Julay Paw is a new citizen of the United States. Before that, she lived in a refugee camp in Thailand. Julay is from the Karén people group of Burma. But Julay and many other Karén people fled persecution in Burma and moved to the camps in Thailand. Now, many Karén families are moving to the United States.
Julay and her friends know how to weave beautiful fabric using wooden looms that they tie to the wall. The children, moms, and grandmothers all help with the weaving process. First, they wind the skeins of thread into balls. Next, they weave horizontal threads around sticks on a large loom. Then, they switch to a smaller loom and weave the vertical threads into the horizontal ones. These threads, when they are all woven together, make very colorful pieces of fabric. The Karen women make scarves, tunics, and purses from this fabric. They sell these items to make money for their families.
The Gladys Moore Missions Offering helps Julay and her friends purchase thread, wood for their weaving looms, and sewing machines for their small business, which is called the Kli-Kla Market. The Kli-Kla Market is part of Hope for Refugees , a ministry that helps Karén people when they move to Dallas.
Pray for Julay Paw and other Karen refugees. Pray for Jeni Knighten and Rebekah Petty, who direct the Hope for Refugees ministry.
Read another Gladys Moore Missions Offering story for children.