Rainey Barrineau never thought her hobbies would matter much beyond her own enjoyment.
Knitting. Crocheting. Junk journaling. Watercolor painting. These are the quiet, creative activities she has loved since childhood. She never imagined they would follow her across five countries, into translation communities she had never heard of, and straight into some of the most sacred moments of her life.
But that is exactly what happened.
Rainey joined the Seed Company team alongside her husband Blake, serving as a storyteller and helping document the impact of Bible translation work happening around the world. The role often means long travel days, unfamiliar cultures, and the privilege of sitting with communities finally receiving Scripture in their heart language. To her surprise, the crafts she had packed to pass time in airports would become some of her most meaningful tools in the field.
A Bracelet and a Blind Woman
In the Philippines, Rainey made friendship bracelets for every person she met, praying over each one before she gave it away. One of those bracelets went to a woman who had been blind from birth. When Rainey placed it in her hands, she helped her trace her fingers over the letters of the verse reference for Romans 8:1: “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus” (NLT). The woman told Rainey that that verse was spoken over her when she first walked into a church and committed her life to Christ. To feel those letters with her own hands was something she had never experienced before. It was a small gift made with simple materials, but it carried the full weight of what Scripture access makes possible.
Beads as a Gospel Tool
In one country where openly sharing the gospel is restricted, local translators rely on unassuming, organic ways to share their faith. So Rainey began stringing beads of different colors that were symbolic of parts of the gospel story.
She left having gifted bracelets to translators who immediately began imagining how to use them: tied to a sari, attached as a keychain, passed from hand to hand. A simple string of beads became an invaluable tool for gospel conversations.
When You Cannot Take Pictures, You Paint Them
In another country where photographing local believers posed a security risk, Rainey pulled out a travel watercolor set and documented what she witnessed through art instead. Curled on the floor during a Scripture dedication ceremony, she sketched and painted, capturing abstract scenes no camera could safely record.
“As I sat on the plane flying home, I realized how God wastes nothing. No moment is wasted,” Rainey shared.
Not the skills we dismiss as trivial. Not the hobbies we relegate to spare time. Not the gifts we assume have no place in ministry.
When we bring Him what we have, He determines what it becomes.
Rainey’s story is a reminder that Bible translation is not only for linguists and theologians. It belongs to any believer willing to show up with whatever they have—and let Him do the rest.
