congo The Dominican Republic continues to scale In our first international trip in almost two years, In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, two Plant With Purpose began in 1984 in the we visited Don Carlos and Epifania, the family feuding neighbors joined the same Purpose Group. Dominican Republic. This year, we were able featured in our 2021 Global Impact Video. Through “After prayer, and before starting the savings to dramatically scale impact by starting 83 new their Purpose Group, Don Carlos and Epifania activities, we would go through this inspirational Purpose Groups and planting 1.7 million trees, were able to build a chicken coop. Their hens slogan: ‘TUUDUMISHE UPENDO, MUSHIKAMANO the most of any program. “Why now?” we asked started laying eggs around the NA NIZAMU,’ which means ‘let us strengthen Durbel Lora Brito, Country Director. “Because beginning of the pandemic, and love, solidarity, and discipline.’ We were touched we are not afraid,” he said. The team recently they didn’t need to buy a single by these words and so decided to reconcile and participated in an identity and vocation workshop egg to feed their family. reestablish our friendship as it was before.” and described themselves with the word, Scan to watch their inspiring story. Forgiveness for a Burundian family “courageous.” Durbel went on to explain that the In Burundi, Purpose Group member Olivier team has the confidence and capacity to scale. Mexico transformed his land through regenerative Increased giving from partners in the U.S. helped agriculture, and his spirit was transformed as well. fund ambitious goals like those of our Dominican “After attending a Theology of Work discussion, Republic team. We thank God for the courage of I decided to reconcile with a family member, our partners in the U.S. and abroad. Sylvestre. Not long afterwards, his house caught fire. I took a risk in order to stop the fire and Dominican Republic wound up saving his house. The things I’ve learned from Plant With Purpose have helped me understand mutual love and forgiveness. Now we live in harmony.” DR Congo 13
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