Pay day

For the better part of the last month, the knitting project has consumed a lot of my time.  Photographing product, posting items online, creating accounting and inventory systems to maintain a semblance of organization to an endeavor that easily quadrupled in size over last year...

 

Then one of our two major retail events was bumped up three weeks earlier than expected (before my help could arrive from the States).  And the knitters kept bringing me more product.  I started to panic.  How in the world was I ever going to find buyers for it all?

 

But then my friends and family stepped to the plate.  You took the time to visit the site. You bought a scarf.  Or two, three, or four.  Then I started to panic about how I was going to get it to the States!

 

 Last night we double checked the balance of our inventory against my sales records.  I printed packing slips for the product going back to the States with Mom and the Bensons. We tallied totals. Nathan had to make another trip to the bank for more cash.

 

Tonight was the scheduled "payday".  I knew they were going to be surprised.  I made a bit of a scene bringing back the bags of unsold merchandise and apologizing that I wasn't able to sell it all.  Then I handed them their envelopes.  I wish I could have gotten a photo or video of their eyes.  They were wide at first, then one started crying.  Another just started giggling.

 

Their envelopes each held the equivalent of nearly two months' income.

 

 

 

When asked what they were going to use their funds for, they immediately replied, "Pay for our electricity!"

 

Just last week during Bible study we had ladies in tears about the financial stress their families are under.  Thanks to God's goodness (through many of you), there are three families in our village resting a little easier tonight, having just witnessed God's provision for their families.