from Ardell Graner, Missionary to the Dominican Republic:

Gordon and Ardell Graner  are missionaries with the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries. Theywere on home assignment last October, visiting a supporting church in Sioux Falls [Sioux Falls First UMC] and attended the Dakota Marketplace mission event.

"We loved being there, for so many reasons, and then there were the quilts. says Ardell. "I saw the one made by the camp kids and immediately fell in love, not only with the uniqueness of it, but also because my mind is always thinking about possibilities for children here in the Dominican Republic."

The Graners began hemming and hawing about the cost and rather they should commit funds or not, however in those seconds it was sold.

"A man bought it, but then our friend, Jo Harris, shared with Char Ough, wife of Bishop Ough, that I was looking at the quilt for the children in the Dominican Republic.,"  Ardell says.

Bishop Bruce and Char  BIshop Ough bought it from the man and gave it to the Graners.

Ardell says, "That was very humbling, but I received it very happily."

The Graners couldn’t get it to the Dominican Republic since they are allowed only two suitcases with 50 pounds each.  The VIM (Volunteers In Mission) team, who came to work in February, under Carol Knodle (from Flame of Faith Church in West Fargo) brought it to the Graners.

"We then used the quilt as an example to work with three groups of children in Mt. Rojo Evangelical Church in Samana, and one group in their mission church in Sabaneta. The children then painted their own squares and I sewed them together to make wall hangings,"  syas Ardell.

Photos: Two of the quilts made by the chidren in the Dominican Republic, after receiving inspiration from the quilt made by Dakotas Youth at Son Seekers camp at Lake Poinsett in 2014. From Ardell Graner. 

"It was really fun and I am still in awe of some of their work. I included pictures of the finished wall hangings, plus a few photos of individuals with their squares," Ardell says.  "My plan is to hang the quilt in the national office where my husband and I work and use it as a sample for other churches."