A group of women from Autauga Baptist Association added a new twist to an Aug. 12–19 missions trip to Guatemala — sewing. The idea came after the association’s Hispanic missionary’s wife, Zuly Lemus, saw a need to help the women there.
Working with 50–60 Guatemalan women around Guatemala City’s dump, 16 women from Autauga Association each took a sewing machine with them to teach the Guatemalan women how to sew. The sewing machines were donated by Friendship Baptist Association.
Dianne Morgan, wife of Autauga Association’s director of missions, Bill Morgan, and one of the trip leaders, said they offered sewing classes, crafts and self-esteem building classes in the mornings. They also taught the women attending the classes how to make a child’s reversible sundress and a pair of shorts. Besides fabric and sewing tools, the team also took patterns ranging in children’s sizes from 6 months to 10 years.
“We were hoping to teach the ladies how to make things for their children, and as they got better, they could make things and sell them,” Morgan said. “We were trying to help give them some skills so that they could maybe get out of the dump or at least have an income other than going through garbage.”
After morning classes, the team provided the Guatemalan women with lunch and gave a devotional. It also took baskets of food to the people living at the dump.
About 20 decisions, some for salvation and some for rededication, were made that week. Two were led to Christ during the team’s travels — one on the plane going to Guatemala and one on the plane returning to the United States.
“It was definitely a life-changing experience for all of us,” Morgan said. “Just to see their faces as they completed a dress or a pair of pants … it just raised their esteem knowing they could accomplish something.”
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