BRAZIL no. 2 In the Studio and Off to a Meeting

Rio de Janeiro

I have a studio here - a granite table top in the corner of our room. 

This morning I began cutting ribbons in my studio. Each color going into a bag - trying for some organization here. 14 bags of different colors. 

Making progress.  I have more strips and ribbons to cut tomorrow. 

Part way through the morning, Jeff (our host & partner in ministry) came by to say that we had an appointment at 1 pm to meet the pastor and women at Caju, go out to lunch and then back to the church to show the storyrope™ idea. Perhaps they might like to have me come share with their women at the church.

On the road we passed several communities. This one pictured will be torn down with the Olympics coming in 2016. 

But we continued on to Caju, where we met, had lunch and shared the storyrope™ process.  

Tuesday we will be going back to teach the storyrope™ to their leaders.

BRAZIL no. 1 Storyrope™ Shopping in Rio De Janeiro

Writing today from Rio de Janeiro

Beginning to post some Brazil storyrope™ related stories.  

I'll continue to share about the storyrope™ in Peru. Post titles will note which country. 

So here we go Brazil!

Today we shopped for fabric, buttons and ribbons for the storyrope™ workshops we have scheduled for here in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. 


Tomorrow I cut all the ribbons and storyropes™.

First workshop this weekend.

In the pictures: Diane and Jeff, who Nelson and I are staying with and partnering on their team. Storyrope™ materials purchased today.

LIMA, PERU Story Ropes and Quilts

Monterrico.  Lima, Peru  (2 of 7)

Feb. 12, 2013 

I began teaching the story rope in Rwanda (click on link) with survivors of the 1994 genocide. The story rope teaching came after the sharing of 4 quilts, which I designed specifically for the that trip. 

Likewise in Peru, I brought several 'story-telling' art quilts - 2 were new, designed to use in Peru, Brazil and Cameroon. 

To begin the 1st evening of teaching with the women from Iglesia Monterrico,  I combined sharing my story rope with 2 quilts, Pathway to Healing (used in Rwanda) and God's Story Rope.

Photos:

top
Marge sharing her story rope as Ruth translates.

middle
Our group of women from Iglesia Monterrico met in a private home. I started out the two nights of teaching with my story rope and tied in the teaching of the two quilts.

bottom
We had first rate translators on this trip, who understood the heart and passion of what we wanted to communicate.  Ruth was our first wonderful translator.

next post:
making the story ropes in Monterrico

LIMA, PERU Setting Up

Monterrico.  Lima, Peru  (1of 7)
Feb. 12, 2013 

Our first presentation of the story rope workshop in Peru, was to the women in the Monterrico Allianza Church in Lima. 


Our meeting was held in the patio room of a private home.  


As part of the workshop I was going to show 2 new quilts I had designed for the class. 
Nelson built the stand before I left the US.

Photos: setting up for the class.

 • Table with story rope materials; Sara; my reflection in mirror. 

• Close up of all the fabulous donated ribbons & buttons. 

• Me setting up quilt stand. 

LIMA PERU Out of the Suitcase

Tues., Feb. 12, 2013: 

Cathy's red suitcase was filled with an amazing array of donated story rope supplies!  The women were going to love making the story ropes!

We figure we had $1000.00 dollars worth of materials to work with. God suppling our needs through gracious friends of Cathy back in Tulsa, Oklahoma!  

• ribbons - gloriously colored/patterned
• fabrics - pre-cut into strips 
• 100's of beautiful buttons! 

STORY ROPES IN PERU

This happened on Mon., Feb. 11, 2013: 

My friend, Cathy and I were in Peru for 2 weeks teaching 12 story rope workshops. 

We worked in 4 churches with a total of 264 people, 72 of them men.  (And we came only expecting a few men!)

I'll be posting about our experiences in Lima and Piura.

LEADERSHIP ROPES IN CHINA

Meet Peggy Sperling, pictured by The Great Wall.  (click on pics to enlarge)  She & her team travel to China at the invitation of a high level Chinese government official and have a business license to operate above ground. Peggy & I connected about Story Ropes before she and her group left for China.  Through conversation & studying this blog, she left prepared to teach the Story Rope & the Leadership Rope, a new title that suited a secondary teaching focus. Click for Peggy's blog: Women Connect in China    Peggy shared the following:

 
"The Chinese women we serve are very open and passionate about their faith but also are dealing with many things from the past and their parents who may have become bitter by the hardships of the past."

"The leadership rope helped a lot. We used it in business and leadership training for Operation Blessing and Christian Broadcasting Network. It helped the participants see how God uses all events* in life to prepare us for His work.  Once completed they shared with one or two others about their stories and got input about how that might be helpful in their ministries and businesses."

"Chinese/Asians are big with 'saving face' and acting like all is well - it was very revealing to them how God might help them help others by virtue of His work in all parts of their lives." 

In all they taught the Story Rope 2 times & the Leadership Rope 2 times creating a total of 150 ropes = 150 life stories!

photos: 

1. Peggy in China.

2. Creating Leadership Ropes. The men loved making them too.

3. Li Jin Yang makes her rope and listens to another tell about hers. 

    They loved seeing the picture of their lives in this tactile way.

4. Zhang Qiang, Peggy's driver, showing off his Leadership Rope.