“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think…”Ephesians 3:20
by June Freund
Unmistakable Calling
Sometimes God begins a ministry with an ordinary conversation that turns into an unmistakable calling. In late May 2025, Autumn Nims from International Women’s Ministry reached out to Diana Cheston and I. She asked us to meet her for coffee at First Free Coffee Shop in Charlottesville, VA. During that meeting, she shared a vision the Lord had placed on her heart. She spoke about the needs of women in countries such as Africa, India, the Philippines, and Indonesia—women who lacked even the most basic necessities like sanitary products, baby diapers, blankets, and simple market bags for the elderly. These are everyday items that could greatly improve their quality of life.
The First of Many Miracles
Autumn asked if we would be interested in partnering with her to sew and provide these items. Diana and I immediately felt a strong sense that this was God’s will. From that moment, Threads of Blessing was born—the name the Lord gave us.
Immediately, God began to move. I had just finished getting my hair done, and I felt the Lord prompting me to stop at Fabric Outlet on Route 29. I hesitated and even argued, saying, “I don’t need anything there.” But the urging was very strong, so I obeyed and stopped.
While I was there, I began looking through the scrap bin, thinking I might find a few pieces of fabric that could work for the items we planned to make. Then I sensed the Lord prompting me again: “Go ask them if they ever donate fabric to nonprofit organizations and explain what you are doing.”
With some fear and hesitation, I approached someone and asked if they ever donated fabric to nonprofit groups. I shared the vision of Threads of Blessing. She immediately went to the back and brought out the store owner. He said, “Come with me,” and led me to a large shelf filled with upholstery and drapery fabrics. He told me, “You can take any—or all—of these.”
Amazed, I asked, “All of it?” He smiled and told me to pull my car up to the back door, and he personally loaded it for me. When I left, the entire back of my Subaru hatchback was filled to the brim with bolts of upholstery and drapery fabric—perfect for making bags to hold the items we would be sewing.
The Lord Abundantly Provided
We began meeting on June 10, 2025, to sew these items. The ministry quickly grew as women from our church and the surrounding community joined us after hearing about the work. It became clear that God was moving.
A couple of days later, I was at Joann Fabrics in Charlottesville as they were going out of business and having a huge sale. I called Autumn to ask if there was any money in the budget to purchase fabric at such an incredible price. She told me I could spend up to $200. Before I left the store, I had selected over $700 worth of fabric—but paid less than $200. It was yet another clear sign that God was in this project.
New Growth brought unexpected Challenges
By late 2025, however, we began facing challenges. We were running out of storage space at Riverstone Church, which had graciously partnered with us and allowed us to use a room twice a month—on the second and fourth Tuesdays. We were storing items in multiple places: a shared ministry trailer, cabinets at the church, and even in our own homes. Each meeting required significant time for setup and cleanup, which reduced the time we could spend sewing.
Recognizing the need, Diana Cheston, co-leader of Threads mentioned her son, Ben Cheston, could create a promotional video for us. Over the course of the next couple of months, he put together a beautiful video that shared our mission and expressed our need for more space, while also asking for prayer for God’s provision. On May 24, 2026, we presented the video at church. That very day, we received two potential offers for space.
On May 26, we were introduced to a possible location by Tom Bouch, near his construction business in the business park in Earlysville, VA. Then, on May 29, we visited the space. What we received was far beyond what we had imagined—not only a dedicated room, but access to the entire floor of the building, which had not been rented in years. The building owner, Donnie Foster, generously allowed us to use the main room and, as long as it remained available, the entire floor. This truly was a gift from God.
Celebration and Dedication
Just two days later, on May 31, a group of 10–12 women came together to clean the entire floor. By June 9, we had furnished the space and held our first meeting there. We celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by 18–20 people—a joyful and memorable occasion.
Equipped and Ready to Work
On June 12, Diana had connected with the Albemarle County Public Schools warehouse. That day, I visited the warehouse, and they generously donated eight tables and five chairs to Threads of Blessing. Combined with additional furniture brought by others, we were fully equipped for our work.
On June 23, we held our second meeting in the new space. During that meeting, I received a call from Andy at the Albemarle County Public Schools warehouse, offering additional fabric. Of course, we gladly accepted. As of June 24, I am on my way to pick up that fabric—another example of God’s continued provision.
What began as a coffee conversation has become a living testimony of God’s faithfulness. From the first prompting to the fabric, the space, the furniture, and every woman He has brought alongside us, the Lord has provided exactly what was needed at exactly the right time. Threads of Blessing is not a story of our ability, but of His goodness. Again and again, He has opened doors no one could open, supplied what we could not afford, and confirmed that this work belongs to Him. We give Him all the glory and trust Him to continue what He has so faithfully begun.
