Bangladesh (MNN) – FARMS International recently highlighted Pastor Albin, who used a FARMS loan to renovate a house that his wife, Esther, inherited. This house was then turned into a ministry location.
When Esther inherited the house, it needed a lot of work.
“The community around them, the community that he’s involved with, got together and helped repair the foundation, the roof, and different things to make [the house] into a ministry center,” Tim Landis with FARMS says.
Pastor Albin and his wife, Esther, used a FARMS loan to develop a ministry location. Photo provided by FARMS International.
Now that the repairs are done, this center has a guest room that missionaries and out-of-towners can use. It also has a meeting room where women’s Bible classes have already begun.
Pastor Albin is an encouragement and a model for FARMS because he utilizes funds and loans in ministry-minded ways.
“That’s the fruit that comes from his mindset and wanting to evangelize, wanting people to come to knowledge of Christ, wanting to disciple people,” Landis says.
Albin has been a FARMS program participant for several years. During COVID, he was able to buy a building with a FARMS loan, which he then strategically turned into a pharmacy on one side and a reading room on the other.
This reading room then became a place for Bible reading and Bible studies. Albin has also worked with FARMS to get livestock and other resources.
“There is a pattern of success with Albin, and ultimately it’s always with ministry at the end in mind. It’s so impactful because it’s always about serving other people, and I just think that’s one of the greatest things, and why we like to highlight him,” Landis says.
Loans can open ministry opportunities like Albin’s and enable people to tithe back into their local churches. Evangelism starts happening, church activities start happening, and pastors can get some extra income to operate and shepherd churches.
Landis says, “The end goal for FARMS loans is to strengthen families, to help them out of poverty, but also to strengthen the church.”
Please pray that FARMS will continue to see fruit like this, as Christians flourish and choose to give back to God with the things he’s blessed them with.
Header photo provided by FARMS International.
