“I love making hats. I’ve been doing it for a few years now. I choose the fabrics carefully and I never make two the same. I’ve made over 1000 hats! But it’s more than the hats themselves. I love going to the markets and meeting people.”

“Women come up to my stall, and they talk to me about hats and I suggest colours. They look in the mirror and they feel beautiful. One lady was buying a scarf hat for her daughter who was going through chemotherapy. I cried with her. Another customer told me about the drought in Australia and how hard it’s been. I think that the hats and the conversation are a bit of refreshment.

“My favourite verse in the Bible is actually about refreshment. It’s in 2 Timothy 1. Paul was in prison, and because of that, many people in Asia had deserted him. But his much-loved friend, Onesiphorus, didn’t desert him and Paul wrote this about him – “He often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains.” (verse 16)

“I love that verse. I first read it 25 years ago and I’ve always wanted to be like Onesiphorus. I want to have friends like that, and I want to be a friend like that – someone who brings refreshment. And I think that the hats and the conversations are refreshing.

“Usually, when I’m chatting with customers at the markets, I tell them about how much I enjoy making the hats, and that I feel blessed, and grateful to God for the opportunity. Then they ask me if I’m a Christian, and I say yes, and then we talk about Jesus. Sometimes I pray for them. And then they come back and find me at the next market. It’s great!”

Christine’s story is part of Eternity’s Faith Stories series, compiled by Naomi Reed. Click here for more Faith Stories.