One night after delivering shoeboxes with Operation Christmas Child, we ate dinner at a super cool restaurant that overlooked Christopher Columbus’ house. Someone who worked at the restaurant set up a special meal for us as a gift!
Our waiter was dressed like a pirate and I ate snails. Yes, I did.
Anyway, as this was a special meal, I dressed up. And by dressed up, I mean, I got a washcloth wet and wiped the sweat and grime off my arms. And I put on some lipgloss.
My friend Jessica also let me borrow some of her FreeSet bracelets.
Freeset is in business for freedom. Freedom from human trafficking. Freeset is a fair trade business that sells bags and t-shirts, made by women freed from human trafficking in Kolkata, India.
These bracelets are made by women who aren’t skilled enough to sew bags or run a machine. And each time they roll around your wrist, you can’t help but think about those women rescued from “the line” and brought to a saving place.
Jessica and I talked about Freeset’s mission to change India. We had heard just the night before that the Dominican Republic is the 3rd largest exporter of prostitutes–the 5th largest to Europe. Knowing that many of the girls we met at the distributions were tempted by, victims of or at-risk for prostitution, those bracelets seemed like a whispered call.
What can we do to rescue girls around the world? In the Dominican Republic? In Kolkata, India?
It’s a hard question. Stepping into something big like rescuing a woman from prostitution happens when we take a small step.
Pack a shoebox. Give hope. Change a life.
Wear a bracelet. Buy a bag. Change a life.
I’m joining with Freeset’s 12 Days of Freedom to open our eyes just a little. To encourage use to make a small step this Christmas season. Maybe you could buy a bag for your sister-in-law this Christmas? Or a few bracelets for teacher gifts? Your little gift will help Freeset open their arms wider to women who need eternal hope.
It seems small, but I promise as you wear it, you’ll think of the women, the girls, that used their hands to make it. You’ll pray for them. You’ll talk about them. And your little act will have a hand in setting people free.
{See videos & more about Freeset on their website!}
I bought a couple of Freeset bags yesterday after watching the moving video – what an amazing ministry. Now I’m wishing I purchased more! Thanks for drawing attention to this worthy, worthy work.
I checked out their website! LOVE what they are doing and their ministry. Living here in the ATL area, human trafficking is finally getting the attention it needs, and hopefully one day it will be eliminated from here and across the globe, thanks to projects like Freeset!
I love the harmony bag, and I LOVE the bracelets! They are my style!
Thanks for highlighting an awesome ministry. I love buying gifts from fair-trade shops. I don’t do handmade items myself (I haven’t a crafty/DIY bone in my body), but I LOVE wearing hand-made items. I’ve found quite a few Christmas gifts for me and for others on Freeset. Yay! 😀 I love being able to help and give great gifts.
Thank you for educating us on Freeset! It brings me great joy knowing that my purchase assists in helping someone – it is a win-win! I love the items available for purchase in the Freeset shop! I was all set to make a ‘custom’ bag until I requested a quote and found out that the smallest order is for 100 bags. I’ll need to search for 99friends! Until then I will probably settle on a few bangles and a bag!
I just checked out Freeset’s website! Will be buying the Pink Cluster bag!
Went and checked out the Freeset site, looks like a great ministry!
I checked out Freeset to see if there was something I could do to help. I have only $162 a month income right now and I am raising a grandson that I adopted about 10 years ago. Needless to say there isn’t any spare money, I can’t even pay both my utility bills. It just so happens that one of my best friends send me a gift card to help us out for Christmas. I wanted to get her something meaningful to help show my thanks. I found several choices for just $5 on the site. And when I tell her the story and refer her to the site, it will mean even more to her. She didn’t just help us, she helped those women too. I have poor health and no money and I know I complain alot but it is nothing compared to being sold as a slave or prostitute. It really opened my eyes. And even I, who has virtually no money can do something to help these women.
Wow, Debbie. Thank you for your story! What a blessing.
a
Hi Amanda, thanks for sharing! This really caught my attention today. I checked out the website and hope to buy a couple items for my sister and mom.
Oh I love the hope bag. but can’t decide on the color.
Thank you for telling us about this. I just went and checked out the site. Love to see people fighting for justice.
I’ve finished my shopping for Christmas, but I am SO stocking up on gifts from Freeset! I love all the bags and will definitely add some bangles to the cart. Thank you for sharing this with us!
I love websites/ministires/businesses that help women in situations like these. Thanks!
These bracelets are great! And I love the variety of bags on Freeset’s site! And of course, the reason for the business is the best part of it all! Thanks for doing the giveaway!
Visited their site…love some of their bags and definitely love the mission behind them!
What a wonderful site! And I love their bags 🙂
I browsed. I ooh and ahh’d…I emailed hubs a few links for Christmas ideas 🙂
Thank you for the reference. Went to check out the site. I will keep it in mind for future gifts. Janita
Ooh, I really like a bunch of the Freeset stuff! And I’m not a gal who likes to shop for bags. I so need a sunglasses pouch, at the least!
Thanks for sharing about Freeset. 🙂
I love the Hope Bag — I felt like you were speaking right to me when you said to buy one for your sister-in-law. She is the person I’m still looking for. Thanks for the idea. What a perfect gift!
It is amazing to me how God can use women today. Women like myself, sitting comfy in my American living room, helping women on the other side of the world. Awesome. I found your blog ultimately through Ann Voscamp and thus the Freeset web page and Facebook . I am still in awe at Freeset’s ministry and its impact … The women on the video are so full of beauty, I wept and wanted to buy every bag, bangle and tee they stitch.
I popped over to Freeset. I really like the Hope bag. Beautiful.
Wow. Freeset’s ministry has inspired me. These are the handbags and totes we should buy! I first heard of Freeset on Ann Voskamp’s blog, and stumbled onto your’s while clicking around!
Thanks!
He is really speaking to my heart about Human Traf*icking today. Your blog is the 3rd today, that focused on this horrific subject. Makes me want to bring All of those young girls/women into my home. I will be keeping my eyes, mind and heart open to how He wants to use me. Thank You, for sharing this with the world. It MUST be talked about. It MUST be something The Body of Christ responds to. ~ Have a Merry, Very Blessed Christmas! ~ Jo
I just placed an order…. oh my, how can we NOT do something?! How it must grieve our Lord that these poor girls have no other option. Thanks for sharing this message!
The hope bag is gorgeous! I really like the philosophies over there.
What an awesome business! I especially love their cluster bags, but everything is so cute and for a wonderful cause. I love the idea to give this as teacher gifts… I was actually already planning to do a post on teacher gifts tomorrow and am going to include this. Thanks for spreading the word about such a great business!
I just took a look at their site and it is so great! Human trafficking has always been on my husband and my hearts so it’s nice to see a place where we can do something to help…even if it is something small!
I have been reading a lot obout FreeSet online lately, as I’ve read Blogs by several folks who have been sharing about it. I would like to share more about it too…and support the work they are doing to free women in the situations they find themselves, enslaved to prostitution to live. I don’t have a Blog, but a bracelet would be a great way to start a conversation….I’m good at that! So, hopefully a bracelet will be picked out for to wear and share! <3
Human trafficking seems to be a theme going around in my house this year. My sister interns with a non-profit that brings awareness to this issue through indie films. I went to one of their film festivals and watched The Pink Room documentary and tried not to bawl. Then my brother in high school is vp of a club that’s focusing their efforts on bringing awareness about human trafficking through a charity concert. I looked through Freeset’s website, and what they’re doing is amazing. Thanks for blogging about them!
The bracelets are beautiful…looks like they have sold out! I love what Freeset is doing for women around the world – thanks for sharing!
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