Annie Maekawa’s eyes lit up when she heard Mernie Johnson talk about quilting as an outreach ministry at the conference women’s retreat. She wanted to learn to quilt with her two daughters. Inviting others to join a class would be even better.

“I was impressed with the San Francisco [Central church] class that Mernie was teaching because they were making quilts for AIDS babies,” says Maekawa. “I thought it was really neat because it had a purpose.”

A member of the Mountain View Japanese church, Maekawa knows the challenges of sharing Christianity within the Japanese community. When Pastor Mark Duarte and Akemi, his wife, heard about the idea, they were very enthusiastic. To be supportive, Mark and his older son joined the class, too.

The monthly quilting class outreach began in September 2004 with a three-fold purpose: (1) Fellowship for members; (2) Outreach for non-church friends; and, (3) Donating the quilts to those in need.

More than 30 people came. “It was a lot more than I thought would show up. We didn’t have that many sewing machines,” says Maekawa. So popular, Johnson has added a Saturday night class to the regular all-day Sunday schedule. Mothers bring their children. Teens have joined. And, not just for women only, several men come to help their daughters.

A vegetarian lunch, provided by Esther Hashimoto, has guests inquiring about how to have a healthier diet. One-third of the approximately 30 monthly participants are non-members.

Life lessons are also learned. "When Mernie announced that the next quilt would be a ‘Trip Around the World,’ my immediate reaction was, ‘Oh no, I can’t handle this,’" Akemi remembers. "Then I thought that our lives sometimes look like this, so difficult and complicated. But, as Mernie said, as long as we follow the instructions step by step, it’s not that difficult. We have such a wonderful instructor in Jesus. When we follow Him, a difficult-looking life becomes not so difficult.”

For Johnson, driving from Fresno to the Bay Area once a month is not a sacrifice. She gets excited about sharing her talent for the Lord. “Over lunch, one guest, a Sunday keeper, told the class coordinator, ‘Maybe I should visit your church sometime. Now, I’ll have friends.’ Wow!” says Johnson.

With all her hosting duties, Maekawa has yet to complete her first quilt, but she doesn’t mind one bit. “We are just praying that this continues to be instrumental in reaching people,” says Maekawa.