A Short Stop-Off In Spain

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

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

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

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

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

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.