She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.” Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate. Proverbs 31:25-31
Xavera is one of two married mommas at No.41. She and her husband, Leo, both grew up at the Noel Orphanage and, now, they and their 3 kiddos are our next door neighbors! Xavera had already long moved on from Noel by the time I got there, so when I was gathering lists for who would be working at No.41, her name never came up.
As I moved into the new house and the project got underway, I started to become friends with Leo. (I think all of my neighbors had some kind of take-care-of-Tara pact.) Leo, who was unemployed, was in charge of handyman services. He would come over in the evenings and just start fixing things, any things. Changing lightbulbs, fixing a dripping faucet, hanging curtains...Leo did all.
One day, he came to the house to ask for a job for his wife. I had never met Xavera and, at that time, things were growing at such a rapid rate. We had more than twice as many girls as we had machines and people were coming to the house every day to ask for a job. I had to say no, to so many, until we decided to start making paper bead jewelry.
Making paper beads required no extra space and very little in the way of materials. I immediately told Leo to ask Xavera if she could show up for training on Monday morning. She showed up, introduced herself to me, hugged on the girls, and she set about the task of meticulously cutting strips paper and turning them into beads. A quick study, Xavera became a teacher and eventually a manger. Not once has she looked back. With the addition a new house and additional machines, Xavera eventually learned to sew and continues to manage with a high standard of excellence. She is not only up for any challenge, she challenges me. She is the voice of reason and everyone looks to her as an older sister; she knows the girls, knows their habits, and they respect her (even if they don't always like what she has to say).
Xavera is a hero in my book. She leads our crew with a quiet confidence; she is willing to learn and unafraid to stand up for what's right. The income Xavera makes at No.41 supports her family, but Xavera also supports countless other families in her community by providing school lunches to students who would normally go without. Momma, leader, sister, teacher, servant, friend. Xavera is world changer and an example to us all.
If you would like to honor your momma by honoring one of ours, there are a couple of ways to do that. You can shop the shop (free shipping through Saturday!!). Each woman is paid a fair wage for the work she does and you will get a card with each handmade item letting you know exactly who made it and a bit more of her story. With every purchase, the ladies donate 100% of the proceeds back into a feeding program created at a school in their community. So, like most moms, you'll be doing double duty. :)
Thank you for reading and sharing!! This isn't possible without you!
Come back Friday and meet our next momma! And if you missed Fanny, click here.
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