Tapestry

Tapestry's mission is twofold:

1) Share the love of Jesus through food, music and education

2) Build bridges and provide opportunities for people to cross them.

St. Stephen Lutheran Church in Bloomington has graciously and generously offered a $3000 matching grant for the ministry of Tapestry!

Donate between now and November 15th and your donation will be doubled!

Tapestry has been growing rather rapidly this past year or so as we respond to an increasing number of newly arriving immigrants from Latin America. We receive new individuals or families almost weekly. Some come one time and some have stayed and are forming part of this multicultural community of faith. It is exciting, exhausting, sorrowful and hopeful.

Just last week we welcomed a family from Latin America. They experienced violence in their home countries and left as a result. They spent months in Mexico where they were kidnapped and extorted, and a period of time in ICE custody at the border where the little remaining items they had were taken from them. They visited a number of churches in the area asking for help when someone at another church (they don't remember which church) gave them my phone number. I invited them to Tapestry for dinner and classes. They were able to get some winter clothing and some food to take home and they came to worship with us yesterday. Their situation is still tenuous, but they have at least found a place to be fed spiritually and physically. 

Here's what we've been up to as Tapestry:

~Began worshiping every Sunday in September (we used to worship twice/month)

~Pray together and for each other and for our neighborhoods and world

~Bilingual Bible studies and faith formation--most newly arrived immigrants have never heard of "Lutheran" so we are sharing about our faith based in grace and at the foot of the cross of Jesus Christ

~Building and supporting leaders

~Serve close to 125 meals per week mostly made by Tapestry leaders featuring food from Ecuador, Mexico, Puerto Rico, the US, and Venezuela  (Community Meal, Thursday classes, Sunday after worship)

~Teach Spanish and ESL classes taught principally by Tapestry leaders

~Provide bilingual childcare during classes and activities

~Collaborate with:

      ~VEAP--distribute bags of groceries once/month

      ~Partner congregations--distribute clothing, especially now winter clothing as a number of our people are experiencing their first or second winter

      ~Volunteer Lawyers Network--information about immigration in general and newly announced Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans

      ~Immigration Law Center of MN and others for Immigration Fair

      ~29 Sponsorship applications for Venezuelan family and friends with partner congregations

~Write letters of recommendation for immigration processes

~Translate documents and interpret

~Provide referrals for jobs, sliding fee medical care, and the list goes on...

~Give advice about buying cars or getting kids enrolled in school

~Give rides or arrange rides

~Accompany parents to schools to support them as they advocate for their children

~Make calls 

~Provide support for recovery and mental health challenges

~Address trauma and work together toward healing

~Listen to people's histories; allow each other to share openly 

~Officiate bilingual weddings

~Laugh, cry, hug, smile

~Upcoming: Third annual Santa Day (last year we hosted 65 children and their families)