Can you put yourself into the shoes of the ten-year-old boy who wants to attend school but has no paper on which to write? Powhatan Mennonite Women’s Outreach group is preparing school kits for next school term to be sent to needy children in other countries. We previously sent health kits for persons affected by poverty and the ravages of war or natural disasters, such as famines, floods or earthquakes.

You may ask, "How do these projects reach the people who need them?" Our denomination’s relief agency, Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), has representatives around the world through whom we channel these gifts.

Women’s Outreach is our local women’s ministry affiliated with a network of service groups from Mennonite churches throughout the state and nation. Each second Tuesday of the month, approximately eight to twelve women gather at our church with a desire to serve where there are needs. We may make comforters to have on hand for persons in the community devastated by a house fire, send flowers and coordinate meals for the sick, or put together care packages for our college students away from home. There is usually a quilt in the frame for women who enjoy the craft. Each year a quilt is donated to the Virginia Mennonite relief sale with the proceeds going to MCC.

The highlight of the day is the covered dish meal at noon. After lunch, we have a devotional period and short business session. Good Christian fellowship is enjoyed throughout the day. Through this ministry, which is open to all women, we have learned to know and appreciate some of our neighbors.

By Dorothy Powell