Small but mighty group of women stays busy all year
By ROWENA PLETT
Staff writer
A person can count on two hands the number of women actively involved in the Lutheran Women's Missionary League at St. John's Lutheran Church in Lincolnville.
But this small group diligently works throughout the year to provide goods for those in need.
They collect and create items for distribution by Lutheran World Relief and other humanitarian organizations.
Officers include Ruth Kaiser, president, Elma Lais, secretary, and Sherri Stahlecker, treasurer.
Donna Walker, mission project chairman, said 12 lap robes were packaged Dec. 3 for distribution to the congregation's shut-ins.
Several tied quilt blankets recently were sent to the Haskell Indian Nations University at Lawrence.
The university began in 1884 as an elementary school providing industrial training, then advanced to include high school level education.
The school eventually became a vocational/technical college, then a junior college, and now a full-fledged university for native Americans from throughout the 50 states. Average enrollment is 1,000.
A distribution center on campus provides donated goods and personal items to students.
In October, the Lincolnville women sent their latest collection of articles of clothing and numerous quilts for distribution by the Orphan Grain Train (OGT).
OGT is a recognized service organization of the Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod. It was established in 1992 by a Lutheran pastor at Norfolk, Neb., after a visit to Latvia and Russia.
Although his concept of a grain train proved not feasible, the name stuck, and soon semi-loads of clothing and quilts were being sent to Eastern Europe.
Now, OTG has 18 regional divisions which collect relief supplies for shipment to more than 40 countries on five continents. More than 150 semi-loads are shipped each year.
OTG also provides domestic disaster aid, such as hay to drought-stricken Midwest farmers and supplies to Katrina victims.
The Lutheran women know how to make use of everything that comes to them. Articles not accepted for donation, such as used underwear, mattress pads, or sheets are used as quilt fillers.
St. Luke Auxiliary Thrift Shop in Marion donates excess items to the women for their use in creating quilts or to be shipped for distribution.
The women also create homemade greeting cards to send to military personnel stationed at home or overseas.
The aid effort provides the group, made up mostly of senior citizens, an outlet for service and purposeful living.
