The Ministry of Tissues and Tissue Covers . . .

"And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi,

Let me now go to the field,

and glean ears of corn after him

In whose sight I shall find grace.

And she said unto her, Go, my daughter."

Ruth 2:2  KJV 



Package of tissues

Before I went to Friends World Committee of Consultation World Plenary in Pisac, Peru in January of 2016 I decided that I wanted to make something to take with me that I could give to Friends I met at the Plenary. Nothing big, just a little something that they could take home with them.

I had seen several patterns for making small fabric covers for the travel sized tissues and I thought that would be perfect . . . OK, maybe not so much for the gentlemen, but the ladies could use them. I made about 80 or so from many different fabrics and even sewed a label inside with my name, Monthly Meeting, Yearly Meeting and FWCC World Plenary, Pisac, Peru 2016 on them.



 

A sampling of tissue covers

The tissue covers and tissues were a big hit! There were several Friends, from around the world that I knew were going to be there that I wanted to give one to, the rest - given out randomly to Friends that touched me in some way - Friends in my Home Group, Friends I had conversations with that I found very deep and touching, Friends that I passed and just wanted to share with. 



One of those new Friends that I met in Pisac, Peru who came from England has become a really good F/friend of mine. We connected on Facebook and chat both publically and privately there. When she found out that I would be coming to England this summer for YMG (Yearly Meeting Gathering) she said I needed to bring tissues and covers with me. OK, easy enough.



Gallon bag of 80 tissue covers

I made time during the year to stop and cut out fabric, stitch the covers, make labels with my name, Monthly Meeting, Yearly Meeting and YMG 2017 on them and sewed them in the seams. I made around 80 covers and went to the store and purchased the tissues to go inside.

I've been at YMG for five days now and I find that I have passed out between 30-40 tissues and covers to Friends. Friends I've only known through Facebook or the Quaker Alphabet Blog, a Friend I met this summer whilst taking an online course through Woodbrooke Quaker Study Centre and Friends that I've met this week and just had a conversation with.

The first three recipients at YMG were the Clerks. Sunday evening after the business session had ended, I made my way down to the Clerk's table where the Clerk and the two assistant Clerks were standing. I put my tote on the table and took out three packages of tissues, handing one to each of the Clerks . . . the Clerk made a comment about expecting more tears, which I didn't quite understand. I had received the email from the YMG the day before I left to come across the Pond which encouraged Friends to bring something to YMG to share/give to other Friends. I explained that I did not make these after receiving the email that they had already been made and packed. Each Clerk was then able to pick-out the cover they'd like to have.

The Friends in the group I'm with this week got tissues and covers. Friends that have blessed me with conversations have received them. Friends I've seen as I've walked from here to there have received them. Friends I've been in workshops with have also received tissues and covers. This evening, several young Friends also received packages of tissues and covers . . . it just seemed like the thing to do!

Tissues in a cover

I attended a workshop Tuesday afternoon, put on by one of the Woodbrooke Quaker Study Centre tutors on ministry. On the way back to my room and dinner I stopped at the corner, where two Friends were talking - one from England and one from Bolivia . . . I handed them and another Friend tissues and then offered them tissue covers for them.

As I said earlier, there is no rhyme or reason as to who choose to give the tissues and tissue covers to. Sometimes I choose Friends that I know or have known . . . but most of the time it's just random - call it a random act of kindness if you will . . . this evening I've seen it as a ministry. YIKES!!!! There I go using that "m" word again!

The faces on the Friends that I share the tissues and covers with are priceless, as I hand them the package of tissues first and then dig the bag of covers out of my tote. This brings joy to my heart!

So, last year Friends from around the world received the gift of a small package of tissues and a tissue cover from me . . . this year it's Friends at YMG in England - British Friends, Scottish Friends, a Bolivian Friend, a Friend from New Zealand, a Friend from Canada, a mother & her daughter from Germany, a Friend from Finland and some American Friends.

I traveled to England in part not to merely attend YMG as a visitor, but to participate as fully as I could . . .

I came to YMG to learn . . .

I came to YMG to share with Friends . . .

I've been blessed by Friends here this week . . .

Who's next????

How does this ministry touch those who are on the receiving end????

Where will this ministry go next?????

Ministries in Action . . .

"And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi,

Let me now go to the field,

and glean ears of corn after him

In whose sight I shall find grace.

And she said unto her, Go, my daughter."

Ruth 2:2  KJV

 

This morning, as we rode the train from Paddington Station (in London, England) on our way up to Heathrow Airport, I got to thinking about several situations that happened to us whilst we were out and about yesterday . . .

 

The first happened to us on the east side of London. After traveling some time by double decker bus and stopping for breakfast we walked around looking for a fabric shop that a Friend had found online. We arrived at the destination only to find that that shop had closed and that it wasn't believed that they had relocated. Bummer! BUT . . . we were redirected to the west side of London where we were told there was a whole street of fabric stores!

 

The second situation occurred during our train ride, to the west side of London. A young Asian man had mistakenly gotten on our train instead of another.

 

Not one, not two but three of his fellow passengers offered him help! All talking to him and pointing to the map above the windows several times showing him where we were and where/when he needed to get off and switch to a different train to take him to the airport. All working together to help this stranger get to where he needed to be.

 

A member of our group, who is familiar with the train system, offered him help. She knew where he needed to get off and told him to get off the stop after we did.

 

A young man sitting next to him offered help. He too was getting off before the other young man needed to get off and would have stayed to help, but would have been late to where he was going.

 

And a woman sitting next to him also offered help. After a while, she said she wasn't in any hurry so she would ride to the end of the line with him and make sure he got there. 

 

The third situation happened after we got off the train . . .

 

We arrived at our stop and looked down the street - yes, just as we had been told on the east side of London, this street was full of fabric shops! BUT . . .  where to begin?? I was the one looking for fabrics, specifically cottons that I could take home and use in some sort of quilting project or projects. The Friend leading our little group noticed the two Jehovah Witnesses standing nearby and approached one of the ladies and asked her.

 

We were told that we might find what we were looking for in the 'market' across the street or in one of the many shops down the street. We walked a ways through the 'market' and didn't see anything fitting what I was looking for, so we went back out to the street and started searching there.

 

After a walking several blocks and checking out several fabric stores, we found a very nice little spot to sit and rest and have cups of tea, coffee and bottles of water.

 

About two or three shops later I found some floral calicos that I thought I could work with and I purchased five and a half meters altogether for what I thought was a very fair price.

 

So, ministries in action??? Yes!

 

The young lady/ladies at the location of the original fabric shop we went to that redirected us over to the west side of London, shared their knowledge with us.

 

The three strangers on the train all working together helped the Asian passenger get to where he needed to be.

 

And the Jehovah Witness who gave us suggestions as to where we might find the fabric I was searching for.

'M' is for Mission Statement . . .

"And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi,

Let me now go to the field,

and glean ears of corn after him

In whose sight I shall find grace.

And she said unto her, Go, my daughter."

Ruth 2:2  KJV

 

‘M’ is for Mission Statement . . . I had been working on three totally different ideas for my “M” post when a fourth idea came to me during Meeting for Worship while visiting another Meeting recently when a member of that Meeting got up and spoke. This Friend talked about the need of having a Mission Statement. I got a scrap of paper out of my pocket and made a couple of quick notes for later as it hit me that this might be a better option for my “M” blog post. So here goes . . .

 

Most, if not all, businesses and organizations have a mission or purpose statement. That is a statement that lets others (the public) know who they are and what their purpose is in a nutshell, or brief statement, if you will. The mission/purpose statement will appear on printed materials, websites and the like. A mission or purpose statement can, and should be used, by a business or organization to keep themselves in check – something that they can refer to, as needed, to make sure they ARE doing what they say they will.

 

As the Clerk of Friends Committee on Scouting I’ve been asked several times over the years what our mission statement is. During our Annual Meeting in March of 2012 we reviewed and updated our committees’ Bylaws and while doing so renamed it Operations and Procedures. This included updating our Purpose Statement, which now reads:

 

Friends Committee on Scouting serves to encourage and promote the faith, history, and testimonies of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) through religious education programs for Quaker Scouts/Guides and other similar youth organizations. It does this through the development and promotion of:

 

·     Quaker Religious Awards for young Friends involved with Boy Scouts of America, Girl Scouts USA, Camp Fire USA, and other applicable American youth organizations, as the Committee may determine.

 

·     The Quaker Religion in Life Award for young Friends involved with Girl Guides of Canada and Scouts Canada.

 

·     Quaker resource material for faith-related badges for youth members of other Scout and Guide organizations throughout the world.

  

FCS also seeks to:

 

·     Inform Friends about Quaker Scouting/Guiding.
 

·     Represent the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) to the various national and international Scout/Guide organizations throughout the world.
 

·    Serve as a networking opportunity for Friends involved in Quaker Scouting/Guiding Recognize adult volunteers with the various national Scout/Guide organizations throughout the world with the “Friends Emblem”.

 



A little closer look . . .

There are three more Quaker Mission/Purpose Statements that are part of my Quaker faith that I will also share here:

First from my Meeting, Mooresville Friends Mission Statement, as found on our monthly newsletter:

 

“Our Mission:  As members of the Religious Society of Friends, we believe that Jesus Christ can speak to the conditions of all people.  Mooresville Friends Church seeks to become a place of renewal, healing, comfort, and love in the community.   We exalt the Lord Jesus Christ, by reaching out and sharing the love of Christ with the wider community, equipping Christians to minister as members of God’s Kingdom, and encouraging Christians to live a victorious, spirit-filled life.”

 

Second from my Yearly Meeting, Western Yearly Meeting of the Friends Church Purpose Statement:

 

“Seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Western Yearly Meeting equips Friends Meetings in the Gospel of Jesus Christ by exercising mutual care and extending cooperative ministries. Through various expressions of our Christian faith, we strive to inspire ministry and the release of gifts of leadership.”

 

And Third from Western Yearly Meeting Outreach Board, of which I am a member, I found the following mission/purposes listed in the 2016 Resource & Minute Book:

 

“This Board has two main duties. The first is to promote outreach projects throughout the yearly meeting. The second is to be good stewards of the assets we receive from our trust fund distributions.”

 

The Friend who spoke in Meeting for Worship went further than having a Mission/Purpose Statement for the corporate group and talked about having a Personal Mission Statement. An interesting thought to ponder.

 

We all have a mission in our lives, a purpose if you will, but I’m wondering how many of us, Friends or not, have ever sat down and really thought about what our mission or purpose in life is. How many of us have sat down, like a business or organization and put that mission or purpose down in writing? Sad to say that I’ve not done that . . . something to consider doing.

 

A Squirrel!

This last Wednesday when we returned to the Meeting House after lunch to continue sewing and quilting I looked up and saw something on the top of the Meeting House. What was it? We had recently had the roof replace, could the high winds have knocked some shingles loose? Looking a bit longer I realized that it was a squirrel! OK, not uncommon for squirrels to be up on the roof, but this one didn't appear to be moving. Was he/she stuck? Scarred? I had plenty of time to go into the Friendship House across the parking lot to grab my camera and take quite a few pictures. An hour or so later when I looked out the window this little squirrel was gone. But as I got ready to publish this post I was looking for pictures, and these came to my mind as they seemed to fit. As I said above, we all have a mission in our lives . . . so did/does this squirrel! If nothing more than to make us pause for a bit Wednesday to wonder 'What is that up there?' and then to wonder 'Is he/she stuck/scared?'

 

Think about it. What is your mission or purpose in life? Is it to make others pause for a bit and wonder 'What's up?' OR 'Am I stuck/scared?'  God knows what it is, but do you?

 

Writing this has reminded me of a song that we taught the students in Weekday Religious Education classes (third and fourth graders) “God Has a Plan”:

 

“God has a plan for you and me:

Only He knows what we can be

Follow His teachings and learn to trust

God has a plan for us.”



~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 





2012 'Monkey

Wench' block

‘M’ is for Monkey Wrench . . . same name – different look. Monkey Wrench is another one of those quilt blocks that isn’t just one block – that is our quilting group at Mooresville Friends Meeting has made Monkey Wrench quilt blocks twice but they have totally different looks to them.



2016 'Monkey
Wrench' block

Monkey Wrench is one of the quilt blocks that is said to have been used in quilts used along the Underground Railroad here in the United States. Either alone or in a quilt with blocks of many patterns, it was a sign to the slaves to gather the tools they would need for their journey to freedom. Tools that could be used to build shelters, help determine direction, used as weapons to defend themselves (such as a Monkey Wrench), etc.


Who would have thought that I could talk about squirrels and monkeys in the same blog post and have it make some sense????



 

 

 

 

Friendly Greetings From Around the World/Saludos de amistad de todo el mundo . . .

"And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi,

Let me now go to the field,

and glean ears of corn after him 

In whose sight I shall find grace.

And she said unto her, Go, my daughter." 

Ruth 2:2  KJV

 

(Ver la traducción española de abajo.) 

 

Friendly Greetings From Around the World . . . the quilt blocks made and displayed during the recent FWCC World Plenary in Pisac, Peru.

 

In my previous post, "Quilt Block Project" I shared about the two quilt blocks that I made for this project. In this post I will share the information that we were given about the project and photos I took of many of the quilt blocks that were made by other Friends.
 

In November we were invited to 'bring creative greetings' from our home Meeting - that is to bring greetings on a piece fabric, which would be displayed during the Plenary, and we'd be able to take a greeting home with us from another Friend.

 

Simple instructions were provided for making our greeting:

Step 1: find a piece of plain cloth (material) 30cm by 30cm (OR 12-inches by 12-inches);

Step 2: write on the fabric and decorate it however you like;

Step 3: you can sew pictures on or glue pictures on to the fabric;

Step 4: keep it simple or make it very fancy if you like;

Step 5: ask Friends from your meeting or church to help you;

Step 6: add tabs to each corner;

Step 7: put it in your suitcase when you come to Peru.

A photo example was included of a very simple greeting on a piece of cotton fabric with the greeting written with a permanent marker and pictures/pieces of printed fabric and tabs glued on.

 

The quilt blocks at the Plenary were as different as each Friend in attendance. Not all Friends made quilt blocks but quite a few did. Some blocks were very simple - keeping with the Quaker Testimony of Simplicity maybe??? Others much more complex. Many were 30cm by 30cm (12-inches by 12-inches) as per the instructions given . . . while some were smaller and others quite a bit larger. Others were written on pieces of paper.
 

Choosing which quilt blocks I would bring home with me was quite challenging . . . and I'll not disclose here which quilt blocks I chose to bring home as I have a special project or two in the works which will include those quilt blocks along with the duplicates of the quilt blocks I made and took to the Plenary.

 

I'm not quite sure yet whether all four quilt blocks will be put together into one piece OR if I'll make two pieces - one with the greeting I made from Mooresville Friends Church and the greeting I chose in exchange for that one and a second piece with the greeting I made from Friends Committee on Scouting and the greeting I chose in exchange for that one. Either way, I plan to have that all done before Western Yearly Meeting sessions in mid-July 2016 and to display it/them during Yearly Meeting. Which means I've got a bit of work to do!

 

I've not included photos of ALL the quilt blocks that were made, as that would have taken up a lot more room - I may share others in future posts.

 

"And Ruth la moabita dijo a Noemi, 

déjame ir al campo y recoger mazorcas

de maíz después de él en cuyos

ojos voy hallar gracia.

Y ella le dijo, vaya, mi hija."

Rut 2:2 KJV

 

Saludos amistosos de todo el mundo. . . los bloques de acolchado hacen y se muestran durante el reciente Mundial del CMCA Plenaria en Pisac, Perú.

En mi post anterior, "Proyecto del bloque del edredón" Me compartió acerca de los dos bloques de edredón que he realizado para este proyecto. En este post voy a compartir la información que nos dieron sobre el proyecto y las fotos que tomé de muchos de los bloques de acolchado que fueron realizados por otros amigos.

En noviembre fuimos invitados a 'llevar las felicitaciones creativas' de nuestra reunión en casa - que es para llevar las felicitaciones en una tela pieza, que se muestra durante la Plenaria, y nos gustaría ser capaz de tomar un hogar de felicitación con nosotros de otro amigo .
 
se dieron instrucciones simples para hacer que nuestro saludo:
Paso 1: encontrar un pedazo de tela de 30 cm sin formato (material) por 30 cm (o 12 pulgadas por 12 pulgadas);
Paso 2: escribir sobre la tela y decorar como quieras;
Paso 3: se puede coser o pegar imágenes en cuadros en la tela;
Paso 4: que sea sencillo o lo hacen muy elegante si lo desea;
Paso 5: pedir a los amigos de su reunión o iglesia para ayudarle;
Paso 6: añadir pestañas para cada esquina;
Paso 7: ponerlo en su maleta cuando se llega a Perú.
Una foto de ejemplo se incluye de una manera muy simple saludo en un pedazo de tela de algodón con el saludo escrito con un marcador permanente y fotos / piezas de tela impresa y pestañas pegadas sucesivamente.
 
Los bloques de edredón en el Pleno eran tan diferentes como cada amigo en la asistencia. No todos los amigos hechos bloques del edredón, pero muy pocos lo han hecho. Algunos bloques eran muy simples - consonancia con el testimonio del Quaker de la simplicidad tal vez ??? Otros mucho más complejos. Muchos eran de 30 cm por 30 cm (12 pulgadas por 12 pulgadas) conforme a las instrucciones dadas. . . mientras que algunos eran más pequeños y otros un poco más grande. Otros fueron escritos en pedazos de papel.

La elección de las cuadras colcha Me gustaría llevar a casa conmigo fue todo un reto. . . y yo no voy a revelar aquí que bloquea edredón he elegido para llevar a casa ya que tengo un proyecto especial o dos en las obras que incluirá los bloques de acolchado junto con los duplicados de los bloques de acolchado que hice y se llevó a la Plenaria.
 
No estoy muy seguro todavía si los cuatro bloques de edredón se ponen juntos en una sola pieza o si voy a hacer dos piezas - uno con el saludo que hice de amigos Iglesia Mooresville y el saludo elegí a cambio de que uno y una segunda pieza con el saludo que hice de Comité de Amigos sobre el Movimiento Scout y el saludo elegí a cambio de que uno. De cualquier manera, planeo tener todo hecho de que antes de las sesiones de la Junta Anual occidentales a mediados de julio de 2016 y para mostrar / ellos durante la Reunión Anual. Lo que significa que tengo un poco de trabajo que hacer!

No he incluido fotos de todos los bloques de acolchado que se hicieron, ya que hubiera tomado las mucho más espacio - me permite compartir otros en el futuro puestos.




 

Quilt Block Project/Edredón Bloque Proyecto . . .

"And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi,

Let me now go to the field,

and glean ears of corn after him

In whose sight I shall find grace.

And she said unto her, Go, my daughter."

Ruth 2:2  KJV
 

(Ver la traducción española de abajo.) 

 

Friends attending the FWCC World Plenary were asked to create a quilt block greeting from their home Meeting and bring it to the Plenary. I commented on my Facebook page that one should be careful when asking a quilter/sewer to make a quilt block to share . .  .

 

It didn't take me too long to come up with an idea for my quilt block or I should say quilt blocks - yes, I created two different quilt blocks to take and share at the Plenary in Pisac, Peru . . .

 

The first one of course was bringing greetings from Mooresville Friends Church, White Lick Monthly Meeting, in Mooresville, Indiana, USA - my home Meeting.

 

The second one was bringing greetings from Friends Committee on Scouting (FCS), an affiliate of Friends World Committee for Consultation, Section of the Americas (FCS-SOA), with members in the United States, Canada and Kenya, Africa. As the Clerk of FCS I thought it would be most appropriate to take greetings from FCS to the World Plenary - after all I was taking a display about FCS and in July 2012 we released our global curriculum (for Scouts and Guides outside of the United States and Canada) - so I would be sharing during the Plenary.

 

Designing my quilt blocks was quite easy, didn't take long before I was plotting out my designs on my laptop. They're not glued together, they are stitched - some by hand and the rest by machine.



The greeting from Mooresville Friends Church has four mini crazy quilt blocks down the left side. For these I printed off the foundations and hand stitched and trimmed each of the fabric pieces. Once I had all four blocks pieced I got out my sewing machine, sewed all four blocks together and added some 'fancy' stitches over each of the seams. The whole piece was then stitched to my 12x12-inch square of muslin along with 'blanket' stitching around the outside of the Plenary logo that I had pulled off the website and printed on a fabric sheet. I used fabric markers to add my greeting.

 

The greeting from Friends Committee on Scouting has several logos  on it that I had also printed on a fabric sheet. A photo of our committee patch with our 25th anniversary ring patch around it, the WOSM (World Organization of the Scouting Movement) logo, the WAGGGS (World Association of Girl Guilds and Girl Scouts) logo and again the Plenary logo - all appliqued on using the 'blanket' stitch.

 

This was a fun project to work on. Time spent thinking about the upcoming Plenary, Friends from around the world that would be attending, other Friends from around the world that would turn their thoughts to those attending and the sessions and being able to see Friends that I haven't seen in a while . . . and Friends I thought I might not see again. This project was a real blessing to me.

 

Now that the Plenary is over . . . I can publish this post and share my quilt blocks with you.

"And Ruth la moabita dijo a Noemi, 

déjame ir al campo y recoger mazorcas

de maíz después de él en cuyos

ojos voy hallar gracia.

Y ella le dijo, vaya, mi hija."

Rut 2:2 KJV

 

Se pidió a los amigos que asistieron a la CMCA Mundial Plenaria para crear un saludo bloque del edredón de su reunión en casa y llevarlo a la Plenaria. Hice un comentario sobre mi página de Facebook que uno debe tener cuidado al pedir un quilter / alcantarillado para hacer una colcha para compartir. . .

No pasó mucho tiempo conmigo para llegar a una idea para mi bloque del edredón o debería decir bloques de edredón - sí, he creado dos bloques de acolchado diferentes para tomar y compartir en el Pleno en Pisac, Perú. . .

El primero, por supuesto, fue el saludo de la Mooresville Amigos Iglesia, Blanco Reunión Mensual Lick, en Mooresville, Indiana, EE.UU. - mi casa de reunión.

El segundo fue el saludo de la Comité de Amigos sobre el Movimiento Scout (FCS), una filial del Comité Mundial de la Consulta, la Sección de las Américas (SOA-FCS), con miembros en los Estados Unidos, Canadá y Kenia, África. A medida que el secretario del FCS pensé que sería más adecuada para tener saludos de FCS al Pleno del mundo - después de todo lo que estaba tomando una muestra sobre FCS y en Julio de 2012 lanzamos nuestro programa de estudios mundial (de Exploradores y Guías fuera de los Estados Unidos y Canadá) - por lo que sería compartir durante la Plenaria.

El diseño de mis bloques de edredón era bastante fácil, no pasó mucho tiempo antes de que yo estaba planeando mis diseños en mi portátil. No están pegadas entre sí, que están cosidos - algunos con la mano y el resto por la máquina.

El saludo de la Iglesia Amigos Mooresville tiene cuatro bloques de edredón mini-locos por el lado izquierdo. Por eso lo imprimió las bases y cosida a mano y se recorta cada una de las piezas de tela. Una vez que tenía los cuatro bloques reconstruido Salí de mi máquina de coser, cosido los cuatro bloques juntos y añadido algunas puntadas de fantasía '' sobre cada una de las costuras. Toda la pieza y luego fue cosida al cuadrado de 12x12 pulgadas de muselina junto con costuras 'manta' alrededor del exterior del logo Plenaria que había retirado del sitio web e impreso en una lámina de tela. Solía marcadores de la tela para añadir mi saludo.

El saludo del Comité de Amigos sobre el Movimiento Scout tiene varios logotipos en lo que yo también había impreso en una lámina de tela. Una foto de nuestro parche comité con nuestro 25 parches anillo de aniversario a su alrededor, la OMMS (Organización Mundial del Movimiento Scout) logotipo, la AMGS (Asociación Mundial de las Cofradías y Exploradoras) logotipo y de nuevo el logotipo Plenaria - todo appliqued sobre el uso la 'manta' puntadas.

Este fue un proyecto divertido para trabajar. El tiempo dedicado a pensar en el próximo Pleno, Amigos de todo el mundo que asistirán, otros amigos de todo el mundo, que convertiría sus pensamientos a los asistentes y las sesiones y ser capaz de ver a los amigos que no he visto en mucho tiempo . . . Amigos y pensé que no podría ver de nuevo. Este proyecto fue una verdadera bendición para mí.

Ahora que el Pleno ha terminado. . . Puedo publicar este post y compartir mis bloques de edredón con usted.