Companionship and Pemphero (Prayer) Bears & Hats
The companion synod relationship exists for the purpose of strengthening one another for life and mission within the body of Christ. it offers us the privilege of participating in the life of another church through prayer, study, communication, and exchange of persons and resources. it opens our eyes to the global challenge that Christ offers us today and calls us to deepen our commitment and discipleship as individual persons and as a community of faith.
The Pemphero (Chichewa for prayer) Bear Project is a way to keep our companions from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Malawi in our prayers and in our thoughts. While knitting or crocheting the bears, please pray for love, hope, peace, comfort, support, and good health for the orphans and all of the children. Our prayers can also focus on the women who volunteer their time to work with the children at the feeding centers, and also the women of Diakonia Services who organize the program at the feeding centers.We have been told over and over how our prayers sustain the people from our Companion Synod, and the Pemphero Bear Project certainly highlights the importance of prayer.
The Pemphero Bear Project is a three-fold one:
	1.	Knitting bears and the knitting of prayers into the bears, which will be distributed at the feeding centers. There are many free patterns available on the web, easily found by doing an internet search. Here's one pattern that works well:  http://knitting-and.com/knitting/patterns/toys/anyyarnteddybear.htm
	2.	Knitting caps for babies and toddlers, also to be distributed at the centers. Hats with ties work well for the toddlers and young children, because they stay on while being carried on the backs of mothers and siblings. ( If one does not knit or crochet, hats can be sewn from polar fleece material.)
	3.	Sending skeins of yarn for the women in the ELCM to use in their own projects which can generate income for them.
Each congregation which involves itself in this project will be sending their items directly to: Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malawi, PO Box 650, Lilongwe, Malawi, Africa
Costs to send surface mail through the US Postal Service are approximately $37.75 for 10 pounds, $48.00/15 pounds, and $58.25/20 pounds.