Re-Opening

Editor’s Note: In addition to cleaning, efforts are also underway to re-establish pre-COVID classes at the Peace Center. A few Driver’s Ed classes have been made available and ESL classes are now offered on Tuesday evenings. Here Carol Buckman tells us about re-starting the popular sewing class as well.

Missouri continues to take steps forward in the opening-up process as is CFNA. These pictures are from our June 6, Sewing Class. Summer Intern, Mariah Spaid, Dr. Nhung Tran, and I assisted Evangelist Nabin Samal at St. Johns Morganford with his class of 3 students. The fourth student, a gentleman was not able to attend. This was an intentionally small class as we wanted to exercise every caution possible.

We started in the chapel with prayer and a brief devotion in Nepali, registration including temperature taking, pattern explanation, and the cutting of the fabric. In order to keep everyone’s supplies separate, we carefully numbered the items (clipboards, paperwork, pens, sanitizers, and sewing kits) and everyone brought their own mask. Rev. Bill Matzat of Concordia Lutheran Church, Kirkwood built 3-sided plexiglass partitions for the sewing machine areas. You may have seen some of the magnificent stained glass and/or wood artwork that he has done for the seminary, countless churches, and many other sites.

We made aprons on June 6 and blouses on June 20. Hot pads and jackets are scheduled for July 18 and July 25. Tell me if you would like to help in any way. Child care, general cleaning/organizing, searching for easy patterns, adding info to our database, calling sewing companies to gather information about jobs, teaching classes in person or via Zoom, assisting the teacher, finding a buyer for home-made masks (Nabin's Dad and uncle sew masks and are looking for buyers). Nabin’s and his wife, Rodha’s dream is to start a sewing business in St. Louis in order to build a medical clinic and a church in Nepal.

Carol Buckman (314) 517-8513