• Owner of a restaurant in NYC that was getting him more and more in debt each time
• Got to the point of trying to pay his staff with food, and borrowing money to pay borrowed money
• Watched the TV Program of The Universal Church
• Went to church the next day, spoke to the pastor and started doing as he was told
• Today, he owns two cuban restaurants and makes 3.7 million a year
• All his debts are paid off, he has a happy family and is very successful

The Partner Who Saved My Business

Mario Zarate, had big dreams to own an Italian restaurant in midtown Manhattan, to cater to the refined tastes of New Yorkers with all imported ingredients and a professional chef.  He opened his doors in 2001 close to Broadway and Park Avenue, had an enviable menu and wine selection, and just waited for the clients to pour in.  But years went by and his restaurant just couldn’t get off the ground.

To Mario’s shame, there were times he could barely pay his staff, and even had to resort to paying them in food.  The lights and phone were cut off more than once, and his suppliers were demanding payment that he didn’t have. The prices of his Italian ingredients were constantly rising as the dollar fell and the Euro rose.

“I was afraid to walk down the street, to show up at work, because I knew they were looking for me,” he remembers.

Mario had to borrow money to pay bills and even borrowed more to pay back those he borrowed from. Mario was sinking further into debt, and he just couldn’t dig himself out.

One Saturday night, he came across The Universal Church TV program.  He decided he had to go the next day. He came for his first Sunday morning service and spoke to the pastor about his problems. "The pastor told me, 'If you have faith, your problems are over,' I thought to myself, ‘That’s it?  It’s that simple?’”

One of the pastors came to his restaurant to anoint and pray for it to prosper in such a way that even if other restaurants in the neighborhood were empty, his would have a line of people waiting to come in. Mario began to come to church every day, taking care not to miss any Monday service for prosperity.

The Challenge of Sinai came around and Mario decided to do something extraordinary, something that he had never done before, to make a sacrifice to God. "I had never given away anything to anyone; I was always borrowing. I wanted to show God my faith because I was asking for something big that seemed impossible. It was all or nothing. I had nothing to lose." Mario made his sacrifice and sent his request to the Holy Land, asking God to show him what to do to get out of his mess.

Soon afterwards, an old friend commented to Mario that maybe his Italian restaurant would do better as a Cuban restaurant. "I thought, of course! I asked God to show me what to do, and here it was!" Mario changed his menu, his décor, his chef and all his ingredients, added a live band and opened his Cuban restaurant, “Guantanamera” on July 4th, 2005, expecting only a trickle of tourists as most people would be out watching the fireworks.

But Mario had underestimated God.  Customers just kept coming, packing the tables and throwing the staff into a frenzy of cooking and serving. The restaurant closed only at 5am the next day because of so many people. Mario remembered the prayer the pastor had made a few months back, and knew that God had honored his sacrifice.

Mario has continued to participate and sacrifice in other Challenges of Sinai, and through more blessings and prosperity, he has been able to open his second restaurant. "Not only do I have financial blessings, but I have peace and I know I will never lack anything because I have a friend: God who is my partner."

Mario's first restaurant makes more than 2.5 million dollars a year, and his second restaurant makes about 1.2 million a year. His restaurant has been featured in The New York Times, given high ratings in a Zagat survey, and was named Top Hispanic in 2007, by the Spanish newspaper, "El Diario," in New York City. Mario’s restaurants have been patronized by stars such as, Penelope Cruz, Antonio Banderas, Eric Clapton, Beyonce and Wynton Marsalis.

“I came from the bottom to the top. I didn't have a house or a car. I didn't have anything.  I couldn't succeed. I can't imagine what would have happened to my wife and children. Now my family looks up to me. God has blessed me financially and has also blessed my family."

Learn to prosper by making God your partner in our Monday service. You'll learn how to  plan your financial goals and how you can see God's promises in your life today. Visit the location nearest you.

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