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For the single mothers in the
slums of Quito, Ecuador, putting food on the table
is never a certainty.
They call
it the Atacucho area. Drug lords control the slums.
Poverty and disease are daily companions. Mothers will do
anything to feed their children, even if it means selling
themselves. We take for granted the three meals we eat every
day. Imagine not knowing if you could provide
even one meal to feed your child tomorrow?
In an effort to provide for themselves
and their children, some of the women of
Atacucho have learned a craft - sewing. If they are
lucky, perhaps a tourist will saunter by their table at market
and purchase a handbag or scarf. Something to take
home as a reminder of their holiday. For the tourist, it
is a minor purchase. For these women? It can be the
difference between food on the table or having to shake their
heads "No" as hungry children look up with questioning
eyes.
Practical solutions that expand
opportunity while fulfilling the Law of Christ.
" Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of
Christ." Galations
6:2
What if instead of
relying on the uncertainties of the local markets, these women
had a broader outlet in which to sell their beautiful wares?
Churchproducts.com, in collaboration
with the mission organization SIFAT, is marketing these
beautiful, handmade religious stoles under the "Stoles
for Souls"TM program. 100% of the proceeds from the sale of
these stoles go to the women of Quito and to SIFAT for their
projects in Ecuador. The women are paid a market
rate for their wares and excess proceeds are used by SIFAT
to purchase more wares, expand the program to
include additional women and to support other
Ecuadorian relief projects. By giving these women a
stable outlet to sell their products, you are giving them the
chance to pull themselves out of poverty. You are giving
them opportunity and HOPE.
Can you provide
HOPE?
When
you purchase one of these beautiful stoles, you promote
missions awareness at your church and provide HOPE to these
women and their children. The quality of these stoles
is comparable to those selling for twice the price
and you will be reminded, every time you wear one of these
beautiful stoles, of the mother and child in Ecuador you
helped to feed. As word spreads and this program grows,
we would like to add a traditional line of church
paraments, stoles and banners to help expand this program and
make a significant and lasting difference in the lives of
these people. In the meantime, if you would like a custom
quote for altar cloths or other paraments made by these women,
please contact us.
Won't you provide the HOPE these women
and their children so desperately need? We cannot do it
without your support. Just as HOPE is after
all, partners with FAITH and LOVE, these women need
your partnership in bearing their burdens.
James 1:27 Pure
and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is
this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to
keep oneself unstained by the world
SIFAT is a missions facilitation and
training organization located in Lineville, Alabama. Started
by two Methodist missionaries in 1976, SIFAT is improving
lives and spreading the gospel around the world. In addition
to aiding the women of Quito, the money provided to SIFAT from
the sale of these stoles provides aid to orphans in the same
area.
Click here for the SIFAT
(Servants in Faith and Technology) website
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