HARLINGEN — Flowers surround a snarling tiger in a piece of decoupage.
A cheetah prowls across a pillow, a Djembe drum dangles at the end of a necklace, and a lioness surveys a herd of wildebeest on a wall hanging.
Interested?
You can buy one Saturday if you take a “Walk on the Wild Side” at the home of the Rev. Meizie Salinas and her husband Ed. The couple is hosting a wine and cheese event at their home at 5409 Remington Dr.
While there, you can browse a broad range of items for sale: wall hangings with Christmas trees and Texas cowgirls, woodcarvings of prowling lions and African dancers, and pillows with hummingbirds. Meizie, a retired Army chaplain, and her husband are selling these items to raise money in support of a children’s library in the African country of Malawi.
“During COVID I had some extra time on my hands so I just started sewing until I couldn’t sew anymore,” she said.
She and her husband, a retired teacher, had already done extensive missionary work in Malawi, most recently the funding of an elementary school. So when she realized she’d accrued a large quantity of crafts, the only logical next step was – books, or rather the funding of such.
Hence this Saturday’s event from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. when visitors can swing by and explore a home filled with wall hanging depicting giraffes in moonlight, churches in blue snow, and seagulls in Christmas caps.
She presented a piece with the words “Amazing Grace” and a scripture.
“These are religious gifts for people looking for something religious,” she said.
Then, “I have something for everybody, I even have Frida,” she said presenting a small wall hanging with an idealized image of the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.
She and her husband have been involved with the Presbyterian Church in Malawi for quite some time. They’ve done extensive missionary work in the Congo, Zaire, Zambia, Egypt, and even Cuba. However, they’ve grown especially close to Malawi, beginning with a close relationship with the pastor and his wife who called them grandma and grandpa.
Not long ago they sent packages of reusable pads and other items for girls in the community, and then they raised money for the library next to an elementary school. That library, called Reverend Meizie and Eddie Salinas Library in their honor, will be completed in about a month.
But what’s a library without books?
That’s what the fundraiser is for, and 100 percent of the money raised will be used for books.
“They are so hungry for knowledge and that’s why this library means so much to us, to build the library and be able to furnish it with books,” she said.
For more information or to make purchases before or after the event, call Meizie Salinas at (956) 230-0653.
