Purse Party!

Some of you read the title and think someone hijacked my blog to write about purses.

Or maybe you think I've gone and completely lost my mind.

No, no. It's me. April. Writing about purses.

There's a first time for everything in blog-land.

Be encouraged though. I'm not talking about Coach, Gucci, Juicy Couture, or whatever-other-name-brand purses there are out there that I'm completely unfamiliar with.

I'm talking about burlap purses. Rice bag purses.

And these purses are way too cool for school. Not just because they are made out of burlap.

But because these purses have been sewn by Haitian women in Heartline Ministries.

I'm quickly learning about this ministry, it's purpose, and how it's reaching out to women trapped in poverty, struggling to find truth, struggling to feed their children... Scratch that...struggling to KEEP their children.

I first learned of this ministry from the Hendricks living in Haiti. They are friends of a friend from our Virginia days. (wow that seems like a long time ago!)

She gets to be involved with this incredible ministry, changing lives one woman at a time. One baby at a time. One boob at a time. (they teach them how to successfully breast feed! awesome!)

And one stitch at a time.

They teach them to sew. They teach them to make purses. They teach them to make purses to sell so they can provide an income to house, clothe, feed, and ultimately, keep their children.
PLEASE go read more about this ministry by clicking the link above!

So I was moved. Beyond moved. I wanted to pack up the family and move to Haiti. I was ready to learn creole. I was ready to be a lactation consultant. I was ready to figure out how to work a Haitian sewing machine...as if they are completely different.

Since we're in that waiting period of returning to The Big Chicken though, God's making me be patient.
A purse party was a way to be involved with impacting these women's lives without changing our plans to move to China.

So I ordered 22 purses. They sent me a box full of them and a few other goodies.

They included some recipes. We made the Bananas Flambe served over ice cream. Which was awesomeness in a bowl.

Included in the box was a dvd of this short video. Go watch it.

Did you watch it?

No?!

Stop it. Just do what I told you to do. Go watch it!

We had 14 women come. 17 purses sold.

At $20-$40 a purse, this helps the women move out of poverty. (you'd know that though, if you'd watch the video. :)

It also helps Heartline Ministries continue to provide the materials for the women to continue to sew purses. It helps Heartline Ministries continue to minister to pregnant women, nursing women. It helps Heartline Ministries share the TRUTH of God's word, about Christ's blood spilled for them, and about his redemption!

I got sooooo caught up in the excitement of the evening that I didn't even pull out my camera to capture the moment. Which is incredibly shameful for a photographer to admit.

But it was so much fun. The purses. The fellowship. The bananas flambe. The prayer over the Haitian women whose lives we want to impact...all the way from Texas.

I chose a burlap purse made by Suzanne A.

source

And it's so cool. Thanks to Suzanne, I look hip now. Everyone needs a little burlap slung over your arm. Me and my Haitian Couture.

I've got 5 purses left. They are sitting on my dining room table. They aren't burlap. But they're still hip.

Interested?
You've got a week to let me know before I need to ship them back. :)

God's word commands up to care and provide for the poor. the oppressed.

Supporting them in their efforts to make a product (these purses) gives them more value as a woman.
It empowers them to know THEY are working and providing for their family. And it allows them to keep and care for their children.