The Pieces

Despite the fact that I have no prior experience in this area and that I would much rather be at home, I felt a peace to move forward into making this "inspiration" part of my speech.  We began asking people to pray for us.  We shared our idea with parents, asking for advice and hoping for their blessing.  As we took more steps of faith, baring ourselves to the people we most trusted, we realized we were moving.

Indications that we were on the right track included (what I refer to) key pieces to the puzzle appearing, seemingly out of nowhere.  The woman Ryan bought gifts from in Africa as souvenirs for me and the girls ended up at church one Sunday wearing the same African skirt I was wearing, and as we talked I found that Dawn worked with a small group of handicapped seamstresses in Congo (shonacongo.com) and they needed buyers stateside.  The fact that I was speaking to her face to face in our insignificant town in Kansas, was not just a coincidence. 

Another Fair Trade contact came through a good friend here in Haviland, whose brother works against human trafficking in South Africa, giving women a chance at earning a living making jewelry, delivering them out of their poverty and slavery cycle. (afrcianhopecrafts.org)

I got to know two incredible women living just blocks from me who work at Barclay College who have dreamed of opening a coffee shop and eagerly agreed to help us get one going (LeAnn Carlson and Molly Carlson, sister-in-laws, will contribute to this blog as well).  Both of them have prior barista experience and one is a business major. (One has a friend who works with a women's co-operative in Bolivia.)  Both are friendly, enthusiastic and positive. Both see this as a ministry to the college students, as well as the community.  What a blessing to know this isn't something we will have to do alone!

Another encouragement that we were on the right track was the topic at a women's brunch in early November, human trafficking and the modern day abolition movement.  Fair Trade was touched upon.  Many were inspired to action.  This felt to me to be a returning to our heritage, realizing people lived their lives in such a way that it changed the course of humankind forever, therefore changing history.  In our small corner of the world here in Haviland we can do the same.

There were more pieces, more affirmations, more challenges to not just have faith but walk in it.  We hope to continue to share these  as the days and weeks go by, telling you all what an awesome God we serve.  He is not far off, but very near.  He moves, He acts, He listens, He directs, He loves us so.

"But as for me it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all Your deeds."  Psalm 73:28
-Hannah