One day while casually talking with a co-worker, Lisa’s husband, Mike, discovered the opportunity to work with the people in El Salvador. There was a church that had adopted a “canton” (a small village) in El Salvador, and it was seeking work for the sewing center that the church was funding.

Seeing this as a valuable opportunity, Lisa made a trip to Berlin, El Salvador, in early March 2002, bringing with her all the supplies and materials needed to get people sewing. Unfortunately the sewing machines being used in Berlin were extremely outdated and not operating properly. Upon returning to the United States, Lisa, with the help of Heartland Church of Des Moines, Iowa, purchased three new machines and brought them back to Berlin. She stayed to train the team how to operate the new equipment as well as teach them the finer points of quilting. These individuals are now creating beautiful bags from unique fabrics to be sold in the United States.