CYNTHIA'S FOOD STAND

A few weeks ago, several hours after I thought I had requested $40 cash back at a grocery store kiosk, I suddenly realized my wallet was still empty. I spent the next hour kicking myself for walking away without picking up my money. 

It bothered me a lot. 

But the next day, Melissa checked our bank account and the $40 was never withdrawn. 

I was relieved.  

The whole thing reminded me of the morning Emmanuel and I visited a woman named Cynthia Amega at her food stand in Kumasi, Ghana back in September. She makes her living serving hot meals to adults and students in her neighborhood. 

That morning, Cynthia was distraught. Torrential rains overnight had flooded her little supply depot. Several 50 lbs. bags of rice were ruined, soaked through with murky water. They would cost 900 Ghanaian cedis to replace – roughly $90 US. 

(That was the value then - it would be even more today because the cedi is losing value against the dollar rapidly right now.)

Life can be so harsh in developing countries. Although I had felt bothered at the thought of losing $40, it wasn't going to destroy my family economically. It wouldn't have meant my kids going without food! 

But a person living hand-to-mouth in Ghana could be put out of business permanently by losing a few bags of rice. 

Fortunately, this wasn't the case for Cynthia. Although she was upset, she took the loss in stride, knowing that God was in control and that her business was stable.

That stability was in place for two reasons:

1.   Cynthia is one hard worker, day in and day out. Every morning but Sunday, she is up at 4 am so that she can start serving meals by 6:00.  She and three apprentices keep busy until closing at 3 or 4 pm. 

2.   For the past three years Cynthia has been a client of Mission Resource, using her loans to buy food in bulk. This allows her to buy more at better prices and cuts down on the frequency of trips to the market - 2.5 miles away.

The opportunity to put businesses like Cynthia's on solid financial footing - able to weather life's storms - is one more reason I find joy in my work with Mission Resource.