Thursday, September 9, 2010

Our Humanitarian work begins!

We have had another wonderful week in Croatia! We have spent some time just getting to know our city and enjoying the little bit of Summer that we have been lucky enough to see here. It has rained off and on and one morning we woke up to the clouds hanging right about the 7th floor of our building. Right off my deck! It was just beautiful!
   We went to church for the first time on Sunday. Counting us there were 11 people there. It's a struggling little branch, we could feel their strength and the spirit. It's hard to remember that we are Humanitarian Missionaries and supporting and strengthening the branch is not our priority. You just want to do it all!
   Monday we got up and drove to Zagreb, the capital city, and picked up Elder and Sister Colton. After we ate lunch, at McDonald's, we visited the Croatian Red Cross. It was such an amazing meeting, they are partners with the church to bring wheelchairs into the country. They were so respectful, and appreciative of our help. One shipment of wheelchairs, 250. are on the water at this moment and we are hoping to get another shipment in as soon as we can get the project written up and processed.. They also asked for newborn kits. All those kits you sisters put together...oh I wish you could all be here to know how much they are apprecitated!
    We are headed to Bosnia tomorrow. It will be our first trip there. We have another wheelchair shipment on the water for them as well and have a neo-natal resuscitation training set up by our predecessors for November. We are going over to meet with the Bonsian Red Cross. To make introductions and see what we can do for them.
    We are going to try to meet with someone soon that knows about and what the needs are of the Roma people, (gypsies) they seems to be the ethnic problem children of this part of the world. My first exposure to the Roma has been just to see them digging through the garbage in the dumpsters. We saw one little boy eating food that he had gotten by dumpster diving, he was standing in a driving rain storm hungrily eating his prize. It really broke my heart! I know that not every starving child can be helped, but I will at least see to it that any leftovers I have from now on will be in a CLEAN plastic bag, hung on the OUTSIDE of the dumpster! It might be a small effort, but I hope it will help some little tummy not be hungry.
  Well, that's my week in a nut shell.. We are happy, safe and well. We Love You All!
 And in doing these things thou wilt do the greatest good unto thy fellow beings, and wilt promote the glory of him who is your Lord. Wherefore, be faithful; stand in the office which I have appointed unto you; succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees. D&C 81:4-5
   This sweet little lady received on of our wheelchairs 10 years ago, she is still so grateful that she just cried!
Her daughter recognized our badges and went in their house and brought her out to meet us!

3 comments:

Robin said...

What an amazing experience. I get goosebumps just reading your post. What an awesome experience. Helping our fellow man/woman is so rewarding. That's the part of my job I love the best....last night as I assisted my sweet 92 year old patient I felt such a love for him. It's such a spiritual experience when we help Heavenly Father's children.
Thanks Deb, for sharing your mission with us.....it's so inspiring, and you are definitely a GEM!!!!
Love you

laurie said...

You are AWESOME! I love reading your blog, it is great! We all really miss you and Jim here in Nevada, but know you are doing the right thing serving and Loving the people of Croatia! Keep up the great work!

*tif* said...

It all sounds so overwhelming! I'm so proud of you and all you are doing. We pray for you nightly and think of you often. I read your post and can't believe all of the work you have ahead of you! You can just tell the Lord's hand is in it all!
Love you!