By Stephen Smoot
“My parents were missionaries in Papua New Guinea,” shared Paula Mitchell. “I saw the effect on someone who received a quilt.”
One of America’s greatest artistic and cultural traditions, that of turning care-worn pieces of garments, drapes, blankets, or other items fashioned of cloth, and refurbishing them into a durable, warm, and incredibly useful quilt, has been taken on by Lutheran churches and expanded into a global mission.
Mitchell explained that Americans who generally use them to snuggle up and get warm during the winter months may not see all the uses for them in other parts of the world. She shared first that tropical areas experience rainy seasons that bring high winds, cooling rains, and conditions where one will need good quality bedding to stay warm.
“Beyond that,” said Mitchell, “they used them for lots of different things.” People used them as room dividers, wrapped them up around items to pack for traveling, window coverings, and much more. In some cases, the quilts themselves serve as part of fashioning tents. “Warmth is the primary need,” she said, then added that gifting a quilt is “a tangible way to say ‘I love you.’”
Quilts measure 84”x64”. Volunteers assemble, then add the filling between the two layers. Others do the work of knotting and assembling.
As the webpage for the Lutheran World Relief Quilts program states, “create a tangible, lasting bond between the people who lovingly assemble them, and our neighbors around the world, who receive quilts in their greatest times of need.”
Mitchell explained how the program started in Minneapolis and has sent more than 300,000 quilts to those in need across the globe. This year, the local church community set 200 as their goal to produce and donate.
Even those not handy with stitching and sewing can help the cause, stated Mitchell. “A lot of people . . . donate to defray the cost of transportation.” As one might imagine, shipping heavy items, such as quilts, abroad can rack up costs to get them from America into the hands that will use them.
“It makes you feel good when you get involved to help someone else,” noted Mitchell. “It’s good food for the soul.” As Lutheran World Relief stated, “Each one reflects God’s loving presence in a world rife with suffering.”
Two Pendleton County churches will display their quilts for blessing this coming Palm Sunday. St. John Lutheran in Moyers will hold its blessing at 10 a.m. and Faith Lutheran in Franklin will bless theirs exactly one hour later.
With so much loving effort going into the quilts, the project is always ongoing. Often, volunteers will gather and work one day a week to continue progress.
Mitchell said, “We readily receive volunteers to help with the quilts.”
