My sisters are visiting this weekend from Houston. As they admired the blog Camille built, they reminded me of a talk in the September Ensign from Elder Erich W. Kopischke. In this blog, he describes his own experience with sisters knitting newborn caps for babies in faraway places. Here is a bit of that article:
As members of the Lord’s Church, we will always be under an obligation to rescue those in spiritual and physical need. As the Lord stated to the elders of the early restored Church: “Remember in all things the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted, for he that doeth not these things, the same is not my disciple” (D&C 52:40).
...Recently I attended a conference of Church humanitarian missionaries in Jordan. As I met with them, I saw two sisters knitting. They told me they were knitting little caps for newborns. In the northern part of the capital city of Amman is a hospital that delivers 50 babies a day. The people there are very poor. After delivery, mothers and babies are sent back to their homes, where there is no heating. Many of these babies suffer from disease and die because of a loss of body heat. I asked for two samples of their knitting.
After I returned home, my wife took the samples to Relief Society. As a result, a miracle began—just as it so often begins in many of our Relief Society meetings around the world. During the Christmas season many sisters from our surrounding wards started to knit and sew baby caps. They did it alone, with friends, at home, or at Church activities.
One day I asked a friend how he was doing. With a twinkle in his eye, he replied, “I am a ‘victim’ of baby caps. We are talking baby caps night and day. We are surrounded by them.” One sister called and asked me, “Isn’t it warm in the Middle East?” When I assured her that the caps were needed, she went to work.
When I returned to Jordan, I had more than 800 baby caps in my suitcases. As we turned them over to the senior consultant of the hospital’s baby station, he thought they were a godsend. Jordan had just experienced the coldest winter in 16 years, with temperatures well below freezing.
I am not sure that we can aspire to 800 caps, but it is so exciting to see the bags of caps come to church each Sunday from you. It is similarly thrilling to have you tell me about the fibers you are working with, and have you describe how and when you are working on caps. I love these stories; I love holding the little hats; and I love and appreciate the fellowship I am receiving from you as we go about this project.
Please feel free to share your stories here too. If you find a great pattern, or if you have something to share, this is a good spot to do it.
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