Lifelines in Albania
So many of our customers know that when they buy something from Eternal Threads they are directly helping a woman and her family who live in poverty. I’m not sure we can even imagine, however, that the purchases we make may be a lifeline that wouldn’t exist without it. I wrote last week about our partner in Nepal who rescues girls from the grasp of traffickers at the Nepal/India border. It is such a profound blessing that we can all be part of their amazing work. What I have learned, however, is that income to the desperately poor all over the world protects their children from being trafficked.
Two years ago I answered an email from a missionary in Albania who asked for our help to design some marketable products for a group of women that she wanted to help. We’ve never met, but we’ve developed a blessed partnership with these women. They have excellent crochet and knitting skills to make the products we designed. I don’t have many photos, but I want you to hear their stories and you will understand the lifelines your purchases provide!!
Last New Year’s day our partner fulfilled the tradition to visit many people’s homes and bless their year. When she visited the homes of the women making our products, this was what she observed about how life had changed since we started buying their products.
They all have washing machines for the first time in their lives, all of the children are in school, they each have more things like a small oven or a wood stove. These things were not so the previous year and I wanted you to know that you are making a difference in these women’s lives, but even more so in their children’s lives. These things bring them hope for a future for their children, and insures that they will not sell their children into the trafficking trade by thinking, “well, surely my children will have a better life outside of this country, no matter what they do.” Thank you doesn’t seem enough!
Check out all of their beautiful products and remember…your purchase means more than you can imagine! I’ll be sharing more of their stories later.
Gratefully,
Linda