By Joetta Lehman, OMS USA Missionary

On August 15, 2006, a Christian businesswoman, Charlene Benchmark, called OMS International, offering to donate more than 200 wedding gowns. Her bridal boutique was going out of business, so she wanted to give all the dresses to someone who could use them. The total value of her offer was worth nearly $140,000.

I contacted our OMS fields to find out if any of them had a need for the dresses. I heard back from Africa, Haiti, Mexico and Russia. In September, we picked up the gowns. In all, we received 75 wedding gowns, 6 headpieces and 11 flower girl dresses, for a total value of more than $58,000. A couple of OMS USA missionaries and I sorted through the dresses, getting them ready to ship overseas.

One gown, valued at $2,300, was sent to Haiti where several Haitians living in the north have started a wedding gown rental business to generate much-needed income.

Several OMS missionaries passing through the OMS World Headquarters in Greenwood, Indiana, helped transport the gowns to the different fields.

Many of the dresses ended in Russia.

Here is a thank you note we received from Natasha Tsuserova in Moscow:

“I want to thank you for all the wedding dresses you sent us. This is the perfect gift from God to our girls at the (OMS-related) Moscow Evangelical Christian Seminary. I have never seen such beautiful dresses like this in my life. Our girls are so happy. My English is not so good, so I cannot find the right words to tell you how happy they are. Praise the Lord!

“So far, we have had two weddings in your dresses, and one more is coming soon. I am sending you pictures so you rejoice with us. Look how beautiful the girls are! With love from Moscow, Natasha.”