Blessings to you and your family from the entire Opportunity International family. This Easter, as we commemorate Jesus’s crucifixion and celebrate His resurrection, I’m reminded that resurrection need not only mean the miracle that occurred 2,000 years ago, but that renewal can take place in a number of ways in our own lives.

Nothing that I encounter as a marketing writer at Opportunity exemplifies this more than the extraordinary hope, courage and the power for change exhibited by our clients. Whether you meet them on an Insight Trip, encounter them in our annual reports, or hear their stories through our visiting staff members, their lives are marked by transformation. And for most, it’s not merely life-changing financial services, but also their faith in God that blesses them with the gift of hope for a brighter future for themselves and their families.

Meet Argelia Ramirez…

Argelia Ramirez is one of the millions who was displaced by violence in Colombia. Several years ago, an armed group came to her fincita (hut) and killed and injured several of her family members. She was forced to move away from her farm to a remote area outside the town of Arjona.

Argelia suffered immeasurably, but today she feels more safe. She uses her loan from Opportunity to grow her grocery store business where she sells food and fried bananas, enabling her to provide for her remaining six children. ”My goal is to move forward,” she says, “forward everyday, working as is necessary.” She has struggled, but with time and with her faith in God, Argelia is healing and her life is becoming better.

“Now I feel safe,” she says, “and I’m grateful to God for my new life.”

Argelia’s resurrection of spirit is just one of the client stories to consider this season. In honor of Easter, we wish you a blessed day full of hope and renewal.