The Refugee Sewing Society

I am a true believer that the Lord allows us to see glimpses into his plan for our lives. A few months before Drew and I moved back from China, we were struggling with the thought of leaving and returning back to the States. But the Lord made it clear to us that our time was ending and that he had other plans for us back in Georgia. At that time, we had no idea what those plans were or what we would be returning back to do. We just felt lost. But during that time I had a few dreams, where I was surrounded by women from different parts of the world and we were completing simple tasks and chatting. It was a tiny glimpse at best. 

In the months that followed, the Lord provided me with a few part jobs that I was so grateful for. We were still unclear about what we were supposed to do and why we were back in America, but we continued to trust that He would provide. Before we moved to China, we had visited a small town just outside of Atlanta, Georgia, called Clarkston. Some very dear friends of ours had moved there and we were excited to see them and visit this unique place once again. Inside this square mile town, over fifty languages are spoken at the local high school, people from all over the world are coexisting and essentially starting their lives over. All of these people have one thing in common, they are refugees. Many of them have lived for years in camps after having fled their homelands due to war or the threat of genocide. They are then brought to America and dispersed into a few different towns, Clarkston being one of them. Essentially the Lord has brought the nations to us. 

Our hearts have been moved deeply over these visits and we began connecting with various people and organizations whose desire is to serve the refugees. One of these organizations is called Friends of Refugees, which offers programs like mommy and me classes, after school tutoring, summer camp, job training, food and clothing distribution and hosts a community garden. Additionally under their umbrella of programs is the Refugee Sewing Society; a volunteer group of women meet weekly with refugee women who knit, sew, crochet, weave and bead to create beautiful handmade items. The sale of these items generates income the refugee women use to feed and clothe their families. The staff's desire is to share the love of Jesus with these precious women while creating a sustainable business. 

My heart immediately began to get excited when I heard about this program and these women. Here's where the story gets real good. I had been making crafts with the women we were serving in China and was hoping to be able to get involved with something similar in the States. I knew that my photography could be used to benefit these women and their story. I had run my own Etsy store a few years ago and knew that I could run another one. I had just taught myself how to design a website for my photography business. And there was now an opening within the Refugee Sewing Society for someone to take pictures of their product, run their Etsy shop, redesign their website and teach one of their jewelry classes. The glimpse that the Lord gave me back in China to work alongside women from all over the world became an opportunity for me to now serve these precious refugees.

The Lord is so good to us. Even in the midst of the confusion, he provided me with a thread of hope to hold onto. He knows what we need and his timing is perfect. He can see what the future holds and asks us to seek him for the next step. I would invite you dear friends to visit the Refugee Sewing Society's website to find out more about the women who I love, their Etsy shop  and follow their new Instagram account to support them. I would love to hear a story that you have of the Lord's faithfulness in your life and if you are in a place where the end of the story is still unclear, cling to Him. He is waiting with open arms to provide you with everything that you need. Thank you so much for reading this story; I've created a free printable just for you! Click on the image below to download it.