Tears of Mourning to Tears of Joy We celebrate our culture by sharing it with others. For centuries stories have been passed down by Native people, telling of was experienced on the Trail of Tears. Did you know there is a Cherokee story about tears and the tear bead plant? This plant is also most well-known as Job’s tears, representing a Jewish man deep in mourning. Corn beads, also known as Cherokee Tear Beads and Job’s Tears, remind us of the beauty and strength that can be found in tragedy. As we move toward the end of 2024, we mark this time as over a year of standing beside and sitting shiva with the Jewish people. Grieving since October 7, 2023, we have aimed to bring comfort as they have mourned the loss of life, family, friends, safety, community, and support. Now we see victory after victory against terrorism and we see more and more Christians boldly speaking out in support of Israel. We see the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob turning our tears of mourning into those of solidarity, love and joy. Join us as we remember the tears of the past and pray for the healing of our Jewish brothers and sisters as they overcome the traumatic events in their community. What is FireKeepers International's mission? We prepare people for hard times and help people through hard times. We do this by preserving life heritage skills that are in danger of extinction during an era of digital preoccupation. We also bridge-build across cultures, instilling goodwill between racial groups and overcoming prejudice. We invite you to join us in learning how to make beautiful beadwork for you and the family while supporting FireKeepers International. There will also be trivia, Native wisdom, herbal moments, storytelling and more! Don't stress about trying to get it all figured out during the instructional class time! Purchasing a $25 ticket for the online class gives you perpetual access to the video recording.