3 cords in pictures!

hello everyone!  what a great week!  after i sent out a list of what 3 cords needed, you all responded!  and my oh my... it's incredible!  we now have 4 sewing machines, and lots of fabric!  and God sent us the perfect lady last week, ruth, to teach sewing classes to the ladies!  the ladies love it.  sewing is a very valued skill in haiti.  even if three cords closed one day (which i hope it never does!), the ladies could support themselves by sewing.  so that makes us love our new sewing kick all the more! :)

here's ruth in action.  the ladies loved her!  and don't want her to leave wednesday!

here is our new set-up! 

here is louphine..one of the most precious ladies ever.  she's been hand-sewing mini purse/wallets ever since we started, because she only has one arm and cannot braid.  at first she didn't think she could do anything, but now she's super proud of all she can do!  here she is learning to sew on the machine (which she loves!  as it's much faster than sewing her little purses by hand!)

here is denise with her finished purse!  denise was a natural, and will probably end up being our sewing teacher down the road, to teach more haitian women when we can hire more.  when she started sewing for the first time, it was like she'd done it all her life.  i wish you could have seen how proud she was after finishing her first purse!  here's a glimpse.

here's a close-up of the purses we are going to start making to sell.  i was super excited i got to make a purse too!  whoever would have thought i'd get to learn in haiti of all places, with the most amazing women ever!?