In the Beginning

In the beginning there was God.  A simple desire changed the course of everything.  God wanted relationship.  So he breathed life into dust and created the human being.  From this one desire for relationship, an immense sea of relationships were formed.  One single thought, brought into existence and magnified by God's power.

That is our hope for this one simple thought God has set in our minds.

A meeting was scheduled with our West Lafayette Campus Pastor at Northview Church, Robbie Stewart.  My new husband and I discussed our passions and how that could be used to benefit God's kingdom.  My passion lies with micro-enterprise and global outreach, and my talents with sewing.  My husband owns his own company and knows how to start a business.  Robbie's passion is to employ the unemployed.  With these three minds set to honor the kingdom....he set the following idea into motion.

What if we use my sewing talent to help employ the women in Ghana?

The women in Ghana make gorgeous fabric called batik.  We could use this fabric and combine it with the current trends to make crib and twin bedding sets.  With each set purchased we could provide a mattress for a child in South Africa through a partnership with Horizon International (hopefully) :)  Steve of course starting speaking about the business logistics and Robbie spoke on how we could support our local homeless population.  We could have a core team of women that assisted me in design and production and we could train those in Lafayette Transitional Housing with core job skills.  Possibly even use this sewing ministry as a way to minister to struggling young women.

And then there was a verse......  Matthew 14:15-21, the feeding of five thousand men from five loaves of bread and TwoLittleFish.  From this small supply, God provided for Thousands!  That is our desire for this ministry and the ability for each family that purchases a piece of bedding to know that they have not just decorated their son or daughters room, but that they have provided for the KINGDOM!
 
So the phone calls began.....After countless hours of searching, God lead me to call one more company that utilized overseas textiles and try again at getting them to wholesale fabric.  I had already received a no when I called the first time as they sell items, not fabric.  This company just happened to be in Ghana where God had lead me with the GO Teams at Northview Carmel in March of 2010.  I got lucky enough to run my idea past one of the women that was the co-founder of the company this second phone call (there is no luck or coincidences....just God-incidences :) She agreed to have her local Ghanian women hand stamp and dye 250 yards of fabric for me to be picked up by our GO Team that was headed to Ghana in two weeks!!!!  Praise God, when he wants it to work, it simply falls in your lap.

Wayland Thompson, (who is a member at Northview Carmel and is on my Top Ten list for Outstanding Father and man after God's own heart :) lead the trip in March 2011 and collected all the fabric for me and assisted the team in bringing this fabric back to us.  Based on the following pictures, you can see why I am so excited.

In the months to follow, a sewing room was built by my wonderful hubby.....

God brought me in contact with a SUPER cool girl that knows the logistics of moving your home "projects" into the manufacturing stage.  She is UBER talented....check out her website  www.rockinbclothing.com  THANK YOU JESS!  Super excited to have you as a new friend.

and the most recent development in the story......an industrial sewing machine passed into my possession!

 But that one deserves a Blog Post all of it's own.  Next to come!!! My hope is that you will follow this blog and pray for our ministry.  We are in the beginning stages and my wonderful, entrepreneur husband wants to be sure we have all of our ducks in a row prior to advertising our goodies for sale :)  He is smart.

Cover us in Prayer!

In Christ,

Nicole