Refugee Beads

 

 I see colorful piles of round, square, big, small, flat, fat, objects with holes in them.

Nadine sees unassembled jewelry.

I see pliers, scissors, crimps, clasps, and wires.

Nadine sees jewelry making tools.

I see a beautiful necklace, a present for my aunt.

Nadine sees a part-time income to feed her family.

Nadine and five other refugee women gather weekly to make jewelry for Refugee Beads.  Every Friday evening we carpool with the ladies to church.  We enjoy dinner together first and then get down to business.  Piles of beads, wires, loops, and clasps soon become earrings, bracelets, and necklaces.  The ladies sign and package each piece of jewelry, attaching a tag that explains the heart behind Refugee Beads.  Jewelry is sold at open air markets, churches, small groups, and craft fairs.  

 Through our evenings of making jewelry together, packaging hundreds of pairs of earrings, laughing at stories, creating new styles, tasting new food, we have built strong relationships.  It is an amazing opportunity to learn from the ladies through their stories of coming to know Christ, becoming a refugee, and moving to the United States.