This summer has been a busy one here at Business Connect, but we have finally moved into our new building and have been getting connected into the community.

Business Connect has operated out of our home office and basement since 2010.  We then graduated to two home offices, added a pole barn, garage, and basement for inventory.  In January of this year, we rented space in a hardware store basement as an office. On June 12th, we closed on the purchase of a 7,000 square foot office building which includes a restaurant and an apartment.  It is in a challenging area of Grand Rapids, one might call it a renovation neighborhood.

A Renovation Neighborhood

At present we are in the middle of a total rehab project tearing down walls, putting in a new deck, plumbing, heating, doors, windows, and so much more.  We have created six office work areas with the potential for an additional ten. We also have three tenants and the apartment occupied, all of which allow us to pay the bills and give us business space and potential for more tenants.  It is an exciting time, albeit a bit frightening. 

During the last three months, we have had a few suspicious folks hanging around.  We found one guy smoking pot in one of our vehicles. A few of our tools have walked away.  We have also met an incredible man who now works for us who is still on a tether getting his life back together.  We intentionally have entered this neighborhood to have a positive impact and be impacted by a strong Hispanic culture and language.  When we explain our work, we have had a number of people say to us, “we need your water filters in my home country”.  

A Word of Encouragement

We embrace this encouragement:

“Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes.  For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities.  Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated.” Isaiah 54: 2

We are looking forward to future growth and continuing to work with our partners. Next week we are meeting to collaborate with multiple organizations and have a strategy session.  In two weeks, we will host one of our distribution partners from San Diego. He will be bringing two Ethiopian champions along who are committed to providing clean and safe water to thousands in their home country. Another shipment just left for Burundi a week ago as part of a five year program.  And a young lady who lives and works in India came and purchased a hundred dollars worth of product for her ministry. It is all about stretching our curtains wide and lengthening our cords. Thank you for your presence and encouragement during this exciting time.

Lou Haveman
Founder of Business Connect