Sewing? - Say It Isn't So!

** This blog entry is dedicated to my mom, Velma Tucker Foster, with an honorable mention to my Bernie High School Home Economics teacher, Gay Newton Fears (now Gay Newton-Tanner).

Recently while at the Ruth School I saw a little room full of sewing machines. My mind went into overdrive as I remembered the quilting outreach I had attended in Budapest last year. At that time I thought Quilting Clubs among the Roma women just wouldn't work because of the lack of machines. When I saw all those sewing machines I could envision lots of ways to use them. As I began to talk out loud, almost incomprehensible with the words coming out so fast, Mishi, Project Ruth's Executive Director, was instantly on board. The staff has a dream of offering sewing lessons to the girls of the school. One problem - I hate to sew!

My mother is an accomplished seamstress. She made my sister and me beautiful clothes when we lived at home. We had awesome Halloween costumes. She can make just about anything. Mom worked hard to pass this skill on to me. I was NOT a willing pupil. In high school I took the obligatory Home Economics classes (girls took Home Ec, boys took Agriculture and Shop) where Mrs Fears tried to follow-up on my mom's efforts. I was still NOT a willing pupil. I was sure I could live my life and not ever have to sew. WRONG!

God has a great sense of humor. I have spent the last two days taking each sewing machine, cleaning it (they've been sitting for several years), attempting to see if it works, and if not, what can be done to fix it. We're tossing ideas around of how we can use these machines among the older students and as an outreach opportunity with the Roma community. This is surely an example of how God takes talents and skills you have and uses them for His Glory. Me, sewing? My mom is enjoying this immensely!

**Interested? We're looking for a team of 4-6 women to come to Bucharest and teach sewing to girls of the Ruth School and a group of women from the surrounding neighborhood. This would be a great outreach opportunity and a useful skill for the ladies to learn. Contact us for more details if you are interested.