From Truck to Business
How a once-forgotten truck is turned into a thriving business in Malawi and helps to bring the Kingdom of God
20 "So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.' 21 "His lord said to him, 'Well [done], good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord."
[Mat 25:20-21 NKJV]
"For the last several years, I was passing by a house day by day and I wondered: What is this old truck standing there? Why isn’t it used?", shared my good friend Gibson from Malawi with me. He decided to talk to the owner and asked to find out why it hadn’t moved for so long.
"That truck is worth nothing. The engine is completely broken. There is nothing you can make of it!", said the owner.
Gibson didn’t give up, though. He brought a friend who is a mechanic to check out the truck. Surprisingly, he told him that the engine could be fixed with a small amount of money. Gibson negotiated with the owner and managed to buy the truck for a good price. He even convinced him to let him pay little by little.
With a partial payment made, Gibson transported the dormant truck to his home. The skilled hands of the mechanic carefully dissected the engine, revealing that only one sleeve was broken. Transporting the damaged part to Lilongwe, the mechanic meticulously restored it to working order
Now, the once-forgotten truck roars back to life, becoming a vital asset in transporting goods, such as bricks, in Monkey Bay. Each trip rakes in 60,000 Malawian kwacha, not only transforming Gibson’s fate but also bringing prosperity to the entire community.
The impact of this business is threefold:
1. Financial - Money that will be earned can be used to feed Gibson's family and the family of the workers that work for him.
2. Social - Through the employment and the money made, children can go to school and food can be put on the table. This helps create healthy families and dignity.
3. Spiritual - The truck can help to reach people that don't know Jesus. Through the business Gibson will meet new customers, build relationships and can share the gospel through these relationships. It also can help him travel to places to share the gospel in these places.
From this story we can learn to spot opportunities around us and use the resources that God has given us. Our resources can be our own money, but also our skills, livestock, houses or anything else that we own. When we use them, He will honor us and multiply it. Just like the parable of the talents, He will reward us.
About the author: Jonathan Fokker is the International Business Director for All Nations International. In this role, he helps church planters in Asia and Africa become self-sustainable and help use business to make disciples. He has been part of All Nations since 2008 and has been doing church planting and business planting in Cambodia, Spain and The Netherlands.
https://allnations.international/b4m
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