Mexico (MNN) — Finding a new way to make a living in an isolated location proves to be difficult. Machelle and Dennis Bender, New Tribes missionaries, have been working with the Guarijio people for 12 years.
They went to work to discover a community project that would financially support the Guarijio believers. There was no real market for options such as leather work or making saddles. After praying, Dennis thought of a new angle: soap.
After practicing for several batches, he found directions for making goat's milk soap, which is very popular in the USA. "Goats are very common in the tribe," Machelle explains, "so we thought that would be the direction to go: goat's milk soap."
With two goats donated to the project, Dennis began to teach Guarijio believers how to mix soap in their homes.
"The lye has to be mixed carefully, and they need to wear safety glasses," Machelle writes. "For several hours, they keep slowly stirring the liquid. The first day, the ingredients are mixed and stirred and poured into molds. The second day, the bars are cut, stamped, and smoothed. After a few weeks, the bars are packaged."
After catching on very quickly, the Guarijio believers began making their own soap. Goat's milk soap has now been produced for about 1 1/2 years. Production continues to increase, and in the last three months they have made 1,000 bars.
Pray that they will find a consistent market for the soap. Ask God to bless this new venture and give the Guarijio believers much joy in their obedience to Him.
