Creativity

Most cultures have some kind of native handicraft, like weaving, pottery, or woodcarving.  When I am asked about the handicraft from my country, I usually say that quilting is one of  the favorites.  I have done a little quilting in my time, not much.  But living in the tropics, we don't have much use for quilts, so my skills have languished.  Last year I got inspired to try making some quilted handbags.

I had so much fun with it! I can usually finish a bag in a few days--that's much better for me than starting into a project that will take months to complete! I have a lot of pieces of fabric that were given to me by our students. And, since we travel more often these days to visit our graduates in their ministries, I have been taking the opportunity to buy some small pieces of cloth from various countries.

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Last year I decided to make a special bag for each of my two discipleship group members who were graduating. It was really a hit, so I am doing it again this year. The pieces of fabric come from all of the countries where our group members come from. 

Most of our students stay for three years, and there is some turnover in the discipleship group each year, so by the time they graduate they have been "group-mates" with people from many different countries. The squares in this bag come from (left to right) Bangladesh, Nepal, U.S., Korea, Sri Lanka, India, Vietnam, Myanmar, Pakistan and China.

I will be giving this bag away in about two weeks (and another one just like it that is not finished yet).  I'm sure they'll cry--but they will be happy tears!  I am glad to have discovered this way to bring together my culture and theirs.  It may look like a strange combination to some -- but to us it's a precious blend.