Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
— ISAIAH 43:19
Don't you just love it when God does a new thing? That's the heart of Christmas, after all — God sending a newborn savior to bring us new hope, new birth, new life, for good.
At TOLI, 2017 has been a year marked by many new things that God has done—new growth, new beginnings, new milestones—and we couldn't be more thankful. To celebrate, we've assembled a little top ten list...
TOLI's Top Ten New Things 2017:
10. NEW STRENGTH: For the first time, leaders from our various sites gathered together in one place for worship, training and collaboration.
9. NEW TRAINING: We adopted a new training method for educating clients in small business skills.
8. NEW FIELD STAFF: We hired three new social workers: Mira (Egypt), and Sam and Lucy (Kenya).
7. NEW RELATIONSHIPS: New ministries and churches, including Heliopolis Evangelical Church in Cairo, are joining us to help multiply TOLI in their communities.
6. NEW MILESTONES: For the first time (but not the last!) we surpassed 1000 loans granted in one village, El Kom El Akhdar.
5. NEW LEADERSHIP: Three new leaders are sharing their gifts as Board Members: Linda Hood, Anna McFall and John Jaeger.
4. NEW DIRECTOR: For the first time, we've hired a full-time Executive Director, Abigail McConnell, who starts in January.
3. NEW CLIENTS: Brand new clients in Kenya are already starting their new businesses after our launch in October.
2. NEW REGIONS: Our new program in Nicaragua is being born as we speak — our team is there now launching TOLI with VERBO Ministries, interviewing new clients and planning for new business growth among vulnerable women in Puerto Cabezas.
1. NEW SUPPORTERS: God has blessed us by expanding our network of support — that's YOU!
In fact, for each way God has brought us new growth this year, he's matched it with new provision. Thank you for letting him use you to bring restoration through your support of TOLI.
And there's even more on the horizon for 2018. TOLI has been called to serve the poorest of the poor in some of the most challenging places. And yet, that's where new life is most precious, new growth is most green, new hope is most powerful. It's our joy and privilege to see him work in these places, rebuilding families, renewing dignity, restoring souls. We thank you for your partnership. And we thank God, the giver of the very best gifts.
Our new Executive Director, Abigail McConnell, starts in January.
For the first time in 2017, we assembled leaders and field staff from multiple countries in one place to collaborate, learn and worship together. 58 people participated in the training, including leaders from Egypt, Lebanon, India, Nicaragua and the US.
We officially launched in Kenya, partnering with Comet House Ministries to offer poor women microloans. We expect a second partner site there to launch by March.