I heard of this company the other day from a friend of mine. He could not stop talking about the quality, but most importantly the mission behind the product. On Saddleback Leather’s website there is a tab that is titled “The Love 41 story”, I clicked on it and found this incredible business.
To summarize the mission, Suzette Munson was invited on a missions trip in 2010 to Rwanda, just about 15 years after the Rwanda genocide. That horrendous killed over one million people in under 90 days and left the nation an utter disaster. While Suzette went on her mission trip she witnessed unimaginable things and she knew she had to do something to help. That is where the idea of starting her own online retail business came from and where 100% of the proceeds would support Africa New Life Ministries. Fast forward a little bit, she visits Rwanda again and the locals noticed her jewelry from her online brand. She explains her business and the challenge of finding the right name to advertise the brand, this next part I thought should directly come from the websites story…
“As she explained that phrases such as ‘Love One’ and ‘Love for One’ had come to mind, a man nearby asked, “Did you say love four one? I wonder what Psalm 41 says.” He pulled the chapter up on his phone and began to read:
“Blessed is he who considers the poor; the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble. The LORD will preserve him and keep him alive, and he will be blessed on the earth; You will not deliver him to the will of his enemies. The Lord will strengthen him on his bed of illness, You will sustain him on his sickbed.” Psalm 41:1-3 (NKJV)”
AMAZING! I could go on, but essentially she meets her husband who has been making authentic genuine leather bags in Mexico. They get married and after a lot of traveling and what not, they settled in Rwanda and together grew their brand. Although they came together with separate ideas on how to run a business, it has been blessed by God to succeeded and to bless the Rwandan people.
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This is a great story Faith! It is amazing to see how Saddleback Leather started out of one woman's trip to Rwanda that inspired her to start the online retail company to support missions organizations. The work of Saddleback Leather will surely leave an eternal impact for God's glory!
That's a powerful story, God works in so many wonderful and mysterious ways. I'm continually reminded that there are hundreds and hundreds of unique and amazing ways for the Gospel to be shared, and seeing businesses like these are what continually reminds me. I'm glad you wrote about this story! God bless you and businesses like these all around the world.
This is a great story that shows how a business can get started off of just a trip. God truly works in mysterious ways throughout our lives. Thanks for sharing!
This is a great story Faith! God has been able to work in so many wonderful ways!
This is a representation of God moving in ways we can't explain, but through him. Impacting people through leather making doesn't seem very redemptive, but with any product there is marketing involved to customers. When they do that with a Christian perspective of love the customers and Rwandan people can sense that and keep coming back. Glad to see that God worked in her life to bring that together.
This is such an awesome story Faith! I love the reference to Psalm 41 that is a verse that I love very much. But this hints on how powerful and amazing God is. Thank you for this post I really loved it.