Bob Reed

Partners Worldwide is sadden by the death of Bob Reed. Bob was the husband of Renita Reed, working with Partners Worldwide in Africa. Bob worked for CRWRC. Please be in prayer for Renita and her family. On their blog there is more information about Bob's life.

A Life Rededicated to the Lord

For the past two years, the publicity firm of Visión Creativa (Creative Vision) has been growing. Owner Erick Alvarado’s quality work and personalized customer service have helped to attract new clients and maintain his previous customers in the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa. Mr. Alvarado has also diversified his product line through the acquisition of new equipment and design software, partially financed through a loan from Partners Worldwide affiliate Diaconia Nacional. Visión Creativa was experiencing great success, but Erick recently discovered the missing component in his life.

In February, Erick attended the Partners Worldwide Latin America Conference. Following the morning sessions on the first day of the conference, Mr. Alvarado found a group of business members of Diaconia Nacional and began brainstorming about how they could help affiliate businesses grow.

“We can create a website that lists the products and services offered for each member business in our affiliate,” explained Erick. “With increased publicity and a platform for affiliate members to learn about each other, the businesses can grow.”

The conference had opened Erick’s eyes to a new opportunity: business mentoring. Erick had received such mentoring from North American business owners during their visits to Honduras, but now he saw how he could mentor small business owners in Honduras.

Erick’s new interest in serving others was not the only positive result from the conference. The Sunday after the conference Erick woke up early to go to church and received a warm greeting from old friends.

“For the past two years I have not attended church,” explains Erick. “I never imagined that the conference would have filled me with such joy and that it could have been such a blessing to my life. When I returned to church, everyone said, ‘There is Erick, we have not seen him for two years.’ During the worship service I rededicated my life to the Lord.”

Erick paid off his loan in December but he says that he now has a larger debt to Partners Worldwide and Diaconia Nacional. Thanks to the business mentoring, the conference and the work of his local church, Erick has found the missing component in his life and now looks to serve others. As he put it, “Whenever there is another conference or opportunity to train others, just tell me the day and the time and I will be there!”