Mothers Change the World

In the midst of the changes happening around the world, what a gift it is to pause and be thankful for mothers. To honor them, we want to share a wonderful story that took place a few weeks ago:

It all started with a mother working long hours in an Indonesian hospital. One night, she faced a life or death situation caring for Covid-19 patients. The influx started taking over the emergency room and she reached out to another mother for help. “We don’t have enough personal protective equipment at our hospital. Could you please help us make something from the materials that you might have at your school?” she asked. Sosamma, the elementary principal at Mustard Seed's lab school, thought about what she could do and began checking for materials: transparent plastic sheets, rubber bands, foam mats, and glue. “Hey, we can create something from these materials,” she thought.

Together with Elly, a mother and teacher at her school, they made a prototype. They washed an old play mat that the students used and cut it into squares. They took some leftover plastic sheets from a craft project and glued them together. After that, they attached rubber bands and voila! A face shield! “It works,” they thought. That day, they made 20 of them and sent them to the hospital. It turns out that those handcrafted shields were distributed to another emergency room at a nearby hospital. “The need was high,” Sosamma said. “Those used materials could actually save people's lives! But then I realized that we didn’t have any materials left.”

The need for more face shields sparked a campaign on social media, and in no time they began getting responses from people who wanted to help. Several weeks later, teachers, parents, TransformNation (TfN) students, and field workers, began producing more face shields for medical workers. Using a tutorial Sosamma made, parents and teachers copied the prototype and produced the shields from their homes. TfN students formed small groups and worked in their dorms. Even our teachers on the Island of Promise were able to copy the tutorial and produce the shields. In just over a month, more than 2000 face shields and 250 fabric masks were distributed to 80 hospitals in 12 cities to help medical workers in need.

As we share this story, they continue producing as more requests come in.

In the hands of faithful mothers, a dire situation can be turned into a movement that sparks hope and inspires others to take action. Mustard Seed International wants to pay respect to all mothers and women who have faithfully served God with what He has placed in their hands. The seeds you have sown will continue to grow and bear fruit that will bless many generations to come. Your sacrifices are carved in the hearts of our children, students, and teachers. Your love has eternally changed their lives.

“Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.” Proverbs 31:31 NIV

Happy Mother’s Day!

From the Mustard Seed Team