Wisdom and Grace: Hi-Line Heroes – First Lutheran quilters

Have you ever wondered, like I recently have, how such an awesome ministry has been going on for years, and you didn't really know anything about it? Being a retired chaplain, I have attended many funerals and services at First Lutheran Church in Havre. I've seen glimpses of a room downstairs that looked like they might be sewing something. But it wasn't until last fall when I walked into the sanctuary and saw each of the 40 pews draped in beautiful quilts, that my interest was piqued. The magnitude of that scene truly amazed me.

And so, I started asking my Lutheran friends about the quilts. I was directed to Sue Ost. I met with Sue in March and the first thing she handed me was a record sheet that she has kept since 2004. Since 2004 - 20 years - there have been 2,766 quilts made! In addition to the quilts 1,760 School Kits have been compiled, 1,308 Personal Care Kits, 1,144 Baby Care Kits, 470 Fabric Kits and 2,671 Soap Kits! Hats off to First Lutheran Church for your generosity and for being the hands and feet of Jesus in the world.

The quilts and kits are made under the direction of Lutheran World Relief. From their guide book: "Imagine the comfort and care you feel when you snuggle under a comforter or wear a piece of clothing made or worn by a loved one. That's the feeling you share through a LWR Quilt. In a simple combination of fabric and thread, you reach out to people in their time of greatest need with a strong message of hope – you are not alone."

The quilts are all 60" X 80" consisting of a top (one piece or numerous pieces sewn together in a pattern), a filler and a bottom fabric. A twin sized sheet is excellent for the bottom.

The School Kits include: four 70-80 page spiral notebooks, one ruler, a pencil sharpener, a pair of blunt scissors, five unsharpened pencils, five ballpoint pens, a box of crayons and a sturdy 14" X 17" drawstring cloth bag with shoulder straps.

The Personal Care Kits contain: one lightweight bath-size towel, 2-3 bath-size bars of soap, one adult size toothbrush, one sturdy comb and a metal nail clipper.

The Baby Care Kits include: two cotton T-shirts, two long sleeved gowns or sleepers, two swaddling blankets, four cloth diapers, one jacket or sweater, two pairs of socks, one cotton towel, two or three bath-size bars of gentle soap and two diaper pins.

Sewing is a valuable skill that can help men and women earn reliable income. Fabric kits provide fabric and thread for vocational training programs teaching sewing and for newly trained tailors to launch their sewing business. They include large pieces of fabric and thread.

Sue Ost isn't sure just when the parishioners at First Lutheran began making quilts and kits. At the beginning they met at Ruth Morse's house because they could lay things out flat on her pool table in the basement. At present four to five people gather at the church building from 9 a.m. until noon on the second and third Saturdays of the month. Usually, they can finish seven to eight quilts on a Saturday morning. All the fabric and kit supplies are donated by the parishioners.

The Sunday before Thanksgiving is a special, extraordinary day for First Lutheran Church. The finished quilts are draped over the 40 pews in the sanctuary and there is a Blessing of the Quilts. Following the service, the quilts are boxed and readied for shipping. Later that same week, the Saturday after Thanksgiving, the quilts are loaded onto a truck that goes to all the LWR participating churches in north central Montana. They are then taken to a collection site in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.

From Montana where do the quilts and kits go? Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Ecuador, Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Mali, Gambia, Liberia, Ukraine, Georgia and Turkey.

But the inspiring story of First Lutheran's mission to make life better for others continues. A group of volunteers gather each Wednesday to make Days for Girls Menstrual Hygiene Kits. These kits contain washable feminine hygiene products designed specifically for girls and women who don't have access to menstrual products. The kits are meant to provide girls and women with the freedom to go to school or work during their period, which they could not do without these supplies.

Each kit contains two pairs of underwear, two shields that snap into the underwear, eight liners inserted into the shields and removed for laundering, a leak-proof pouch for transporting used liners, a washcloth, soap, and an illustration instruction sheet. All these items are enclosed in a pretty drawstring bag, so they can be transported and stored discreetly. The kits are designed to last two to three years before some of the parts need to be replaced.

In order to get the kits to the girls and women who need them, the workers have learned that finding individuals or groups who are traveling to developing countries and asking them to take the kits along works the best.

The Days for Girls group meet Wednesday mornings at 9 a..m. in the church fellowship hall. Each kit has many steps, so there is a job for everyone.

During 2023, they sent 50 kits with Hope 2 One Life in Uganda, 50 kits went to Guatemala with the MSU Lutheran Campus Ministry mission trip, 100 kits were sent to Ethiopia with Grace Bible Church from Bozeman, and 50 kits went with a group from Havre's Van Orsdel United Methodist Church. The group plans to continue these relationships and send more kits every year. The Days for Girls ministry group asks that if anyone is going on a mission trip where the kits could be distributed, please let Marian Olson or Sue Ost know about it. Donations of dark-colored flannel, PUL waterproof fabric, and Babyville Boutique snaps are always appreciated.

James 1:22 "But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves."

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Ila McClenahan is a retired chaplain and activity director living in the Amos area north of Havre. She keeps busy writing, speaking at various events and trying to be a good grandmother.