Pass it On

Today’s blog has been written by Abbey Swanson, from Casper WY. A mom of three, pastor’s wife, entrepreneur and one of our strongest supporters. Abbey has been hosting Mercy Market events in Wyoming for the last three years. We appreciate her support and love the passionate action on behalf of oppressed women. She graciously has allowed us to us this blog that we first read at the http://thefireflyhook.wordpress.com/ Check out her awesome etsy shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheFireflyHook?ref=top_trail Enjoy the blog!

Psst… Crochet. Pass it on.

In case you haven’t caught on, I’ll just tell you straight up – I love teaching crochet.

And I will admit – I love getting paid… cuz I do love eating, heating my home, and… wait, who am I kidding? I pretty much get paid in yarn! But way above and beyond the practical payback, I LOVE seeing other people learn how to crochet and pass it on.

If I have students return year after year, I hope it’s because they enjoy the camaraderie created while crocheting together. I hope that their first class is just the beginning of their crochet community, that they are confident to crochet on their own, and confident enough to teach someone else how to do it.

So yes, my goal as a teacher is that my students won’t need me anymore.

Knowing how to do something yourself is powerful. Being able to pass it on is a gift. How do I know this?

This sweet elephant was my daughter’s first Christmas gift from her Daddy and me. We love giving gifts from Mercy Market, an organization that partners with women around the world and gives them an outlet to let their artistry shine while earning a living in an honorable, sustainable way.

This hand sewn elephant is powerful. No, not because we are reminded of an elephant’s strength, but because of what it did to empower an entire Thai village.

Because these women learned to create something with their hands and pass it on, the men who come offering money for their young women are sent away empty handed. Sex-trafficking eradicated. Why? Because their people are fed. Their people are confident. Their people are FREE.

-Abbey Swanson