I wanted to share some pictures of our annual bazaar with you! Our church has held a bazaar nearly every year for as long as I can remember. I've been there almost 30 years--so that's a long time!
We almost always make raised doughnuts, which are a highlight every year. Often people would line up for the doughnuts well ahead of the opening time. We could hardly ever make enough! Here is a picture of some of them along with homemade cinnamon rolls.
Several dedicated workers get up in the middle of the night to start making the doughnuts so they are fresh and ready for customers at 8 am.
As well as the food, we also have a baked goods area and many handicrafts. Notice the quilts and comforters. All the stuff pictured with the quilts was auctioned--among which are the antique embroidered kitchen towels that my Mom and I saved out of a box of stuff given to us last summer. We washed them and ironed them the day before the sale. They ended up being a $50 item and we were thrilled with that.
Several years ago we started a rug project. You can see the many lovely rugs hanging on the bars also. The ladies of the church sew up the rags or new material that's been donated and then send them off to be woven. The rugs are a popular item each year. The comforter on the far right of the bars was not sold but ended up being donated to a family who lost their house in a fire that same week. The love of Christ was extended beyond our walls with the present of a comforter. In addition to all that we sell lots of crocheted items and Christmas decorations. We even have a bit of a rummage sale. The bazaar is unique each year because of the donated items. No two bazaars are ever alike! We once cracked over 100 dozen eggs to make noodles and angel food cakes!
For the last several years we have had a few hogs butchered and had whole hog sausage available. This is a very popular item. Some of the men grill it as well and sell sandwiches. I had my share--yum, yum!
All the proceeds go to missions. Despite the poor economy, we did well this year and the money will be appreciated by the various groups that receive it. A lot can be accomplished with everyone working together. With everyone pitching in, each little effort goes a long way! Isn't that the way it is in the body of Christ? Few of us are the big evangelists that draw large crowds and minister to thousands upon thousands. So we still need the local church. We learned a valuable lesson about all this last week. Clint taught Bible class for a local Christian high school back in the mid 1990's. He had just a few students but he faithfully presented the truths of Bible doctrines to these teenagers. In the recent election one of his former students was elected to the United States House of Representatives! Another lady from our church was one of this man's school teachers and one of our men in the congregation coached him in basketball. This was a sobering thought for us as we realized we never know who we are impacting when we think we are just doing the little things (like teaching three or four kids around a little Sunday School table). Though this man was not from our church and now lives a ways away, who would have ever thought that someone from such a rural place would end up in Washington for "such a time as this."? I like to think Clint was able to positively impact this person's life who is now serving the United States in Washington, DC! Keep doing the so-called "little things," that God assigns you to--you never know what the impact will be! Blessings, LORI
The bazaar sounds incredible, Lori! Such beautiful handwork....
ReplyDeleteAnd the story of being faithful in (seemingly) small places is SO encouraging! You don't happen to know if Tim Wahlberg was elected to the US House, do you?
Wow, Rebecca! That was the quickest comment I've ever received! Moments after I posted there was your comment. Don't know about the gentleman you mentioned, sorry.
ReplyDeleteI always loved going to the bazaar and helping out! Sad I missed it this year!
ReplyDeleteBe sure you were missed too!
ReplyDeleteDOUGHNUTS! The bazaar was a highlight growing up there. I loved the doughnuts.
ReplyDeleteI also loved when I got to be a part of it. Seeing the comforters that I helped to knot being sold was such a great learning experience for me as a young kid. Realizing that the time I spent was unseen to the ones who would take it home and use it. They would never know that it was my hands that had a part in it, but they liked it. That was a new kind of gratification for me. Of course I was always so proud of mom's bread that sold. Secretly hoping it would sell before any of the other baked goods, thereby proving that my mom was indeed the awesomest mom ever. :)
I probably got on Mary Keely's nerves too...because I was under her nose constantly waiting for more doughnuts. Did I mention I loved the doughnuts?
This is getting very long...I think I need to write a bazaar memories post on my own blog.
• Tim Walberg defeats U.S. Rep. Mark Schauer for two-year term in Congress
ReplyDeleteHe is my niece's father-in-law. He'd had a term in the House, then was defeated for last term, and apparently won again. (I just hadn't heard). He IS from Michigan...not sure what congressional district.
Rebecca: Very interesting! Congratulations to your family!
ReplyDeleteMary: Yes, I did the same thing--wondered whose baked goods would sell first! Are we all doing that?:) Oh, my! I figured you'd have some comments for me on the bazaar--it was such a part of life for all of us who've been there any length of time!