Soul Warmers, or Where Plush Friends Come From: the Unique Textile Workshop of St. Elisabeth Convent
How do toys come to
be? Of course, they are brought to us by a stork right into a bed… where
children find them.
Our children live
in a magic world where all objects, especially toys, are alive. Children know
who can make them happy. Only children are able to look into the toys’ eyes and
see something real and living. This is especially true if the toys are made by
hand and with sincere love — like they do in the Soul-Warmers Workshop of Saint
Elisabeth Convent.
Eco-friendly toys
are the best known products of the workshop. A craftsperson put some part of
his soul into each item. The items also show the beauty of nature—plants,
fields, and the sun—because they are made of natural materials, such as linen,
cashmere, buckwheat husks, and cotton.
The eco-friendly
toys don’t just entertain children: they also have a healing and calming effect
and possess hypoallergenic qualities. They are beneficial for the child’s mood
and health. Some of our toys can easily turn into a pillow, while others can be
heated up and used as bed warmers for your child. They can be useful for
rubbing the child’s back and legs.
Toy animals stuffed
with buckwheat hulls belong to our Anti-Stress series, which is always an
advantage. Additionally, even if your child lives in an urban environment, she
will be able to listen to the whisper of buckwheat fields and the smell of
grain.
In spite of the tight
hugs of their young owners, our “soul warmers” retain their shape quite well.
Every mother wants
a new toy to be safe, easily washable, beneficial for manual dexterity and
color perception, and to preserve its shape for a long time. Our textile toys
workshops aims to make toys that possess all of the above characteristics.
You will definitely
find something special in our workshop. Our workshop makes products for
everyone with warm heartfelt prayer. “Bedtime Fairy Tale” sets for the little
ones. Foamiran decorations for young princesses. Cashmere Anti-Stress animals
for fun-loving boys… er, these ones will be fun for everyone, in fact. Those
who have grown up already but still remember what it’s like to be a child will
enjoy our interior toys made of linen.
Buying a new
handmade toy, you contribute to charity. The proceeds will allow patients of
the Boarding Home for Children with Special Needs to get new toys, too.
Our Workshop runs a
social outreach project titled More Than a Gift. Our goal is to establish a
fund to support rehabilitation projects of the National Applied Research Center
of Juvenile Oncology, Hematology, and Immunology. Aside from selling our toys,
we hold the following events within the frameworks of this project: interactive
workshop sessions on making the “soul warmers” for children and exhibitions to
showcase our products and draw people’s attention to the projects that require
support and volunteer effort. The budget of this fund is composed of the
earnings from sale of the products made in the Soul Warmers Workshop of St.
Elisabeth Convent. You can help ill children by buying from us.
Each toy reflects
the love that lives in the heart of its creator. When this love echoes in a
pure soul of a child, it’s a genuine miracle. Remember your teddy bear that
remained with you throughout your childhood? He was always near. He could keep
secrets. He never criticized you. He made you happy. Even today, stuffed toys
make us feel comfortable, warm, protected, and cuddled. They are loved by little
children and adults alike. They become one’s best friends for years.
Every soul warmer
in our workshop is looking forward to a trip to its new owner. It dreams of
becoming useful and getting its own name from you.
By Vladislav Gurin,
the Master of Theology,
a PG student of the Minsk Theological Academy
The Catalog of Good Deeds, 2018
