It’s a Small World After All
(To see the earlier Blogs, Page Down)
Yesterday at Mass we had a prayer card for some servicemen who’ve deployed to Iraq. Their families are here, on the other side of the world, where we joined them in prayer.
Here in Cape Charles, VA, there’s a shop called Voiajer, run by a delightful woman, Naomi, that supports non-profit and Fair Trade groups all over the world. Naomi and her husband spent the first ten years of their marriage working disaster relief with Operation Blessings. It was while working in Haiti following the earthquake of 2010, that Naomi came up with a plan to help the women in Haiti who struggle to provide for their children. She taught a few women how to make jewelry out of cereal boxes, sold the products in the U.S., and gave 100% of the profit back to the artisans. Attached to each item is a photo and bio of the woman who made it; Naomi’s non-profit was thus born. Now there are 18 Fair Trade countries and 4 anti-sex-trafficking groups whose products are sold in her store. 21 male artisans who create metal art from oil barrels, hand cut and hammered, also sell their designs in her store. As a “missionary’s kid,” Naomi grew up wanting to help others. She and her husband do help others by creating opportunities for them to help themselves. Look up Voiajer on Facebook and Instagram to learn more about this important work.
At Christmas I bought a beautiful angel at Voiajer, whose black wooden face is atop a silky body made of banana fibers, created by a woman in a small village far, far away, where I’ve never gone. A few years ago, I gave gifts of hand-made baskets from a little village in Africa. I purchased the baskets from a display of “10,000 Villages” another non-profit organization in a book store in Brevard, NC. When looking for unique gifts or items for your home, remember there are groups like this who can use your support. You can do something small and be part of something big.
My Girl Scout troop in Atlanta, GA, had an international friendship flag we used for meetings and ceremonies. After twelve years, the girls graduated high school and the troop disbanded. This week I gave that flag to the troop my granddaughter belongs to here in Cape Charles. I hope they’ll use it and enjoy it, as a constant reminder of how small this big world really is, after all.