(So Much) More than a Fashion Statement

My name is Lindsey Green, and I am the intern for CGI working under the lovely Kristen Baynai and Whitney Vance. I get to assist with CGI events and connect with byTavi and Imprint reps. I’m also the assistant manager at JenDaisy boutique in Greenwood, where Friday, October 25th we will launch the Imprint clothing line in our boutique!

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Jenny Russell (JenDaisy owner) and our staff are excited to introduce an affordable and stylish fair trade clothing line to JenDaisy customers. We strongly believe in the mission CGI has to empower the poor in Cambodia. Each article of clothing in this line shares a story of restoration and hope that will serve as a conversation-starter to raise awareness on extreme poverty and human trafficking.

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I was able to travel to Cambodia four years ago where I met the beautiful ladies and talented seamstresses in CGI’s programs. For four years now they have held a special place in my heart, and I would have never imagined the opportunities I would have to share their stories. Even though I am thousands of miles away from Cambodia, CGI has kept me connected to these women. Having this line at JenDaisy will impact families in Cambodia and I am so thankful for that, but these women have truly impacted me greatly as well. I feel blessed to be a part of the Imprint launch and combine my passion for these women and fashion into one big picture.

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By Lindsey Green

Day of Prayer Reflections

Wow. 24 hours of prayer for Cambodia and with Cambodia is such a rare and special thing. When I sat down to pray this morning, it started pouring rain and it made me think of the floods and devastation in Cambodia right now. It was a sweet time to pray for the country as a whole, and those affected by God’s mighty Creation, and the women that we have grown to love. {by Kristen Baynai}

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When I sat down to pray this morning I wasn’t sure what to pray about… being part of CGI for the past couple years, so many things came to mind that it was almost paralyzing. Then, I realized that over 100 people would be praying for Cambodia, CGI, and all the women at-risk in our programs, both in the US and in Cambodia for 24 hours straight and I was encouraged. Once again I was reminded how widespread the family of God is and if God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31). {by Whitney Vance}

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I heard a sermon recently about prayer. Specifically, it was about people recorded in the Bible that conversed with God in such a way that He altered the course of events to meet their requests. Sometimes I forget that prayer holds so much power, and today was a great reminder. I often feel small and powerless when I hear the stories of desperation surrounding many of the women and families in Cambodia. But through prayer, I can access the One who has the power to change the game for these women. {by Caroline Mosey}

Countdown to CGI Day of Prayer!

The countdown is on for CGI’s Day of Prayer next Thursday, October 17! (If you missed the details, you can catch up here.)

We’re glad to see so many of you have already signed up to pray for a 15 minute block of time. We’d love to get every 15 minute slot filled–even with several people in each spot–so if you have 15 minutes available and a heart for the ministry of CGI, please join us!

The Day of Prayer comes at a good time. After 5 years in operation, CGI is in a place to pause and look back at God’s faithfulness. From the byTavi program to the Culinary Training School to the new Imprint Project, he has blessed the trajectory of CGI and used it to touch and change lives. We are also in a place where we are looking ahead, and anxious to follow where he leads.

Prayer is the best tool we have. We have the ability to petition the God of the Universe, and that’s exactly what we want to do on October 17. We want to intercede on behalf of the poor and the marginalized in Cambodia, the families that need to know there’s a Savior who came –and is still coming–for them, for those who work so hard to lift others out of poverty, and for the alignment of CGI’s vision with God’s. Prayer is critical every day, but we hope you’ll set aside some time next Thursday to pray with us in a unified effort.

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” 1 John 5:14

Sign up to pray!

 

We Love Our byTavi Advocates!

Jack Meyer modeling for the camera!

Jack Meyer modeling for the camera!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…

Are you ready for the holidays? We at byTavi are gearing up for a fun fall season where our events and sales go through the roof. What a blessing it is to be a part of a cause that allows us to empower women through the gifts that we buy. In contemplating this blog post, I just keep thinking of all the people who have blessed us through this year. I’d like to highlight some of those people for their commitment and creativity and do hope that it may spur you to bring byTavi into your life as well.

This summer, we had a volunteer host a garage sale with all proceeds being donated to CGI. She raised over $1,000! Not only that, she also sold the byTavi products for over $500.

Over the past year, two women have committed a full day a week to the byTavi office & store. They have packed, tagged, and inventoried thousands of items and have been such a great support to our staff. Our events are completely volunteer run and we could not even get to those events without women like them.

My own family hosted an auction at our family reunion this fall. Everybody brought in their own item donations and auctioned them off to benefit CGI. With a matching grant from my cousin’s company, we raised over $10,000! My favorite part was when my grandpa modeled one of the new Imprint Dresses for $100. (You can see that photo above!)

Because the majority of byTavi is volunteer run, all of our men and women are essential to our growth. This year, January – August, we are 22% ahead of where we were at this point in 2012. This would not be possible without our advocates all over the nation. Thank you for making byTavi a part of your story. You are truly making a difference in many lives.

By Kristen Baynai

24 Hours of Prayer

October 17 is a day set aside by the UN to focus the world’s attention on the plight of the poor. The UN deemed it the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, and here at CGI, we thought it would be a great idea to merge prayer for our ministry with a day that calls attention to those we seek to serve: victims of poverty.

Prayer is a very powerful tool against oppression. CGI’s programs are designed to give opportunities that lift the poor out of their desperate situations, but prayer is the true catalyst for the miraculous changes we see. Our efforts can only go so far; our Creator is the one who breathes life into our work and gives it meaning.

Our vision for October 17 is to set aside 24 hours of focused prayer for CGI, praying for the programs, participants and staff. The first half of the day, prayer will take place in Cambodia and the second half will take place in the US. Below is a CGI Prayer Guide of specific needs you can pray for.  It’s our hope that it will be a powerful day of prayer that results in “immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine.”

Mark your calendars for October 17 and join us as we pray around the clock and around the world for CGI!

Sign up for 15-minute time slots (take as many slots as you want!) here> [mt_button url=”http://vols.pt/ekpiPZ” size=”medium” type=”round” target=”_blank” icon=””] Choose Your Time Slot [/mt_button]

PRAYER GUIDE

[mt_highlight] PRAY [/mt_highlight][mt_one_fourth]

[mt_calloutbox] byTavi [/mt_calloutbox][/mt_one_fourth] [mt_three_fourth_last]for all the women who participate in the byTavi program.
for Nary, Mouy, and Sreymao, Mala, and Sokchea who administrate the program and lead the byTavi women.
for the families of the byTavi women.
that all the women of the byTavi program might have the opportunity to know Christ.
for the protection and expansion of the byTavi program as we look toward 2014.[/mt_three_fourth_last]
[mt_highlight] PRAY[/mt_highlight][mt_one_fourth]

[mt_calloutbox] Imprint Project [/mt_calloutbox][/mt_one_fourth] [mt_three_fourth_last]for the 8 young women who will participate in The Imprint Project beginning in November.
for the newly formed Imprint Project Leadership Team – Vannak (Team 1 Leader/Spiritual Formation/Life Skills), Sina (Team 2 Leader/Spiritual Formation/Life Skills), Pisai (Vocational Trainer), Chantoo (Vocational Trainer), Thika (Math/Computer), and Thieara (Literacy).
for the families of the Imprint Project participants.
that all of the Imprint Project women and their parents/siblings might come to know Christ.
for the funding needed for this new program.[/mt_three_fourth_last]
[mt_highlight] PRAY[/mt_highlight][mt_one_fourth]

[mt_calloutbox] Culinary Training Center [/mt_calloutbox][/mt_one_fourth] [mt_three_fourth_last]for all the young women who are a part of the culinary training program in Battambang.
for Ryana DeArmond, Ly Phalla, Sokheoun, Makaria and Ponleu as they work together to administrate the CTC and Green Mango.
for the expansion of the culinary program as we move toward opening a second restaurant in March (Mexican!) and then the coffee shop in May.
for Derek and Hiatt Fields as they join the CGI team in Battambang.
for the success of this business model of missions.[/mt_three_fourth_last]
[mt_highlight] PRAY[/mt_highlight][mt_one_fourth]

[mt_calloutbox] CGI Overall [/mt_calloutbox][/mt_one_fourth] [mt_three_fourth_last]for Alan and Katy Beringer as they help to oversee the work of CGI in Phnom Penh.
for the CGI Cambodia Office Staff – Navy, Kimlang, Sopheany, and Sreyleak.
for the development of the CGI Kids Program both in the US and Cambodia.
for our US Staff – Nathan, Whitney, Kristen, Hali, Carrie, Nicole, Vanessa, Gary, Caroline, Jaime and Joyce.
for the volunteers without whom we could not exist.[/mt_three_fourth_last]

By Caroline Mosey

Influence Conference

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Jessi Connolly speaking at the Influence Conference

This past week, byTavi staff member Whitney Vance and I had the pleasure of attending the Influence Conference. I must be honest in saying we had no idea what we were walking into. Personally, I wondered how all these women could walk into Indianapolis from all over the country and instantly feel comfortable in a sea of 300 other women. I am secretly an introvert so it all seemed way crazy.

But after meeting the leadership, and several of the women working to make this event a success, I understood better. You see, these are all bloggers and social media gurus. They build relationships through the truth of their writing and posting. I started to think about how many face-to-face relationships I have that are shallow and even fake, because it is so easy to stay surface level in front of people. But when you really start digging into the truth of life, and open yourself up on paper (or computers), relationships are built without ever meeting that other woman. It’s truly a beautiful thing.

Thank you, Influence Conference, for opening up my eyes to deep and personal relationships, a new way to look at social media, and for allowing us to share the story of our girls and women at the Center for Global Impact. It was refreshing to tell you all about our friends, our programs, and our mission. We hope that you feel empowered to engage the world and empower other women.

By Kristen Baynai