Bomen Women & The Fellowship of the Cloth
Cloth connections open face to face fellowship at Bondeko Mennonite Church in Kinshasa (May 2012) -- photo by Nancy Myers
Friday, July 8, 2011
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
CCC @ MCUSA CONBENTION 2011 PITTSBURGH, PA
CONVENTION DAY ONE
Monday 4 July
After a long days of driving on either Sunday or Monday, all the CCC crew arrived. Tim Lind remained at home due an illness in the family, so Nina's first task was scrambling for translators for Marie-Jeanne and Gaston. Just before the evening worship they met Steve Wiebe-Johnson who served as their worship host. When they finally found their way back to the CCC booth after worship, Nina had encountered Jeanette Krabill, the angel of francais, who has been a beautiful and helpful presence in our booth ever since.
The Sunday travel group had been working all day, without air conditioning, setting up the Congo Cloth Connection booth and folding fabric for display. It is gorgeous!
When Nina and Nancy and Marie-Jeanne arrived they added a sewing table and sewing machine and poster of dress design from Congo so that the “dress shop corner” was ready to go!
When the Exhibit Hall opened at 8:45 pm, the booth was flooded with people, full of delight, interest.
Ervin Stutsman, executive director of MCUSA, was one of the first to come and stitch on the “Every Stitch a Prayer” quilt.
Youth really enjoyed dropping in to make bookmarks out of Congo cloth.
Over $800 of donations were given in exchange for many yards of cloth. And Marie-Jeanne began to take orders for custom made items.
CONVENTION DAY TWO
Tuesday 5 July
The booth was open from 11 am to 11 pm with volunteers taking shifts. Steady interest generated over $2000 in donations!
Louise Matthew of the Lion and Lamb Peace Arts Center of Bluffton College ordered five skirts and head scarves from Marie-Jeanne. They use these cross cultural clothes to teach about diversity and peacemaking. What fun it was to see the variety of fabrics and skirt designs Marie-Jeanne created! Several girls came through and were willing to model them for us. And some lovely ladies, as well…
Sylvia Shirk was Marie-Jeanne’s interpreter for the Mennonite Women Dinner. This gave her a chance to hear some excellent preaching by Meghan Good and Eli Soto Albrecht, in translation. They she was ready to keep sewing until 11 pm. She is a wonder!
I had some time to work on the prayer cards that are part of “Every Stitch a Prayer.” I had made some cards by sewing and praying on Congo cloth. Suzanne Lind took them to Congo. Cisca Ibanda shared them with a group of women from all three Mennonite groups in Kinshasa, and they sent their prayer requests back.
On Tuesday evening I was able to sew and pray again, this time with particular women in mind. I prayed for a son who had rebelled against his family, for a daughter who had been ill for 37 years, for a son that could not find work and a son who cut off all communication with family. I will send back my own requests: for my son who is looking for work, for my daughter who is looking for the right relationships, for health and blessing from my only granddaughter who just learned to walk. Ah! We are the same. We are sisters, even from afar. This kind of connection, and all the connections in our booth, were the dreams of this church to church relationships project. Thanks be to God!
We have had lots of help quilting the "Every Stitch a Prayer" quilt for the auction on Thursday.
Monday 4 July
After a long days of driving on either Sunday or Monday, all the CCC crew arrived. Tim Lind remained at home due an illness in the family, so Nina's first task was scrambling for translators for Marie-Jeanne and Gaston. Just before the evening worship they met Steve Wiebe-Johnson who served as their worship host. When they finally found their way back to the CCC booth after worship, Nina had encountered Jeanette Krabill, the angel of francais, who has been a beautiful and helpful presence in our booth ever since.
The Sunday travel group had been working all day, without air conditioning, setting up the Congo Cloth Connection booth and folding fabric for display. It is gorgeous!
When Nina and Nancy and Marie-Jeanne arrived they added a sewing table and sewing machine and poster of dress design from Congo so that the “dress shop corner” was ready to go!
When the Exhibit Hall opened at 8:45 pm, the booth was flooded with people, full of delight, interest.
Ervin Stutsman, executive director of MCUSA, was one of the first to come and stitch on the “Every Stitch a Prayer” quilt.
Youth really enjoyed dropping in to make bookmarks out of Congo cloth.
Over $800 of donations were given in exchange for many yards of cloth. And Marie-Jeanne began to take orders for custom made items.
CONVENTION DAY TWO
Tuesday 5 July
The booth was open from 11 am to 11 pm with volunteers taking shifts. Steady interest generated over $2000 in donations!
Louise Matthew of the Lion and Lamb Peace Arts Center of Bluffton College ordered five skirts and head scarves from Marie-Jeanne. They use these cross cultural clothes to teach about diversity and peacemaking. What fun it was to see the variety of fabrics and skirt designs Marie-Jeanne created! Several girls came through and were willing to model them for us. And some lovely ladies, as well…
Sylvia Shirk was Marie-Jeanne’s interpreter for the Mennonite Women Dinner. This gave her a chance to hear some excellent preaching by Meghan Good and Eli Soto Albrecht, in translation. They she was ready to keep sewing until 11 pm. She is a wonder!
I had some time to work on the prayer cards that are part of “Every Stitch a Prayer.” I had made some cards by sewing and praying on Congo cloth. Suzanne Lind took them to Congo. Cisca Ibanda shared them with a group of women from all three Mennonite groups in Kinshasa, and they sent their prayer requests back.
On Tuesday evening I was able to sew and pray again, this time with particular women in mind. I prayed for a son who had rebelled against his family, for a daughter who had been ill for 37 years, for a son that could not find work and a son who cut off all communication with family. I will send back my own requests: for my son who is looking for work, for my daughter who is looking for the right relationships, for health and blessing from my only granddaughter who just learned to walk. Ah! We are the same. We are sisters, even from afar. This kind of connection, and all the connections in our booth, were the dreams of this church to church relationships project. Thanks be to God!
We have had lots of help quilting the "Every Stitch a Prayer" quilt for the auction on Thursday.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
CCC at Central District Conference
Marie-Jeanne and Gaston were guests of the Central District Conference meetings at Silverwood Mennonite Church (June 23-25).
Mary Ellen Meyer of Faith Mennonite, Goshen,
interprets the plenary session on Biblical interpretation,
led by Loren Johns, professor of New Testament
at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary.
Conversation with Heidi Siemens-Rhodes,
one of the pastors of The Assembly, Goshen, IN.
Auctions quilts displayed at Central District Conference.
How lovely! See what Marie-Jeanne has in her bag!
Mary Ellen Meyer of Faith Mennonite, Goshen,interprets the plenary session on Biblical interpretation,
led by Loren Johns, professor of New Testament
at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary.
Conversation with Heidi Siemens-Rhodes,one of the pastors of The Assembly, Goshen, IN.
Auctions quilts displayed at Central District Conference.
How lovely! See what Marie-Jeanne has in her bag!Wednesday, June 22, 2011
What will you find at the CCC Booth in Pittsburgh? (July 4-8)
MEET MAMA MARIE-JEANNE MUJINGA
A slide show that introduces us to Marie-Jeanne and the BOMEN Sewing Group will be playing and you can practice your French in welcoming Marie-Jeanne to MCUSA! Come experience a glimpse of Mennonites in the Democratic Republic of Congo through slides, music and information about our connections.
LEARN ABOUT CONGOLESE MENNONITES!
Did you know?
Well over 1,000 yards of cloth will be displayed for your suggested donation of $10 per yard. Each day new pieces will be displayed, so come often to find the pieces you love the most!
CLOTH CREATIONS!
Rebeccca Sommers of College Mennonite Church gives us lots of ideas for how to use Congo cloth in her own creations. These bags, aprons, wall hangings, scarves, pillow slips, and skirts are available for a suggested donations.
QUILTING!
All are invited to add their stitches to the "EVERY STITCH A PRAYER" quilt top. Created by Joy Hess of College Mennonite Church (Goshen, IN), the completed quilt will be auctioned on Thursday evening at 9 pm.
BEAUTY FOR BENEFIT AUCTION!
The largest auction items is the "EVERY STITCH A PRAYER" queen size quilt.
Matching cloth was used to created a wall hanging called "CONGO CONNECTIONS." This unfinished piece will be auctioned as is, and would make a wonderful congregational project of quilting, stitching, learning and praying about Congo.
In addition, "STARS OVER CONGO" is a wall hanging created by Virginia Hartsough of Silverwood Mennonite Church and quiltiing by the Silverwood quilting group. This lovely hanging will be auctioned with a matching bag.
"CONGOLESE SISTERS" is a wall hanging by Joy Hess and the College Mennonite Church quilting group featuring Congo cloth in its typical use -- as gorgeous clothing! What a fabulous way to remember the women we are befriending, fellow seamstresses, artists, mothers, sisters, daughters!
FRIENDLY FACES!
In addition to Marie-Jeanne, folks from Florence Church of the Brethren Mennonite, Kern Road Mennonite, Prairie Street Mennonite and Silverwood will be glad to talk to you about Congo Connections and the blessings of the "fellowship of the cloth."
A slide show that introduces us to Marie-Jeanne and the BOMEN Sewing Group will be playing and you can practice your French in welcoming Marie-Jeanne to MCUSA! Come experience a glimpse of Mennonites in the Democratic Republic of Congo through slides, music and information about our connections.
LEARN ABOUT CONGOLESE MENNONITES!
Did you know?
According to Mennonite World Conference membership:
- There are about 524,000 Mennonites in North America.
- There are about 592,000 Mennonite in Africa.
The two countries in the world with the largest numbers of Mennonites are the USA and DR Congo:
- There are about 387,000 Mennonites in the USA.
- There are about 220,000 Mennonites in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
YARDS AND YARDS OF CONGO CLOTH!
Well over 1,000 yards of cloth will be displayed for your suggested donation of $10 per yard. Each day new pieces will be displayed, so come often to find the pieces you love the most!
CLOTH CREATIONS!
Rebeccca Sommers of College Mennonite Church gives us lots of ideas for how to use Congo cloth in her own creations. These bags, aprons, wall hangings, scarves, pillow slips, and skirts are available for a suggested donations.
QUILTING!
All are invited to add their stitches to the "EVERY STITCH A PRAYER" quilt top. Created by Joy Hess of College Mennonite Church (Goshen, IN), the completed quilt will be auctioned on Thursday evening at 9 pm.
BEAUTY FOR BENEFIT AUCTION!
The largest auction items is the "EVERY STITCH A PRAYER" queen size quilt.
Matching cloth was used to created a wall hanging called "CONGO CONNECTIONS." This unfinished piece will be auctioned as is, and would make a wonderful congregational project of quilting, stitching, learning and praying about Congo.
In addition, "STARS OVER CONGO" is a wall hanging created by Virginia Hartsough of Silverwood Mennonite Church and quiltiing by the Silverwood quilting group. This lovely hanging will be auctioned with a matching bag.
"CONGOLESE SISTERS" is a wall hanging by Joy Hess and the College Mennonite Church quilting group featuring Congo cloth in its typical use -- as gorgeous clothing! What a fabulous way to remember the women we are befriending, fellow seamstresses, artists, mothers, sisters, daughters!
FRIENDLY FACES!
In addition to Marie-Jeanne, folks from Florence Church of the Brethren Mennonite, Kern Road Mennonite, Prairie Street Mennonite and Silverwood will be glad to talk to you about Congo Connections and the blessings of the "fellowship of the cloth."
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