Most of you know, that our trips to Ethiopia were not our first time overseas. We have been on mission trips to several different areas of the world over the years. However, these trips to Ethiopia were different. Maybe it was because I am different. It is hard to be in such a trying, faith stretching process like adoption for 3 years and not come out a different person. We prayed for so long for God to break our heart for what breaks his, and he has done just that. Those first days in Ethiopia were hard and overwhelming, not just because we were meeting our long awaited daughter for the first time, but because we had never seen poverty like that before. It just hits you in the face and the gravity of what we were doing and where we were was overwhelming. The reality of our daughter's story and so many others like her was right in front of us. We fell in love with the people of her beautiful country, and we wanted to do something. We knew we needed to be involved beyond bringing our sweet Ryah home. Ever since we came home our hearts and minds have been whirling trying to figure out how we can make that happen, what is the best way to do it. We wanted to empower the people already there, because we are by no means the answer. For me, this is where Rooted in Love comes in! Some of you may have seen my post on Facebook a few days ago telling about a little about this, here are more details!
Throughout the adoption process, I learned about many organizations around the world selling fair trade items that have been handmade by artisans in different countries. The items are beautiful and unique, but the best part is that by selling these items, the artisans making them are being given a sustainable job to provide for their family, pay school fees for their children, and be able to break the cycle of poverty in their life. Many of the women have also escaped trafficking and are being given the chance to start over and hear that their life has worth. These jobs are providing them with dignity and value and restoring their self worth as well as helping provide for their families. Rooted in Love is a boutique that was started by Laura, one of the mama's I met through the adoption process who is also waiting to bring home a little one from Ethiopia. RIL works with several of these organizations and sells the beautiful items through hosting home shows, going to craft fairs and also the online store. RIL is Gospel centered, and I am honored to have the opportunity to partner with them! We are still ironing out the details of what all this will look like, since RIL is based in Alabama and I'm here in NC, but for now I'm hosting my first show at my house this weekend and I'm so excited! I will also be going to different shows around our area over the summer along with maybe a few more home shows(let me know if you want to host one!) and would also love to find some space in a local business to help tell the story and spread the word! Laura is doing an awesome series on the RIL blog called Tell the Story leading up to Mother's Day, where she is sharing the story of several of the women involved in these organizations. Please check out the first two posts here and here! Mother's Day is a great time to find something special for your mom and also help empower women around the world as they provide for their family. I would love for you to check out the online store and share the Rooted in Love story with your friends! And of course if you're local please come check out the party on Sunday! I will be posting more about this on this little blog because I'm eager for more people to know about opportunities like this, to be a part of something bigger than ourselves and make a difference in someone's life. These stories below are just 2 of the organizations that RIL works with, take a minute to hear their stories and then share them!Starfish Project - Restoring Hope to Exploited Women - Promo Video from Starfish Project on Vimeo.
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