Announcement: I will be leading a Swaziland mission trip will this summer from July 19th – August 2nd, it’s open to all ages. We will be doing an informational meeting in January. Please email me at [email protected] if you are interested in getting more details or applying for the trip!
Brick: An African Sewing Project from brandon jones on Vimeo.
July 2013
Even though the sky was grey it took a few moments for my eyes to adjust to the dim room. Cement walls, with small carved out window slots surrounded me. Slowly, a large dignified man clutching a carved cane came into focus. Before I could take it all in, Joyce hugged me exuberantly while ushering us into her home. The man raised his hand to shake mine; even the small movement was difficult and filled with pain.
(Joyce and Daniel with the gifts we brought to their home)
I had met Joyce the week prior. She was a Gogo (Grandma) who attended my friend Mapile’s church. The Sunday before, as our small team loaded into the SUV to head home, she handed us soda and scone-like biscuits, a precious and costly offering. Her smile was radiant; it seemed to stretch the entire width of her bright face.
After introductions were made, I took in Joyce and Daniel’s sparsely furnished home while we started to talk. Daniel begin to tell his story, with obvious effort etched in his weathered features. He told us of his love for Jesus and how ready he was to meet his Maker. Tears escaped his dark eyes as he shared the pain he was in and the embarrassment of not being able to hold his bladder while making long bus rides for medical treatment. His deepest fear was not death; it was leaving his wife with no provision.
(View from inside their home)
Seeing this strong stately man reduced to tears churned inside me. He had spent his whole life providing for his family, and now he was waiting for death, praying fervently that God would continue to care for them. For a week I had watched Joyce smile, joke and pray. She filled the little, local, stick and tin church with contagious joy. I would never have guessed the daily struggle she faced while tending to her dying husband.
As we started to pray, silent streams of tears coursed down my face. I couldn’t formulate articulate words, but I pleaded with God to take care of this beautiful, faithful couple. In that moment I wore the heavy burden of my utter insignificance and powerlessness; there was nothing I could do to fix things.
As we prayed a thought came… “This is why.”
“This is why Brandon is here, teaching the women in the church to make wallets. He is the answer to Daniel’s prayers that Joyce will be provided for.” Earlier that week Brandon Jones, one of the guys on our team, had acted on a tiny kernel of faith and started teaching the women to make wallets. He spent hours with the women, persistently calling out their God-given creativity, providing a means to use it.
(Brandon teaching Joyce how to make a wallet)
I was overwhelmed with by the love God had for Daniel and Joyce. In a country with a 40% unemployment rate, God heard their eager prayers and provided.
December 2013
Brandon ended up spending the next three months in Swaziland, teaching Joyce and 7 other women in similar situations how to make beautiful wallets out of rice paper bags. On the day he paid the women for their work, they erupted into spontaneous shouts of joy and songs of praise. For many of them it was the first time in their lives that they had ever been given the opportunity to earn a paycheck.
Now, we have the first batch of wallets, ready to be sold. I love that each one was hand-made and individually created by Joyce and her friends. I’m excited to see this batch get sold and discover where this project goes from here.
(Joyce with one of the finished wallets)
If you are interested in ordering a wallet contact, [email protected]. Most of the wallets are designed for men, but we also have a few women’s wallets and tote bags that convert into backpacks.
