My ladies.

Some of the women of Cercadillo at our weekly Bible Study.

Let me introduce you to one of my passions here in the Dominican Republic...the Cafe y Cocer project in the village of Cercadillo.  Each week 25 women gather for a Bible study and to learn handcrafts and sewing techniques which they use to make all kinds of great artisan products that are sold.  The proceeds are then put back in the program and provide these women with income.  I have been working with this program in some capacity almost the entire time I have lived here, helping to design some of the products we have sewn and teaching the women sewing techniques.  It has been an amazing process to see them grow as artisans and women of God. 

Our director, Ina is out of the country for two months and Kirsten and I are taking on the project in her absence.  This past week we started working on our latest project, crocheting rugs from repurposed t-shirts.  We spent the entire morning preparing t-shirts to be crocheted by cutting them in strips and rolling them into balls.  We are going to be teaching the crochet stitches to them next week. 

Kirsten and our director, Ina admiring the patchwork rug the women made for Ina last year.

I have such a huge place in my heart for this project because I see what a great help it is to these wonderful very poor women.  Until Ina started this endeavor (which is part of a larger project) these women did not have any consistent opportunity to make an income for their families.  Through Cafe y Cocer we have seen the lives of these women transform in so many beautiful ways. They have not only learned many handcrafts like crocheting, bead making, macrame, and sewing,  but they have gained a new level of confidence as they have seen that they can learn a new skill and use it to literally feed their families.

At the sewing machine.

Working on one of the over the shoulder sling bags.

I don't have pictures of this past week, because I was busy working and teaching right alongside the women, but the next time I go out I am going to make a point of taking some pics to share, because it's just too good not to share.  I am, however, sharing pics from other weeks, so I can share some of my beautiful friends with you.