My Christmas List of Blessings

Thank you, Mary Ella, for sharing:

My Christmas list is more
than a way to keep track of
The special people God as brought
into my life to love.

It's like a treasured scrapbook
filled with pleasant memories
Of all the times God's answered prayers
through friends and family.

Every name's a touchstone
that leads to a place and time
Where God has used another's heart
to reach out and touch mine.

It may have happened years ago
or even yesterday,
But every person on my list
has changed my life some way.

Through simple conversation,
a warm hug or a shared meal,
Every person on my list
has helped me grow or heal.

Or laugh or love or learn or smile...
the blessings never end
As God allows our paths to cross
as family and friends.

So please know that this greeting
is more than a Christmas wish.
It's a "Thank you" card to God
for putting on my list,
each and every one whose name
I've come to hold so dear...
Those who've shown me Christmas joy all year.

Theme for 2010: Peace

For 2010, MCC has asked Love Joy Piece to focus on the themes of: 1) Peace; 2) AIDS; 3) Global Family and 4) Food/Agriculture and Water.
LJP has chosen to focus on one of those themes for 2010 with the focus on “Peace”. The symbol is “the dove” and we ask you to submit a quilt block with a dove. With your creativity and the symbol being smaller or bigger, no specific size requirements are being given. You decide what size your block should be and the design of the Traveling Quilts will be designed and created. Once blocks are received, a traveling quilt will be available in the United States and Canada this year. Please send your blocks to Bev or Marlys. Last year, a deadline for the US traveling quilt was met but couldn’t include your blocks. Your involvement in a traveling quilt is so important to bringing awareness and excitement to a Traveling Quilt.
The theme of “Peace” has many meanings and begins in our homes. Our goal is to bring awareness and reduce violence and sexual abuse in our communities, in our countries, and around the world. Being in Bolivia this summer, the Mennonite Colonies families suffered from the acts of violence and the communities suffered as the news traveled the globe. “Peace”, as we also remember so many people living in war torn countries.
We look forward to your creations and involvement in making a Traveling quilt happen. In the US, Texas has the first sale of the year in February and Canada’s first sale is in April. We look forward to your blocks to have a Traveling Quilt for the Relief Sales!


“Peace” Block Instructions:
Blocks will be used to make a US and Canadian Traveling Quilts for MCC Relief Sales use.
When: Immediately – make it a special Christmas project with your family and/or church group.
Size: To fit your project
We encourage hand or machine work, appliqué or pieced, or colored (from the children)
We ask for your quality blocks, whether complex or simple.
Time Period: Collecting throughout 2010

Mennonite World Conference Story: Global Family in The Chico, Paraguay

Below is a story from a visit to a Global Family Project in Paraguay:

The Global Family Program is a Mennonite Central Committee initiative aimed at improving life in individuals and communities through education. Programs are created to provide safe learning opportunities for children and youth, and to build confidence and skills in the students.

One such program exists in Paraguay, where Mennonite colonies in the Chaco have developed a boarding school in the indigenous community of Yalve Sanga. Students come from poor homes – parents pay what they can and Global Family funds pay the remainder. Student housing is available in the community, so that the students, of Latin Paraguayan and indigenous backgrounds, can live in the community and participate in all aspects of the school program.

On our way to Mennonite World Conference in Asunción, we toured some of the Mennonite colonies in the Chaco. One of our stops was Yalve Sanga, where we saw the hospital, the school, dormitories and teachers’ lodgings. The buildings and grounds are attractive and well-maintained. Cement sidewalks connect the school classrooms and medical buildings to one another. Time constraints kept us from touring the inside of these buildings.

We were also treated to a hot meal and Paraguayan music played by a group of men of the Nivaclé indigenous tribe. After lunch our tour guide interviewed one of the musicians in Plattdeutsch, the language spoken in the colonies by the German Mennonites and their indigenous neighbours. I appreciated having the opportunity to see first-hand how the church is working alongside indigenous people to provide education to its children and youth.

by: E. Tewes, Ontario

Purses and/or Bags: From Heart and House Block

Here are some different types of bags that have been made using the Heart and House blocks. They have been sold at pre-event sales and also during MCC Auctions. There are many patterns available and with a little creativity and interesting fabrics, we hear "I want that" and that makes it all interesting!

Baskets: Feeding the Hungry

You are invited to Help MCC Provide "Food for All" by Creating a Basket Block

Basket blocks will be made into quilts and hall hangings to be sold at many Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Relief Sales to help feed the millions around the world who do not have enough to eat.

Your gift will enable MCC to respond quickly to requests for food where needed most and to help many produce their own food.

(American Institute of Philanthropy's Charity Watch gives MCC an "A" rating).

Please take the Basket Block instructions for yourself and share one with a friend.

The block attached is the first block received and it came 

from the Rocky Mountain MCC Relief Sale.