Mission Crossroads is a three-time-a-year magazine focused on worldwide work of the PC(USA). It offers news and feature stories about mission personnel, international partners and grassroots Presbyterians involved in God's mission in the world.
Issue link: https://missioncrossroads.epubxp.com/i/288531
Mission Crossroads 5 At a presbytery meeting in Conrad, Montana, members vote for an executive presbyter and place their ballots in a basket. In Polson, a similar basket holds a loaf of bread, soon to be broken and served as part of Communion. In Hamilton, a basket is part of a vacation Bible school lesson. While the baskets are a simple tool for collecting and distributing various items, they're also a lesson in mission. Te baskets are made by Roma women in Ukraine who are seeking a better living for themselves and their families. Glacier Presbytery in North-Central Western Montana bought baskets from Roma women through Rachel Yates, church support associate for the Presbyterian Mission Agency. "Te baskets have become a meaningful and tangible way for us to connect to the plight of Roma women, who are often subject to discrimination [and] abuse, and struggle to receive an education," says Marsha Anson, executive presbyter for Glacier Presbytery. "Te women are able to help make a living from creating baskets." Te women making the baskets are primarily from two villages: Gat and Nagydobrony. Te basket project started when 28 Presbyterian Women representatives went to the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Ukraine in 2008. Te group visited the women making the baskets and wanted to fnd ways to help them reach a larger market. "Roma in these villages are almost 10 percent unemployed," says Burkhard Paetzold, mission co- worker in Germany and regional liaison for Central and Eastern Europe, and facilitator of work with the Roma people. "Tey live on all kinds of informal work, like metal collection, repair work, day labor, and seasonal work in farms. Te baskets create one piece of additional income only. Families cannot live on basket making." In Montana, churches are sometimes as small as 12 members. Larger eforts to connect with mission, such as going on a trip or giving a large gift, are out of reach at this time. "Tis is a realistic gesture of support for mission," Marsha says. "Congregations now feel connected to the person who made the basket and the ministry to the Roma people. Our hope is to extend this support to other areas of mission in the future." Linking lives Churches in Montana buy baskets from Roma women, supporting their families By Robyn Davis Sekula The following trivets and baskets are available through Presbyterian Distribution Service (toll free 800-524-2612) Church Store (http://store.pcusa.org/): Item number PWR10430; Round trivet; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$7 Item number PWR10432; Oval trivet; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$8 Item number PWR10433; Star-shaped trivet; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$9 Item number PWR11424; Star-shaped trivet, medium size; . . . . . . . . . . .$6 Item number PWR10431; Rectangular-shaped trivet; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$9 Item number PWR11435; Pitcher-shaped basket with thin handle; . . $15 Item number PWR11426; Small basket with one handle; . . . . . . . . . . . . .$7 Buy a basket First Presbyterian Church in Great Falls, Montana, uses the baskets from the Roma women for Communion. Dave Herman MXR_1-20.indd 5 3/25/14 11:18 AM