We’ve often talked about our Christmas quilt gathering as our favorite event of the season.  We spend considerable time thinking about the perfect gifts to share with our friends and after a good meal, we exchange those gifts.

This year we decided to meet a bit earlier and have a breakfast brunch since I needed to  leave for the airport this morning.  We met at Karin Crawford’s beautiful home and had a delicious meal with a breakfast egg casserole, fresh fruit, warm cinnamon rolls and French hot chocolate.  It was all yummy.

Then we gathered to exchange our gifts and give thanks for good friendship that has endured for many many years.

I gave something a little different this year, thinking of my friends in Mali:

My dear friends,

This year I thought I’d like to do something to help my dear friends in Ouelessebougou, Mali who are sewing Days for Girls kits. Their names are Mariam Diabate, Mariam Samake and Tenin Samake. I will send you a few photos of them.

These women sew all day, 4 days a week. They each earn $2/day, which is a good salary in Mali. I have made a $25 donation in your name to help pay that salary. I did it on Giving Tuesday, when the donation was 100% matched, so your $50 gift will provide one of them with 25 days of work! With all of our quilt group pitching in, we can provide income for each of the 3 women for 5 months! This will not only bless these sewing ladies and their families, but the hygiene kits they make will bless the lives of 100s of girls who live in the 25 rural villages we serve.

Enclosed are some scraps of Malian fabric these ladies saved for me. When they questioned why I wanted their scraps, I told them I have friends who can make beautiful things out of scraps. I thought you each might enjoy adding a touch of African color to some small corner of one of your quilts in their honor.

Merry Christmas, and thanks for your kind and generous hearts!

Love from Ann Lewis