Elder and Sister Durrance

Cabo Verde Wheelchair Distribution--Sao Nicolau

2009-11-03T12:24:00.041-07:00

An hour before the planned wheelchair distribution, the streets of Tarrafall, Sao Nicolau were completely empty. Once the word got out that there was something different happening in town, everyone was headed towards the center of activity.

Everyone is gathering in one central location.

At the community center for the disabled, to watch their friends receive a wheelchair from the Humanitarian Services of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saint.

This is one of the biggest events of the year for this small island community, and everyone wants to be a part of it, and witness the action.

One by one, people arrive...

on foot....

by car...

by chair...

and, by cane.

Municipal officials are present.

Along with the local media.

And, James Treves, a member of the Church District Presidency.

Then, with patience they wait for it all to begin....with huge smiles on their faces and giggles caught in their throats.

Someone asked us recently, "Why wheelchairs?"

"Why is the Church so interested in donating wheelchair?"

We think pictures can answers that question better we can. Here are just a few.

Sometimes, gratitude comes as much from the caregiver and family as from the new wheelchair user. This prospective is new to us. Not only do wheelchairs offer mobility to the user. It can ease a heavy load for those who love and care for the physcially disabled.

The benefits of wheelchair donations is far reaching, and worth the months and months of preparation.

Wheelchair donations can create a new bond of friendship.

...and warms the heart.

For us, it is one of the greatest experiences of humanitarian service.

For the recipient, it can be a new life.

As this gentleman put it. "Now that I have a new ride, I can go find a girl."

Visiting With E/S Goff In The Cabo Verde Islands

2009-10-31T12:47:00.034-06:00

In mid-October we flew to Mindelo, Cape Verde to visit and train the new humanitarian couple, Elder Larry & Sister Pat Goff.

Elder Goff served an earlier mission as a young man in Brazil, and has bravely returned with a rusty knowledge of Portuguese. Sister Goff is even braver. She is relying totally on her husband's rusty memory of Portuguese. Now that's faith. They're a great couple, ready for the work.

Cape Verde (Cabo Verde) is a group of 10 islands off the North-West coast of Africa, with a usually hot, dry climate, smiling people and plenty of ocean-front property.

After two days in Mindelo, we flew with James Travas to the island of Sao Nicolau for a wheelchair distribution. Sao Nicolau's main--and perhaps only--industry is fishing--the main dish on the menu in every restaurant. And, everyone's a fisherman on this island.

Ummmmm sun-dried fish. No exactly our thought of a delicacy.

When we arrived on the island Sao Nicolau, we were welcomed by the results of an overnight flood. A new road system had just been completed. Obviously not with the idea of rain in mind. Ever few miles we found the roads flooded out or washed away.

There's suppose to be a road here somewhere.

...and a bridge here somewhere...

During another rain a week earlier, a mother and two children died on the island when flood waters brought large rocks down on their home during the night. The man above is the husband and father of this family, and though injured, managed to survive the flood.

Sao Nicolau is a beautiful, green island full of rocky mountains and narrow canyons. The same elements that makes it so beautiful, also make it a dangerous place to live. Though these homes are just above the village below, they are completely cut off from the rest of the island. There are no roads to reach them, and their donkey paths are washed away. All supplies must be hand carried for nearly 7 miles uphill.

While in the village of Tarrafall, we visited a home for the elderly that had been established by Rumis, a gentleman interested in the needs of single mothers, the elderly and disabled. One of the major problems in third world and developing nations is the care of the disabled and elderly. These people are often the last on the priority list for government aid. When there is no family to help, these people rely on the generousity and concern of people like Rumis.

It is gratifying to know that simple things, and little money can help offer a giant step towards advanced sustainability for organizations who serve these the disabled and elderly. On our first glance at this particular facility, it would be easy to start adding furniture and comfort items--perhaps a chair or sofa. But that would be our Western view of the necessities of life. Though it is sparse of furniture, it is clean and neat, and has provides home and comfort for the four blind men who live here.

The men in this home are cared for by a single mother and her 12 year old son, who live in the facility with them. This creates another aspect to the facility. While meeting the needs of the disabled men, it provides a home and livelihood for the mother and her son. We thought this was an ingenious way to meet the needs of both groups of people.

While visiting the home for the elderly, we learned that Rumis' organization also cooks and serves 2 meals a day for these men and 30 other disabled in the village of Tarrafall at a small community center.

Rumis was proud--and should be--of the service that two other women, offer the community. As Rumis showed us the kitchen where the food is prepared, Sister Goff and I quickly noticed that all the cooking was being done on a two burner unit sitting on a table top, and that the handles of the large pots were broken off. We asked Rumis if that was all they used to cook with. What about the stove? "It's broken." He told us. "And has been for a long time." They've tried for three years to get the municipal office to replace it. We also noticed that there was no refrigerator for storaging food. A small freezer nearby was the only storage space in the kitchen.

Since food is something people cannot live without, we asked E/S Goff if they would consider a project with the organization to help furnish their kitchen. During the day, they shopped the village for a new stove, refrigerator and pots and pans to help the organization meet the needs of the elderly and disabled in their village. Now they can more efficiently serve two meals a day for 30 disabled people and their caregivers--including the blind men at the home.

Though there was still much more to do in Tarrafall, Sao Nicolau, we found time to....

...chill with some friends.

...Find time alone...

...envy the natives who can easily find a place to nap....

...and staying in practice for ....

...our own little grands.....

A Short Stop-Off In Spain

2009-10-30T13:37:00.010-06:00

On our way to Cape Verde, we took a detour to Spain. Initially we had intended to meet with an organization to develop a wheelchair project for refugees and those who do not qualify for a wheelchair under the government program. As our meeting plans fizzled, we found ourselves with a couple of days sightseeing before our scheduled flight to Cape Verde. We visited Madrid, Toledo and Segovia before traveling on to Cape Verde.

Of course, we had our camera with us and took more pictures than we could possibly share.

Here's just a few.

Segovia

Toledo

Madrid

We had the opportunity to visit the Madrid Temple. The Spain MTC, a meeting house and visiting center are also located on the Temple grounds.

The next day, we returned for Sacrament Meeting.

Here we were, a missionary couple from America serving in Germany, attending church in Spain, watching a father from Nigeria bless his baby--in English, in a Spanish speaking Ward.

This truly is a world-wide Church.

That afternoon....we jumped on the plane for Cape Verde with a connection in Lisbon, where we met the Guinness Book of World Records' tallest man in the world--8 ft. 1 inch.

We had just read about him on the Internet a few days before, so Joe recognized him at first glance.

A Week In Bucharest, Romania

2009-10-29T13:08:00.019-06:00

We spent the first week in October in and around Bucharest, Romania training the new humanitarian couple, Elder & Sister (Denny & Gloria) Linerud. They are a neat couple--ready to start work. During the first few days of training we took them to meet Mary Veal and Ana at the HIV/AIDS clinic for children and young adults. We can't take pictures at the clinic, so there are none to share, but Mary's story is one of our favorites. She is American and came to Romania to spend a year helping in the orphanages working with babies infected with HIV through mandatory blood injections during the communist regime. The practice of blood injections was meant to improve the health of ill babies--though the World Health Organization warned against the practice. 16 years later, Mary is still in Bucharest. She has helped to raise many of these children and has become their surrogate mother. There are still 7000 young adults in Bucharest infected with HIV. Some of them are passing the virus on to a new generation as they try to live like the rest of the world--marrying and have children of their own. Their story is a sad one that really touches our hearts. Though we have no pictures of these young people to paste in a book, we will always cherish their faces in our memories.

During our visit with E/S Linerud, we .......

...visited a model village of the Romanian past.

Walked through the park.....

Saw the Arch of Triumph. Wait a minute. I thought that was in Paris.

Got lost in the grand city of Bucharest.....again! "Which way to the A-line?"

Tried to order KFC crispy-chicken breast in Romanian. Ummmmmmm?

Were serenaded on the train by a young Roma-gypsy boy. He was really good too!

Counted the number of stray dogs in town. No leash laws here.

And visited one of our wheelchair partner organizations....

18 months ago we didn't know a thing about wheelchairs except the mobility they offer for the physically impaired. Now we can tell you a thing-or-two about different kinds of wheelchairs, and the advantages and disadvantages to the wheelchair user. What we will do with this vass knowledge of information after our mission, we're not sure. But, we truly enjoy knowing that many physically impaired people are blessed with better mobility, can find employment and are more self-reliant because of the nearly 6000 wheelchairs donated in the Europe Area during our mission. We visited with Christian at Motivation Romania, who is showing us the new WorldMade wheelchair assembled by the gentleman sitting in a wheelchair. The WorldMade chair is personally fitted and assembled for the wheelchair user--often by the physically impaired. We really like this program for this and many more reasons. It helps provide some work for the handicapped, while meeting the needs of the disabled.

We loved every minute and day of our visit with E/S Linerud in Romania. They are great, and have already done a project with Mary's clinic. They bought protective gloves, mattress covers, sheets, pillow cases, and bed clothing for kids.

..........

Now off to Cape Verde to train the new couple there, Elder & Sister Goff.

A Quick & Productive Trip To Cyprus

2009-10-10T12:42:00.020-06:00

A land anciently taught by the Apostle Paul, Cyprus is covered in history. Full of ancient Greek ruins, it is also believed to be the final distination and burial place of Lazarus.

Ancient ruins are easy to find in and around the villiages of Cyprus. This section of ruins reveals an almost perfectly preserved, 1600 year old floor in the House of Theseus.

This is an actual photo of the 1-inch square marble, mosaic-tile floor. Though the walls no longer stand, the floor has survived for more than 1000 years.

Joe plays golf....with a stick, a small stone, and a dirt green. Actually, we were driving back from Nicosia when we spotted a golf course, with black-dirt greens. Joe just had to practice his swing.

Since Cyprus is mostly a desert of ancient ruins, surrounded by beaches, we had many opportunities during our three day visit to see the seaside.

We were in Cyprus to evaluate the humanitarian needs of the country. We visited with the Nicosia Red Cross, and learned of their service to physically impaired Cyprians, and refugees brought to Cyprus from other countries. Cyprus has become a relocation site for refugees leaving Africa, the Middle East, and Palestine. Refugees stay for weeks and months as new homes are found for them in other lands. Though the Red Cross has successfully aided the thousands of refugees who have come to their shores, the economic crisis has severely affected funding from the government and other sources. The items of greatest need are wheelchairs for the disabled, and hygiene kits for refugee camps. From our visit with the Red Cross, we have developed a 250 wheelchair project, and a container project with hygiene kits, school kits, newborn kits, blankets, quilts, and medical supplies.

Nicosia, once the capital city, is now a city cut in half. One side is occupied by Turks--the other by Cyprians.

Evidence of Turkish invasion and NATO forces still remain in Nicosia, Cyprus after ten years of occupation. The country still remains divided as Turks and Cyprians learn to live together.

In the colorful city of Nicosia, I demonstrate a woman's favorite passtime. And no. I did not buy a skirt. I'll have plenty of time for that after our mission.

2009 Humanitarian Conference--Tirana, Albania

2009-09-08T13:14:00.019-06:00

Hello...and...

Salute...from Albania.

A walk through the market place.

In a Roma school children sang and danced a traditional Gypsy dance for us.

Roma boys show off their growing muscles.

Elder & Sister Snow have developed two successful projects with the Roma/Gypsy school, where orphaned and abandoned children are taught the Albanian language and how to live in society. Without schools like this, Roma children cannot go to public school, and lose the opportunity for future employment and education.

Attended more meetings.....

We visited one of Elder & Sister Snows projects at the Tirana Home For the Elderly.

We spent time in meetings with our supervisor, John Mulligan, the Area Welfare Manager.

The Europe Area Humanitarian couples--Left to Right:

E/S Schmoe, E/S Densley, E/S Funkhauser (PA), E/S Durrance, E/S Edwards,

E/S Snow, Sister Wilde, and E/S Hinson

In previous years the Humanitarian Conferences were held in Frankfurt, but we decided this year to hold it in Tirana, Albania. Our humanitarian couples came from Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Slovakia and Albania. The reason for the conference is to allow the couples to share ideas, talk about the problems and successes they experience in their related countries, receive direction from the Area Office, share a common experience with each other as a humanitarian team, learn from each other, and get to know each other. It was great to visit with them all and to see their bound as a Europe Area humanitarian team grow.

Slovakia, the Moldava Roma Community

2009-07-05T22:43:00.013-06:00

These will not be lavish apartments...just the bare necessities. This one building is actually three apartments. But, it is more than most Roma have, and is partly funded by what little savings they can acquire. The amount they save is not as important as the act itself. For some, it is only a few hundred Euros. With some of their own funds involved, we hope they will feel a greater desire to take care of their home and surroundings.

EPT has asked that LDS Charities partner with them in a pilot program to try to help the Romany people learn more effectively how to help themselves. In partnership with Slovakia Habitat for Humanity and the government, EPT has designed a program they hope will help Roma afford small housing. The government, HFH , and EPT will match every Euro that a Roma can save towards building and improving their home. LDS Charities, through our office in Frankfurt, has agreed to provide toilets and basins for the 12 new apartments. These apartments will have the few working, indoor bathrooms in the village.

LDS Charities is partnering with ETP, hopefully to help change the lives of Roma people. Slavka (right) the ETP director, chose these young people from the Moldava community to help make a difference in their village. They are now trained Social Workers who will operate the new, small community center. They will counsel, tutor and work with the new generation of Moldava Roma. The goal is to help redirect the mindset of Roma, teaching them to think out of the box of poverty.

The trash and garbage thrown from this apartment building becomes a playground for Roma children.

90% of those living in poverty in Slovakia are Roma. And, 95% of those living in the Moldava community are without employment. Roma are often the first to lose their jobs in a struggling economy. They are often seen begging on the streets...washing car windows at a red light, playing an instrument for change, or holding a cup for donations. But, they are a happy people who love being around others...and love having their pictures taken.

On our first day together we drove to visit the Roma community in Moldava with Slavka, the director of EPT, an organization that helps Romany people. It was the Alexander’s first visit to a Roma community.

We visited Kosice, Slovakia in June to train the new humanitarian couple, Elder Archie & Sister Nadine Alexander. They are a fun couple --ready and eager to begin work.

Weekend in Berlin

2009-05-12T11:26:00.009-06:00

A remaining section of the Berlin Wall--freedom side

The way it was.

The way it is today.

...and more

We spent a relaxing weekend in Berlin during the Memorial Day Celebrations. It was a day of fun and parades--while remembering those whose freedoms were confined by the
BERLIN WALL.

Daily Life in Croatia and Bosnia & Herzegovina

2009-05-12T10:36:00.018-06:00

Kids Playing Ball

Bosnia & Herzegovina Country Road

Elderly Couple Watering Their Garden

Bosnia

Tending the Garden

Bosnia Countryside

Dancing with the Waiter
Dubronic, Croatia

Selling Honey and Juice at the Roadside Stands

Bosnia

Backyard beekeeping

Bosnia Country Road

Tending the Lambs

Bosnia Country Road

Carrying a Load
Bosnia Country Road

Making Music
Dubronic, Croatia

A tween on her phone....

they're the same all over the world.

Dubronic, Croatia

Making a Living

Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina

A Man In Thought

Mostar, Bosnia

Stone reads..."Don't Forget"
...in English

A Few Restful Days In Bosnia & Croatia

2009-04-28T06:10:00.025-06:00

We enjoyed a relaxing, informative, fun day in Mostar, Bosnia i Herzegovina.

No matter where we went, kids gathered and became Elder Joe's instant best friends. It was fun just to see how long they'd hang around visiting us. We were suppose to be eating lunch, but our table became a beehive--surrounded by swarming teens. FUN!

What can I say. He attracts 'em like bees to honey.

No matter what country we're in, we find all teenagers to be alike. These girls were on a school field trip from Sarajevo and had fun teasing Elder Joe and trying to speak English with him.

Muslim girls find fun and interesting ways to blend traditional attire with modern styles. They dress in beautiful colors and tasteful fabric. These girls are wearing jeans under their dresses--a common style among Muslim/Islamic girls in Bosnia.

Mostar is a beautiful, quaint village with a strong touch of Turkish ambiance. The ancient bridge and many buildings had to be rebuilt--to scale--after the war.

Sister Dee in the ancient Turkish village of Mostar, Bosnia i Herzegovina.

Hello! from Elder Joe in Sarajevo, Bosnia i Herzegovina.

The Yugoslavian Army heavily attacked the ancient city of Mostar in 1993. This photo was taken from our hotel balcony on the opposite side of the river. Bridges and buildings have been reconstructed, bringing the city back to life. But, there is still a lot to do. The deepest wounds are in the hearts of the Bosnian people. They still speak of the fear and pain from the war that killed nearly 100,000 people throughout Yugoslavia--a country now known as Croatia, Bosnia i Herzegovina, Serbia, Slovenia and Kosovo.

Apartment building with bullet holes patched up...We like the exclamation mark. Coincidental?

In one canyon along our drive, we came across 32 homes within 1/2 mile that had been completely destroyed. It's hard to imagine the fear that must have existed for families. In some communities, the enemy actually lived among them.

Along the beautiful mountainous countrysides of Bosnia are blown up, shot up homes--a memory of the recent 1991-1999 war and revolution--started at the death of conservative communist leader Tito, and the onset of the aggressive communist regime of Slobodan Milosevic.

Some of our favorite photo moments are catching the common people living their common everyday lives. We caught this man shaving in his side yard.

After a few days of meetings in Sarajevo and Tuzla, and a wonderful wheelchair distribution,

we decided to take a couple of days to ourselves--at our own expense--and drive through the countryside of Bosnia i Herzegovina and along the Croatian coastline, before returning to our desk work in Frankfurt.

More Tuzla Wheelchair Photos

2009-04-28T05:37:00.013-06:00

Transition meeting with the Tuzla Red Cross.

After a successful distribution, we turned the Tuzla & Sarajevo,

Bosnia i Herzogovina region over to the Elder & Sister Densley

Pres. of Tuzla Red Cross, Jedranka -local director,

Pres. & Sister Hill-Mission Pres. & wife,

Elder & Sister Densley

Elder Durrance with very happy father--father with son.

This standard outdoor wheelchair comes with high quality bicycle wheels. That makes the chairs easier to maintain in developing countries. The wheels can be repaired or replaced at almost any bicycle shop.

Tuzla, Bosnia/Herz. Wheelchair Distribution

2009-04-26T23:37:00.019-06:00

After five months and three visits to Tuzla, Bosnia i Herzegovina to develop and coordinate a wheelchair project, we finally had the blessing of seeing tears of joy on the faces of those who received wheelchairs--and their caregivers. We have often felt the Lord's direction as we've worked with Jedranka and Tanja, director and assistant of the Tuzla Red Cross, while developing this project. War, abandoned landmines, childhood diseases and poor health care have left many people in the region with wheelchair needs. Because of the faithful contributions of LDS members and nonmembers, 250 people received the blessing of better mobility, while their caregivers feel some of the daily burdens literally lifted from their shoulders.

With a new wheelchair, this father will be able to transport his 12 year old son more easily.

We know that we are only the organizers of this project. It could never come to fruition without the willing contributions of caring individuals. We thank you all for your love and service to those in need. We have learned to love the people of Bosnia i Herzegovina, and feel gratitude in our hearts for these wonderful children of God and the opportunity to serve them.

Pres. Hill of the Slovenis/Croatia Mission speak to media and guests.

Twin sisters receive twin wheelchairs. FUN!!!

Serbia -- November 2008

2009-04-05T14:41:00.013-06:00

In the midst of an uprising in February 2008, a young man climbed through a window of the American Embassy in Belgrade, Serbia and started a fire. The attack, and street riots that ensued, were in protest to the United State’s support of Kosovo independence. Though the young man was the only person killed in the fire, the riots created a series of actions by the U.S. government and the LDS Church. Americans were not considered safe in Serbia, so the American Embassy closed and all missionaries were evacuated—including our humanitarian couple, Elder & Sister Morton.

It was a scary two weeks for the missionaries as two-by-two they were escorted by train and bus across the border into Croatia and Slovenia by a young Nikola Novic, the local Branch President. Some of the missionaries were assaulted as they tried to evacuate, and one, a young Canadian, had his passport torn to pieces in protest a week earlier. Though the missionaries were removed, most Church members managed to stay together. They prayed for peace in their country and the return of the missionaries and church leaders. Finally, on September 8th, eight of the ten young Elders who were evacuated, returned to Serbia—reestablishing the Mission. When we learned that the missionaries would be returning to Belgrade, we contacted President Hill, the Mission President, and asked if he was ready to have a humanitarian couple return. He asked for a month to evaluate the situation and the treatment of the young Elders by Serbian citizens. In October, we were encouraged to visit Belgrade with Elder & Sister Morton to evaluate for ourselves the attitude of Serbians toward Americans. We were impressed by the reception of the people and the general acceptance towards us as Americans and as members of the church.

Church entrance one block from Embassy

Just 2 blocks from the Embassy and the Church--still stands a reminders of NATO attacks in 1999—a successful attempt to halt Serbian attacks neighboring countries. It’s fascinating to see that this building could be so precisely hit by off-shore missiles, and yet the buildings connected to it, and the one across the street remained unharmed.

One of our favorite pictures of Belgrade was this charming couple, sitting quietly together in the center of town square. When we asked them if we could take their picture, she smiled. In broken English she said. “Oh. No. I’m not pretty.” We think they’re beautiful! And, full of charm.

For Elder & Sister Morton, our visit to Serbia was an opportunity to reminisce and recount their experiences in Belgrade. But, best of all, it was an opportunity to renew friendships. While in Serbia, they took us to visit their choice friends and NGOs.

One of their favorite people and organizations is Tasa, a Gypsy and the “mayor” of the local Gypsy (Roma) community. Tasa’s story is especially interesting . As a young man in his twenties, he was introduced to the LDS Church while living in Germany. He joined the church, went on a mission and decided to return to Belgrade to help his people. Though he is a counselor in the Branch Presidency, he never married, and has dedicated his life to help lead his people away from old traditions and convince the government that Gypsies are people who deserve rights like any other Serbian. There is an overwhelming dislike for Romas (Gypsies) throughout Eastern Europe. They are considered the lowest class of all races and cultures in many Eastern countries, including Serbia. Belgrade’s Roma story is a particularly heartbreaking story. This Roma community inhabits land that was donated by a closing convent nearly 200 years ago. They were overrun by the Nazis during WWII. Then overrun by the Communist government after the war. During the 1980s new Serbian government wanted the land away. Romas were not allowed to build any new buildings. So, weakened houses and makeshift shacks became the normal existence for most Roma. Tasa wouldn’t stand for the government’s treatment of his people. He created a committee of men to fight for Roma rights. Though the government planned to move Romas off their land and into barracks, away from society, Tasa fought for them to keep their land. During the last 18 years, he has convinced the city to not only allow them to stay, but to build a fenced soccer field and playground in the community.

Recently, Tasa also convinced the government to hire 25 Roma men to clean and maintain the ditches and streets of their own community.

Tasa has turned the downstairs of his home into a kindergarten for Roma children. This is another unique story. Children are not allowed to enter public school in Serbia without first going to kindergarten. But, Roma children are not accepted into public kindergartens until they can read and write Serbian. So the vicious cycle of illiteracy remains high in Roma communities. Tasa is working to get the government to legitimize his kindergarten. It’s a hard sale, since few certified Serbian teachers wants to teach these children, and no Roma is educated and certified. But Tasa refuses to give up. He is working to convince the city that he and his assistant can prepare these small children for public school. Tasa sees his little school as a place for “his” children to receive an education. Tasa had two requests from the Church’s humanitarian service. Winter clothes for his people and a project that would educate the young men of his community in woodworking skills. On our return to our Frankfurt office, we ordered a container of clothes, and hygiene and school kits for the Roma community. We are in the preliminary stages of a woodworking-carving project that will include training and equipment for a workshop. Tasa’s home will become the Roma community workshop/school for young boys to learn a new trade and hopefully, a new future.

A 13th Century Fort……overlooks the intersection of the Sava and Danube Rivers—making it an excellent defense position and an accessible location for invasions—and beautiful.
Serbia has experienced a lengthy history of warfare and hostility. Its earlier saga involves invasions from other countries: Roman, Turkish and eventually Nazi, and Communism. After the fall of Yugoslavia, Serbia fought to remain the central government, as one by one, countries declared their independence.

Serbia is ready for a new generation, a new century and modernization--as old Belgrade becomes New Belgrade. We enjoyed our visit and in this beautiful country. Though there are many issues left to overcome, we felt at peace. It is a country filled with beauty and charm, and very proud people--people who are learning to work and set goals for their own future.

We were excited to help approved a 250 wheelchair project for the Right for Work organization —an organization for disabled persons who need chairs to work. This project was in the developing stage, then cancelled after Elder and Sister Morton were evacuated February 2008.

Croatia & Bosnia-Herzegovina October 2008

2009-04-05T12:08:00.020-06:00

In October, we met with our humanitarian couple, Elder & Sister Mills in Zagreb, Croatia before they left to go home from their mission. They’re from Battle Mountain, Nevada, and yes, they know our daughter and son-in-law, Coni Jo and Walter. Small world. Since the Mills’ replacement would not arrive for another month, they took us to meet the organizations they’ve worked with for the past two years. LDS Church/Charities is currently involved in two projects with the Red Cross: a 250 wheelchairs distribution and a clean water project. We had the opportunity to meet Marinko and Danimir, the Red Cross coordinators of the two projects. The water project is particularly troubling and disturbing. During the war with Serbia in the 1990s, 10,000 wells were contaminated with arsenic, discarded arsenal, fertilizers and the disposal of bodies. During the early part of October, the Red Cross was still discovering bodies in the wells. The Church Humanitarian service is helping to fund the cleanup of the last 1/3, or 3500 wells. Farming communities in eastern Croatia near the Serbian border are the wells most affected by contamination.

While shrapnel and bullet wounds mark many buildings in Croatia, the signs of war are gradually disappearing with new paint and stucco.
Croatia attracts about 10,000 tourists a year, mostly along the coastline. There are ancient Roman ruins and a long history. The average income is about $1200 a month with a registered unemployment 17%-35%, highest near the Serbian borders. And, though income is relatively low, prices are not. The price of clothes and shoes are comparable with well developed, Western Europe. The people of Croatia hope that their impending acceptance into the European Union will help their country and economy.

Like most of Europe, the heart of the Croatian culture is its marketplace. This is a typical Saturday Market.

LDS Branch members currently attend church in a turn-of-the-century building. They will soon relocate to a new building about 10 minutes outside of central Zagreb. The location is near train tracks and bus lines, making it easy for members to commute.

B O S N I A - H E R Z E G O V I N A

We were in Zagreb the same week as Missionary Zone Conference and had the opportunity to meet with President Hill, the Mission President. President Hills’ mission area covers the former Yugoslavia nations. They are all post-communist, post-war countries. And many are still declaring their independence. Among the countries he is responsible for are Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, Bosnia, Macedonia, Kosovo and Montenegro. At present, we have missionaries in Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia—with a humanitarian couple in Croatia, and another couple returning soon to Serbia. Pres. Hill shared with us his impressions of Bosnia and suggested we visit there to evaluate the area for humanitarian service. A few days later, we rented a car and drove to Tuzla, Bosnia to check out the conditions there for future humanitarian work. As we crossed the border and passed the check-points, we experienced the lingering effects of war. Landmine signs lined the road side--reminders of war and dangerous work still ahead. In addition to the obvious problems mines create, the inability to farm the land and the fear experienced by refugees to return home, still plague the countryside. Clearing landmines is a slow, tedious process— involving the Red Cross and help from other nations.

More than 120,000 Bosnics died in the short war of the 1990s. Nearly half were Muslims—killed in an attempted ethnic cleansing.

Today, Christians and Muslims share the country 50/50. As we drove from one village to another, we could determine the religious population of the town by what stipple climbed into the sky. Seldom were both present in the same village.

We had planned to meet with the Red Cross in Tuzla, but soon learned that there are no telephone books in the whole city of 160,000 people. So we had to stop several times to get directions. Finally, we were led down a street, pass a round-about, turned to the left, drove into a parking lot, parked the car, and followed a kind man (humm) down another street until we saw the Red Cross sign. Eventually, we met Tanja and Jedranka, the local Red Cross manager and assistant. Tanja spoke to us in English, and Jedranka tried. Both women smiled a lot.

We quickly learned, however, that the scars of war are deep and personal. These women, like so many others, suffered the devastating sorrows of war— Tanja as a child. They are now dedicated to helping their country recover from its sad memories and wounds. We visited with Tanja and Jedrank for two hours, and felt a close bond of friendship develop with them both. We left the Red Cross with plans to return and a great desire to help the Church LDS Chairties partner a project with them. We’ll return, with or without another humanitarian couple, to partner a wheelchair project for the Tuzla area.

Cabo Verde in October Part I

2008-11-14T17:31:00.018-07:00

We spent the last week of September in Cabo Verde (Cape Verde) evaluating the humanitarian needs of the islands. Our first stop was Mindelo, Sao Vicente. It is one of the more organized villages of Cape Verde, with a main street, island market place and a small university. Cape Verde earned its independence from Portugal in the late 1970s, but didn’t have the finances available to maintain a stable infrastructure. During the last 20-30 years, many buildings, schools and streets have gone unattended. It is now in its first generation of genuine improvements. Social and government leaders hope to make the necessary upgrades that will attract more tourism, while bringing jobs to the islands.
Mindelo lies along the coastline. There the ocean is clear and blue, but the beaches are filled with old Cape Verdean practices and attitudes. In some ways this adds to the charm of the island, but it also prevents sunbathing and swimming. Citizens fish and clean their catch along shore. Drinking water is unsanitary. We were warned not to eat uncooked food, including fruit and vegetables. And drink only bottled water. The average monthly income is less than $100 a month. A large number of young people do not enter high school until their twenties and the drop-out rate is extremely high.
One of the main sources of income is selling fruit, vegetables and penny candy at the market place or along side the road—usually by women. A common scene in Cape Verde is the beautiful women with their babies tided to them with a scarf, while selling their goods. It’s also a scene you learn to love and appreciate as part of Cape Verdean culture. They’re friendly people, doing what they can to feed their families. While the women sell their goods, the men catch and clean fish along the shoreline. Fishing is the main industry of the Islands, and the major attraction for avid fishermen.

We had the opportunity to visit several NGOs while in Mindelo.
We took school kits to two schools on the outskirts of town. A five to ten minute drive took us through miles of unfinished houses—a common scene in Cape Verde.
Among rows of unfinished buildings is a quaint little school with about 400 students. We visited this school twice. On our first visit, we passed out bags
with pencils, crayons, pads and other goodies to the third grade class. These few items will last the students a full school year. Most children in this community come from some level of poverty. So, we leave it to the principal and parent’s organization to decide the children who are in the greatest need of school kits. However, we soon found ourselves wishing we had 400 kits—one for every child.
As we prepared to leave, the principal approached us and asked if we could bring 50 more bags the next day. James Tavares, the local Ashby Foundation manager and LDS partner, told them we could, and made plans for our return.
As we approached the school the next day, we saw a crowd of children and parents anxiously waiting for us. We could never imagine such excitement over school supplies. They gathered around our boxes like children around a Christmas tree—eyes and smiles as wide as could be.

This is the view outside the school gate.

A few years ago, the Ashby-Bingham family, members of the LDS Church, introduced the Ashby Foundation to Cape Verde.

They wanted to help members of the Church on the Islands with education and other work skills. This organization has partnered with the LDS Church Humanitarian Services in other projects in the community—reaching out to non-LDS with wheelchairs, school kits, food-production projects and clothes. While we were in Cape Verde, we visited two projects that Ashby and the Church are partnering. One is a Work Skills Training program to educate young adults in hiring and employment skills. For developed nations, many of the principles taught in this class may seem elementary. But, the teachers and authors of the program soon learned that most of these young people knew nothing about goal setting, teamwork and following an employer’s instructions. Most had never been employed nor had seen their parents employed. They had few examples in their lives of employments skills. The workshop is a train-the-trainer program. Those who attend the class earn a certificate that qualifies them to teach another group of young adults. The program developers hoped to limit the classes to 15 students, but in Mindelo, 19 young adults anxiously attended the week long class. The first workshop was held in the
local LDS Church building. Games and role play were among the many teaching tools used to present work skill principles.
Every student received a certificate qualifying them to teach another group of young adults.
The LDS Church just finished two new buildings in Mindelo, Cape Verde—this one was completed in 2007. Though the Church is in its first generation in the islands—introduced in the 1980s—there are more than 6,000 members. There are three branches that meet in this building, and three that meet in another building outside of town. The members are very proud and protective of their building. In Mindelo, most members of the community have great respect for the church and are aware of the service and education it offers to their community. The Cape Verdean people call it the “Elder’s Church” because of the missionary name badges.

Cabo Verde in October Part II

2008-11-14T16:40:00.029-07:00

We left Mindelo for Praia, the capital city of Cape Verde, on the island of Santiago.
Our hotel--and, the beach across the street—and, Kennedy,
(we call him Mr. President) one of the nicest young men you could ever meet. Kennedy served his mission for the LDS Church in Praia two years ago. He had just finished the Work Skills Workshop and hopes to help other young people prepare for employment. One of the trials young people like Kennedy face in Cape Verde is lack of employment. Hopefully, the workshop will help these young people stand apart from “all the rest” as they seek the few jobs available on the Islands. Another advantage is speaking English. Ashby and the Church also offer English classes for young adults who wish to learn.

The LDS Chapel in downtown Praia is not the most attractive building around, but it is one of the most interesting. Upstairs, above the 2nd floor meeting house for two Branches, is the “Fishermen’s Association.” (There just may be some irony in that title.)
And, just pass the entrance ---in the lower level-- is a gymnasium. OK, this may not be one of the most attractive church buildings, but once inside, it is everything the members need. But things are about to change. Just ten minutes away is a new building, almost completed. The members hope to move in at the end of October. A third building is scheduled to begin in 2009 about 30 minutes outside of Praia. A fourth and fifth building are about an hour away, near the center of the island.

In Praia, people line up for miles to sell their fruit and vegetables. Many sell clothes shipped to them in barrels from a family member in Europe or the U.S. Venders out number buyers fifty-to-one. Actually, we saw only a hand full of people who were buying anything. But, this is the way of life here. Venders sit all day, waiting for one or two customers.
This lady, a member of the LDS Church, mends used clothes on her antique, peddle Singer Sewing machine, to sell at the market. She receives clothes from a family member in the U.S., mends them, and displays them on a blanket around her.
An important marketing skill in Praia is finding the right location.
There are “prized” stalls and spots in the many rows of displayed goods. A good business person will save enough money to rent a more prized stall.

In Mindelo, Ashby Foundation has developed a project to ship containers of used clothes from the U.S. for women to buy at a minimal price. This room in Mindelo shows the clothes that are available-- waiting to be purchased and prepared to sell. Ashby’s goal is to provide a space within this small apartment for two sewing machines and laundry facilities, so a selected group of women can mend, clean and iron clothes in preparation for the market. They plan to select women with little or no income, to use the facilities and machines to start their own businesses. Ashby hopes to teach these women business skills, while helping them learn to save money and care for their families. The young woman above runs the facility and teaches other women business skills. Ashby hopes to take this idea to Praia. This project is sensitive to the culture of the islands and designed to help women develop their own small businesses while learning skills to help provide for their families. That’s why we like it. It teaches self-reliance practices that fits their culture.
In Praia, we visited and chatted with older members of the community. Elder Durrance won the hearts of these three women while I took pictures of our friends below. They called me the “magic lady” when they saw their faces on my small digital camera.
We visited three more schools to pass out school kits to some of the cutest children on earth--almost as cute as our grandchildren.
Sister Neves, the Mission President’s wife, and Elder & Sister Lopes—helped present another 130 kits.
To everyone who contributes to the Humanitarian Program, “Thank you.” You’re the heroes who made all this possible.

We just wanted to let you all know that we're fine and well in Cape Verde.

2008-09-28T15:03:00.003-06:00

We've had a hard time getting the internet, so we haven't been able to write. We spent 3 days in Mindelo on the island of Sao Vicenta. We visited a couple of schools to pass out school kits. That was a mixture of good and bad experiences. The good part is always the beautiful children who can hardly wait for their bag of school goodies. With so much poverty, a few pencils, 1-2 notebooks and a box of crayons is a treasure--and must last a whole school year.

We attended a Works Skills Training that's being piloted here by an organization out of SLC called the Ashby Foundation as one of our Area Projects. Approx. 20 young adults attended the workshop to learn how to get and keep employment. The unemployment rate is about 30% on the island. The average annual income is about $2000. Most of the young people who attended the workshops are members of the church--a few are return missionaries. It is what we call a Train-the-Trainer program. The idea is to teach these young people to help themselves, while also going out into the community and teach additional workshops. It’s a great way to multiply employment concepts and help the community.

We left Sao Vicenta last night for the capital city of Praia--and see much of the same poverty we saw in Mindelo--accept the city is quite ugly. There's nothing here to attract much tourism, except fishing. There is very little tourism and industry on the islands, so jobs are few and in high demand. There is a huge clean-water problem. We kept a water bottle with us at all times and eat nothing that is not cooked. But, they're just like every other country in the world. They have plenty of Coca Cola and love french fries. The church was introduced to the islands about 1991, and now have about 6000 members. (The total population of the Cape Islands is about 400,000).

Many of the missionaries stay and serve locally on another island from their home. And the members are enjoying their first in-country Mission President. They're very proud of "our" Pres. Neves. We meet with him on Tues. to see if he wants us to ask for Humanitarian Missionaries for the islands. Though there is much poverty, the people are good and humble, crime is low, the ocean scenery is beautiful. There has to be a change of attitude, however, for the country to move forward. Hopefully, our young people can help make a difference for the future of these islands. We've fallen in love with many of the young adults, and have been spending quite a bit of time with them. Several either work for or volunteer at the Ashby Foundation, so they have helped us with much of the activity of the week. They're great kids. There’s so much good that can be done here, while also emphasizing self-reliance—and that is the big key. They need to feel they have accomplished and made a difference.

We look forward to sharing, in detail, some of the projects that the church is involved with. We leave on Wed. for Lisbon for three days, then back to Frankfurt Sunday night (Oct. 5). We'll write more later. We love you all. Keep us in your prayers. We need it. And, give each other a hug from us. We keep you close to our hearts. ---Happy B-Day Scott, Nelly and Jayna. Hope you got our e-mail cards.
Love always, Mom and Dad, Joe and Dee

Along the Way...

2008-08-02T13:18:00.007-06:00

Hi everyone, We finally had time to stop and e-mail to let you know we're doing well. We're in Athens, Greece waiting for tomorrow's flight to Romania. Our visit with the missionaries in Egypt and Jordan was supportive to them and educational for us. So many times Joe and I looked at each other and said, "Are we really sitting in the living room of an Egyptian or Jordanian family drinking cinnamon tea?" We visiting the leprosaurim in Egypt, took a wheelchair to a crippled Muslim woman (I'll never forget her beautiful, excited eyes), checked on a clean-water project in Jordan, a school for Street Children in Cairo and sat in the Minister of Health's office in a city in Jordan to receive approval for a container delivery. We've made memories we hope to never forget. We found the people wonderfully friendly--wanting to help in every way they could. The Jordanians are especially kind and good people. Both countries are extremely poor--especially Egypt. It would break your heart to see the children gather filthy water from the river or the Nile to drink--where animals gather and garbage and sewage is dumped. What you see on TV is a fact. We didn't need to go searching for it.

We took a few hours every couple of days to visit historical sites. Our favorite was having dinner (with the Mayor of 5 villages) overlooking the Sea of Galilee. We sat on the balcony of a Resturant at an ancient Roman ruins near the corner of the Golan Heights, Syria, and Jordan, and watched the sun set over the Sea of Galilee while watching the evening lights of Israel begin to glow. In the midst of one of the most tense spots on earth we found the greatest peace. We waded in the Dead Sea, and sang "I Know That My Redeemer Lives," on the grounds where Jesus walked and in the language He spoke. No question, we have been blessed to be a part of His great work in the lands that He loved so much.
We leave tomorrow for Romania. We'll be there for a few days before heading back to the office in Frankfurt and back to paperwork.
We love you all. We thank you so much for your love and support. There are no words to express the love we have for our family, especially our babies. Please take care of yourselves and give each other a big hug. May the Lord bless and be with you all.

Mom & Dad, Joe & Coni Dee

Special Post for Tanner Tallman

2008-08-02T13:06:00.007-06:00

Near our apartment, we answered a special request from our war-scholar grandson, Tanner, who asked for “anything war-like.” We took pictures of several monuments in the cemetery across the street. Especially for you Tan-Man.
This is a monument to the lost German soldiers of war. It rests inside the building shown in the distance in the picture below. Just like American fields, tombstones run for acres in long narrow row. Behind rows of crosses for lost German soldiers are the monument and the graves of hundreds of Jews who lost their lives in the name of medical research during Hitler’s “reign.

We're In Egypt

2008-08-02T12:58:00.003-06:00

This is to let everyone know that we are safe-and-sound in Cairo, Egypt. We arrived about 3 hours ago and were met at the airport by our missionaries here. We picked up a wheelchair and some newborn and hygiene kits on the way from the airport to deliver tomorrow. And, we've already seen some of the problems that arise in this work--mostly, translation. Elder Lindsay asked for 66 boxes of each kits and got 6 of each from the organization where they are stored. So, we will need to return another day for the other 120 boxes. They're kept behind locked doors by the organization we ordered them for.

The Lindsays are from Minnesota originally, and moved to Utah about the same time we did. Sister Lindsay has never been out of the US, so this is an experience of a lifetime for them both. They've already made friends here in the Embassey and with the local people. The nicest part of our trip is seeing them in action. They're doing a great job monitoring the humanitarian work here. They also have our three day visit all booked up -- activities with the members (tonight we're taking a boat ride down the Nile with the Branch members), going to meet the organization heads they work with, Saturday to the Lepard colony, and Sunday they plan for us to take a camel ride to the Sphinx. They wanted us to enjoy the culture while we're here, which is great for us. We may never return.

Friday is the Muslim Sabbath here in Egypt and the church honors that, so we will be going to church tomorrow. We really look forward to meeting with their small branch and feeling their spirit and unity.

Love,

Mom and Dad-Joe and Dee

Update as of July 15

2008-08-02T12:50:00.004-06:00

This past week we spent a lot of time reading and helping our Humanitarian Missionaries prepare Project Proposals. We’re the first step to approval and our job is to screen any problems that may develop. Since the Church’s primary goal—outside of helping the needy—is to teach self-reliance, one of our responsibilities is to be sure that when the Church leaves we have actually helped and not enabled. We also want to help the community learn how to rally around these organizations and help strengthen them. It’s really fun to watch how well our missionaries work with small charities to help offer care to the poor, disabled and aged—while attempting to develop a sense of self-reliance and networking. We do this by contacting organizations that are already established in the community, and help them become more viable and stronger--more capable of serving their people. As our friends, Bill & Kathy Clark who are serving in Mongolia as Humanitarian Country Directors said, “most people think we’re just out here passing out toothbrushes. They have no idea the service we do.”

That is so true. This past week we helped approve ten projects. As you can guess, one of the best parts of our day is to e-mail or call our missionaries and say, “your project has been approved.”

Romania: The Church provided furniture for an education/counseling room for children leaving orphanages. The goal is to help these children merge into society and find employment. We helped to repair a van to transport disabled and abandoned children to/from an education center and homecare. We provided tables with cabinets for a small pediatric hospital that care for malnourished babies/toddlers. They had no tables to do medical treatments on, so they used cribs. One of our favorite projects is the one that give the most for the least amount of money. Romania has hundreds-of-thousand Street Children, and there are organizations that do nothing more than provide a hot meal a day and a place to wash the one set of clothes they own. This week we provided a washing machine to an organization that offers these children a place to get a hug, a meal and have their clothes washed. 3000+ children were aided through these projects.

Croatia: Our humanitarian missionaries in Croatia have been asked to help in the Mission Office there, but they were so excited when they found the opportunity to help a school for blind children. We provided a Braille Printer for the school so that children can learn to read in Braille. 200+ children
Moldova: Moldova is an entirely new country for us. It is south of Russia and was once part of the USSR. Today its people work hard to develop a Democratic Society. Our missionaries there found a small organization that had purchased a building a few years ago that needed a lot of repair. Over the last 5 years we have tried to help them renovate the building for the use of caring for the aged and disabled of all ages. Community volunteers offered to help re-roof the building if we provided the materials. With the willingness to take care of their own, how could anyone say “No”? The home provides living, training and care for a 1000 persons.
We also approved a clean-water project for Moldova which will provide water to a small community of about 4500.

Slovakia: In this very poor country, physically & mentally disabled children are often completely abandoned. Parents have little or no means to care for their children, and so they “give” them away. Like Romania, small organizations take these children in and offer care, food and a home. Our missionaries there found two such centers, both needed play-ground equipment for physical activity for these children. One had a fenced yard with nothing for disabled children to play on. The other had two attached garages in the city where no play area is available. Our missionaries asked for playground equipment to help these small children use their bodies in constructive, physical ways. Can you imagine the smiles on these precious little faces as they play on a swing or monkey-Jim for the first time in their lives? 500 children

Jordan: Jordan has two couple missionaries working hard on Humanitarian projects as well as helping to establish LDS Charities at the Amman Center. One of our couples works primarily on projects. They have a clean-water project that is helping to supply water to villages and schools for close to 100 thousand people. This week we approved a container of 100 wheelchairs, blankets, hygiene kits, school kits and newborn kits. This one project will provide needed items for more than 7000 people.

Lebanon: Our missionaries in Lebanon have helped a group of Catholic Nuns care for 50orphaned children. Last year we help them develop a garden with vegetable plants and fruit trees to help feed these children. They asked if we could help them with a small water system so the Nuns did not have to walk to the well to water their garden and trees. The community offered to pay 1/3 the cost, so we agreed to help with the rest. Their willingness to take some responsibility showed their desire to be more self-reliant and willing to take care of themselves as much as possible.
These projects may seem small to us in the United States, but it means everything to developing nations, where so few have even the necessities of life. We continue to love this work and feel so much gratitude to our Heavenly Father for the opportunity to serve His children. We feel His love and help every day. There have been times when we have felt overwhelmed and unqualified for what we do. When this happens, we close our office door and ask Heavenly Father for His help and guidance. He is always there to show us the way and give us answers to our questions.
We are losing three of our couples this year and need replacements desperately. It saddens us to think that these countries, Albania, Croatia and Moldova, will lose their missionaries. We already feel a stewardship over these people and feel Heavenly Father’s love for them through this work.

Thursday, we leave for the Middle East to visit our missionaries there and see the projects they are working on. We will visit Jordan and Egypt, and then back up to Romania, where we have a new missionary couple working night and day to bring light into the lives of Heavenly Father’s children.

We look forward to telling you all about it next week.

Love always, Joe and Coni Dee

Newsletter #3

2008-08-02T12:10:00.011-06:00

We finally took time to enjoy our host country.
Well, part of Germany that is. We decided that it was time to go castle hopping, so we spent Saturday driving up, across and back down the Rein River. Along the drive are at least a dozen old castles.
Some castles were a thousand years old. Most were badly damaged by the Medieval Wars, by the French. But a few still remain active.
In just 6 hours we saw hundreds of years of history pass before us, and a dozen castles. Some of them were rebuilt by the Prussian King. And, almost all of them are nestled on the hillside in the midst of grape vineyards.
The small villages along the Rein are enchanting. We stopped for lunch and again for dinner, just so we’d have an excuse to “mingle” with the natives. We really enjoy the German people. They always try to speak English, and that’s good because our
Germany is “nicht guten.”

We love the “Ginger-bread” houses in these small villages. This building is more than a Hansel & Gretel house. It’s a small restaurant/home in the center of a quant village. We just had to take a quick picture of a German dream home near a quiet market square. The village of Bacharach in tightly nestled between the Rein River and the mountainside. It quickly became one of our favorite villages. A large castle lingers over it, now used as a youth hostel.
The village is about an hour outside of Frankfurt, and a really pleasant place to return for a quiet dinner at a friendly garden restaurant on a narrow stone street. We look forward to doing just that! Wanna join us?

On the opposite side of the river is this beautiful view and another castle. It’s interesting how the French attacked and destroyed a castle on one side of the river and left the one on the opposite side nearly untouched

OK. Utah. This is what we mean by trees!
And we didn’t even need to go high into the mountains to find them. We had a nice stroll through the park to reach the top of the hillside and enjoy the view below. No snow, no rain—just a beautiful sunny day in Deutschland.

Behind and below, are the Rheine River and a line of small villages along the river, and vineyards running up the hillside. Way-y-y in the distance is Frankfurt.
We had a leisured Saturday and a nice break from work.

Then on Monday, back to work we go. This is Elder Durrance, better known as Papa Joe, sitting at his desk talking to our new friend in Amman, Jordan. Through the window—if you look
really hard—is our apartment building. You can almost see the windows to our apartment. Our office is just a step away from home. All we need do is walk through the parking lot and we’re home or at work. That makes going home for lunch very convenient. And, we’re never late for work, but somehow we’re always late going home. You can honestly say that we really put in a full day’s work. Today, we work for 12 hours straight. Though sometimes it’s a long day, we love the affects of our efforts.

2nd Newsletter from Frankfort, Germany

2008-07-04T21:15:00.005-06:00

Frankfurt is the financial center of Germany, much like New York City is for the United States. Joe just had to get his pictures taken with the “Bull & Bear” of the German Stock Market.

This is the “old center” of Frankfurt, though many of the buildings here have been refurbished. Much of the older section of Frankfurt was destroyed during WWII and had to be rebuilt. Some of the buildings dated back hundreds of years, but most buildings in this square were rebuilt during the 1940s in an attempt to bring back the old charm of Frankfurt. The smaller building in the center is original to Frankfurt.

About a block from our apartment is a huge cemetery--the largest we’ve ever seen. It’s full of large, gorgeous trees of every kind. It looks like someone came in and started adding tombstones throughout a huge forest. Germany has a rather “interesting” burial practice. You rent your cemetery plot here for 20-25 years at a time. If the plot is not maintained to standard, or if the rental period runs out, they put a sticker on your tombstone as a warning that you must “pay up or get dug up.”
Often, family members are buried on top of each other in one plot the size of a twin/double-bed. In the plot shown here is buried a couple- together. NOTE: the green tag in front. They have one month to “pay up or get dug up.” It was surprising to see how many plots had warning stamps on them, ready to be invaded by the dreaded grounds-keeper.

Durrance Newsletter from Frankfort, Germany

2008-06-30T16:10:00.010-06:00

We had the opportunity to meet again with President Glen L. Rudd, formerly the Mission President of the Florida Mission. President Rudd had interviewed us 41 years ago for our temple recommends when we married in 1967. Months later, he called Joe as the Branch President in Cross City, Florida (1967-68). President Rudd has served in the Welfare Program of the Church since its earliest days during the Great Depression. He was asked by the First Presidency to write the history of the Church Welfare Program, which has become the hallmark of the Program. His book is entitled, Pure Religion. A small pamphlet by the same name is distributed throughout the Church to inform members and non-LDS members of this inspired program.

Before leaving for Frankfurt, we had the opportunity to visit with President Rudd once more at a luncheon for the Welfare-missionary couples as we prepared to leave for our assigned destinations. Elder Rudd reminded us in a talk that the Lord’s Work will move forward to every nation of the world, and that the Welfare/Humanitarian efforts of its members will open doors to nations we could enter no other way. Standing with President Rudd is Brother Walker, administrator of the Church’s Vision Initiatives. At present, we have Vision Programs in many third-world nations. We are presently sponsoring one in our Area in Lebanon. Through this program the Church is able to send physicians into under-developed nations for eye exams, surgeries, taking technology where none exist.

Though the Middle-East nations; Lebanon, Jordon, Syria, Iraq and Egypt will formally fall under Salt Lake City’s immediate direction, the humanitarian work for these nations may remain under us here in Frankfurt. That is still yet to be decided. We should know by the end of the year.
This week we ordered another $500,000 in goods to be sent to Myanmar to aid in their relief efforts there. This is in addition to the 150,000 lbs. of goods already sent in conjunction with UPS Charities in Apr/May.

Can you tell that we are sooooooooo excited about this work? The best part of being located where we are is that we get to see so much of what is going on throughout Europe and parts of the Middle-East.

These boxes are ready to send out to countries throughout the world. When we visited Welfare Square in Salt Lake City, there were about 2000 square feet of goods, stacked and ready to be ship to the World, including the United States.

Donated clothes waiting to be sent throughout the world. Employees from all over the world, many refugees from endangered nations, help sort through clothes and other items for shipment.

Flags hang on the walls at Welfare Square, showing the nations that are represented by employees.

Joe plays with puppets from the Health Fair Kits sent to Third-World nations. These kits are used to help children, and their parents, understand the harmful effects of smoking, alchole, and drug use, as well as the benefits of healthy foods and hiegiene.

Joe and I have a wheelchair race at the Missionary Training Center.

More will be added later!

We Have Arrived!

2008-06-07T15:39:00.000-06:00

We wanted to let you all know that we arrived in Frankfurt safe and sound. Our apartment is right next to the Church Area Office building and the church building, so we can walk to our work and church.

Brother Madsen met us at the airport today. His wife is with single sister in Finland this weekend, so he spent most of the morning with us. He walked us to a small market not far from the apartment to buy some groceries, then drove us to the REWE store, which is like an Albertson's. There are a lot of small shops nearby, a few small cafes and flower shops, so we should be able to pick up things really easily. Frankfurt lacks the quaint beauty of Ol' Europe. It's more modern, at least where we are.
There's a huge Cemetary about a block away where thousands of Jews and war victims are buried.

Our apartment is a one bedroom, with a galley kitchen, a dishwasher, and a washer/driver in the bathroom--and best of all a king size bed! The apartment reminds me a little of an IKEA apartment showroom. Dad said I can decorate it. COOL! The IKEA store isn't far away. So that makes it even better. We even have a 25 inch TV in the living room, and we have our two lap-tops and IPODs, so it's almost like we never left home--except we're missing our favorite people.

We're almost through unpacking, so by Monday we should feel like we actually live here. We love you all. Take care and keep us in your prayers. I think we're going to need it.

Love always, Joe and Dee

While at the MTC

2008-06-02T20:51:00.001-06:00

We wanted to send you all a quick note and share the joy we feel at this time. This past week at the Missionary Training Center has probably been one of the most spiritual weeks of our lives--full of scriptures and love for the Savior and His children. There are no words to express the peace we have felt here.
Today, we visited the Humanitarian Center and Welfare Square in Salt Lake City. What a beautiful program. It is hard to express the emotions you feel as you see refugees from different countries working to provide goods and food for people around the world. Utah ranks 5th in refugees, and these centers provide employment for them and a chance for an education, while also using their labor to prepare goods for shipment to 3rd world countries. One young man from Sudan told us today that he felt so much joy in knowing that as he works here in the Center he is also providing goods for his friends and family back home.
At present we have water projects planned in Syria and Lebanon. We are just waiting for US approval to begin. These two projects alone will provide water for more than 100,000 people. It takes my breathe away to see what we are doing. Right now we are working on a project with Catholic Charities providing food and clothing to China, after the earthquake. And we have many projects waiting for us in Gerymany to get into action. You can guess that we can't hardly wait to get to our desks in Frankfurt so we can get to work. We leave Friday morning. We love you all and pray for you each day. Please know that we love you dearly.

Joe and Dee

Launching the Durrance Blog

2008-06-02T20:48:00.000-06:00

I have decided to launch this blog for my parents to keep everyone informed on what my parents are up to while on their mission. I hope to keep it up and post any emails and pictures they send. So, thanks so much for visiting and wish them the best while they are doing such great service for others.

Jayna Smith