Miguela is one of the incredible chaplains that volunteers with Diaconía, GAiN’s partner organization in Paraguay. The chaplaincy program is designed to provide spiritual support and leadership to female clients who are enrolled in Diaconia’s microfinancing program. By meeting with these clients in both a Trust Group and one-on-one setting, Miguela encourages them that they are loved.

However, her journey as a chaplain hasn’t always been easy.

“When I became a chaplain at Diaconía, I was going through very painful processes in my personal life,” Miguela explained. “My marriage was struggling and my mother had recently passed away.”

Despite these personal hardships, Miguela still wanted to serve the women of Diaconía and walk alongside them as a source of mentorship and companionship.

“When I started going to the Trust Groups with the women, I felt a lot of empathy because they all go through different, difficult situations,” she said.

Although Miguela could emotionally connect with the women right away, she wasn’t able to engage the group on the spiritual level.

“The first group I went to was very reluctant to listen to me and, for a while, I wanted to give up…,she shared.

Miguela’s perspective was transformed one day when she received a call from one of the group members, Miriam, who asked her to come and pray for her in person. This unexpected breakthrough in a time of disappointment and doubt served to majorly bolster Miguela’s faith.

“This filled my life with hope and once again I realized that God works even when we cannot see,” Miguela shared. “He makes a way even when all we can see is wilderness.”

Currently, there are 211 chaplains volunteering their time with Diaconía. Because of their steadfast and prayerful commitment to the women in their Trust Group, many of these women’s lives are being impacted. Miguela’s story is a powerful reminder that we will face trials and hardship, but we will never go through it alone. Even in moments of doubt, God already has an active hand in the lives of the women in Paraguay.

You can help break the chains of generational poverty for women.

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A summary of our Economic Empowerment fundraisers in Alberta and BC

Guest speaker Adela Braun sharing about Diaconia

Over the past month, our GAiN team hosted several fundraising events showcasing our Economic Empowerment strategy in both Alberta and BC. Our guest speaker, Adela Braun, came from Paraguay to share at these events and give first-hand insight to the transformative work that is going on in Paraguay through our partner, Diaconia. 

Our dessert fundraiser in North Vancouver, BC

Adela and our team presented on the mission of GAiN’s Economic Empowerment in several unique settings, including a charcuterie evening, craft evening, breakfast and dessert fundraiser, and a yacht cruise. The people that attended each event were full of warmth and curiosity and asked many insightful questions. 

Every event included an overview of who GAiN is and our mission, an interactive activity to help people better understand the concept of microfinance, an interview with Adela to hear a few stories as well as time for a local guest speaker to share about their experience as an entrepreneur.

One of the attendees shared, “The activity (game with the boards) at the beginning was really good. Most understand microlending but the game made it more visual and the perfect relaxed way to start the night.

Breakfast at the National Resource Centre in Abbotsford, BC

Monique Lieuwen, Program Manager of GAiN’s Water for Life Initiative and one of the coordinators of the events commented, “The events were so encouraging and incredible to be a part of! It was exciting to have new audiences come and hear about the ministry.” 

Our team is full of anticipation for the direction that God is leading GAiN. We are hopeful that through the awareness and support raised by these fundraisers, the mission to empower women living in generational poverty will continue to expand and grow.

Games Night in Calgary, AB

 

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When COVID hit Paraguay, the country’s strict lockdown measures meant that many small businesses suffered, resulting in many families struggling to get enough food to eat each day. As a result, GAiN’s local partners Diaconia and Jesus Responde are running soup kitchens to help.

Margarita R. is a chaplain for Diaconia. She meets with trust groups, specifically to share God’s word, encourage women in the trust groups and pray for them. This was needed more than ever, as a lot of these women were desperate to provide for their families. Below is her story about how she was able to walk alongside a woman who had experienced a series of tragic events.

“I contacted the president of a trust group called San Vincente and asked the leader for permission to visit the soup kitchen so I could pray for her and her family. She accepted without hesitation.
 

One day, I was visiting a woman named Zunilda and she shared her very painful past. She lost her daughter-in-law in a motorcycle accident, and then three months later, her daughter and her husband also got into an accident, which left her husband fighting for his life. Thankfully, after a long treatment, her daughter recovered completely.
 

I followed up with Zunilda once a week to pray, encourage her and her family, and share the Word of God with them. The last time that I visited, she told me about a recent tragedy with her nephew. He was hit by a car after chasing a soccer ball that went into the street.
 

Through text messages, I chatted with her and encouraged her to not distance herself from God, but to rest in Him. I explained how we are able to do this, and every week I continue to pray with her and her daughter. I make sure to continue to share encouraging devotionals with them.
 

The family was filled with anxious worry about the nephew’s recovery. It’s at times like these that they say they are very thankful for the prayers and support they receive from Diaconia.
 

I was encouraged when Zunilda told me that she is drawing closer to God again. Thanks to Him, she says, her six-year-old nephew is now much better and has returned home from the hospital.”


Your support has helped provide not just physical nourishment, but emotional and spiritual support for women and families that are struggling during this pandemic. Thank you for helping reveal hope and restore life during these uncertain times. Your help is making a huge impact.

You can help women like Margarita continue to help women like Zunilda.

Give to help provide a woman in Paraguay with financial/vocational training, and/or a microloan.

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To prevent the spread of COVID-19, the country of Paraguay immediately imposed a strict lockdown and managed to keep their cases low. Unfortunately, this put limitations and restrictions on people’s ability to work, worsening the situation for those already living day-to-day and experiencing food insecurity.

Diaconia, Global Aid Network (GAiN)’s Paraguayan partner, was unable to run trust groups due to a ban on public gatherings. Because of strict curfews and other restrictions, many of their clients’ businesses were impacted.

To help alleviate the stress of food insecurity for their clients’ families and others, Diaconia teamed up with Jesus Responde to run soup kitchens in multiple different communities. There are currently 49 active soup kitchens, reaching over 8,500 people.

Gloria Q., an employee of Diaconia, shared the impact that the soup kitchens are having in the communities, as well as the hearts and sacrifice of the women who are serving.

“I have had the opportunity and great pleasure of being able to spend a morning with several [Diaconia] clients who are running one of the soup kitchens. Having someone visit from the organization brings so much joy to the community and they are always very thankful for the both the material and moral support that they receive from Diaconia.

The women commented happily about their day-to-day experiences cooking for so many people in need. They are in a large squatter village and can’t serve every person but are very thankful to be able to reach so many families.

As they showed me their cooking space, I noticed that they had all of their utensils sanitized and clean and several families had brought firewood so that it would be enough when it came time to cook.

While their cooking space is a bit precarious, the women are not discouraged thanks to their positive attitudes and enthusiasm. They have notebooks where they record the quantity of people that attend every day and a small bank for those who wanted to contribute even the smallest coins to purchase meat for the next day.

Many of them work in recycling and have found themselves out of work temporarily.

Miriam, who is a Diaconía client, and Rosa, who is the owner of the house where they cook, are both Christians and are very grateful for the opportunity to share what God is doing in that place.

Every day, they ask the people attending to form a line where they will retrieve their food and, before serving, they share a Bible verse and pray for the needs that they express at that time.

Now, they don’t even have to ask for prayer requests, the people they serve make sure to remind them that it’s time to pray and most of all they look forward to the time of prayer before the food is served.

Rosa even commented that some people have shown up to leave a small piece of paper that has their prayer requests on the days that the soup kitchen doesn’t serve meals.

These women expressed how God works to not only provide supplies and materials, but also works spiritually and how he can change perspectives and mindsets when families hear His Word. Some, maybe only a few, but not any less important, are conscious that if they have even something small to eat at home, they don’t attend the soup kitchen so that those who need it most are able to eat, despite not having enough for themselves.

Some days, they play games and sing Christian songs with the children that come. If they show up early and the food isn’t ready yet, they take advantage of the time to have some fun with the younger kids. And then, after the meal, they go home even more joyful.

After spending a wonderful morning with the women of this soup kitchen, we had a time of prayer—thanking God for His mercy, asking Him to keep transforming hearts through this activity, and for taking care of each person who is exposed daily to COVID-19.

This was such a beautiful experience for me and filled me with such a feeling of satisfaction and, more importantly, joy. I thank God for each one of the women working in the soup kitchens that each and every day are willing and ready to serve their community without expecting anything in return.”

You can help provide nutritious food to kids and families that need meals in Paraguay.

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In the city of San Antonio, Paraguay, resident Maria Liz meets regularly with a group of women – all budding or aspiring entrepreneurs. This group is one of many trust groups formed through Diaconia, Global Aid Network’s in-country partner in Paraguay that provides micro-loans and business training to poverty-stricken women. As recipients of micro-loans, these women gather weekly to encourage and hold each other financially accountable to repay their loans.

This particular group calls themselves Valuable Women.

“I heard about Diaconia through a radio station and called their office and that was how, together with a group of women from my neighbourhood, we were able to receive microloans,” said Maria. “We heard about the vocational trainings offered and I immediately took the opportunity.”

Maria attended a crafts workshop, learning specifically how to make embroidered slippers.

“I learned a lot. It gave me a solid income and I have sold a lot of these slippers since then. I am so grateful to Diaconia for creating a place for opportunity and growth for me and many other women in my community.”

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“I struggled to live. I had no money in my wallet.”

Lucia, a resident of Mariano Roque Alonso, is a mother of two, Eladio, 7, and Mia, 6. Her husband lives with her and the kids, but she still carries the burden to provide for her family.

Before she heard about Diaconia, Lucia worked as a manicurist and struggled to make a living. With no money for training, her opportunity for growth was stunted. Her life changed when she heard about Diaconia through her son’s school, where they were promoting free vocational training. Lucia signed up to learn hairdressing and makeup. During her training, her teacher Lorena saw great potential in Lucia and invited her to work at her hair salon.

Today, Lucia has her own small business that has been growing and thriving. This past year, she was able to purchase a small car, which has helped her to be more effective in her work. Never did she imagine that she would ever drive a car, when all she could do before was yearn for a safer way to transport her little children.

Survival is not the goal for Lucia and her family anymore. While she has a growing client base, she dreams of owning her own hairdressing shop where clients can come to her. “I am so thankful for the opportunities that I have access to thanks to Diaconia. It literally changed me and my family’s lives.”

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Maria Carmen, 37, is the mother of three children (a 12-year-old girl, nine-year-old boy and one-year-old boy). Every day she leaves the home before 4 am to collect and recycle trash, leaving her kids with her mother.

When she gets back to the house at around noon, she spends the afternoon cooking food, such as empanadas, milanesas and sandwiches, to sell to her community. Maria doesn’t work out of a building, she goes out on the street to sell her food.

Maria is part of the Diaconia Trust Group called “Jesus Misericordioso”, which means “merciful Jesus.” She learned about this Trust Group through her sister, who was in the group before her and encouraged her to join. Maria Carmen says, “I have been in Diaconia almost four years and I want to continue. I am so thankful for all the help I have received.”

The Diaconia program has helped encourage her to dream big about the future of her business.

“Thanks to [a micro-loan] I am able to grow my business and aim to open my little restaurant locally – that is my dream,” shared Maria Carmen.

The Jesus Misericordioso Trust Group consists of 15 women who live in a squatter zone. Most of them have similar stories to Maria, some of them working through the night collecting and recycling trash.

“[The trust group] has helped me at so many levels,” shares Maria. “I have grown financially and spiritually through our chaplain’s visits. It is really true that we are stronger together.”

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On their first day in Asuncion, Paraguay, during a nice stroll along the Paraguay River, the LIFE Team was exposed to the stark reality of inequality. High-rises towering over the floodplain slums revealed the intense economic disparity of the city. When heavy rain pours and the river rises, squatter homes  – made of cardboard, metal and tarp – that line the shores are subject to flooding, forcing people to leave their makeshift homes until the flood subsides.

A far way from home, the LIFE Team spent two weeks in 2017, serving communities in Paraguay, alongside our local partners. The team was made up of families from the Richmond, B.C. area, ranging in age and consisting of adults, teens and children. They got to teach workshops, visit an orphanage, prepare food and distribute goods, as well as spend quality time with children in the community.

In Paraguay, the pit of extreme poverty is so deep that those in the gutter feel hopeless to escape.

More than a third of the population live in poverty, especially those in rural areas.1 Because the burden of poverty usually falls on women, Diaconia (our partner in Paraguay) provides micro-loans to poor women who are trapped in debt, empowering them not only through opportunities to start a career and earn money to pay off their loans, but to also build a better future for their families.

Rufina was one of those women. She received an opportunity to create a new life. As a wife and mother of five, Rufina now had hope that she could provide for her youngest adopted daughter, Anita.

She had always fought to overcome the many obstacles in her life, but it wasn’t until she joined Diaconia, that she received an opportunity to move forward.

“Two years ago I joined Diaconia with the hopes of growing financially by investing into my clothing store,” Rufina shares. “We were struggling to put food on the table and were having a difficult time with my daughter. I was taking medication to sleep at night, which made me very exhausted throughout the day. I was struggling and my family and friends were worried about me. I started to work with our micro-finance Trust Group each week. Today, I am off sleeping pills and my business is thriving. My daughter’s life is also improving. I can only say that Diaconia has brought a change into every area of my personal and family life!”

Marta was another woman impacted through Diaconia. As a single mom to one son, Marta was struggling to make ends meet. Selling food on the streets was her only way to make a living. But this all changed when she got involved.

“A year ago I was struggling to make ends meet,” shares Marta. “I was living in a constant deep sadness due to the passing away of my father who had always been such a support. I heard of Diaconia and joined. Before I knew it, I was cooking and selling meals from home on a consistent basis and making really good money with it. Today, I don’t have to go out on the streets anymore to sell food. Through my Trust Group, I was able to hear about God’s love for me. Today, I am free from the sadness that had overtaken my life. I have been blessed above and beyond what I hoped for!”

The micro-enterprise program also provides workshops and vocational training for these women, something that the LIFE Team was able to get involved in. A highlight of their time was leading workshops where they taught the women how to make something many of them had never even tasted before – Chinese fried rice. Some team participants also got to use their skills to lead workshops and speak on business-related topics such as marketing and budgeting, helping empower the women to develop the skills to grow businesses.

On their sixth day there, the team got to visit our other partner Jesus Responde, a Paraguayan non-profit that developed a strategy to connect local churches to build Community Centres across the country. With soup mix from the Fraser Valley Gleaners, a partner of ours that is based in Abbotsford, B.C., over 400 Community Centres are able to feed approximately 25,442 impoverished children each week.

The team got to visit one of the Community Centres, where they were able to eat with the children and spend time playing games with them. 

For many team participants, the most heartbreaking experience happened at the end of the trip, when they drove across the country to Ciudad Del Este (City of the East) to visit a children’s centre. Though it was called Hogar Transitorio y Abrigo “Nino Feliz”, which translates to Happy Child Transitional Home and Shelter, according to Lily Kwok, GAiN’s LIFE Teams Manager, it was anything but happy.

The centre is a government facility that provides temporary shelter for children who come from abusive homes. Although Jesus Responde has been working with a local partner to help the shelter, and the children are no longer in abusive homes, their new temporary home still needs a lot of help.

“We were told the kids there are from broken homes, have never known structure and deeply craved love and affection,” explained Kwok. “Honestly, we felt overwhelmed by the situation and were deeply saddened by the conditions of these kids. They ate so fast and wanted more! It was hard to leave.”

Feeling the heaviness of the situation, team participants did their best to bring as much joy as they could in the time they were there. This came in the form of balloons, skipping ropes and groceries to prepare a meal for the kids.

Kwok comments, “It was a challenging but impactful two weeks. The group definitely grew in their knowledge of poverty and were challenged in how they are to respond going forward.”

IF YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR UPCOMING LIFE TEAM TRIPS, CLICK HERE

Maria lives in one of the poorer communities of Asuncion, Paraguay.

When our partner, Diaconia, arrived at her house, she warmly invited them in and started to share about her work.

“I heard about Diaconia in a time where I was desperately looking to grow my decorating business. When I started with Diaconia a year ago all I did was curtain decorating. Since I received a loan and training from Diaconia, I have been able to add new products that I now provide as a decorator. This allowed me to grow my business and make a better income for my family. One of the biggest miracles though in this past year is the change that has happened in my sons life,” shares Maria with tears in her eyes.

She expressed that decorating for parties is not only a job for her but she finds joy in her work. 

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Meet Marta, a single mom to one son.

A year ago, she was struggling to make ends meet. Selling food on the streets was her only way to make a living.

But this all changed.

This month marks one year that she has been with Diaconia, our local partner in Paraguay.

“A year ago I was struggling to make ends meet,” shares Marta. “I was living in a constant deep sadness due to the passing away of my father who had always been such a support.

I heard of Diaconia and joined.

Before I knew it, I was cooking and selling meals from home on a consistent basis and making really good money with it.

Today, I don’t have to go out on the streets anymore to sell food.

Through the chaplain that visits my Trust Group, I was able to hear about God’s love for me. Today, I am free from the sadness that had overtaken my life,”  shares Marta, “I have been blessed above and beyond what I hoped for. God has been good to me!”

With tears of joy, Marta thanked Diaconia for creating an opportunity for her to have a better life, meet Jesus and for being a catalyst of change in her life.

Proudly Marta showed others how the walls were going up in her new home. As she expressed: ”I have been blessed above and beyond what I hoped for. God has been good to me! Thank you Diaconia!”

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