The Refugee Spirit

Today something rather amazing happened.

For several weeks, I had been working with a young woman from Bhutan who is in our yarn group. A gentleman wanted a 6 foot long red scarf with black lettering that read Steve the Chimneysweep. He had asked for a black border around the edge of the scarf.

This order had been placed many months ago, but I had not found anyone capable of creating -- or even willing to attempt -- such a masterpiece. Then Pabitra stepped forward and said she would like to crochet the scarf. She is a lovely, intelligent young lady, and she speaks almost perfect English.

Sharon Koerber and I enjoyed working with Pabitra as she planned out the lettering and calculated how much yarn was needed for the project. Sharon bought the yarn, and I wrote out the instructions on the back of the customer's business card.

Today Pabitra arrived with the completed scarf. As she unrolled her creation, my eyes went wide and my heart nearly stopped beating. Pabitra had painstakingly crocheted the entire set of instructions from the back of the business card. The scarf read Red cotton scarf black letters black edge Steve the Chimneysweep. What to do? What to say?

Pabitra was rightly proud of her work, and I was amazed at the careful effort she had put into the scarf. But this was definitely not what our customer had ordered. Not only that, but the cost of the yarn had already eaten a large chunk of the money Steve the Chimneysweep had offered to pay for the scarf.

I couldn't make words come out of my mouth. I had no idea what to say. So I just started praying, "Lord please tell me what to say to Pabitra!"

The words began to come. I told Pabitra the scarf was beautiful. I said there was a problem, and I explained it carefully. She said, "But I did exactly what you told me to do." I said, "Yes, you did. You crocheted exactly what I wrote. And you did a wonderful job."

After the momentary shock (hers and mine), we came up with a solution. Pabitra will keep the part of the scarf that reads Steve the Chimneysweep and add a long section of red crochet with black edging -- and NO letters.

I will keep the rest of the scarf. Red cotton scarf black letters black edge is a concrete visual aid illustrating the incredible difficulty of communication between people who speak different languages -- no matter how fluent. But it's more than that. You see, as we were discussing what to do, Pabitra said, "I will do this, because I want to please the man who ordered this scarf. That is my main interest. I want that man to be happy with his scarf."

I have no idea how many hours Pabitra spent crocheting all those instructions on that scarf. But she was not defeated by news that might have left others weeping and wailing. I have decided that we will pay her the full price of the scarf, not deducting anything for the yarn.

Pabitra is a perfect ambassador for the refugee women we serve here in Georgia. She is indomitable. She is determined. She has the spirit of a survivor. Whether it's ethnic cleansing or a set of confusing instructions, she will not be defeated. Ever.

I am honored and humbled to be surrounded by such women.

Home work ... and rest!

Rest time is a precious commodity in the Palmer home these days. Tim and Andrei are working full time -- plus drivng a forty-five minute commute each way. I'm racing from RSS classes to markets and back home to write a book that's due in January. We're dog-tired!After the bullet went through Andrei's apartment window, we moved him to our house. Our friend, Bob Cornett, and his wonderful crew have been converting our garage into a small apartment for Andrei. Chris has done a lot of the work, and we've enjoyed feeding him at our table now and then.TIME FOR THE REVEAL! "Driver, move that bus!" Well, we didn't have a bus, but Andrei enjoyed the big moment anyway. Ta-da!Awesome!
Andrei is particularly proud of the pedestal sink he chose.
Yep, definitely a cool bathroom!
The refrigerator came in . . .and then the stove . . . and Andrei is at last living in his little home sweet home! When he's not at work, he is usually making cars. Here's an MG, his latest creation.Take a look at that interior. Fur-lined floor and doors. Amazing dashboard. And a totally groovy steering wheel. Though pets require attention and care, our two dogs have been major stress-relievers. Sukari -- our little "brown sugar" -- arrived shivering and terrified after many days of roaming the streets dragging her leash. We put up posters, sent out emails and tried hard to find her owners. When nothing panned out, well . . . even Tessie voted to keep her new little friend.After a flea bath tonight, Tessie needed an extra dose of love.Suki was in the doldrums, too.
Misery loves company. Suki found the warmest place in the house and curled up next to Tessie, her best friend, protector, and playmate.
The coming month is completely full with events piled one upon another. We appreciate your prayers for strength, patience, kindness, and an overflowing measure of grace.

Busy, busy, busy!

Brrr! It's cold outside. But inside Clarkston Community Center, things are hot! Our women come bundled up from their long walks in the frigid air. They don't stay bundled for long.The Refugee Sewing Society's members have been blessed with a lot of contract work lately. We are using donated knit fabric to make nightgowns for dolls. These clothes are marketed through PureFUN, our business partner's daycare supply company. We're also sewing playclothes for two sizes of dolls. The women are learning a lot as they sew these detailed, tiny clothes. It's great preparation for their upcoming projects with full-sized clothing. In addition to that, we've been sewing mat sheets for daycares and drawstring-tied jewelry bags.The women love to sew market bags and refugee bags. We're making them by the bushel and hoping they'll sell well at all the markets we have in December.

A recent market was held at Emory University. We were invited to participate in a large event at which Valentino Deng, one of the Lost Boys of Sudan, was the guest speaker. Representatives from refugee agencies filled the large room, and The Refugee Sewing Society was honored to present our products for sale.Thanksgiving week brought a break in our usual class schedule. But there was no rest for the volunteers of the RSS! On Tuesday, we had an organizing, sorting, and shelving day. Tiffany Woodcock from PureFUN helped so much. Lest anyone think that volunteering for the RSS is a piece of cake, I present this photo of Carol Harrison hefting one of our incredibly heavy metal sewing machines. Several people have donated these old gems, and we're eager to put them to use.
But for the time being, we needed to get them off the floor. It took two women just to hoist each machine from the floor to the top of a cabinet. Our room is ready now for the final run to Christmas. We'll be operating on a reduced schedule so I can finish a book that's due on January 15. In the new year -- look out, world! The Refugee Sewing Society is gearing up for a lot of excitement. Please keep us all in your prayers, and may God bless you for your love and support of our precious women.

Alterations

No, not those kinds of alterations! We're not hemming skirts or letting out pants' seams. But we are experiencing lots of changes, and they're wonderful!First Baptist Church of Woodstock, Georgia, included us in their recent missions outreach. David Jackson constructed beautiful new shelves for The Refugee Sewing Society.
We are thrilled with the help this has brought to our room. We're now able to get organized and better manage donations, storage, and many other needs.
Aren't these awesome? David and others from the church took measurements and built the shelves to my exact specifications.
We now have shelves designated for fabric, supplies, and machines.My father, Harold Cummins, and my stepmother, Phyllis arrived for a short visit just after the shelves were completed. They joined in the fun of organizing and folding many boxes full of fabric.The new shelves led one of our students to sing out, "Happy sewing, teacher! Happy sewing!" Thanks FBC Woodstock and David!
The changing leaves on the tree in our yard reminds me that the Palmer family has another change afoot.
After the random gunshot incident, we moved Andrei home with us. We all agreed he would be happier with a place of his own. A great construction crew led by Amazin' Amy's husband, Bob, is transforming our garage into a one-bedroom abode. Andrei will soon have his own home sweet home right next to ours.

This has been a time of high tension for the Palmers, so we appreciate your prayers and support. I'm so happy that God has allowed me to work with women who quickly take all my stress away.

Yesterday as they were cleaning our sewing room, I realized I was watching refugee resourcefulness at work. Tulasa was down on her knees under the table using a wadded plastic bag to sweep up lint and fabric scraps. When I started taking photos, the women all got so tickled they were just about crying. These happy faces always bring a smile to my own.
Change can bring hardships and joy. Around here, it's all good!

You are so beautiful . . .

Busy little chickens . . .

When I walk to our storage room, my students follow behind me in a line. They are so chirpy, small, and cute that one day I started calling them my "little chickens." When I want them to go somewhere, I sing out, "Come my little chickens!" They all laugh and hurry after me.

These past few days, my little chickens have been very busy! We attended the Refugee Policy Forum at Agnes Scott College. Refugee Family Services invited us, and we enjoyed the opportunity to meet lawmakers and others who work on behalf of refugees. Our market was a big success. Afterward, I took everyone out for ice cream.
It was very cold outside that day, so I think they wondered a little about my sanity. Tim and I always took our boys out for ice cream after any event that was noteworthy. This event certainly fell into that category!

Speaking of cold, the yarn group -- under Shirley's guidance -- has crocheted some adorable baby caps and booties. Aren't these precious?
The women are so skilled. We show them photos of what we want, and they return to us with beautiful creations like these.
Amy has directed the bead group into making some gorgeous necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. We are finding earrings to be a big hit.
I am thrilled with my beginner sewing class. They are getting it! I have promoted two of them to the advanced class. The others are making very good bags now, and it won't be long before they graduate, too!
We borrow a larger classroom on Tuesdays when advanced sewing, beginner sewing, and bead group all meet at the same time. It is a VERY busy and crowded room. We love it!
The advanced class is making refugee bags. These are a big hit everywhere we go. Many have two pockets -- one for a cellphone and one for a bottle of water.Hinde is rightfully proud of her first refugee bag. She put the pocket on the side -- a great adaptation of the form.Rajaa made some extra-large refugee bags. They're great for tall people!
Don't you love this fabric?
Here's another of Rajaa's masterpieces.
Durga got a kick out of modeling her bag. She is such a sweet, kind woman. I love her.
Netra decided her bag could be carried the Bhutanese way. How do you like this? Very clever!Yesterday, I was calling my little chickens to follow me to the storage room. One of them called out, "Teacher, teacher! You are the big chicken!"

Come see our flock of lovely ladies at Clarkston Community Center. The big chicken herself would love to sell you some booties, beads, and bags!

I will fear no evil (Text by Tim)

"...I came naked from my mother's womb, and I will be stripped of everything when I die. The LORD gave me everything I had, and the LORD has taken it away. Praise the name of the LORD!" Job 1:21

Though the hour was late, our younger son, Andrei, was in his apartment working at his table when a bullet blasted through the upper left corner of the window above his bed shortly after midnight Saturday.
A mile away and a short time later, I awoke from a deep sleep in the wee hours of Saturday morning to loud knocking on our front door. Not sure whether I had dreamed it, I waited. Then the sound came again, from the window of a front bedroom. By then Cathy was starting to stir, wondering what was going on. I told her someone was outside knocking. At that moment the unknown fist banged on the bedroom window right next to our heads – a startling and frightening noise that got us up and creeping out our bedroom door.

Clutching the keychain panic button of our alarm system, I peeked around the corner of the entryway and saw through the glass of the door our younger son, Andrei, standing with a policeman on the front porch. A new fear: Andrei was under arrest!

The policeman quickly assured us, “He’s OK; he hasn’t done anything wrong.” Then the two of them told us what had happened. Someone fired a random gunshot through the window of Andrei’s nearby apartment. When he stepped outside to call 911, the police – who already were there investigating a report of gunfire – saw him and got the story. He asked for a ride to our house, where he spent the rest of the night.

The next day, Andrei and I went to his apartment to get some of his stuff. We knew he had spent his last night there.

Seeing the bullet hole in the glass a few feet above his bed and the second hole in his bathroom wall slammed home the terrifying reality of the incident. The bullet had passed through the doorway into the bathroom and gouged the wall. At the time of the gunshot, Andrei was at his work table a few feet away in the efficiency apartment. If he had been in bed, it would have whizzed right over him. If he had been going into the bathroom, it would have cut him down.

Sunday morning in church, we sang a popular praise chorus titled Blessed Be Your Name. Hearing it, I marveled again that Job could accept with equanimity the loss of everything he had.

I thanked God with everything I had that He did not take away Andrei, but spared him. Yet I also realized that if the ending had been different, I still would have only one place to turn. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Please join us in prayers of thanks for God’s mercy and in prayers for our safety. Sometimes it’s a scary world.