Sauder Snapshots

In case any one was wondering, our trip to India actually had a purpose!

We went to check out some different BAM (Business as Mission) operations hoping to learn from seasoned and like-minded people. Our team has spent a good portion of this first year traveling to see how different practitioners have weaved business and ministry together. We've visited over two dozen BAMs and have traveled to Vietnam, China, Bangkok and all around northern Thailand. It's been quite interesting (even to a non-business person like me...) to see the different philosophies of how to bring the Kingdom of God to the world of business. Some visits have been discouraging, leaving me thinking that we're absolutely crazy for wanting to try our hand at such a big endeavor. Yet others have been super encouraging, pushing us to think outside the box and expect great things from God.

India was the latter. We were so incredibly encouraged.

We saw some of the best BAM models we've seen. Real businesses making a real impact on their communities and in the lives of their employees. Businesses that are not only sustainable and profitable, but are equally joyful and fruitful in leading people to Jesus.

How refreshing!

For security purposes, I can only share with you one of the businesses that put some wind in our sails. Steven and I absolutely loved this business and the couple that is working in there. They are one of those couples that you look at and think, "Wow. They are exactly where God wants them. No doubt about it." It was the coolest thing to be able to see this adorable family, sacrificing so much to be living in the middle of "nowhere India", and see them not only surviving... but THRIVING.

Ahh... it just did something to my heart.

So with great excitement, I introduce you to the fabulous company JOYN.

With being a fairly new business, JOYN is already making a huge impact in Dehradun--a beautiful town that lies at the foothills of the Himalayans. Like it states above, JOYN creates and sells beautiful handbags (and other fabulous goodies) to help employ the disadvantaged people living in northern India. What impressed Steven and I more than anything was how involved the business is in the community and how many different people it impacts.

All of JOYN's products are literally made from the ground up. And it starts with their handwoven fabric.

They first get the cotton (all locally grown...) and then clean it

Then it gets spun into thread...

...beautiful thread...

and then handwoven into fabric by these amazing workers!

Turns out, a while back, Mother Teresa's good friend helped set up this community for lepers. With no jobs or real place in society, she taught them how to clean, spin and weave these beautiful fabrics. However, with no one marketing their creations, the fabrics just sat in a big warehouse. When the owner of JOYN, Melody, first came to India she prayed for opportunities to already exist that she could simply come along side of and help. God answered her prayers when she stumbled upon this leprous community with their unused fabrics. JOYN now employs and provides livelihood to this talented and beautiful group of people.

After they buy the fabric, JOYN block prints beautiful designs on them. All the blocks are designed by JOYN and then taken to a local wood carver. Isn't his work amazing?

After they get their blocks, local women are trained in how to block print the fabrics.

And eventually, this is what they get! Gorgeous, no? I love how no two fabrics are alike--each have a rustic and original feel to them. Heavenly.

Finally, the printed fabrics get taken to be sewn...

(Again employing more local women!)

Melody and a JOYN employee :)

And eventually, after it passes through all those hands and lives, you end up with beautiful things like...

THIS!

and THIS!

and THIS! Probably my favorite... I own one in mustard yellow :)

Don't you just love all the chevron?

Cuz I do :)

They have more than just chevron patterns, but my eye is always drawn to them!

Clutches...

and pillows...

and headbands! Oh my!

Not to mention each gift comes with a tag signed by all the hands that have made it. How cool.

And as if this company couldn't get any cooler, they also do some work with street kids!

In their own words:

"JOYN provides vocational training and job creation for the Youth beggars of Dehradun. Children beggars become less effective as they get older (14+), therefore they turn to pickpocketing or prostitution. In order to expose these Youth to a different life and to provide for their daily needs, JOYN has begun to train them in block printing, stitching, jewelry making and paper products. Currently, 7 Youth beggars spend 5 hours M-F receiving vocational training. Our hope is to increase their training skills and training time, as well as offer English and Computer skills training."

So there you have it. A business in the middle of India making a huge impact on the community and in the individual lives of their workers. Spiritually. Physically. Emotionally.

Holistically.

To find out more about JOYN and where they sell their products, visit their website or their facebook page. We pray one day God would let us be a part of something like this--something so incredibly influential for His Kingdom. As Steven and I boarded the train to leave our time with JOYN, we both looked at each other and said, "This is where it's at. That is what it looks like to spend your life for the Kingdom." After seeing an operation like JOYN, not much else seemed to matter. It puts life in perspective and makes you want to live recklessly abandoned to God's work around the world. We only have one shot at this, what are we so scared of?

I left feeling energized. And even though you didn't get to see the faces, the people, the Kingdom work up close and personal, I hope you are energized too. Our God is big and He is at work in big ways all around us. Blessed are we who join in on His work!

God's abundant blessings to you, JOYN!

*The pictures of their products were not taken by me. I got most of them off their facebook page :)

It was no secret that I wasn't exactly "excited" for our trip to India. It was one of those places that I told God I never wanted to go.

Stupid me.

I should know by now that you should never tell God you don't want to do something. Because more often than not, that's exactly where God's plan usually leads. So even though I wasn't excited about the trip, I can't say that I was shocked to find myself on a plane headed for India..

What I was shocked about, though, was that I didn't hate it as much as I thought I would. Yes, it was dirty. Yes, it was loud. And yes, I saw many people pooping and peeing on the streets. (Okay, that was quite shocking too...) BUT, it was fun to see an entirely different way of life so up close and personal. Just a mere 4 hour plane ride from Thailand, we landed in a place that was drastically different from anything we'd ever seen. Crowded streets, constant honking, crazy driving. Heartbreaking poverty alongside of extreme wealth. Beautiful faces, delicious food, and an unending myriad of colors.

I think that's what I enjoyed most about India. It's colors.

See?

A market

Handmade tile

Love taking pictures of old bikes

A beautiful door in the middle of nowhere! Gorgeous, just gorgeous!

How I picture India...

Peek-a-boo

Indian skyline

Waiting to worship the Ganges River

Even roads that led to nowhere were beautiful

Aren't the colors just stunning?

Speaking of beautiful... I also couldn't help but capture some of the gorgeous faces of India as well.

Oh wait, that's not an Indian face. But it IS gorgeous! ;)

So pretty.

They loved seeing themselves on camera

Runny nose = So cute

I also have an obsession with taking pictures of cute old men. Old bikes and old men. Weird?

He was a happy character

Street kids playing

Women sewing handbags and other fabulous accessories

Woman block printing fabric

This woman kept asking me to take her picture. I guess she wanted to show off how awesome she was at carrying such a heavy load! I was impressed.

While I'd love to end the blog there, I would be lying if I didn't add in some of the more sad and disturbing things we saw in India...

Can you see the pig? :(

Trash everywhere!

Steven and I both couldn't get over just how much trash there was along the streets...

Yep, he had just pooped.

Walking around an outside mall and random areas like this would pop up

That CAN'T be safe...

On the way to the river

Hundreds of people come to worship the river every night

Random snake charmer outside our restaurant. Just slightly concerning...

But to end things on a happy note, we did do some fun things while we were there, met some amazing people with inspiring businesses and ate lots of great food! (I'm just gonna throw it out there, but Indian food is waaaaay better than Thai food.)