Madam Juliana Asabea is an entrepreneur who operates a cold store for selling fish (fresh salmon). Her business name is “Aunty Juliana’s Cold Store.” Her product, fresh salmon is highly patronized, as it is relatively cheaper than the other varieties of fish. Madam Juliana participated in the Hopeline Discipling Marketplace Leaders Micro Business training held at Dalun Assemblies of God church. Initially, she felt the training would be a waste of her time considering her business demands. However, thrilled by the lessons she discovered from the training for the first time that biblically, God is the true owner of her business and that she is just a caretaker she took the lessons taught seriously. At one time during a business training class, she exclaimed; “I never knew that God cares so much about businesses and business people and that our workplace is a mission field and God’s pulpit.”
The training taught her the importance of setting boundaries, budgeting among others – these were teachings she had never heard before. After training, she benefited for a business expansion loan and bought an additional refrigerator to store her fresh fish. As an entrepreneur, she now feels fulfilled in her cold store business as she implements the lessons from the training – and all that has even enhanced her image and thus made her popular within her community. Her business core values are integrity, compassion and honesty, which she believes, draws customers to her store. Unfortunately, the outbreak of the deadly COVID-19 virus and some family issues have had adverse effects on her business. “I do not have a stable mind to concentrate on anything including my business,” she said. Her only source of encouragement is a scripture from the Bible she often quotes during DML Ministry meeting: “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and think darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.” Isaiah 60:1-3. This scripture uplifts her faith in God that, in her darkest moment the Lord’s light shines over her.