It started with a tweet and has now become more like a roar. Blogger Kristen Welch of We Are That Family sent out a request for seamstresses on Twitter, and I just so happened to see it . I don’t believe this was a coincidence, and when you think of the odds of me viewing what she posted in light of just the sheer numbers of our followers/following, real time activity, our lack of personal connection prior to this, and what has transpired since – no, coincidence is definitely not the right word.

You may not believe in divine appointments, but I do. I believe that we are all exactly where we are supposed to be at any given point in time, and if only we appreciated that gift and were fully present more often than not, we would lead lives that were more abundant, productive and joyful - but I digress.

I responded to the call for seamstresses. Kristen was mobilizing an effort to have 250 dresses made by the end of July for the organization Little Dresses for Africa. LDFA collects simple dresses made from pillowcases and distributes them throughout Africa. As soon as I saw this project, I had one of those V8 moments – you know, when suddenly everything becomes crystal clear?

We carry around these little burdens, and yet so often wonder why we have them. Should we carry them? Put them down? Pass them on? For me it was a talent for sewing, a love of dress design, a passion for the kinesthetic pleasure of creating something beautiful with your own hands, and the deep desire to make a meaningful contribution to the world.

These pillowcase dresses are the perfect place to put those burdens down. I can quickly and easily make dozens of dresses, with infinite variety, and a heart focused on the child who will eventually possess something created especially for her.

Additionally, my church family has a special relationship with the country of Liberia and regularly goes to minister to  widows, orphans, and war affected youth with medical teams, school supplies, vocational training, and other basic necessities like food and clothing. It was instantly clear to me that as soon as I was done making the 10 dresses I promised to Kristen, I would be mobilizing my own effort to make and collect these dresses to take on our next trip to Liberia.

My goal is to have 150 dresses by October 1^st (when we begin loading our container for overseas transport). I am personally committing to a dress a day from now until then – that’s 65, and I will be posting pictures daily. The rest will come from the other volunteers who have offered to sew and those who are willing to learn.

It is no coincidence you are reading this right now. If you would like to help, there are a few ways you can get involved. If you like to sew, I will get you the instructions and supplies. If you want to learn to sew, I will be holding some workshops. You can donate pillow cases from your linen closet, a  thrift shop (for double goodness points), or grab a good excuse to go shopping for new ones. We are also in need of bias tape, thread, ribbons, and assorted trims if you are one of those craft obsessives with a closet full of stuff you’ll never live long enough to use.

Just drop me note in the comment section if you’d like to get involved.