South Asia —
Hla went to a Christian hospital in her country after she discovered she was having difficulties with her pregnancy. She soon learned that a heart defect made it almost impossible for her to carry babies to term. Hla also learned the devastating news that her current pregnancy was endangering her own life.
A surgical team quickly went to work to repair a damaged valve in Hla’s heart. Unfortunately, they were not able to save her child. Through the cooperation of the hospital staff and a local church planter, however, Hla came to accept salvation in Jesus Christ during her time as a patient.
Handicraft Project
After Hla’s surgery, she returned to her village and met a pastor working with the FAIR project. FAIR (Fellowship Agency for International Relief) is a cross-cultural agency that funds international projects to reach hurting people in the name of Christ. Projects include distributing emergency aid, and rehabilitation and community development initiatives in some of the world’s most needy populations.
The local pastor was able to give Hla more spiritual instruction and invited her to join a local sewing group.
Through her work there, Hla began supplementing her nearly blind husband’s meager income. She was also able to receive help when he later became abusive.
After receiving counseling from the pastor, Hla’s husband also came to know the Lord. He was recently baptized as a believer—one of several now found in the community.
FAIR’s Impact
Since 1994, FAIR has funded sewing centers in several ABWE church plants. These sewing centers often give church planters an entry point into resistant communities.
In one area village, our hospital staff agreed to take over an empty building and convert the space into a FAIR sewing and literacy center, and a medical clinic. With the help of a church planter, we now have a sewing group with women of all ages, faiths, and educational backgrounds. A number of them have already responded to the Good News and, despite opposition in the community, have been baptized. They have since organized as an official church.
The pastor of this church has a vision to reach out to other groups in the area; he is currently working with a settlement of Burmese immigrants and hopes to continue expanding the Church.
Truly only our great God could use a sewing center as a tool of redemption for His kingdom.
Names and places have been omitted due to security concerns.
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