Hope multiplied.

NEAMA OWNS A BEAUTY SALON IN MOKATTAM VILLAGE — a place known more for its trash than for its beauty. Often called "Garbage Village," it's where generations of Christian Egyptians have eked out a living processing Cairo's garbage. But not Neama. Not anymore.

Neama comes from a family of garbage recyclers, but she was determined to forge a different life. So she learned to do make-up and cut hair, and opened her own salon. With the help of a $200 TOLI microloan — and despite the fact she can't read or write — her business took off. Soon Neama saw a chance to give someone else a hand up in the same way. 

When Neama met Aua, a 12-year-old Muslim girl left alone to be the sole provider for her grandparents, she knew she needed to hire her. Aua now assists Neama in the salon, getting valuable experience for herself and vital income for her family, while helping Neama make clients feel beautiful and valued every day. 

Above, beauty salon owner Neama (left) and Aua, her assistant and mentee. Below, two garbage recyclers in Mokattam.

Neama is determined that her own three kids have a better future, too. She insists they stay in school and work hard. She's even begun renting a small shop for her teenage son, so he can start a business of his own soon.

The ripple effect of TOLI's investment in Neama is clear — the cycle of poverty is being broken in two families, jobs are being created, the community is changing. And, among TOLI clients, her story is not that unusual.

---

"It's all about mindset," says Neama about her success.

---

Orphan care and job creation are two key indicators of lasting transformation through TOLI's program. In 2020, one-third of TOLI's clients reported that they provide care for orphans. And 20 percent reported employing others through their small business.

"It's all about mindset," Neama says about her success. We give thanks to God for Neama's renewed mind and generous heart, and how he's using it to bring hope, redemption, and beauty to so many.

---

COME EXPERIENCE THE POWER OF HOPE IN THE MOST UNEXPECTED PLACES.

Around the world, brave women and men are dreaming new dreams and finding new purpose through TOLI’s Christ-centered microloan program. At Taste & See: Come to the Table 2021, we invite you to come walk in their shoes, learn their stories, and celebrate their gifts. What you discover may surprise you.  

You don't want to miss this unforgettable event. Tables and tickets are going fast, so reserve your spot today. Here's how:

HOST A TABLE. Invite your friends to be inspired by TOLI’s life-changing ministry. 
> Dinner Seating: $500 per table (8 people). *NOTE: DINNER IS NEARLY SOLD OUT. 
> Lunch Seating: $400 per table (8 people).

BUY TICKETS. $50 per person, available for lunch only. 

BECOME A CORPORATE SPONSOR. Your business or organization can help us transform more lives by sponsoring this event. 

Questions? Email Erin Eilmes.  

---

JOIN US FOR TOLI TUESDAY.

What is life like in Ethiopia right now? How are TOLI clients faring? Join TOLI Social Worker Hailu Getachew on our next prayer Zoom, and get the latest news from our program in Addis Ababa. You'll also hear the latest prayer needs and updates from our other locations around the world, as we pray together for the entire TOLI family.

WHEN: Tuesday JULY 13, 12pm MT on Zoom

Email Liza for your Zoom link. Or join the Prayer Team here to get prayer reminders straight in your inbox.

6 ways we thank God for 2020

Praising God in the hurricanes

“… you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith ... may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” — 1 PETER 1:6-7

In November, Pastor Earl Bowie, leader of our partner ministry in Central America, stood on his porch in the middle of a hurricane to film a message to share with the world. As the wind bent trees and the rain pelted his face, he proclaimed that God is good, in control, and worthy of praise.

Watch Pastor Earl's message HERE.

Looking back, 2020 feels a bit like one long hurricane.

As if a storm of sickness, strife, isolation, riots, even wildfires and actual hurricanes hung over us for most of the year.

In a letter to early believers, Peter wrote that earthly suffering will bring kingdom results. The same is true today — question is, do we just hunker down and wait out the hurricanes, or can we actually participate in those kingdom results?

I believe we can — because our partners and our clients are showing us how. Pastor Earl’s video, praising God in the storm, has been viewed more than 142,000 times on social media. His faith, hope, and boldness in the middle of very real trials are resulting in “praise, glory, and honor” for Jesus Christ.

For TOLI, the stormy backdrop of 2020 causes its blessings to shine even brighter. We grieve what was lost, but we also celebrate the goodness God allowed us to find:

1. Our clients are strong. While lockdowns impact developing economies hardest, TOLI clients have shown resilience. Many TOLI clients and social workers battled COVID, but we give thanks to God that every one of them has fully recovered. Even better, most are back to work.

2. Our partners are committed. Volunteers and staff at our partner ministries in Egypt, Kenya, Nicaragua, and Ethiopia worked tirelessly, often in unthinkable conditions — police-enforced lockdowns, catastrophic hurricanes, blackouts, civil unrest — to show people Christ’s love with compassion and courage, overcoming obstacle after obstacle. In fact, TOLI ended up granting 37% more microloans in 2020 over the previous year — despite pausing our program for several months when the pandemic first hit.

3. Our donors are faithful. Throughout this tumultuous year, your support matched our ministry needs almost dollar for dollar, month by month. Whether through the COVID relief initiative or during the bump in demand for microloans that followed—God provided every resource needed to continue serving clients well, and then some. And He did it through YOU.

4. Spiritual food is real. At the start of 2020, the Lord prompted us to invest more deeply in spiritual development. Then COVID provided a way to put Bibles in the hands of every client, along with food packages, in their darkest time. The physical and spiritual food nourished these families the whole year through. In fact, one client in Kenya, armed with her own Bible for the first time, began holding church services and preaching in her yard while her local church was shut down.

5. Technology is a miracle. TOLI staff and partners now clearly see how isolated we were from each other before COVID. We’ve all embraced new technology that connects us “in person” now more than ever. That’s one change that will stick.

6. We’re all needy. In ministry and development work in the US, it’s easy to operate on the assumption that ‘we’ help ‘them.’ It’s a false premise embedded in the Western mindset, which under normal circumstances takes intention and practice to dislodge. This year, though, sickness and strife didn’t play favorites, and our own neediness, even as 'privileged Americans' was suddenly on prominent display. And so our empathy for each other, mutuality in our prayers, and unity in Christ grew between TOLI partners in profound ways. It is a gift.

That's just six, but I could go on and on.

So—were these blessings worth all the heartache of 2020? I'll leave that to God. What is left to us, though, is to point to goodness whenever, wherever it comes. To say it out loud. And to thank our God for it.

As we walk together into a new year, may the trials that lay behind and the inevitable challenges out ahead prove our faith genuine, and our Lord trustworthy.

Abigail McConnell,
Executive Director, TOLI

---

2020 GIVING STATEMENTS VIA EMAIL
This week you should have received your 2020 Year-End Giving Statements from us via email. If you didn't get it, be sure to check your spam or junk folder, or contact Erin Eilmes for assistance. (PS: This is a great time to make sure you've added us to your contacts!)

---

Hop on Zoom with us at 12pm MT on February 9 for our #TOLITUESDAY Prayer Gathering. This month, Lucy Njeri, TOLI Social Worker in Kenya shares what God is doing in clients' lives in her area and how we can pray. She'll also introduce us to NEW members of the Kenya TOLI team!

Email Liza to get this week's Zoom link or CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE PRAYER TEAM.

---

We want to hear from YOU. 

GOT A SECOND? Take our quick communications survey that will help us get you the information you need and want from TOLI. It only takes a minute and will help us a ton. Thanks in advance!

The most powerful thing we give away

Giving Bibles, growing hope

"The seed is the word of God." — LUKE 8:11

Faith, a client in Kenya, shows her daughter her new Bible.

In late 2019, as we began to pray and plan for the coming year, we heard the Lord whispering, "2020 will be a year of spiritual harvest."

We couldn't have fathomed what was ahead: a global pandemic would paralyze the world, shut down every economy we work in, and force us to shift our program dramatically. 

New microloans, trainings, and most TOLI clients' small businesses were suspended. But one thing didn't stop: our mission to reach families with the Good News of Jesus Christ. Suddenly that whisper became a loud command: "Sow the seed of God's Word." 

Turns out God was already out ahead of us. In December, a generous donor approached us wanting to give a special gift — designated for Bibles and spiritual resources. In February, a chance meeting led to a significant donation of print and audio Bibles for TOLI clients in Egypt. And then in March, the coronavirus interrupted our normal programming — but opened doors for deeper client relationships, deliveries of emergency aid, and discussions about where we place our hope in crisis. 

The soil had been turned over, and the seed was ready to be planted. 

So, for the last month, planting is what we've been doing. From Egypt to Ethiopia to Kenya to Nicaragua, the seed of God's Word is being sown as Bibles are put in the hands of TOLI clients:

> Bibles in mother tongues like Arabic, Amharic, Kiswahili, Kikuyu, Meru, and Spanish.
> Solar-powered audio Bibles for those who can't read in Egypt.
> Bibles tucked into emergency food packages.
> Bibles delivered to every kind of client: new believers, house church leaders, heads of multigenerational households, single moms, business owners, farmers.

In all, more than 600 Bibles have been purchased and are being delivered right now — with more funded to provide for all future TOLI clients. Additionally, resources like study Bibles and other teaching tools are now being sourced for our local leaders so they can help disciple clients effectively. That seed, after all, must be watered.

Yes, 2020 isn't the year any of us expected. But TOLI's call remains the same —  to bring dignified, sustainable, Christ-centered transformation to those living in poverty. And there is no better tool for transformation than the transforming power of God's Word. So now we water, watch, pray, and trust God for the fruit of that spiritual harvest.   

"So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow." — 1 CORINTHIANS 13: 6

---

Have you seen this?

The COVID-19 RELIEF FUND continues to provide food, support, and opportunity to TOLI families and communities. Watch this moving video to see the impact of this initiative. Your support is making a profound difference. 

---

This is what loves looks like.

— From Our Executive Director —

---

Just a short few weeks ago I was sitting with a woman named Jane* in a slum near Nairobi. Our team of seven squeezed into her tiny home — a one-room shelter pieced together with scraps of wood and metal. As we piled in, she told us about her new soap business, her six kids, and the many nights they used to go to sleep hungry. 

“And now,” she said, pointing to a teenager, a baby, and a toddler sitting in the dirt alley outside the doorway, “they live here with me, too.” 

The teenager, Alice*, is a single mom of the two babies. She was suicidal when Jane first met her a few weeks back. Jane pleaded with her not to go through with it, and even though she was basically a stranger, she offered to take her and her two kids into her own home instead. Alice agreed.

Ten people. One room. No plumbing. In a dangerous and desperate slum. I'm sure my jaw dropped as I listened to her. The generosity didn't quite compute.

New friends Jane* (left) and Alice* (right) and her baby.

Fast forward four weeks. So much has happened since we met Jane. Our team got out of Kenya just before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down air travel. Social-distancing is the new normal. People around the globe are ‘sheltering in place.’ Businesses worldwide — from multinational corporations to microenterprises like Jane’s — are slamming to a halt. And no one is exempt from the impact of a disease that is changing life as we know it. 

And TOLI is pivoting to meet the challenge. Our field staffers are still connecting with clients every month — now by mobile phone — to give advice on hand washing and health guidelines, to help clients think of creative ways to adapt their businesses to weather this crisis, and, most importantly, to share the love of Jesus Christ and the rescue and refuge only he can provide.

Of course we’re worried about our clients. Their lives and livelihoods were already fragile, lacking the safety nets and security we take for granted. But we also take heart that TOLI clients are in a much stronger position going into this crisis, prepared with training and support that they didn't have before. 

Jane, for example, has savings for the first time in her life. Until TOLI, “I never saved before,” she told us. Before her soap business, her only work was day labor — doing laundry or odd jobs — but it wasn't enough, and her kids would often go hungry. Now, her small business is covering her family expenses, and there is even money leftover. 

But does Jane really have ‘enough’ to share? I wouldn’t have thought so when I first met her — not enough room, or money, or food. But she shared anyway, and it saved a life — probably three. 

---

“In a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability.”

— 2 CORINTHIANS 8: 3-4

---

How will this all turn out for Jane, and for Alice, and their kids? We don’t know. On the face of it, the odds may seem stacked against them. But the odds can’t compute the game-changing power of generosity or courage or creativity — or God’s intervention. 

That’s as true for Jane and Alice as it is for all of us right now. 

Before we left her home that day, Jane asked us to pray for her. Her request? “Please pray for my ability to love with Christ’s love,” she said. “and for protection from diseases.” 

That’s our prayer, too, Jane. That’s our prayer, too.

Abigail McConnell
Executive Director

---

There’s never been a more important time to share your support with TOLI. We know that your resources during this time are precious and we don’t take it for granted. Please prayerfully consider sharing so that TOLI can continue to minister to those who are most vulnerable. 

---

Jane opened her home to us last month to show us her new business inventory, tell us her story, and pray.

*Names have been changed for privacy. 

Planting 'New Flowers' in Ethiopia

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."
— PROVERBS 3:5-6

One of the things I love most about TOLI is that it's an organization that deeply desires to move in step with the Lord and in sync with His Spirit. We may not always understand God's ways, but he promises if we trust in him he will make our paths straight. We will sense his lead and know which way to go, one step at a time.

And that is precisely where TOLI is today, as we sense him directing our steps to expand to Ethiopia. It would take hours to describe all the ways God has connected us with this beautiful, ancient country, but rest assured the whole story leaves us in awe.

In two weeks, I will travel to Addis Ababa — along with five other TOLI leaders — to help begin a new partnership with a powerful 'boots on the ground' ministry there. Like all of our partner ministries, this one is passionate about serving widows and their families, believing each one is made in the image of God to dream, create, and flourish as mothers and as entrepreneurs.

Each microloan given through this partnership will help change a family's story, out of poverty and into dignified work. The best part is, when loans are paid back, they will be reissued to other budding entrepreneurs in the same community, creating a beautiful cycle of opportunity and growth. Seeds that are planted, watered, and cultivated will bloom into brand 'new flowers,' dotting the landscape and fabric of Ethiopia. One loan. One business. One dream at a time.

Thank for you for praying with me for Ethiopia, for TOLI, and for all that will bloom from our partnership ahead.

Megan Nilsen
Associate for Communications, TOLI

HOW YOU CAN HELP: Give to support a specific traveler or the whole team. Funds raised in excess of travel costs will be invested in business training, microloans, and a salary grant for a local, Ethiopian social worker. And please pray for this trip, October 15-23.
THE TEAM: John Jaeger (Board member); Linda Hood (Board member); Erin Eilmes (Staff); Megan Nilsen (Staff); Monet Martin (volunteer); and Steve Hood (volunteer).

---

THE LATEST FROM EGYPT:

TOLI Founder Eddie Yassa has been in Egypt this month visiting clients, overseeing business training in poor communities, and hosting our first TOLI Social Worker Retreat — a powerful time of encouragement, leadership development, and prayer for our six social workers and various partner committees from around the country, as well as key leaders from Heliopolis Evangelical Church in Cairo.  

Please Pray! TOLI is growing in Egypt. Please pray for all the social workers and clients to connect, seek the Lord, and experience His goodness in their businesses.

---

Join us First Friday Downtown COS

Come visit Savory Spice Shop and Gold Star Pies and support TOLI at the same time!

Gold Star Pie Truck will serve up fresh award-winning pie in front of Savory Spice Shop, where you can find free hot cider and the tastiest spices in town. Proceeds from the evening will benefit TOLI. Many thanks to these two local small business —Dick and Mary Frieg and Heather Briggs — for their generosity and passion for supporting small businesses in poor communities around the globe.

WHEN: Friday Nov. 1, 5-8pm
WHERE: 110 N. Tejon, COS (in front of Savory Spice Shop)
MORE DETAILS HERE

---

Sister power.

Silhan and Shirley are sisters — but they're also business partners. 

In fact, these two are now the backbone of a family business that stretches three generations. Silhan, 22, took a TOLI microloan last year to buy inventory for their small shop in rural Nicaragua. When our team visited earlier this month, it became clear this is a family affair.

Shirley, 23, is Silhan's gregarious partner. Her dad takes turns manning the counter. Her mom makes fresh nacatamales to sell in the shop. And her 105-year-old grandfather welcomes customers from the porch. 

"The purpose of our family is to be united always," Shirley told us. "It is a very unique opportunity for all of us."

GENERATIONS: Above, Shirley sits with her grandfather (center) and her father in front of their family store in Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua. Below, Silhan and her son welcome Executive Director, Abigail McConnell, into her shop, built with the help of a TOLI microloan.

And it was a good reminder that while TOLI microloans are granted to individuals, the whole household is impacted. In the sisters' case, that's 10 people under one roof — all living in the family home attached to the back of the shop.

The average household size for our clients in Nicaragua is 5.6 people (compared with 2.6 in the U.S.). That means that a $300 microloan doesn't just benefit one person but many more, and builds over time. Silhan and Shirley's children and younger siblings will have better nutrition as they grow because of the steadier income. Their parents and grandfather will have better medical care as they age. And Silhan and Shirley will build confidence, experience, and faith, as they make their household even stronger.

And strong households make strong communities. 

"I want to thank God for the opportunity he has given us to start this business," she told us before we said goodbye. "It's an achievement that is difficult but not impossible. Thank you so much for supporting us."

---

Snapshots from our recent visit

A team of eight traveled this month to visit our partner site in Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua. We left inspired, humbled, encouraged, and better able to pray for and serve our local partner ministry, Verbo Church. Ready to travel with us? Check out trip opportunities here.

---

How you can pray: 

> For Nicaragua: The country has been in turmoil since anti-government rallies erupted last spring. Please pray for reconciliation and peace, and for our clients to be able to overcome the economic challenges that come with this period of instability.
> For physical healing: We visited many clients and their families in Nicaragua this month, and almost everywhere we went we were led to pray for physical healing... for a client's son with cerebral palsy, a client paralyzed after a stray bullet hit his spine, for a client with heart problems. We continue to pray for healing and for improved access to medical care.
> For Verbo Church, our partner ministry in Puerto Cabezas. 
> For our social workers in Egypt, Kenya, and Nicaragua, as they serve, disciple, and encourage our entrepreneurs. You can meet them here.
> Praise God for our growing programs! Many new groups are being trained in Kenya and new sites are being formed in Egypt. 

---

Ready to take the next step?

> Travel with us. Meet inspiring clients like Silhan and Shirley in person. Details here.
> Become a monthly giver! Start here.
> Discover other ways to get involved here.
> Come to our next #TOLITuesday Prayer Gathering: April 9 from 12-1pm (at TOLI, 5785 N.Union Blvd, Colorado Springs, CO 80918)

New purpose, new leaders, new life

IN PICTURES: Look at what's new around the TOLI family

---

February was a busy month of new starts for our entrepreneurs and partners. From new clients to new learning opportunities to new savings groups, the TOLI family is on the move: learning, building, and influencing their communities to break the cycle of poverty, for good.  Here's a show-and-tell of just a few:  

NEW PURPOSE: Candida, shown here with her three boys, took a $300 TOLI microloan to start a small pedicure business in Nicaragua. This month she told us she discovered the value of servanthood in her work because "I remember Jesus cleaning the feet of his disciples ... that makes me identify with him. That's tremendous." Candida's humble heart, creativity, and determination has paid off. She is now providing for her family independently and will pay off her loan next month. Way to go Candida!

NEW COMMUNITY: If you came to last month's Prayer Gathering you already heard that our program in Kenya is multiplying. Here's a new Savings Group being assembled in the community of Kirubia, one of three new TOLI groups birthed this month. These groups will save together, learn business skills together, and be launchpads for our next round of microloan clients in Kenya. Shown here is Humphrey Kanga, founder and CEO of our partner ministry KCK, addressing the group.

NEW LEADERS: A group of TOLI entrepreneurs in Nicaragua and TOLI Social Workers in Egypt were invited to attend the Global Leadership Summit (GLS) in February — a world-class conference equipping leaders worldwide — hosted by our partner ministries. Kudos to our partners VERBO Ministries in Nicaragua and Heliopolis Evangelical Church in Egypt for investing in these new leaders and believing with us that everyone has influence. 

---

Get your tickets to Come to the Table

Thursday, May 9 at 6pm at the Pinery, Colorado Springs

If you've ever wanted to share TOLI with a friend, or learn more about our work, this night is for you. You'll witness through the eyes of our clients how TOLI is helping families break the cycle of poverty and experience the love of Christ. It'll be a memorable, inspiring, and fun night. Don't miss it.

CLICK HERE (or on the image above) for details, to buy tickets, or to sponsor a table! Reserve early, seats are limited. 

---

Our Annual Report is in

Want a quick overview at what God did in and through TOLI in 2018? Check out our Annual Report, find it here, or just click the image. 

---

Time for you to jump in?

> Come to our next #TOLITuesday Prayer Gathering: March 12 from 12-1pm (at TOLI, 5785 N.Union Blvd, Colorado Springs, CO 80918)
> Get your tickets: May 9, 2019 for "Come to the Table" at the Pinery
> Become a monthly giver! Start here.
> Discover other ways to get involved here

---

The tools for a new start

Helping men build stronger families

"Does TOLI only serve women?"

It's a question we get a lot. And yes, women do make up more than three-quarters of our clients. But when we can reach men in the communities where we work, it's incredibly impactful. Empowering husbands, fathers, and grandfathers is a powerful way to bring transformation to a community. 

Take Aziz as an example. Aziz was trained as a plumber but didn't get much work because he lacked the proper tools. He had little income and little hope. 

Then, nine months ago, Aziz took a TOLI loan of about $200 to buy the right tools and equipment. With his new tools, his plumbing skills, and the coaching of a TOLI social worker, Aziz now has burgeoning business. Jobs that used to take him three days now take only one. Today, he's able to work for himself, land bigger jobs, and increase his customer base as well as his income. 

Aziz isn't just building a business—he's building a family. Just a few months ago, because of his increased income, he told us, he was able to get married. He and his wife are now building a strong start to their household—thanks to Aziz's hard work, determination, and a TOLI microloan. 

---

Save the date: Come to the Table

Thursday, May 9 at 6pm at the Pinery, Colorado Springs

If you've ever wanted to share TOLI with a friend, or learn more about our work, this night is for you. You'll witness through the eyes of our clients how TOLI is helping families break the cycle of poverty and experience the love of Christ. It'll be a memorable, inspiring, and fun night. Don't miss it.

CLICK HERE (or on the image below) for details, to buy tickets, or to sponsor a table! Reserve early, seats are limited. 

---

Strength in numbers—THANK YOU.

Your strong support in 2018 helped TOLI empower more husbands like Aziz (above). In fact, we impacted more families and resourced more partner ministries last year than ever before. Better yet, your generous support helped us start 2019 in a place of strength, ready for the ambitious plans God has put before us. 

Would you consider giving monthly this year? Choosing automatic monthly giving is a budget-friendly but powerful way to sustain TOLI all year long. Even small monthly gifts of $20, $30 or $50 add up to deeply impactful support. Click DONATE and choose "Monthly." Credit card or automatic bank transactions available.

---

The gift of 'WITH'

From our Executive Director

---

Stella grabbed my hand and led me down the red dirt road. She wanted to take me to her house — a tidy one-room flat she shares with her young son. Inside she showed me pictures of her siblings, the clothing inventory for her new business, and the journal she uses to record her monthly savings. We sat on her bed, and she shared with me her hopes, her struggles, and her dreams.  

We were new friends. I didn’t deserve to be taken by the hand and welcomed into her story like that. Being with Stella inside her home, inside her heart, felt like a gift.

"Being able to provide for my family is the greatest joy I have," Stella told us this month. Pictured above, Stella and Abigail together in March 2018.

Turns out, it’s a gift I would receive again and again this year, as countless TOLI clients welcomed me in — to be with them in their homes, their businesses, their stories. This gift of WITH has been my favorite gift this year.

It’s this same gift of WITH that God gives us all at Christmas. The gift of Jesus, Emmanuel, "God with us." God gave us the gift of his son Jesus to be our rescue, to restore creation, and to reclaim us as the people he created us to be, by first coming to be with us.

That’s why WITH is essential to TOLI's mission. We come alongside people in vulnerable parts of the world, and work with them as they pursue God’s purpose, their own creative capacity, and their dreams for their communities.

In 2018, TOLI has grown in extraordinary ways:

• partnering with 12 different local organizations around the world to bring microloans and the Gospel to more people and places than ever before

• working with more than 550 clients this year—a 30% increase since January

• our social workers walking with each client for at least 18 months, building relationships and opportunities to share Christ's love

• gathering with each other on #TOLITuesday to pray monthly over the ministry, our staff, and our clients

God didn’t have to come be with us to save us—He could have done it from afar. He could have just done it for us. But he didn’t. He came in the flesh, through his own sacrifice, to be with us. Why?

Because God loves us. Because our rescue wasn’t just a job to do, but a love to share. Because you can’t have love if there is no with. That’s what I've learned this year. That’s what TOLI’s mission is all about. And that’s what we remember every Christmas when we celebrate the birth of Jesus, who longs to grab each one of us by the hand to welcome us into His home, His heart, and—if we let him—even into His story.

With gratitude and joy, 

---

Thank you for standing with us.

Thank you for your prayers, encouragement, and generosity. Without you, Stella may not be where she is today: successfully providing for her son and siblings, discovering her God-given gifts, and growing in faith. There's still time to join in His work this year. Give a year-end gift and help us start 2019 in strength, together. 

---

Want to go deeper with TOLI?

> Come to our next #TOLITuesday Prayer Gathering: January 8 from 12-1pm (at TOLI, 5785 N.Union Blvd, Colorado Springs, CO 80918)
> Save the Date: Thursday, May 9, 2019 for our Big Event at the Pinery
> Discover other ways to get involved here

---

Subscribe to our newsletter

Get updates and client stories like this straight in your inbox, just share your email address below. (And don’t worry, we won’t share your info with anyone, ever.)

The ABCs of hope

In the spirit of back-to-school, and because many of you are just getting to know us, here's a handy primer on some TOLI basics. 

A is for ALLEVIATING POVERTY. We work to truly alleviate poverty—for good—in a way that's dignified, lasting, and sustainable. We break the cycle of dependency and hopelessness that traditional charity often enables.
B is for BUSINESS-BASED SOLUTIONS. Rather than giving handouts, we offer a hand up in the form of microloans and small business training, so poor families can start their own income-earning businesses. 
C is for CHRIST-CENTERED TRANSFORMATION. Poverty isn't just about dollars and cents, it's also about hearts and minds. So we work holistically, investing in the God-given creative capacity of every person, while pointing to Jesus Christ as the one true source of abundance and eternal freedom.

... THEN MULTIPLY
Our revolving loan model creates a cycle of hope that's transforming the lives of individuals, families, and whole villages in a sustainable way. Here's how it works:

By the numbers
In 15 different communities in five countries around the world, TOLI is reaching poor families with these ABCs. Right now we have more than 400 clients in our program, with nearly 2000 who've benefitted from a TOLI loan since we began in 2004. The average microloan value is about $250, which clients use to buy the tools or supplies needed to start their business. Our social workers then stay in relationship with the client over the course of the loan offering both business and spiritual support. 

---

---

STAR STUDENTS
Meet a few of our newest clients! Each recently took a TOLI loan to build a small business or took part in our small business training classes. These classes teach the basics of entrepreneurship, including subjects like building a business plan, marketing, record keeping, budgeting, saving, and more—all from a Biblically-based framework. 

In Nicaragua, Sedy (center) took a loan this month to build her sewing business. Her new business will help her care for her elderly mother (left) and her grandchildren.

Mary, in Kenya, has invested in inventory for her small general shop.

Last weekend, these new clients in India took part in our business training class.

---

FIELD TRIPS

Egypt and Albania: Next week, a team of leaders and volunteers from the US will travel to our sites in Egypt and Albania. Please pray for this team as they go encourage clients and partners in the field— Dick and Mary Frieg, Wendi Lord, Steve and Linda Hood, Abigail McConnell, and Emad Yassa. 

2019 Field Trips: Teams are forming now for 2019! Find out more about joining us on a Vision Trip or Medical Mission Trip in the coming year here:

---

Come pray with us

Please join us for our monthly Prayer Gathering. We have a beautiful new office space where we gather and we're so excited to share it with you!

With specific and up-to-the-minute prayer requests submitted directly from our field staff, each month we lift up clients, social workers, our ministry partners in different countries, and the entire TOLI family of supporters. It's a powerful time and a great way to support TOLI. Please join us!

#TOLITuesday Prayer Gathering // 2nd Tuesday of each month
When: September 11, 12pm-1pm
Where: 5785 N. Union Blvd, Colorado Springs, CO 80918

If you have questions, or would prefer to join us by phone to pray, please email Linda Hood, our TOLI Prayer Coordinator. 
 

---