"I love to sing songs of joy to the Lord.”
“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.”
– Habakkuk 3:17-19
Just a few short months ago, I was sitting with a woman named Rahma in a remote village along the Nile in Egypt. She welcomed our team of eight to her small home, inviting us to sit together in her dimly lit living room. As we gathered in a circle, Rahma shared the weight she has carried through life – raising two children on just $10 a week.
With deep humility, she told us how things began to change when she heard about the TOLI program, enrolled in the Business Basics Course, and applied for a microloan.
Rahma in her shop in Egypt.
With a $300 loan, Rahma expanded her neighborhood supermarket. As she spoke, she pointed out the products lining the shelves and the snacks that sell best. She showed us the freezer she purchased to store goods overnight. Then she shared her dream to grow the business so that one day she could add a second bathroom to her home. They all share one now.
As Rahma spoke, both about the joys and the hardships of life, she radiated a supernatural peace.
Then she said something that stopped me in my tracks:
“Praise God for providing and always watching over us. Please pray that I can enlarge my business. But I’m happy. I am surviving. I have what I need. I am good. No matter what I have, Jesus has suffered so much. How can I complain about my circumstances?"
Pastor Khaled praying with Rahma in her home.
I want faith like that.
Faith that trusts God in every circumstance. Faith that clings to the God who knows what it’s like to be human and to live in need, who provides daily, and who holds tomorrow in His hands.
She went on to tell us, “I went to the Christian discipleship conference last year and worshiped God so much there. I love to sing songs of joy to the Lord.”
This is why TOLI exists. Yes, our goal is to help end material poverty and equip people with tools to provide for themselves and their families. But just as importantly, we long for more people to know the Lord. We want more people to sing songs of joy to God.
And in places like Rahma’s living room, dimly lit, humble, and holy, I am reminded that God is doing just that – He is near, He sees, and He is faithfully at work in all of us.
With gratitude and joy,
Audrey Putney
Communications and Operations Manager
TOLI
Interested in learning more? Watch this video of how TOLI integrates Christ-centered principles with poverty alleviation tools.
Thank you for your generositY!
Because of the generosity and faithfulness of supporters like you, we raised over $250,000 in year-end giving – enough to provide over 600 revolving microloans to women like Rahma around the world. THANK YOU.