Happy International Women's Day! We are so thankful for Nueng, our full-time missionary and teacher! She has such a heart for seeing the women of We Are In Bloom grow. Follow us on Facebook (We Are In Bloom) and Instagram (@we_are_in_bloom)
#internationalwomensday #empoweringwomen #handmadeinthailand #bindupthebrokenhearted
We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas full of love and laughter with family and friends! Nueng received one of the most precious gifts, baby Aree.
Nueng and I are looking forward to new growth and positive changes for the upcoming year. We thank you all for your prayers, love, and support. As we wrap a successful launch and amazing 2015, we can only imagine what the Lord will do through We Are In Bloom in 2016!
#cheers #handmadeinthailand #bindupthebrokenhearted #empoweringwomen
Aree's First Christmas
Check it out! We made the front page of the Athens Daily Review! We hope to see you at our trunk show next weekend! Read the article for more details and add yourself and your friends to the Facebook event invite.
Here is the article:
We Are In Bloom LLC is a young, not-for-profit organization whose mission is focused in Northern Thailand. Athenian, Andrea Davis Hefley, daughter of Dave and Annette Davis of Athens, founded the organization earlier this year along with Nueng Ritter of Chiang Mai, Thailand. Andrea, previously a missionary in both Bangkok and Chiang Mai, met Nueng during her time in Thailand. Over the last few years, they planned and prepared for the debut of We Are In Bloom.
We Are In Bloom concentrates on Thai women who are not highly valued and those who have the desire to help support their families. Nueng teaches the women the skill of sewing while building relationships and sharing about Jesus. Andrea markets and sells the handmade products here in the U.S. and serves as the business lead and liaison.
The mission and goals for We Are In Bloom revolve around touching the lives of Thai women, empowering them through meaningful jobs with honest pay, and support through Christian relationships. The organization also uses this as an avenue to help support Nueng who is their full-time missionary and teacher.
We Are In Bloom will have a trunk show in Athens on November 7th from 10 am to 2 pm at The Ark, 603 S. Prairieville. The event is come-and-go. Drop by to enjoy some refreshments and fellowship, and get your Christmas shopping done early. Items available at the show include tote bags, purses, cosmetic bags, essential oil bags, yoga mat bags, t-shirts, and much more. Andrea will also bring many beautifully embroidered and hand stitched items from the new Hill Tribe Collection. Every gift you purchase from We Are In Bloom is a one-of-a-kind treasure for the recipient and also gives back much more to the artisans in Thailand. All profits from items sold go directly back to the artisans and help support Nueng, the full-time missionary and teacher. For more information, go to www.weareinbloom.org or check out the We Are In Bloom Facebook page.
Written by Andrea Hefley of We Are In Bloom LLC
http://m.athensreview.com/news/local_news/special-november-event-coming-to-we-are-in-bloom/article_79f8dbcc-7f42-11e5-9a82-4ba71774e138.html?mode=jqm
The new sewing room in Chiang Mai is coming together! We can't wait to start teaching in our new location! #weareinbloom #handmade #thailand #behishandsandfeet Follow us on Facebook and Instagram (@we_are_in_bloom) for the most up to date happenings!
We are coming for you, Aggieland!
10.24.2015 SAVE THE DATE!
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more details and for the event invite. Get your Christmas shopping done with gifts that give back so much more!
Proud of her work!
Meet Roon! She lives in Chiang Rai and loves that she is a part of We Are In Bloom! She has one son and one daughter, but is widowed. She really enjoys sewing and making items with her hands. Roon makes hats for another company, but is only paid 5 baht, or 14 cents, per hat making about $100 a month. She is so thankful for projects from We Are In Bloom where she gets paid an honest amount and is supported through strong relationships. If she did not sew, she would have to work in the rice field for very little money. Roon is saving as much as possible so that she can retire comfortably since she is on her own.
Nueng and Roon met each other when they lived in the same neighborhood and became friends. Some of her favorite things to do are making crafts and arranging flowers, just like Nueng. Nueng has enjoyed getting to know Roon and says that she is very talented and determined. She never gives up. Roon is a strong woman and we can't wait to see what she can do with We Are In Bloom!
Roon in her element
Psalm 46:10 says “Be Still and Know that I AM God.” This has been on my heart a lot in 2015. Life seems like it gets faster and more chaotic as I get older. I don’t know if it is societies fault, age, or my own priorities just being mixed up and in the wrong order. No matter what year it is, what stage of life you are in, what country you live in, if you’re married, single, a parent, or almost a parent (Nueng), the first priority in a Christian’s life should never change; Jesus has to be number one.
What does that mean? For me it means living everyday with the intent of giving God glory in everything I do. In order to know God’s will for your life and follow it, you have to know His Word. So naturally that means I need to study it. As simple as that sounds, in this crazy life it can be a difficult priority to keep number one. Being a working girl, wife, mom, homemaker and housekeeper, sister, daughter, friend… I get easily distracted and sometimes have a hard time keeping my mind focused during my time with the Lord. I am learning how to “be still.” Be quiet, turn off the tv and music, put my phone on vibrate or leave it in the other room… and just be still. Read God’s Word with a heart that is open to listen. I’m learning to pray without expectation of Him immediately fulfilling myevery wish. God is teaching me to pray differently this year, but I will write more about that another time. God loves us and craves our time and attention more than we have ever loved anyone on this earth. Think about that! I can’t imagine anyone loving anyone more than I love my husband and son, and yet God has given me those relationships to be an earthly example of His love for me. How incredible! It blows my mind.
Once you have made Jesus your first priority, it is much easier to keep the rest of the things on your list in a good working order. For me next come my family and home, and then things like church, work, friends, and exercise. All of those things are good and please the Lord if your heart is first focused on serving and loving Him.
Be encouraged today to spend some time at the feet of Jesus listening and learning to be still.
What does “We Are In Bloom” mean to us? We have been mulling over this question for a little bit, and here is what we would like to convey to you.
First, I want to talk about what the word “bloom” means exactly. Webster’s dictionary actually says a lot in its definition, including “a state or time of beauty, freshness, and vigor; to make flourish; to cause to blossom.” This made me look up the word blossom, which means “a blooming period or stage of development; something lovely that gives rich promise.” To say “we are in bloom” is to say we are in a stage of growing, changing, and refiningwith the ultimate goal of being vessels to show the world God’s glory. For Christ followers, this means that as we continue to live our lives in an attempt to look more like Jesus, “we can be confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in us will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Phillipians 1:6. For the non-believing people that will be touched by this ministry, our prayer is that “bloom” and “blossom” will to them be a symbol of the beginning of their lives in Christ.
Galatians 6:7-10 says, “…for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”
I realize the words “sow” and “sew” are very different from each other, but I kind of like the way this passage fits into Nueng’s vision for her ministry in Thailand. She is teaching these beautiful women how to sew so they can excel at something and become stronger and more independent women. But this is not her true passion or goal, her passion is to sow the Word of God into their hearts as she builds relationships with them in hopes that the seeds will grow and we can reap the harvest of lives changed. Missionary work can be long and tiring at times, but God’s timing is not like ours. He does all things for His purpose and His glory. The part of the Galatians passage that I love the most, is the promise that if we do not lose heart or grow tired of doing good (following God’s calling), we WILL reap what is sown.
God has given us the seeds to plant, and the land to plant them in, and now we are asking you to join us. Join us by following our blog, Facebook and Instagram accounts so you can keep up on what is going on with We Are In Bloom. Our desire for this blog is to share Jesus, to break down misconceptions about how difficult it is to serve in missions, and to support our friends in Thailand by giving you a glimpse into what its like to serve God as a missionary. Join us by supporting Nueng and her girls by purchasing their homemade merchandise. 100% of the proceeds go right back to her and her ministry. And most of all please join us by praying. We have faith God can do incredible things with a tiny ministry like We Are In Bloom if we seek his guidance and follow His lead.
“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Phillipians 3:20
Weareinbloom.org
@we_are_in_bloom (instagram)
We Are In Bloom (facebook)
Today is a big day for We Are In Bloom! The online store is up and running!
I woke up at 3 am Saturday morning thinking about the website and how imperfect it was. The Lord reminded me that we are not perfect, and that He uses imperfect people to carry out His perfect plans.
We are currently offering several different sizes of tote bags and cosmetic pouches. Each item on the site is one of a kind. I am expecting more shipments soon, so I will update through social media when new items are added.
I pray that each item purchased is cherished as these hard working women in Thailand have poured their hearts into making each and every one. The profits made from the items go back to our artisans and help support Nueng, the missionary in Thailand that teaches these women how to sew. For more information or to purchase, check out the about us tab and the online store tab above!
For those of you that know me, you know how much I love Thailand. It is such an amazing place that I claim it as a second home. The people are friendly and respectful, the scenery is beyond beautiful, and the food...the food is indescribable! All of these reasons, in conjunction with many others, have earned Thailand the nickname of "The Land of Smiles". I got really excited when I learned that there was going to be a Thai festival in the DFW area! I'll take advantage of anything that close since it takes around 28 hours to actually get to Thailand!
The second annual Thai Festival was held in Dallas on this past Saturday and Sunday. It began with a parade around a Buddhist temple showing off some of the traditional Thai Buddhas, Muay Thai boxers, and traditionally dressed Thai women in full Thai silk garb. There were many food vendors who brought in many Thai delicacies that I have not been able to order from the restaurants around here. They also had several vendors selling Thai clothing (which I may have bought a few pieces of to wear when we have trunk shows), silver jewelry handmade by the hill tribes, and even specialty plants such as the kaffir lime tree.
My husband and I attended the festival and I was able to introduce him to many of the traditional Thai foods and culture. When in the mission field, it is so important to become familiar with the culture and traditions of the people you are building relationships with. Roughly 95% of Thai people practice Buddhism, about 4% are Islam, and 1% everything else. Christianity is lumped into this 1%. My prayer for Thailand is that God will soften their hearts and use us to be Jesus to them.
Scroll through the pictures below to see some of the traditional Thai dishes and yummy treats we tried! I'm a foodie at heart, so I tend to document events based on what I ate:)
The Thai Temple at the Buddhist Center in Dallas
Anyone out there watch Bizzare Foods with Andrew Zimmern? Look who I found! Definitely go watch the Thai episode that was filmed in the DFW area!
Shopping
Thai meatballs (luk chene) my favorite!! Nueng and I used to hop on our motorbike and ride all the way across town to find the lady who made the best meatballs!
Starting at the top left and working clockwise: nam prik noom with roasted beef shank, sticky rice, and fried pork skins for dipping; traditional pad Thai; Thai sausage flavored with lemongrass and chilies; mango and sticky rice with a sweet coconut milk (kao neow mamuang); sweet sticky rice with banana and taro grilled in a banana leaf; pork dim sum dumplings.
Golden milk bubble tea and coconut corn
I hope you can join me next year at the Thai festival!
Repost from @propelwomen
I love this scripture. This is just what I needed during this exciting time for We Are In Bloom. Many good things are coming! Can you feel it, too?
We have had a sweet young girl hanging around the sewing room lately. Her name is Koy, and she is 17 years old. She is a high school student who just completed her 11th grade year, and is now on summer break. Koy’s family situation is not ideal. Her parents are divorced, so she is currently living with her grandmother. She works at an onion plantation where she performs manual labor by picking up onions to help with the harvest.
Nueng has been teaching her sewing skills so that she is able to earn some extra money for her family. Koy is very passionate about sewing, and enjoys working with Nueng every week. Koy and Nueng also share meals together where Nueng is able to begin introducing Jesus to her.
Last month, Koy began telling Nueng how she wanted to attend camp at the university that she would like to go to. She did not have the money to pay her camp fees. We were able to help her go so that she could learn more about what college would be like. She had a wonderful time and really enjoyed herself. Koy has decided that she would like to study medical science and then become a physical therapist. We are so blessed to have the opportunity to help empower this young lady to be independent and her own advocate. We will continue to work with her and share her story.
“Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done.”
Psalm 105:1
Wow. I can't even begin to describe the outpouring of love and support that Nueng and I have received after launching the beginning stages of We Are In Bloom. I'm excited to say that we filed our business documents with the state yesterday, so we can start selling our handmade products online very soon. Nueng and I have many thoughts and ideas to carry out as we form a community around what we celebrate at We Are In Bloom. Thank you for being patient as we get this off the ground! This is a dream come true for both of us and we are so excited to share it with you! We appreciate all good thoughts, good vibes, and prayers coming our way. Stick around, invite your friends and family to join this community, and let's see what the Lord is going to do with We Are In Bloom!
-Andrea
A couple of weekends ago, I went to Bangkok to get more fabric and materials for the bags. I was super excited about going because they had a fair of handmade products there. Besides buying things, I also wanted to go in order to be inspired by the creative ideas and designs of others. You can see some photos from my trip below.
While I was there, I met up with my friend from Singapore. She also makes handmade bags like me, so we had really great conversations about new ideas and our experiences in the business. We walked around the fair together and got all the fabric that we needed.
Bangkok’s fabric market is huge! There are beautiful fabrics from all over the world there. Fabrics from Japan, India, and other exotic places. I had a really great time. There were so many choices! It was overwhelming sometimes; I wanted all of the fabric! Haha!
With my limited budget and just a few days in Bangkok, I think I made some really great choices. But I’m always looking forward to going back to that market and getting more.
Now I’m back at home and ready to make more spectacular bags out of the best fabrics to choose from in Bangkok. I hope you enjoy what I plan to create next. -Nueng
