Vendor Spotlight: THE STOOKEY'S

What if your daughter wanted to be a foreign missionary when she grows up - what would you do?  A lot of parents would freak out or hope that her youthful zeal would wear off and she would come to her senses, go to college and get a real job.  Some parents would offer support. Few parents would do what two amazing moms I know did - take her daughter on a mission trip to help her realize her dream and explore together what might be God's plan for her life.

(This is part one of the "two amazing moms" stories I want to tell.  Stay tuned for part two.....)

First, I want to tell you the story of Cindy and Courtney. This mother daughter team traveled together to Romania two years ago on a mission trip to work with an organization called Belief in Motion.  (Please visit the Belief in Motion website to learn what God is doing in Romania.)

Belief in Motion is a ministry that serves the Roma people, who are outcasts in their society. The workers in this ministry daily uphold the Truth that God has masterfully created each person for a divine purpose.  They stand as a physical protest to the notion that some people are less than others, but these protesters aren't marching forward with picket signs and clenched fists. They give bread to the hungry who are eating from trash piles, build homes for the homeless, rescue children from the streets and give them an education, provide ethical work for women to support their families, and so much more. These are the protests that rattle the gates of Hell. They face down evil with the power of Christ's love.

You have goosebumps, don't you? So do I.

It's easy to understand why Cindy and Courtney came home from that trip forever changed.

Courtney, then age 15, was hooked. In fact, she went back the next summer for three weeks to serve with Belief in Motion.  It is her hope to become a foreign missionary after graduating college and Romania has her heart.

Courtney and her sister Natalie will have a booth at the Marketplace, perfectly named "My Heart in Romania." For many weeks now they have been crafting away in order to prepare for the A New Thing Fall Marketplace. These Stookey girls are truly creative and talented - feast your eyes on this.....

Now, when I said "feast your eyes on this" that was a little teaser, a little foreshadowing, if you will, because Cindy will have another booth at the Marketplace and she had the neatest idea. She will be selling gift cards for home cooked meals that she will personally make! Um, yes, please and thankyouverymuch!! I've eaten some yummy meals at the Stookey family table and I've already added this to my list of "must buys" this weekend. Come by and taste a sample of the foods she has on the menu - Green Chili Chicken Burritoes, Spicy Lasagna, and Cranberry Chicken.

Cindy will also have homemade breads and snack mixes available for purchase, so you can munch while you shop.  And, this is your chance to get in on a family tradition - Menama's Fall Fave snack mix!!

First of all, I've met Menama and she is the coolest lady EVER!  And, I love that THREE generations of sweet godly women are represented at these booths.

I've saved the best for last - the profits from the Stookey's booths will be used to fund another Romanian mission trip this summer.  This time, Courtney, Natalie, and their dad, Scott, will be going! This is such a precious family - I have goosebumps again!

They will be going to protest.  They will be going to LOVE!  

Let's send them off with our love and prayers and LOTS of support!

One Last Thing...

Remember how I mentioned that Belief in Motion provides women in the Roma villages with a way to make an ethical income to support their families?  

I was talking about these women....

.....who make these necklaces....

......which will be for sale at the Stookey's booth.  

The proceeds from these necklaces will go directly to Belief in Motion.

Vendor Spotlight: INDIGENOUS OUTREACH INTERNATIONAL

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

The Golden Rule, of course.

Jesus said it in Luke 6:31. The Bible references it many times from Old Testament to New. Every major religion includes some form of this ethic. It is so common, so simple.

It is so foreign, so hard.

We could dig deep and examine the selfish condition of the human heart to explore this mystery - why can't we follow the Golden Rule?  We could ponder and discuss how it always falls apart in us; how we always get it wrong.  

Or, we could take a good, long look at someone who is getting it right.

I recently read Patrick Beard's book Slowly by Slowly.  It is a quick read. As in, I read it during the six hour drive from our house to East Tennessee, interrupted many times by three crazy boys in the backseat.  It was quick, but it sank deep into my soul. This book is the personal testimony of Patrick Beard, the founder and director of Indigenous Outreach International. 

The Beards served in Ethiopia for many months as foreign missionaries before having to return to the U.S. unexpectedly for medical reasons.  The vision of IOI was first sparked after Patrick and his family experienced a time of great need while living here in America. Every need was met because the people of God showed their love of God by loving the Beard family.  Then, Patrick considered this...

"If anyone has this world's goods and sees his brother in need, and does not have compassion on him, how does the love of God abide in him?  My little children let us not love in words only, but in deed and in truth."  1 John 3:17-18

"I was a brother in need, and many American Christians were proving their love for God by loving my family in tangible ways.  We have brothers and sisters in Ethiopia that are in great need, and our love for God could be proved by being generous to them."  from Slowly by Slowly, page 70

IOI's history and vision is explained in more detail here:  (taken from an IOI publication)

Serving in Ethiopia as a foreign missionary the founder of IOI, Patrick Beard, saw many brothers in need.  In 1998 the average income in Ethiopia was about $1 per day.  Many evangelists, pastors and church planters lived on much less than the average.  Sleeping on dirt floors of austere mud huts, and going without meals is normal life for many ministers in Ethiopia.

The vision for IOI was simple.  We saw our Ethiopian brothers in need and we in America have the provision they lacked.  Giving $50 per month to an indigenous (native) minister would mean that they could rent a home, eat twice a day and often have enough money to cover ministry expenses.

Compassion, not strategy, was the motivator for the foundation of IOI.  However, this Biblical command to care for the poor has yielded fruit in unity and propagation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Many churches have been planted, and they are a result of local churches (with support from both local members and IOI) doing missions in surrounding areas.

Today the support levels have increased to an average of $60 per month and we now ask that supporters add $5 to help cover administrative costs.  Of the missionaries supported through IOI over half now receive some support from their local congregation.  The missionaries also take up an offering among themselves to support even more ministers.

A natural outgrowth of the ministry in Ethiopia has been the support of an indigenous childcare project called True Light Childcare. Some of the children involved in the TLC program are orphans, some only have one living parent and some have both parents, but they are poverty stricken.  TLC provides the children school uniforms, educational supplies, tuition, food and a weekly Bible school on Saturdays.  Not only is TLC keeping children off the streets, it is leading them to Christ.

The Golden Rule makes so much more sense when you see it lived.  Take care of Ethiopian Pastors, brothers, sisters, families, children, as though they were your own Pastor, brother, sister, family, children. They ARE your own. And you are theirs. It is so simple, so profound. 

So beautiful.

Coffee will be served at the Marketplace this weekend and every cup supports IOI.  The vendors representing Indigenous Outreach International will be selling bags of coffee and various goods that were handmade in Africa as well as items donated by various artists in order to support IOI.  100% of the profits will go directly into IOI's ministry, which goes directly to support pastors, families and children in Africa and other countries to which IOI has expanded. Go to the Indigenous Outreach International website to learn more about this incredible ministry.

Vendor Spotlight: NOONDAY

Noonday Ambassador Rebecca Daniels will be at the Marketplace with these amazing and inspiring goods.  I lifted every bit of the information about Noonday from their website because I couldn't have said it better myself.  Please go to Rebecca's website and explore to find out more!

shop. style. share. advocate.

Noonday Collection's first trunk show was hosted by founder, Jessica Honegger, in her home as a means to raise money to adopt her son and third child from Rwanda. The style and purpose of the products drew an overwhelming response, and the business quickly grew beyond a fundraiser {and her head is still spinning}. Thanks to Noonday sales, Jessica and her hubby brought home their son Jack in October of 2011. Orphan care and prevention remain a core value. At Noonday Collection, we believe every child belongs in a family.

In the summer of 2011, we launched the ambassador opportunity. The desire for women in the US to earn an income while creating pathways out of poverty for the vulnerable was overwhelming. Jessica needed help! She soon partnered up with another socially minded friend, Travis Wilson, to enable her to grow the business beyond what she could do alone. Both Travis and Jessica spent years living in resource poor areas of the world and both dreamed of starting a business that would alleviate poverty through entrepreneurship.

Together with the Noonday ambassadors across the country, we offer you the opportunity to use your purchasing power to create change in the world {while looking really good along the way}. Your fashion sense can now restore dignity to abandoned women in Ethiopia, empower communities in Ecuador, and create business opportunities for Ugandans.

We invite you to join our growing movement by wearing Noonday, sharing Noonday by hosting a trunk show, and becoming an Noonday Ambassador. Style your friends, change the world.

P.S. Am I the only one thinking that there could be a story like this about Marcie someday?  The Noonday story is eerily similar.  What if the A New Thing Fall Marketplace could become a big BIG thing and we could all be making history, people!!!  (I think I'm on to something.)

Vendor Spotlight: THE AUTRY'S

I have this friend.

And everyone who knows her knows that when God speaks to her she listens.

There are many times God tells her to do simple big things, like send an encouraging note to a friend who is carrying a heavy burden.  Or, drop a sweet gift by just to bless someone. Always, she hears God telling her to pray.  And she does.

Then there are times God tells her to do not-so-simple big things, like - adopt a child/children from Ethiopia. 

She has been here before, expecting a child through the miracle of adoption. Unbelievably, this little man will be five in December. There was a mountain to climb in order to bring this son home, and she did everything it took to become his mommy.

Here's the thing about how God talks to Marcie - He knows that she is faithful in the simple big things, and He gives her more. There is always a dream, something bigger than herself. A dream to make God's name known and to tell stories of what He is doing. 

He is doing A New Thing, always.

This time, God gave Marcie a vision to host a marketplace that would bring together others who are dreaming big. She envisioned a marketplace offering quality handmade items and works of redemption that would inspire - old things made new. 

And the Marketplace would give people a voice - to share their creations, to appreciate the creations of others, and to speak with the money they spend. At the Marketplace, shoppers could Purchase with Purpose! 

Since God always gives Marcie big dreams, He has also given her big talent. She is a gifted creator. A happy Marcie is a crafting Marcie. Her brain goes concept to finished product in 1.4 seconds.  Then, a piece of burlap and a few stitches later, you have a super cute Marcie original! (I won't mention the number of frequent flyer miles she's racked up at Goodwill and City Thrift.)

Here's what you can expect to find in Marcie's booth at the Marketplace...

Of course, behind every good woman, there is a bearded man....

Make no mistake about it, this is a family gig.  Marcie's husband, Jamie, is bringing this vision into reality - designing and constructing booths, troubleshooting the master plans, building pieces for her booth and.....

Wait a second - what's this? Jamie crafts, too?? No, folks, this was just an anomaly.  (When a man needs a ninja mask, a man's gotta sew.) He can, however draw some pretty mean farm animals. And, I am pretty sure Jamie was responsible for this....

I love this family. And I love that God spoke His message of "A New Thing" into the plans for the Marketplace because we are all eagerly awaiting the New Thing God is doing in the Autry family. Another adoption miracle.  Expecting from Ethiopia......

When you shop at the marketplace, you will be supporting this sweet family's adoption via ticket sales and a percentage of the profits from most of the vendors. And, 100% of the profits from Marcie's booth goes toward their adoption.

Doesn't that just make you smile?  Me, too!

Vendor Spotlight: THISTLE FARMS

*Thistle Farms is a social enterprise of women who have survived lives of prostitution, trafficking, addiction, and life on the streets. By hand the women create natural body care products. Magdalene is the 2-year residential community. We believe love is stronger than all the forces that drive women to the streets.*

Consider the thistle.

This is one of the 24 principles of living at Magdalene - what love has taught them.  When you consider the thistle, you find this...

"See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and springs in the wasteland."  Isaiah 43:19

It is with full hearts that we welcome our sisters from Thistle Farms to the A New Thing Fall Marketplace October 25th and 26th.  

These beautiful women will be selling their quality bath and body products at our Marketplace.  All products are made with all natural ingredients and the same love that has healed their lives.

*Thistle Farms products are available in over 200 stores in Tennessee and across the country. Into every Thistle Farms product goes the belief that love is the most powerful force for change in the world. Our dream is that people will come to see Thistle Farms as a humble but powerful business synonymous with women’s freedom.*

"We want to sell the products, but we really want to support the women, and then support a movement that is about changing a culture that still buys and sells women."  Becca Stevens, founder of Thistle Farms

This Video so beautifully tells the story of the women of Magdalene.

"No woman went to the streets by herself. It took a community, a broken community to help her get there. And it's going to take a whole community to help her come off the streets, too."  -Stevens

We invite you to become part of that community.  

Purchase with Purpose. 

All profits from the Thistle Farms booth will go directly back into their ministry.

*All texts with an asterisks indicate a direct quote from the Thistle Farms website.  You can find much more information about this social enterprise there.  Also, follow this link to see an interview with Thistle Farms by Diane Sawyer.