I wrote the following support letter to several of my friends, and I’m hoping that others who may know me online would be willing to pray for me, and/or help me financially.
Dear Friends,
As many of you know, I am currently living and working in Boston, and have been here for just under 1½ years. My time here has been special. I have grown tremendously, learned many things, and have formed deep friendships.
Recently, I have spent time volunteering for a Christian microfinance organization (MFI) known as PEER Servants. As you may be aware, I graduated with a degree in Community Development. Organizations like PEER Servants get me excited because they place an emphasis on both the spiritual and material needs of the poor, while at the same time respecting the poor by honoring their own knowledge, desires and experiences.
In the middle of November, I have the opportunity to spend a week with PEER Servants as they take a small group of people to the Philippines. (You may recall that I spent 3 months in the Philippines in 2008! If you would like to learn more about that trip, you can visit my blog at www.davidmartinwhite.com, and click on “Philippines.” I will try to blog about this trip too.) The goal of this trip is to document short case studies on an MFI that PEER Servants has partnered with in the Philippines, known as Center for Community Transformation (CCT).
CCT is an indigenously lead Christian organization that has partnered with thousands of Filipinos to provide very small, affordable business loans. These case studies will be used to help others here and around the world to learn about successful microfinance. PEER Servants has partnered with several MFIs around the world, and the case studies will be valuable in helping several of these organizations learn from a successful, indigenously lead organization. You can learn about CCT by visiting www.cct.org.ph and you can learn about PEER Servants by visiting www.peerservants.org.
I am writing to ask you to consider prayerfully in supporting me. I have already purchased my plane ticket, which cost just under $1,300. Other costs will be approximately $500. By my own choice, I have committed to paying for at least half of this trip out of my own pocket. Therefore, if I raise more than $900 from friends like you, I will be donating the excess money to PEER Servants for their continued work in Christian microfinance around the world.
As I wrote in my first Support Letter that took me to the Philippines in 2008, I believe that your investment is more than simply helping me “provide” things “to” “the poor”. Instead, my aim is to build partnerships in the Philippines and to help strengthen the ties between CCT and PEER Servants. Your investment in this trip would also help me in my own critical thought (and prayer) process of whether or not a life working overseas is what I should continue pursuing.
Will you join me? First, I am asking for your prayers. Pray that, even though 1 week is an extremely short time, I would be blessed by the people with whom I work in the Philippines, and that they would be blessed by me. Pray that I would humble myself and allow myself to be taught by the CCT staff. Pray that I would learn from the microfinance recipients. And pray that our quest for case studies would be a success!
Second, I am asking you to contribute financially. If you are able and willing to help, please donate online at www.peerservants.org/emaildonation.php?volunteer=David+White.
Thank you in advance for your prayerful and/or financial support.
Sincerely,
David White
