I wanted to let you know that while Esmeralda in a sense has nothing, we as a church are dedicated to supporting her.
Her daily expences fall to me for the time being, including housing, food, travel, and so on. The church has helped out with some bigger expences, such as a very large expense (~S/9,000 or $2,300) for the schooling costs of her girls.
Esmeralda is baking and selling every week, and that brings her a very small amount. Caleb is looking to open a store within this month, Lord willing, and Esmerald may work there some. For now, we are paying her S/10 per hour for work she does for Steph in the house and for me on the farm.
Where does that money come from? Well, we’re hoping it will come from the sale of pigs and bulls, but that won’t be for a few months yet. God is blessing the animals with growth, and we wait on Him.
But if you would like to help Esmeralda directly, I have added a tier to my Patreon page that is dedicated just to her. You can follow the link here: Help Esmeralda. You can select any amount there when you go to sign up; it can be more or less than the suggested amount.
We have 16 Patrons now, and they have been such a tremendous aid to us these last years. Patrons, we are so grateful for your support; you hold a dear place in our heart. Our children know that there is “Patron money” that we can use for helping on the farm or to help with Hermana Esmeralda. We understand that this is possible due to your caring.
One of our current Patrons recently increased their monthly pledge and tagged it for Esmeralda. That has been a help. Each Monday, I give her a quarter of that amount and tell her, “This is from your brothers in the States because they love you.” It is such a joy to see her eyes light up. “Tell them thank you from me, hermano,” she says every time.
Of course, if you would rather just help us in a more general way, that option is on the Patreon page, too. https://www.patreon.com/juandavid_ablog
We see your gift as God’s money, and we hold it very loosely as we look for ways to serve here. Thank you for considering this as an option, and a thousand thanks to our monthly supporters. God is using your dollars here to bless people like Esmeralda—and to bless people like us! 🧡
Juan David 