100 prayer flags for the world ~ Come weave!

"Bahati"

In about three weeks, I will be heading off for a very special trip. I will be flying to Cape Town, South Africa via Dubai. I will spend about 2 weeks there before casting off and sailing across the Atlantic to the Caribbean. I will be joining my friend Nat who has been circumnavigating the globe since late 2005 aboard Bahati, a 43' Montevideo Cutter.

While in South Africa, I will have about 2 weeks prior to embarking. During that time I hope to travel, see sites and connect with communities, schools and art/craft organizations. 

100 Prayer flags

 My goal is to weave 100 prayer flags before I leave. My vision is to have a stack of prayer flags to give freely while in South Africa, as well as on the isolated islands that we will stop at en-route.

We plan to stop at St. Helena and Ascension Island.  
How amazing to be able to leave a string of prayer flags at these remote communities!

St Helena ~ North West of South Africa

 So I send out this blog as an invitation to come to my studio to weave. Let me know what time/day works for you and we'll make a date. I ask for only a two hour window of your time.

For those of you who live at a distance, your words of support feed this project as well as the actions of those who are able to physically lend a hand. Every action is noticed and received with love.





With continued heartfelt gratitude for all your words and actions of support ~ Sarah

Ripple Effect

Joy for June! Just when I think that the "waters" of the Woven Voices project are calming down, a new wave washes to shore.

This past week I received images from Africa. Ian was a student at Bowdoin College in Maine when he sent me dozens of messages of hope and peace from his fellow students. Now he is a Peace Corps volunteer in Banjul, The Gambia, West Africa. The photos here taken were taken on Muslim New Years in front of his school, Suduwol Upper Basic School. I sent these flags to him in the fall/2008 with the hope of receiving a photo someday. I learned from Ian's mother that it takes him 7 hours in a bus with many river/ferry crossings to get to Banjul where he has slow Internet access!

Here's what Ian says: "Thanks for the flags. They are standing up well to the African sun and wind, and the rains will be coming soon. The students are the 7th and 8th graders in my school who are in the Library Club."

Heartfelt thanks to Ian for going the extra miles to get these images to me! I am VERY grateful.

I also have images of the prayer flags in Germany which I will post soon. The ripple effect of the Woven Voices project is still in motion!

Speaking of continuity, I will be back in Market Square, Portsmouth, NH on Thursday June 11th, at noon. I have about 100 messages to read which should take about 45 minutes. I hope you will join me to read and honor these words of peace and hope gathered from as far as Nepal and as close as home.

As always, continue to send me messages and please consider coming to my studio to weave prayer flags (York is a lovely destination in the summer!).

Namaste, Sarah