Baskets-Not Now...

Earlier I mentioned the basket project and God is taking us step by step as we discern what His will is for the ministry. The baskets were well received in Hong Kong by the buyers but the pricing was not competitive with what the Chinese are charging in the low end basket market. We were told the baskets were more appropriate for the boutique market due to the design, unusual style weave and weight. Many of the baskets take 8-10 hours to weave and we wanted to create sustainable businesses with a decent income for the Africans. Also the timing for launching this project may not be what God has in mind. The U.S. economy, the training needs for management in Africa and the logistics are there for a slower ramp up but "zoom zoom" is not an African concept. God's timing is perfect. If we had gotten an order we would have had many challenges and deadlines to meet and this is particularly difficult in Africa. We are sensing that this is a long race and requires patience, perseverance, training and extensive planning to be successful in helping the people we serve to be equipped to do business.

God is so personal and knows what is best for us. Many times he shows us things that make things less complicated as we turn to him for answers to our prayers. He is always faithful in answering "yes, no or not now." This was a "not now" for many reasons. We continue to explore other opportunities for open and closed doors. Your prayers have been greatly appreciated.