OI China PRAYER LETTER April 2009
Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. ~ Psalm 100: 1-3 (NIV) We thank the Lord that, as unworthy as we are, He gave us the privilege and honour to follow his example and to help the poor with this rare and unique license of the OI China (Suyu) Rural Microcredit Company Limited.
The opening ceremony of OI China (Suyu) was held on 23 March in Jiangsu. It was our honour to have the Co-Founder of Opportunity International, Mr David Bussau and OIC Chairman, Geoff Kells to host the inauguration. OI Australia and OIUS all supported with presence. Mr Simon Huo, representative of FMG, also delivered a passionate speech.
A group of five mushroom growers in Daxing Village received the first loans from OI China. A visit led by Geoff Kells was arranged for David Bussau, Scott and Kim Parry-Jones, David Smith, Mark Lutz and Paul Honeyman following the inauguration. The 5 $700 loans sustained 8 F/T jobs and created 10 F/T and more than 20 P/T jobs.
Praises & Thanksgivings: •
Praise the Lord for showering us with exceeding blessings which made the establishment of OI China (Suyu) Rural Microcredit Company Limited possible. The OIC team has witnessed the power and grace of our Lord throughout the process. He is an awesome God!
•
Thanking the Lord for His guidance in our new plan to expand the contribution of OI HK as the supporting partner of OI China. With the support of OIUS, Mark Lutz coordinated a series of fruitful meetings with supporters and potential donors in HK. The support network was expanded and enhanced during the recent visit.
Prayer Requests: •
Pray for the OI Anhui operation. The local bank withdrew its support of our credit facilities lately. OIAH is negotiating with the same bank for a new leverage facility currently. This leverage is crucial for the immediate loan support to the farmers and poor entrepreneurs in Hefei City.
•
Please pray for OIAH in its search of a new office. The current office lease is due and OIAH needs to be relocated to a new location with good safety and transportation facilities.
•
Please remember the co-workers and clients of OIJX in your prayers. The impact of financial crisis affected some businesses in Nanchang. OIC will strengthen risk management and client support services to minimise the negative impact of the business community.
OIC Consolidated Statistics
2006
2007
2008
2009 YTD (28.Feb.)
Loans Issued in USD
$1,368,000
$1,795,377
$2,844,534
$350,251
General Training (person / hr) Job Safety Training Program (CAT sponsored) - person/hr
480 / 1,200
758 / 2,366
2,093 / 3,681.5
146/409.5
n/a
441 / 2,120
1,851 / 7,404
0
PrayerLetter 0904 www.opportunity.org.hk