Souvenirs are kinda fun.
In each country we serve in on the Race, I make sure to get one bracelet and one ring. I like it because it connects a lot of intangible goodness with a little something tangible. I had a nice little single-digit collection growing on my wrists of mementos from Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua aaaaand then we got to The Philippines.
After a month in The Philippines, I have approximately 42 bracelets. So, that kinda throws off my 1:1 ratio.
Why so many? Well, our ministry’s gasoline is thread; it runs on bracelets. We grew to love this place and we grew to love its bracelets.
The organization we worked with is called Threads of Hope. My team and I moved to the island of Mindoro for the month. We lived in the city of Puerto Galera. PG, though touristy, has some of the most beautiful beaches and mountains I’ve seen in my 22 years. The place is completely stunning.
Threads of Hope was started a few years back when an American missionary couple met some young Filipino girls who sold hand-woven bracelets on the beach. When they returned to the same beach a year later, only one girl was still selling bracelets. They found out that the rest of the girls had turned to prostitution to make money — bracelets just didn’t do the job anymore. This heartbreaking reality served as the pulse behind Threads of Hope.
To ensure pure futures for the women of Puerto Galera, this missionary couple started selling these bracelets in The States. The profit margin was sent back to the lone bracelet maker back in Mindoro. Now, years later, over one hundred women in the community make bracelets. The bracelets are sold by individuals back in the US to raise money for their missions. The ladies in The Philippines in turn profit from this fundraising.
The Matienzo family, native to The Philippines, runs the operation on the island. That’s who we lived with, worked with, and grew to absolutely love. We slept in their church for the month, which is nestled within the sweet village of Aninuan.
Throughout the month, we got to fellowship with their tight-knit community. The bracelet makers welcomed us into their lives. We got to simply sit with them and learn about who the Lord made them to be. By the end of the month, we were given some sweet bracelets and had developed even sweeter relationships.
If you have a Christ-centered (ad)venture you need to raise money for, consider selling their bracelets! Check out their website. You’re feeding, supporting, and ensuring a pure future for my Filipino friends.
Also, looking for an easy way to help families hit by Typhoon Haiyan? Here’s a great place to start. Chances are that your bracelets passed through my hands at one point or another. So that’s fun!
It was a heart-filling month serving at a ministry I really believe in.
I will always love October 2013.
Cheers to bracelets, bracelets, and bracelets,
Darcie
