This little girl is modeling a skirt made by her mom, Lola, a sewing student in Algodon. The fabric was sent down with an intern. What a reward for the woman who cleaned out her sewing box to see a folded, forgotten scrap turned into a darling little "falda" on a cuter child here in the DR! All this to say, feel free to send fabric down to these students, they know how to use it! Things can be sent through COTN's office in Silverdale, Washington with the help of short term teams. Check out their website for more info.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Fashion Show in Algodon
These skirts and blouses were all made, start-to-finish, by these beautiful women in Algodon. They've learned to take their measurements, construct a pattern, cut the fabric and then sew it. It was such a treat to see them lined up outside the classroom sporting their new outfits. Feel free to come to Algodon for your sewing needs!
Monday, July 17, 2006
Antony
This is Antony, one of my favorite little boys in Los Robles. (I know, you´re probably not supposed to have favorites, but, I do) He is so precious, some of his favorite pasttimes are naked cartwheels and chasing our car as we drive away. If I could pick any souvenier from the DR, it would be Antony. He has a less-than-desireable homelife, no one really looks after him, no one knows how old he is....Sometimes I wonder what is God´s plan for this little treasure, growing up in dire poverty, being taught by the tigres (gangsters, basically) at the age of three to dance provocatively at the disco tech, getting parasites from the unclean water, falling off a motorcycle because no one was watching him, and having open sores for which there is no soap in the house.....Sometimes I am overflowed with love and joy when I see him, sometimes it just hurts my heart, but the only thing I can do is rest in knowing God sees him just as well as I do, better, in fact, and continue to pray for this sweet little child.
El Grupo
This is Ellen, she was part of a group that came here to work in the bateys, making gardens, playing baseball, and working with the women. They brought canvas and taught 50 women in Algodon how to construct a bag, and then taught them how to make natural dyes and stamps to decorate the bags. It was incredible, the women were having so much fun and made the cutest bags. Michelle (the intern who works with short-term teams) and I both agreed that we wanted one. They were a huge blessing, not only to the women, but to me also. It was such an encouragement to see someone taking an interest in the women I love so much, and to be able to help them in that. I can´t believe that I get to do this every day.
Thank you, Grupo de Americanos!!!
Thank you, Grupo de Americanos!!!
Yohany the pro
Here is Yohany sewing like the excited, wonderful student she is, helping the other women make their bags. She is so precious, a dear friend. It will be hard to leave her.
America
This is America one of my superstar students helping with the bag project. It was incredible to see my student taking over, helping all the other women with their projects. They were so proud to know how to cut, to pin, to sew....they have skills!!!!!
If you´ll closely you´ll see that America doesn´t have a thumb on her left hand, there is a big scar there. You´d never know, she handles the sewing project like a pro! That is so typìcal of these people, they just make do. They are creative, inventive and resourceful, I love that!
If you´ll closely you´ll see that America doesn´t have a thumb on her left hand, there is a big scar there. You´d never know, she handles the sewing project like a pro! That is so typìcal of these people, they just make do. They are creative, inventive and resourceful, I love that!
Campamento
Here are my girls from camp! COTN has a 3 day summer camp every year for all the highschoolers from the bateyes that faithfully attend Bible class all year. It was incredible. What a humbling experience for the interns and I. Think about this: what American highschooler hasn´t been to some kind of camp? Probably not very many. And yet these haitian teenagers had NEVER been to something like this. As I watched them pile into the bus at Algodon, I noted immediately that each one had hoarded their best clothes for this event, all the girls had just gotten their hair braided, each one wanted to look their absolute best for the most exciting event of the year. I felt so honored to be there, to be a part of them, to be priviledged to share in their joy and excitement. I was also blessed to spend time making relationships with the girls in a nonworking environment. Those relationships have carried over and is making my time in the batey just that much sweeter.
Lola
Lola, quiet, fiesty little Lola:) She is also in my sewing class. She made an adorable little blouse the other day and very indignantly reprimanded me for not bringing my camera to class. ¨Maggie,¨ she said, ¨how are you going to remember what your students make if you don´t have pictures of them!!¨ I always bring my camera to class now.
Chichia
This is Chichia, a sweet friend of mine, stitching away on her sash. She is so faithful, so cheerful and always has something to say during Bible study. My heart always lights up when I see her.
making sashes
Here´s a clip from class last week, these gals are embroidering flowers and whatnot onto sashes to wear in the hair, around the waist, etc...We studied the verse in Prov. 31 that says, ¨She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies sashes for the merchants.¨
My dream for these women is to indeed be able to make something to sell to the ´merchants´. I´ve been trying to target projects for them that will spark an interest in them to rise above thier current situation. It would be a huge job and a whole other mission trip (wink) to undertake setting up a program like that, but I¨m at least trying to plant the seeds. These women have potential, they are so precious.
Pray for opportunities for them to LEARN and that they would have the incentive to LEARN!!! I want that so badly for them.....
My dream for these women is to indeed be able to make something to sell to the ´merchants´. I´ve been trying to target projects for them that will spark an interest in them to rise above thier current situation. It would be a huge job and a whole other mission trip (wink) to undertake setting up a program like that, but I¨m at least trying to plant the seeds. These women have potential, they are so precious.
Pray for opportunities for them to LEARN and that they would have the incentive to LEARN!!! I want that so badly for them.....
Monday, July 03, 2006
Budding artists in Algodon
This is a very unrealistically silent, calm, sweet glimpse for you all of what my women´s Bible study class in Algodon looks like. Normally it is the sound of thirty women and their children yelling/talking, paint being spilled, Maggie Sopita being called for help, extra supplied being asked for, and a heated discussion here or there. But the real thing that cannot be captured in any photo is the sweetness of the class. I have seen the seemingly bitterest, most contentious woman come back week after week and now give me a smile and a hug every time she sees me. The mix of students are hardly Bible scholars, most of them don´t read, and have all had several children by my age. But they are such beautiful creations of God, each and every one so precious, every one of their tightly braided hairs numbered in His book, each scar on their dark, worn bodies carefully noted by their Loving Father. How deep is the Father´s love for us, it reaches even to the small Hatian village here in the DR, watching over these women. What a priveledge to be allowed to glimpse that!
Oh, I shouldn´t have eaten so many plantains for lunch....!
Here we are learning to take measurements, an activity which produced quite a fair amount of giggling. I continue to learn more and more how many things I take for granted, like knowing how to use a tape measure....face it, if you have never used something or even seen it used before, there is no way you should know how to use it! It is a weird, rather humbling thought.
On the left is Yulisa, and the right is Yohany, both sweet gals from Algodon.
On the left is Yulisa, and the right is Yohany, both sweet gals from Algodon.
Cartera
This is Yoleiny from Algodon, and her little purse she made a few weeks ago. I know, snakeskin fabric bags are all the rage, but you know, fabric is not so easy to come by here. The women loved them!!! They are just excited to make things. They are working on blouses right now. It is such a blessing to me to see the delight on their faces whenever a new bolt of fabric shows up in the classroom, sometimes I think I am the one retrieving the blessing from this more than they. Funny how that works, isn´t it?IMG_5533.jpg
Originally uploaded by carneblanca.
Hey, intern, who are you?
Here we are, the summer ten (actually a few are missing in this picture, probably off passing out spanish bibles while the rest of us are being silly....hmmm, good intern, bad intern) Well, anyway, the interns are here doing sponsorship updates for all of the sponsored children, and also teaching english to highschoolers in the bateys, and math, reading and writing to children during this summer. They are here for two months. We have already had a great time working together, experiencing things together, learning with one another, bouncing ideas off of eachother.....It is so amazing how the body of Christ works out even with us silly twenty-year-olds here in the DR. We are excited for the rest of the summer, a time to be challenged and learn neat things together.
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