The Least of These

I've been making more Little Dresses for Africa the last couple of days. Actually, finishing some that were cut out and embellished at our Daughters of Grace meeting last week when we fellowshipped around piles of fabric, pillowcases, binding, and rick rack. Little dresses for a big cause, for two orphanages where our own missionaries serve—Faith Children's Village and New Hope Uganda.  It’s making a difference in the life of some of God’s children.

Not only are we ministering to the orphanages, we’re ministering to Jesus Christ Himself. We’re serving Him through serving others, specific others. Jesus says in Matthew 25:31-46 that when we’ve ministered to “one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (v.40). This verse is often quoted to support generally helping the needy of the world, and helping those in need is a right thing to do. But here Jesus makes it more specific. Who are the brethren? Jesus answers this question in Matthew 12, verses 48-50, “Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!  For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother."  While many of these children may not be followers of Jesus Christ yet, our missionaries who work with them are, and we serve Christ through serving them.

Little dresses, helping to change one life at a time.

 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. ~ Galatians 6:10

Thought you might like to see a video of little dresses being given out in Uganda. These dresses were made by a woman in NC, Lisa Ward, and her brother delivered them. She made 95 dresses and went through a program called Dress A Girl Around the World. You can find out more about that group here. I would have liked to have seen the little girl in the front of the line (about 50 secs into the video) get her dress. She reappears shortly and caught my eye. She's waiting expectantly.

More Little Dresses for Africa

I finished gathering up supplies and such today for our Daughters of Grace meeting on Monday when we'll be making the Little Dresses for Africa, made from pillowcases or fabric yardage. I've made three more since I last showed you. They're so fun and easy to make! Several of the ladies at church are busy making them as well, and I'm eager to see all the finished dresses when the group gets together on Monday and makes more at our sewing bee. We're making them for a couple of orphanages where there are missionaries from our church family--Faith Children's Village and New Hope Uganda.

The idea for the project began when I was poking around on a sewing site, Nancy's Notions, and came across an interview with the founder of Little Dresses for Africa. It all began when this lady took a birthday trip to Africa and saw the destitute conditions of the children there. Since then, her organization has sent 20,000-25,000 dresses. You can listen to the interview here.

We're making ours a little differently to make it a bit easier for us, but Nancy shows the basic idea here. Instead of using elastic in the casing and bringing the ties from the armhole binding, we're binding the armholes and putting the bias tape through the casing and tying that at the shoulders. That eliminates the need for elastic. Either way, the dresses are easy and cute.

Since I've been working on the project I've found that many churches and groups across the country have taken on the project.  As Rachel says, "Changing lives one little dress at a time." The dresses do help, but the greatest change comes where the girls see Jesus caring for them through the compassion of the people working in the orphanages. They are instruments in the hands of the Redeemer.

Here's a short video clip of another organization showing some African girls expressing thanks for the dresses they've received through another organization called Dress a Girl Around the World. Listen closely to the words.