Clothes Give Away (part 1)

Before leaving the US, I asked a number of my friends if they had any clothes they were willing to give me to be for the ladies at a shelter for abused women my team has been working with. I filled an entire suitcase full of really nice clothing- many business suits and dress clothes. I wasn't exactly sure what the Lord was going to do with all these clothes, but I felt in my heart that I should bring them. I'd been saying before I left that if I wasn't allowed 2 bags on my flight back here I'd just give the bag to my sister to give to Goodwill or something. However, as the airline worker told me it would cost me $__ to bring 2 suitcases with me, there wasn't even a hesitation at all as I grabbed my card and paid it. Later I was thinking about and remembered I wasn't going to do that, but at that precise moment God put full assurance that it was the right thing to do...And tonight I know it is so!

I can't share all the details of the young woman that is now living with me and my roommate, but her's is a sad story- one in which she isn't welcome back at home and has nowhere else to go in this world. We've been able to find her some work (part time), and are praying for her future (please join us in this). We call her Hope. She's been so excited to attend church with us and she loves to listen to Albanian Christian music all day long as she crochets hats for part of her income that my team is helping her do.

After our team meeting, that was at my house tonight, I just felt it put on my heart to bring out the large suitcase of clothes and a few shoes. The shoes were first- I only had a few pairs. I brought them all out, very skeptical that they'd fit her (I didn't know cuz European sizes are so different). Every single pair fit her feet, just like Cinderella! :-) Total God thing, because she had one pair of tennis shoes that were too small for her, and that was all. Next came the clothes- again, I was the skeptic. Many of the clothes were coming from friends that were a bit smaller than her. But again, God proved me wrong- everything she liked and tried on fit her! What a blessing for her as we're trying to help her get some interviews and be able to find a good apartment or something for herself. She had been wearing my old clothes that I'd worn for 2.5 years during my time here- not very nice and super worn.

I wish you could've seen her face when she said thank you to me! I told her it wasn't me who'd done it, it was you guys who so generously gave. What a blessing you've been for her...and she's just the first story. I still have a pretty full bag. I can't wait to see what the Lord is going to do through y'all!

THANKS!