Quilting Evangelism

By Cheryl Winget

I was born into a family of quilters. A favorite treasure in my house is the quilt my Grandma Phillips pieced together when my mother announced she was expecting me. My mother, who went to heaven almost eight years ago, inherited this love for quilting. She seemed always to have a quilting project in progress. I, on the other hand, was captivated by music. While I appreciated the beauty of their quilts, and maybe even secretly envied their skills, I cast aside any aspirations of mastering this time-honored craft and concentrated on my keyboard.

During our first term of missionary service in Hungary, I was deep into language study. While studying verbs and vocabulary, I realized my mind could function better if I found a hobby as an escape. I started attending a craft class each Friday hosted by a missionary who is a master quilter. I surprised myself at how quickly I learned the techniques. Although I am still not an accomplished quilter, both the process and the product bring me great joy.

Two years ago, missionary women on our Hungary team offered craft classes as outreaches in our neighborhood. Some Hungarian women asked if any of us knew about American patchwork. I tried to get my teacher to lead a series of quilting classes, but she was unavailable. Then the Holy Spirit spoke to me. I was out of my comfort zone; I could much more naturally have taught a Fundamentals of Music course. I decided, however, to ask God to take my weakness and use it for His purposes.

One evening, as I was teaching a class, some students asked the leading questions every missionary prays for. "Why did you come to Hungary?" I carefully explained that we work with pastors and churches, but I left the door open for questions. At a break, one woman quietly approached me, "Cheryl, I know you said your group helps pastors and churches. But is there anyone here who could tell a normal person about God? I have so many questions." We set up a time to meet, and Zsuzsa became a member of God's family.

I learned much from that incident. First, I hope I will never again be afraid to offer to the Lord what I think of as a less-developed skill. He can multiply and convert my weakness into a treasure for His glory. Second, I learned God delights in using weaknesses because His greatness is magnified. I can imagine the joy my godly mother and grandmother are experiencing in Heaven knowing God has given me the opportunity to use quilting to further His work.