In cities such as Calcutta, India, many young girls are forced into the slavery of the sex trade because of dire poverty. Puja, for example, was especially at risk because she had lost both parents by the time she was a teen. But because the ConneXions artisan group was working in her community she was able to avoid even entertaining the idea of looking for oppressive or shameful jobs. She and other young women now earn a fair wage and receive vocational training at ConneXions, freeing them and their families from the vicious cycle of poverty.
On Monday, November 5th, at the Baptist Women Around the World Christmas Party in the Mission and Fellowship Center, you can see an example of the handwork Puja and other women have learned to do through the work of Worldcrafts. That day there will be an exhibit of Worldcrafts items and a catalog to help you do some early Christmas shopping while helping others. Worldcrafts (a project of WMU) and its local partners develop fair-trade businesses that provide sustainable income and offer eternal hope for impoverished people throughout the world.
In addition to the Worldcrafts presentation, there will be a delicious lunch and a World Day of Prayer emphasis. The program will be held from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. with lunch being served around noon. Even if you can only come on your lunch hour, please come. Cost for lunch is $5.00 and you are asked to register with the church office at 586-2095 by November 1st.
Won't you join other Baptist women around the world in prayer and do some fair-trade holiday shopping on November 5th? You'll be glad you did!