Kickin' up our heels!

Today we had The Refugee Sewing Society Christmas party at our house -- complete with singing, dancing, eating, and getting paid lots of money!

Sharon (the cloth diaper lady) borrowed a 15-passenger van, and Sherrill (super volunteer for the beginner sewing class) drove her car filled with women. If you're going to kick up your heels, you should first kick off your shoes. After all the women had arrived, we ushered them through the buffet line.
No meat, no eggs -- the theme song of the day. The volunteers had all worked hard to make sure that none of the foods contained either ingredient that is taboo for our Muslims and vegetarian Hindus.All the women were beautifully dressed! Look at Netra in her turquoise sari.Kuresho wore a long beaded band from Somalia. Her hijab had sparkles on it.
Hinde brought Yusuf, who was an absolute angel the whole time.
Buddha wore this gorgeous salwa from Nepal.
Rabha looked as beautiful as ever.The women took their places at our very long table. We had placed nativity scenes of all types as centerpieces.After we ate, the singing and dancing began. What fun!Some of the older women did a dance I had seen at their Teej celebration.
All the volunteers decided to join in! Sharon was groovin' to the beat.
Or maybe not!
Sherrill did some fancy moves.Though the singers were Bhutanese, it was fun to see others dancing, too. Rabha from Sudan enjoyed dancing with Jasoda.
Even the ol' teacher burned up the dance floor!I also had the joy of telling the women about the birth of Jesus and His amazing love -- and sacrifice -- for all of us. After that, we gave each woman a small gift bag filled with soaps, toothbrushes, gloves, and other pretty things.

Thanks to Carol's careful calculations, we paid the women for several weeks' work at the end of the party. It's always fun to hear their squeals of joy and get such big thank-you hugs. We also had the huge joy of providing 7 women in the advanced class with brand new sewing machines. We were able to buy them for $50 right after Thanksgiving. We offered the women the opportunity to purchase them from us for $25.

Thank you for your many donations of fabric, yarn, beads, and so many other wonderful items. We also appreciate those of you who have given money. Because of you, we were able to put a sewing machine into each of these homes. Two of the advanced class women already owned machines, so now all nine are equipped.

Your prayers, volunteer hours, and other gifts of time, treasure, and talent mean so much to us. May God bless us every one!