Ten Thousand Villages sells handcrafted goods made by artisans from developing countries. Selling their remarkable goods and telling their stories in North America allows us to connect with these people and their families in a very real way.
Our logo (on the banner) represents the values we want to invest in the name Ten Thousand Villages. The continuous line of the rooftops reminds us we are all linked together as we live on this earth. The light in the doors and the windows reminds us of homes of people with whom we work in many villages. The warm red color and hand-etched edge represent the materials and methods used to make the quality handcrafts we sell. Multiply the village idea by ten thousand and it represents the world we're working to build.
Once a week someone from our group leads with a devotional and shares an artisan story. This past week it was our turn and we shared about the olive wood nativity.
The creation of gorgeous olive wood nativities and ornaments requires patience and expertise. Before the wood can be carved, the logs are dried in the sun for three months and then cut into blocks of different sizes. After being carefully checked for quality, these blocks are rough-carved on a duplicating machine. Through the careful, steady hand of the master carver, this elaborate process transforms olive wood into beautiful pieces of art.
George al-Atrash, a Palestinian Christian, founded his family workshop in 1967 and employs seven artisans who carve olive wood biblical figures, nativities and other items. Like many other olive wood carvers, George is a member of the Greek Orthodox Church. For him carving the Holy Family isn't about making tourist souvenirs or Christmas ornaments, but is an embodiment of his faith.
The Palestinian artisans of al-Atrash have continued their work through difficult times of curfew, travel restrictions and closed schools in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. In an area with few opportunities, the sales of olive wood creations provide desperately needed income to talented artisans.
To get the most of this beautiful scenery Annette and I both feel that this area needs our exploration during the summer.
The Festival Sale was located at Kirk McColl United Church since they have a suitable facility. Because of the communities midnight madness sale we extended our Friday sale hours till 10 p.m.
A delightful feature that our co-ordinator had arranged was live Christmas music for two hours Friday evening.
Another feature of the evening was a $100 gift basket draw for the shoppers who came by between 6 and 10.
Due to a health issue of the co-ordinator our accomodation was changed to a local bed and breakfast. Our hosts David and Pauline of Abounding Grace B & B made our stay a real pleasure. David showed his giving spirit in the great breakfasts he served us and by helping with finding Jim's lost truck keys. A verse from Colossians 3:22 "Servants, do what your told by your earthly masters. And don't just do the the minimum that will get you by. Do your best." was what we experienced here. His example to care about people exceeded what we had expected.
If you have plans to travel this way we highly recommend the Abounding Grace Bed & Breakfast.
After being offered to stay an additional night with supper, we were able to avoid snowy, slippery roads and make our return trip enjoyable during daytime hours.
Jim's product of the week features the carved Shesham wood boxes from India. The fast-growing Shesham trees can grow to a hundred feet, producing durable, insect-resistant wood that is easily carved. An intricate leaf design on the lid of the box shows the skill of Indian artisans who crafted it by hand. Noah's Ark was established in 1986 by a Christian business man who set out to ensure better wages for the impoverished artisans. Now there are 40 groups representing 300 full time artisans working with Noah's Ark creating a variety of products. Most of these workers are women who benefit from the fact that they can work from home and maintain their responsibilities for children and household.
