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Sister-Link report for MW USA board docket
Fall 2009 -
By Berni Kaufman |
Continuing Sister-Links
1. Cedar Street Mennonite in Franklin Conference relates with Eastern Mennonite Mission worker Denise Williamson
Denise Williamson, who has given leadership to the Gambia-Cedar Street Mennonite Church Sister-Link, returned to Gambia in September 2008 for another three year term. She and her husband Gary serve with Eastern Mennonite Missions. In June, Denise and Gary shared an interactive program with Cedar Street focusing on prayer relationships and MEDHA projects they have developed. Several of these projects involve small business ventures for women such as card making, crocheting hot pads, and working with tie-dye fabric. Specific ways for the Cedar Street women to be involved during Denise’s second term will likely develop around these practical projects.
From fall 09 report: In early March, Denise & husband Gary, attended the EMM (Eastern Mennonite Missions) Missions Fair at LMHS (Lancaster Mennonite High School) and sold a lot of the products the Gambian "My Sisters Co" ladies had made, such as useful double crocheted hot pads, African fabric aprons with matching hot pads, tie dye fabrics, hand made note cards, beautiful jewelry, etc. We have more of these products to sell for them at upcoming missions events here in Franklin Co. The moneys collected will go for more Sister Link projects in The Gambia. “We had an excellent time of retreat…in a guest house with all the comforts of home (in the US)… Denise led sessions on Prayer: comparing our prayer practices to biblical models and to our own USA cultural norms , and doing activity-oriented prayer sessions…Please continue to pray that we might now hold to covenants that we world on during these sessions.”
They returned to the Gambia with a large metal rectangular canner to help preserve fruit and twist jar lids to fit recycled jars. Denise reports for Sister Link: "We have had success with using the large metal rectangular canner over a charcoal fire to jar mangoes during the rainy season, using recycled glass jars collected in-country and new twist lids purchased with Sister Link funds. They did our first round of mango jarring and had more than 50 sealed jars and then made a small batch of mango jam. We had six women help with the project. The canner is perfect for this environment.
At present Denise and EMM co-worker Lori Doll (Hartville MC, Hartville, Ohio) have a dual focus in women's ministries: one is to the Muslim women of their village and one is to the women who participate in the Mennonite Churches of the Gambia fellowships that meet in several different villages. (Pictured is some of the tie-dye work that the women do.)
2. Mennonite Disaster Service Housewarming Sister-Link.
Eloise Yoder, Archbold, OH has coordinated this Sister-Link since August 2008. Eloise reports that many requests from across the country have come in for the guidelines. “Apparently from reading of the project in publications,” she surmises.
Since 2005, women from 16 states and 1 Canadian province have made wallhangings. These 129 gifts have gone to 6 different states. In 2009, 36 wallhangings have been given.
A personal note from Berni: Realizing she had a real treasure in her hands, Rhoda Keener made two copies of the Housewarming notebook from Elaine before she delivered it to Eloise in August. During her visit to Newton in September, Rhoda left the pages for the office notebook. When I assembled the pages into a notebook, I was thrilled to recognize some recipients! October 2007, I worked with MDS in Pass Christian, Miss. One of the jobs was painting the interior of a home for an eighty-five-year-old man and his grown son. It was so exciting to see them in the notebook and their wallhanging, affirming that their home was, in fact, completed. When I see the smile on their faces in the picture, I can hear the “thank you” we received daily when David, Jr., brought cold juice or tea for our break. He usually sat with us to make sure we did take a break.
2. Hively Avenue MW with the preschool that meets in their church.
For the past 5 years, the Mennonite Women of Hively Avenue Mennonite Church have related to mothers of their Preschool children. For each mother of preschool students who has a baby during the year, the Mennonite Women visit and present them with a gift bag filled with some diapers and newborn clothes and a blanket. “It is an opportunity to visit and be an extension of the Preschool and Hively Avenue Church in a loving and caring way,” reports Amanda Fast from the women’s group.
3. Indiana-Michigan MW and Church Without Walls Emerge program for women.
Adopt-a-Family: In October, Emerge sends names and need of families in the Elkhart area. The Yellow Creek women create tags listing gender and ages of these family members. Placed in the foyer of the church, congregation members pick them up and buy the gifts. The MYF group wraps the gifts. In December, the Yellow Creek women’s group and the families join for dinner. The families bring salads and dessert. Yellow Creek provides the meat and hot dishes. Everyone gathers around the big Christmas tree to give and receive gifts.
VBS offering: This summer household supplies and money were collected. During a program following Bible School, Cora Brown and Sabrina, coordinators of Emerge, came to thank the children and to explain how these items would be distributed and used. The offering was loaded into Cora and Sabrina’s van and appreciated by the Emerge community.
Gwen Hernley and Katie, Yellow Creek contacts, lunch together with Cora and Sabrina to listen to each other’s needs. Berni asked Gwen for Sabrina’s last name. “We’ve worked together for [five] years and I don’t know her last name. We’ve been together for so long we’re on a first name basis,” she said.
4. International Women’s Fund recipients from Colombia and the King’s Daughters women’s group from First Mennonite in Aberdeen, Idaho.
Hand made doilies were sent by the King's Daughters for Patricia Rosero and Yesenia Avila with Linda Shelley within the last year. The Kings' Daughters continue to provide scholarship assistance for IWF. With leadership from Diane Hernandez, this group is planning to expand their Sister-Link to relate to students at Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Colombia. Connections in process.
5. South Central Conference Mennonite Women has linked all of the churches in their conference in Sister-Link church relationships. They did this through a random drawing at their area conference meeting, and are now finding contact women to facilitate the relationships. No report in Fall 2009. |