From the mission field — LWML grant supports sewing lessons in Kenya

Deaconess students at Matongo Lutheran Theological College in Kenya display stoles they made in sewing class. (Linda Becker)

KENYA

The Rev. Vance and Linda Becker serve as LCMS missionaries in Kenya. Rev. Becker teaches at Matongo Lutheran Theological College, and Linda works with deaconesses in training.

Sharon, a deaconess student in Kenya, sews on a treadle machine provided by a grant from the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League. (Linda Becker)

As part of her work with the deaconess students, Linda helped write and secure a grant from the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML) to purchase treadle sewing machines so that the women could take sewing lessons from a local Kenyan tailor. One of their projects is to make stoles of different liturgical colors on which they embroider Christian and liturgical symbols. The stoles are then offered for sale to pastors and ministerial students who may need them upon graduation. In addition to making stoles, the women also make clothing.

“They sew a dress every semester,” said Linda, “amazingly without a pattern. They just measure themselves and the teacher draws chalk lines on the fabric!”

In a recent video shared with the Beckers’ support network, Rev. Becker noted that sewing stoles offers not only theological but practical training for the deaconess students. “The sewing machines and the skill to use them will provide an ongoing income for the deaconesses,
who are not usually paid for any of their work,” he explained. “God Himself is the giver of all we need for both physical and spiritual life. … The deaconesses and the rest of us can use all of our gifts and our whole life to serve God and others.”

Learn more about the Beckers and their mission work at lcms.org/becker.

Posted Feb. 10, 2022