Alegria Accessories Prayer Partners

We're in the deep work and deep prayer season around Alegria. In these next few weeks, everything matters. Black Friday has its name from the concept that most retail establishments operate on credit (and prayers) until Christmas shoppers come in droves and credit can be paid off with revenue. Alegria operates on a paper thin budget and November matters to us. And it does for so many of our Joy-Partner retail stores. So this morning I am praying for Alegria to fly off of their shelves, for Alegria to go out the door at our markets today and this week, and the rest of November, and for our online orders to pick up. Revenue in November is usually larger, but it is also what sustains us through January and February. Please pray for our artisans as they work, and for their families to be healthy and learn to love and trust the Lord even deeper.  But the greatest need for them is a steady salary to put food on the table, clothes on themselves and children and a roof over their heads. So today, I'm praying that the thousands of times the Alegria mission and story will be shared alongside our gorgeous jewelry this week (and today) will move shoppers to choose Alegria as their Christmas gifts this season. Women in Honduras want to go to work and we want to create more jobs, but it depends fully and entirely on our shoppers and their choice for One Gift to Change a Life! After you pray today, have you shopped? Today is a wonderful day to change a life!

Yesterday so many new people heard about Alegria, our mission and our artisans. They saw the stunning jewelry line crafted by hand in Honduras. And Christmas gifts and personal accessories were purchased! New Joy-Creators! I just don't ever get tired of hearing, "This is handmade? It's so beautiful!" Bringing the talent and skill of Alegria's artisans to new women who jump right in and make a purchase to push the mission forward is why pop-ups are SO worth it, and why I'll not get tired of sharing on social media and promoting our website. So this afternoon, I'm starting out by asking you to join me in thanking God for blessing Alegria with an army of Joy-Creators and Joy-Partners who are making purchases that continue to keep our artisan wages paid and production expenses paid. And my request for right now is for God to prompt the Joy-Creators already in our family as well as tons of new ones to purchase a Christmas gift or several over the next 6 weeks. Pray our ads begin to convert to sales, pray our pop-ups are fruitful in huge sales, pray our artisans stay safe and healthy in Honduras so they can continue making beautiful jewelry, and pray for our Joy-Partner stores to sell out and restock and sell out again! And pray about what Christmas gifts and holiday accessories you can purchase to be a huge part of our mission. I'm praying our prayers develop hands and feet and we all put our spending where we're praying. And never forget how important you are to Alegria! Thank you for praying!

Happy November Joy-Creators and Joy-Partners! Is anyone else feeling like it can't possibly be November 1st today? Maybe it's the lingering summer weather, although the rainy cool morning today is 100% fall. I think I just might have to turn on my Christmas music early this year to convince myself we are less than 8 weeks away from Christmas. Standard Time is giving me an extra hour before church to drink my coffee, read my Bible, pray for so many that are on my heart this morning (because someone forgot to set my puppy alarm back an hour - at least he waited until sunrise). You are on my heart this morning.  I am praying for every one of our Joy-Partner stores that has Alegria on their shelves - that it will disappear out the doors with new customers that learn about our artisan mission in Honduras and fall in love with the Alegria pieces they have. I'm praying that they will all need a restock this month because of their sales, and that the Lord will bless them immensely because they chose to invest in Alegria's artisans. I am praying for our Joy-Creators to choose one gift to give that is Alegria this holiday. If every person who has purchased Alegria in the past would buy 1 gift from us this year, we could hire 2 artisans! And couldn't God do it?! Please know that SO much of every dollar you spend with us goes directly to Honduras.  I am praying for new Joy-Creators who will shop and share once they hear our story. Online through our posts and ads, at pop-up markets where they come into our booth, and through word of mouth from our Joy-Partners and Joy-Creators. Mostly I am praying for our women in Honduras, that the Lord would hold them in His hand and protect them. That they would know that he is the God who Sees and He sees them. And He has sent an army of jewelry wearing and jewelry selling and jewelry gifting women (and men) who are shopping and sharing so that they can work at a good job and earn a good salary to take good care of their families. Happy November, and thank you for praying with me this morning!

Sunshine is streaming in my windows this morning and I can see drops of orange in the leaves on the tree. The air is crisp and cool with an endless blue sky for the backdrop to this busy Sunday.  First, would you rejoice and praise the Lord with me that we are coming into the fall months, which are always the best months financially for Alegria. Praise Him for a new baby in the family of one of our artisans, and she and mom are doing well. It is their first! Praise Him that another baby is on the way there too. With 2 artisans on maternity leave at the same time (which is going to happen when you are in the business of creating jobs for young women,) please pray for the others who will have a little more work and for the moms and dads and babies as they adjust to this new little family member. Pray also for the unrest in Honduras. It is always a threat, but we've had days when transportation was shut down due to protesting in the streets. Things like this can make travel outside of home unsafe, so if we have any notice of it, we can work from home, but when it just springs up, we can't, and we won't jeopardize the safety of our artisans in these times. There is nothing as humbling as knowing that you are joining with me to pray this morning. Thank you, thank you, thank you for laying these requests before the Lord and asking on behalf of our sisters in Honduras who are working hard to provide for their families.

Sun is beaming in through my windows this morning and the air was crisp when I walked the dog this morning. Hot steamy coffee sits next to the computer and I'm looking forward to church in a few hours. Fall is such a beautiful season and I'm grateful to live in a place that gets all four seasons (sometimes within a week!) Today it's raining and cooler in Honduras, a high of 83º. I long to be there again with our artisans. Soon, I hope! I'm reflecting on the month so far. Always looking back with gratitude for God's provision, and looking forward with prayer for wisdom and God's hand of protection and favor on behalf of His daughters in Honduras. This week will launch our ads for the holidays - "One Gift Can Change A Life". And we will begin to shape our website and posts to suggest gifts for our loved ones as we all shift our spending. In Honduras, our artisans are hard at work finishing stocking up on our best sellers before they turn their attention to designing for spring. And we are just weeks away from welcoming a new family member there, so we are down one set of hands in the office as her maternity leave has started. I was reading about the beginning of Jesus' ministry this morning and the disciples panicking in the storm while Jesus slept. It sticks in my head because I can look at our numbers, our bank account, the upcoming bills and payroll, and then the need to spend for advertising...and I panic a bit. Where is this going to come from? Will our faithful supporters shop with us again this holiday season? Will we find new customers that will join the mission with our ad spend? And then I remember the God who has been faithful through the last 5 holiday seasons. I can't put my trust in events or ad channels, but I can put my trust in Him who called and equips and then sustains. Here is what I'm praying this morning and I would love it if you would join me: Praise and gratitude for His constant provision and care for this mission to provide jobs for His daughters in Honduras. Continued healthy pregnancy and safe delivery of the new baby in Honduras, and healthy mom and baby going forward. Wisdom and favor for our ad campaigns, a strong return of sales on our ad spend. For the faithful return customers to again make a choice to holiday gift shop with Alegria. For our Joy-Partner stores to see huge sell through on their Alegria pieces this holiday. I'm also praying for you, that God would return to you 10 times the blessing you give to Alegria with your shopping with purpose. And yes, ONE gift can change a life!

The hustle and bustle of the 4th quarter is upon Alegria, and yesterday, I rested (mostly). Last week was a holiday week in Honduras, so our artisans got a week with their families to rest. And many of you will be off today for the holiday. I pray you are getting to rest. Mondays are 'Mission Monday', a time to focus on why Alegria exists:  Alegria Accessories exists to create safe, living wage jobs for the women who have aged out of Faith Home children's home in Honduras. We are interrupting poverty, exploitation and trafficking with employment. We hand craft trendy, high quality fashion jewelry for our Joy-Creator customers in the United States. I am so grateful to be a part of this mission, so grateful the Holy Spirit whispered to me in the midst of seeking His will after the company I had been with for 23 years closed its doors. I'm so grateful for artisans who have said yes to a job at Alegria, and especially Erika and Elizabeth who have been with us since the beginning on the back porch in 2021. And I'm grateful for you, who pray and shop to support our mission. The only way the money comes in to fund our operations and payroll is through mission hearted shoppers and stores that choose to make a purchase that will provide a living wage job to the makers in the supply chain.  You choose to purchase their works of art, their hand crafted pieces. Thank you! Today, I'm praying about how we can get this mission and our products in front of more mission minded women and store owners so that we can grow and hire more artisans. Please pray with me, and if you have a minute, could you share our Live from last night to your Facebook page? Oh, and we have a Fall Break sale going on our website: Buy 1 piece, Get 1 piece for 50% off. Would love to ship you some beautiful new pieces tomorrow when the post office opens! Christmas is 10 weeks from Friday!

New Jewelry New Quarter New Stores New Opportunities New Artisan? Thursday, the new Joy of Gifting Winter Collection dropped on our website and it's meeting with lots of smiles and purchases at our pop-up this weekend! New jewelry takes A LOT of work, but it's so exciting to bring it to you. This was an area we made a decision to slow down in order to grow faster and it has paid off. I know we miss the monthly drops, but our Joy Box is still filling that gap. And it doesn't mean we won't have new pieces at any other time than the seasonal drops. But the weight of constantly doing something new is a load we gladly only carry 4 times a year now. And it fits the rhythm of fashion. Thursday also started our 4th quarter - the 3 months where we pray for a harvest that gives us savings for the lean months. It has started well! Thank you to our Joy-Creators and our Joy-Partners who have ordered or shopped this weekend! We were able this Christmas to put a joint ad in the Munce Christian Bookstore catalog that mails out in a few weeks - it will not only help the sell through of 2 of our most purchased products by Christian Bookstores and Christian Boutique and Gift Stores, but it is also introducing new stores to Alegria's artisan mission and jewelry, and we're adding new Joy-Partners! There are 2 very large new opportunities for Honduras that I cannot speak about yet, but they would go hand in hand and would be life changing for Alegria in Honduras! This morning, I would invite you to join me in thanking God for a successful new jewelry launch, a strong beginning for the 4th quarter, and the new Joy-Partner stores that are ordering for the first time with Alegria. And then would you also pray with me that our 4th quarter will bring a huge harvest and a savings that will carry us through the winter? Would you pray for our Joy Partner stores to sell through their Alegria and need to restock, and that more Munce Christian Bookstores would join us as Joy-Partners and order for their stores before the Christmas catalog? And finally, please pray for these unspoken opportunities for Honduras. Pray that the Lord's will would be evident and accomplished, and that it would lead to new jobs for women who so desperately need them. Thank you so much prayer partner! Your petitioning and praising on behalf of Alegria sustains our mission!

Sunday morning confessions - I do like football, but I was always there for the marching band! And I'm a summer girl through and through, but I'm welcoming these cooler mornings and evenings this year. Do you think this summer's heat was a little extra, or am I just getting older? October starts this week, the fourth quarter of the year. I'm going into it with an incredibly grateful heart and looking forward to the holidays with extra anticipation, as it could be my first Christmas as a grammy! (she's due on the 28th, so we could just be anxiously awaiting still, babies come when they are ready) As you are praying so faithfully for Alegria, I'd love for you to join me in thanking God that although we had a rough start to the year, we are now catching up. Our third quarter was up enough to make up for shortcomings.  Thank you Lord! And on my heart this morning is "A" - our next artisan to hire in Honduras. There are things in the works to help us move closer in a big step, but I still believe in the faithful support of our base of Joy-Creators that have shared and brought us this far, and I am praying today that we will see Christmas shopping and fall/winter fashion shopping from a huge number of us all in the fourth quarter. That faithfulness is how our other artisans have been paid a steady salary for over 5 1/2 years. This week, we will be launching our Winter & Gifting collection on Tuesday to our retailers and stores, and on Thursday on our website to our Joy-Creator customers. (And Joy Club and Joy Box members will get their early access Monday evening!) Pray for a smooth launch and great sales! Happy last few days of September, and first days of fall!

Good Sunday morning Joy-Creators! I’m sitting outside in New Harmony enjoying the cooler morning and talking with Kunstfest goers about Alegria’s artisans, jewelry and mission to use dignified employment to fight poverty and exploitation.  Yesterday I was standing by our tables at Skyline church at the GB Women’s Ministries conference doing the same thing.  How did you first hear about Alegria? At a craft show or women’s conference? Did a friend share it with you? And what moved you to purchase or subscribe to our emails?  This is a season of busy and activity, in the US and Honduras, as Christmas gift shopping begins and stores are stocking up. Would you join me this morning in praying: For our artisan who just began her maternity leave. For a safe delivery and healthy mom and baby. For our activity these next weeks to reach new and returning Joy-Creators who will make an impact with their shopping dollars. for our Joy-partner stores to sell out and reorder…that Alegria sales would bless them and in return their reorders can bless our artisans.

52 years...and I'm just grateful! My birthday was quiet this year, thanks to a headcold I came home with from SING Conference. I was supposed to be at Mt. Vernon River Days, but kept my germs to myself. I did a little work and then Randy ordered pizza and we watched a movie at home. My phone buzzed all day with birthday wishes from family and friends, and I even got a beautiful video from Honduras of them singing both in English and Spanish to me 💖. I'm sitting here on Sunday morning with a hot cup of coffee and just thanking the Lord for another year of getting to serve Him, being blessed with a family I love so deeply, and a job that I wouldn't trade for anything.  And I'm thanking Him for you, because you are choosing to walk with me in this calling to bring work and wages to the women from our Faith Home family. This next week, I will get to see so many of you at the Inside Out Conference in O'Fallon. Or at Kunstfest in New Harmony. Please pray for the volunteer who will be helping Alegria be in 2 places at once.  This week also holds a very important meeting for a prospective partnership that could produce new jobs. Please pray with me that God would use it to make a way for more artisan jobs. Lots of moving parts this fall, lots of jewelry being finished for our winter gifting collection. Join me in celebrating, giving thanks, and seeking God for his wisdom and blessing on behalf of Alegria.

Good Sunday morning Joy-Creators! As you're reading this, I'm probably driving to Nashville, unloading the booth, setting up the booth, or already sharing Alegria with the SING! Conference attendees. The next 8 days are full of incredible opportunities for Alegria. 4 days here at SING! in Nashville, and then 2 new Joy-Partner meetings, 2 days at Mt. Vernon River Days, and wrapping up next Sunday at Myriad Craft Fair in Newburgh. Oh, and my 52nd birthday is Friday! (come say hi to me in Mt. Vernon). Plus, last night and today, our artisans in Honduras are being blessed by the women's ministry team and their conference.  Here is what I'm talking with Jesus about early this morning: Thank you Lord for how you are moving and working on behalf of your daughters in Honduras with Alegria. Continue to speak and move at the Women's Conference in Honduras today - encourage our artisans and all the women attending and participating. Keep me and our booth and inventory safe on the road this week. Protect us from theft and weather and other drivers. Give me words from you, full of wisdom and passion, to share with SING attendees, the two prospective Joy-Partners, River Days attendees and Myriad attendees.  Draw them into our booth and move them to join our story through a purchase. I'm asking for 52 orders to come in through our website by the end of my birthday Friday. God you are able to do exceeding, abundantly above all we can ask or think (Eph 3:20). I'm asking for all of these things and more according to your calling and vision for Alegria. Thank you for praying with me today! Enjoy your Labor Day holiday tomorrow. - Sarah