Fair Trade Friday and a Giveaway

I've followed Kristen Welch's blog We Are That Family for quite a while now and had heard about Mercy House Kenya (a ministry that provides support, shelter, education and medical care for pregnant and new mothers in Kenya).  Well, Fair Trade Friday is another ministry of Mercy House Kenya, a monthly subscription club that sends a box of 3-4 quality fair traded items to your door (think stylish accessories, organic soap, etc).  It provides employment and empowerment to women all over the world, giving the artisans a fair source of income that can help sustain their family as well as introduce them to the gospel.

So when I heard that the Fair Trade Friday and new Fair Trade Earring Club was putting together blogging team to help spread the word about these great ministries, I gladly joined in.  I've been so inspired by the encouragement in the group and the information shared about these ministries.  If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you've likely seen some of these great reminders.

As a stay-at-home mom to two preschoolers and an almost 1st grader, it is sometimes hard to see how I can make a difference in the lives of others on the other side of the world, but purchasing fair trade items from ministries like Fair Trade Friday (and spreading the word about them) is a great place to start.

Fair Trade Friday group sent me this adorable pair of earrings below to give me a better idea of what their new Earring club is like.  Now, I'm normally not a big jewelry person but these are so beautiful. I love the meaning and purpose behind a fashion accessory like this- using your purchases to be a blessing to others.

The beautiful earrings from Fair Trade Friday Earring of the month club, made by a woman in India - photos by me :)

So I thought I'd share a bit more and give you a chance to win these gorgeous earrings.  Just do a few simple things to learn about Fair Trade Friday and Mercy House in the rafflecopter link below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you are interested in more information about joining Fair Trade Friday or the monthly Fair Trade Earring Club, please follow the links.  Sometimes there are waitlists for one or the other, but if you're interested, please take the time to join the waitlist so you know when they are able to expand their subscription list (they add new members from the waitlist almost every month and rely on the waitlist to project numbers as they work with the artisan groups).

Learning more about using my purchase to impact others for Christ in the world beyond our Gravelly Road.

* Note: I haven't ordered a FTF box or earrings from Fair Trade Friday yet, but I did order some Christmas presents from the Mercy Shop and was impressed by what I received.

* unless otherwise noted, images provided by Fair Trade Friday