Operation Knit Together intends to take the pain out of spring for all the orphans in Moldova. But it’s going to take a lot of shoes, socks and volunteers to provide for the residents of the country’s 66 institutions.
And First Baptist Church, Gloverville, will be a part of it, along with churches from at least six other states.
In the former Soviet Republic, “when temperatures begin warming in March, the hands and feet of many of the children who live in government institutions remain swollen because of frostbite,” according to Dearing Garner, who is leading the effort to raise $250,000 and 90 volunteers to distribute shoes, socks, hats and gloves “throughout the tiny Eastern European country. ” As blood starts to flow once again, their skin turns from waxy white, to red, and then to purple. The pain is intense.”
Operation Knit Together is a ministry of Baptist Child and Family Services through its international arm, Children’s Emergency Relief International.
Teams of volunteers will personally distribute the clothing in three stages Nov. 24-Dec 3, Dec. 2-11 and Dec. 9-17.
“Our goal is to personally put the shoes, socks and other items directly into the hands of the children,” Garner explained. “They need this material help, but the greatest gift we can give them is the knowledge of the saving grace of Jesus Christ. We will work alongside local Christians to show solidarity with the Moldovan Baptist churches, as well as distribute gospel tracts in English, Moldovan and Russian.”
A December 1999 mission trip to Moldova sparked Operation Knit Together. “One night, a group of children surrounded us to greet us, and we realized many of them were barefoot and didn’t have hats or gloves in that bitter cold,” Garner remembers. “People started pulling off their own hats and scarves and gloves – and when we got back home, we began praying about how to spare children from frostbite. We think Operation Knit Together is what God told us to do.”
From 2000-2005, Garner spearheaded an effort that reached some of the country’s orphanages. But when he retired as pastor of First Baptist Church in Kingswood, Tex., last year and joined the staff of CERI, the vision grew.
While meeting with officials of Moldova’s ministry of education, youth and sports in planning for the 2006 distribution, “God just impressed me that we could minister to all the orphanages – so we told the government not to even budget for shoes because CERI and Operation Knit Together would take care of it,” he explained.
The census for the 66 orphanages is 12,630, which translates to 15,156 pairs of shoes, “to be sure everyone gets a pair that fits.” Most of the shoes will be purchased in Moldova – which gives a boost to the local economy – but donated shoes also will be shipped over. The socks are being donated by a North Carolina textile company, Kentucky Derby Hosiery.
On July 17, the government and CERI will formalize the agreement. Signees will include Valeviu Gilescui, president of the Baptist Union of Moldova.
Operation Knit Together accomplishes many things, Steve Davis, CERI’s program director for Eastern Europe, pointed out. “First, it reinforces to the children that they aren’t anonymous to either God or his followers; second, it makes a statement that the United States and its people can be viewed as friends; third, it is critical to our effort to be seen as a valuable partner with Moldova’s ministry of education;
“And finally, kneeling down before a Moldovan child with no possessions and nothing to offer in return is probably the best posture possible for the people of a nation blessed with disproportionate wealth and prosperity. Until we seriously acknowledge the value of the least among us and begin working for God’s will to be done on earth just as it is in heaven, we won’t be the ambassadors of grace and love we were created to be.”
By mid-July, 21 churches (mostly Baptist, but including Methodist, Presbyterian and non-denominational congregations) from Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and North Carolina were deep into fund-raising and recruiting volunteers, while churches in West Virginia and Pennsylvania were gearing up to participate.
Additionally, the North Carolina National Guard has taken on Operation Knit Together as one of its projects, along with two Rotary Clubs in the Tar Heel State.
Though the focus is on the children, Operation Knit Together also will provide shoes, socks, gloves and hats to all the adults who are institutionalized in government facilities.
“Moldova is the poorest of the former Soviet republics and is at the same latitude as Chicago and southern Canada,” Garner pointed out. “The orphanage buildings and heating systems are poorly constructed and maintained, and the government can’t afford to provide enough coal and electricity for heat. Obviously, we can’t solve all these problems, but we can provide warm shoes, socks, gloves and caps.”
For information about Operation Knit Together, contact Garner by e-mail at dgarner@CERIkids.org, or by phone at 210-787-0535. CERI’s website is www.CERIkids.org.