FINDING JOY IN HUMANITARIAN PROJECTS
This week we took the metro to visit with the leaders of Ejercito de Salvación (Salvation Army.) Each metro station has different, beautiful tile work to enjoy as we walk and wait. It is a joy to meet with different organizations that share our goal to care for those in need. We look forward to partnering with them in future service opportunities.
This Project Update is for you Lucy-Hannigan Ewing. We currently are managing projects in various stages of development ranging from visiting organizations to assess needs, preparing reports to present to the area presidency for approval, following through as items are purchased and delivered, coordinating ceremonies where legal documents are signed, following up to make sure donated equipment is being used and maintained.
(4) Hogars de Ancianos (long term stay facilities for the elderly.) Donations of clinical beds, lifts, and kitchen equipment.
(11) Youth service projects where youth are assembling school kits for rural school students
(2) Special Needs schools that need computers and other materials
(3) Emergency Response projects for Venezuelan refugees providing hygiene items, infant care kits, and bus fare for 960 people to reunite with family members in Santiago
(1) Emergency Response project in southern Chile where 120 homes were burned in a fire last week, displacing 340 people.
(5) Medical Hospital donations of dental chairs and medical equipment to diagnose and treat a wide range of diseases.
(1) Rehab facility donation of equipment
(1) Group home for children that have been removed from their homes by the court who need new kitchen equipment and bedding
(1) Soup Kitchen donation of stove, refrigerator, and industrial size cooking implements
(2) Organizations that teach job skills to homeless people- donations for welding, carpentry, hairstyling, sewing, and culinary training workshops
(1) Seed project with the indigenous people of Chile to develop the cultivation of vegetables and medicinal plants in urban and rural spaces
It is a joy to meet with the good people at each of these facilities. We marvel at their dedication to the vulnerable populations they serve.
FINDING JOY IN CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS
This week was filled with Christmas cheer. On Monday there was a Christmas devotional broadcast from Salt Lake City with Bishop Caussé speaking to Welfare and Self-Reliance church employees and missionaries. Bishop Caussé is the Presiding Bishop of our church. He manages the temporal affairs of the worldwide church. Our humanitarian supervisors in Argentina report directly to him. In his remarks he said, “We live in a world where bad news abounds.” He reminded us that when an angel announced Jesus’ birth, the angel said, “Fear not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people. The word ‘gospel’ in Old English meant ‘good news’ so the gospel of Jesus Christ means the good news of Jesus Christ’s birth, life, and resurrection. Bishop Caussé counseled us to ‘fear not’ and thanked us for sharing the good news of the gospel through service. He said that the donations received in humanitarian aid testify to the doners’ consecration to the Savior.
On Wednesday we were invited to the Mission office, along with two other senior couple missionaries to meet our mission president and his wife, President and Sister Bohn, and to have lunch with them and Elder and Sister Haynie. The Haynie’s were on a five-week mission tour of Chile. In our church, General Authority Seventies are called to serve as special witnesses of Jesus Christ; to support and train Church leaders and assist in directing missionary work, humanitarian aid, temple building, family history, and other Church efforts. They serve in their callings full time, often retiring from their careers to serve. They typically serve until they are 70 years old. The Haynie’s have served in the Philippines and in the Northeast Area of the US. They currently live in Buenos Aries, Argentina. They are headed back to Utah at the end of this month to receive a new assignment. They are gracious, down-to-earth, kind people.
On Friday we had another opportunity to spend time with Elder and Sister Haynie at a South American South Area Christmas Devotional broadcast from Buenos Aries. We were invited to have lunch after the broadcast with Elder and Sister Haynie and others that work in our office.
Our office and the temple next door have beautiful nativity scenes on the grounds outside. We found a little Christmas tree with decorations in our storage closet. Thank you, Elder and Sister Ferguson! Our municipal building is also looking very festive.
Today we were invited to dinner at the home of Alex and Shelley Hawkes. He is the Economic Unit Chief at the US Embassy. They have a beautiful home in a northern suburb of Santiago. Elder and Sister Lindquist knew his parents when they lived in Columbia
It was a week of good meals and good company. We wish the same for you this week as you enjoy this Christmas season!
With love, Elder and Sister Lamb (aka Ed & Debbie, Mom & Dad, Pop Pop & Tu Tu)
Lambs in Central Europe 