Meggan Monday: Hemmed in Prayer Ministry
In Pascagoula, a group of women meet up in the Fellowship Hall of First Baptist Church every third Tuesday of the month where they iron and cut fabric to sew dresses, shorts, shirts, and bags. It is a mission of love for these women known as ‘Hemmed in Prayer.’
“We were focusing on giving ourselves something that we could do that would bring joy into a child’s life. (To date, how many garments have you made?) Slightly over 42,000. We started in 2008 and we had 36 ladies present. We have about 35 ladies that are involved, 35 to 40 when we meet on Tuesdays. We have twelve churches.”
“We chose reversible dress garments, little boys pants, and later on, tote bags. Most of the children come from third world countries and they get their clothing from the garbage dump. They go out and pick out strips of clothing and they put them on. Can you imagine the little girl’s face when she sees this new dress made just for her?”
“Countries that we’ve sent to are Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Brazil, India, Africa, El Salvador, Sudan, Florida children’s home, Louisiana, and Amazon. Those are just a few.”
“We have sent them to so many countries, but we try to meet a local need if there is a request. We had no idea where this would go, where it would take us. We have just been so blessed. All of our fabrics and other items are donated. We’re not on anyone’s budget. We go by donations. It does take time though it’s worth it. When we feel like we’re doing something personally for someone we will never see, probably don’t know anything about them other than they have a need and we can help with that need.”
The women have sewn more than 42,000 garments since they began in 2008. Two gentlemen who greet the women each month are the husbands of two of the founding members who have since passed on, but they are there to help the seamstresses carry their machines and other equipment in the hall.
If you would like to help or make a donation, contact First Baptist Church of Pascagoula at (228) 762-2343.
