Commitment

Okay . . .  we admit it--some Sabbath days aren't so good.   This week the branch president went to Thailand for 3 months and the relief society president went to Dubai for a month.  We really miss them, because now we (the missionaries) are basically in charge of a group of people we can't communicate with and who aren't very committed.  Things can get kinda crazy, and if it weren't for the help of the Lord, we're sure everything would fall apart completely.

We never know who will show up at church and do their assignment or calling, even though they say they will.  We could easily get an ulcer wondering if the speakers, teachers and members will be there and what we will do if they aren't.

After many prayers we feel that the solution to these problems is to teach, teach, teach the Book of Mormon and encourage everyone to read it.  Once someone reads the Book of Mormon they will learn that the Lord loves them.  When they know the Lord loves them they will love Him and want to serve him and then they will want to serve others.  The Book of Mormon will help them truly be converted and then nothing will ever keep them away.  They will have the "heart" to face opposition, and to do what's right.  They will be a happy people.

Good Times with Handicapped Children

The center for handicapped children in Ramtha had a "day of happiness" and we were invited.  We still don't know why they treat us like such celebrities.  We really haven't done anything to deserve it.

We had a great time playing and dancing with the children.  We love the people there and would like to assist them if we can.

Palestinian Refugee Camp

On Wednesday we went to a Palestinian refugee camp in Jerash to deliver winter coats and blankets to the poor.  Everyone had a good time.

LDS Charities donated 750 winter coats, hats, gloves and socks for children.

United Muslim Relief donated 600 warm blankets--2 for each family.

The community center was full of people--parents, children, some dignitaries. 

  So was the Jordanian police.

Every child was given a bag with his name on it.

Candy and toys were distributed as well.  No toy guns allowed.

An elderly woman received a bright red fleece lined coat.  

A little girl was given a bright red jacket to keep her warm this winter.

A father brought his son....

A boy brought his sister....

We are so grateful to the many good-hearted people around the world who donate to the humanitarian fund.  They are the ones that make projects like this happen.  

". . . they brought their little children. . . and the angels did minister unto them."  3 Nephi 17:11, 24

The Muslim Cougar

Dr. Ziad Ali Elnasser, dean of the medical school at Yarmouk University, is a BYU Cougar.  He and his wife went to Provo in 1968, enrolled in school and lived in Y-mount married housing.  Their two children were born there.  He received his phD in microbiology.

Dr. Zohour, our friend from Jordan University of Science and Technology wanted us to meet Dr. Ziad and arranged for the visit.  We were delighted to get the chance to meet him, even though we had to walk up 5 flights of stairs to get to his office.

In our conversation Dr. Ziad entertained us by relating stories about his life at BYU.  We laughed at the story of his wife getting busted for smoking by campus security, and the first experience they had with eating ham.  They thought it was hamburger.  The missionaries came to their apartment every week to try to teach them the gospel.  He knows all about Joseph Smith, but as we know, it would have been impossible for them to leave Islam and join any Christian church.  Nevertheless, he came away with a love for Utah and for the principles he learned while he was there.  He's a very loving man with very similar values to ours.  He can be a big influence for good on all the young people he teaches here in Jordan.

 A big part of our mission here in Jordan is to make friends and build relationships.  We don't know the "big picture" yet and we probably never will, but we know the Lord has a plan for his children and one day they will come to Christ.  It will be fun to look back and see how things work out, especially with people like Dr. Ziad.  We don't believe that he went to BYU by "chance."  There has to be a plan for him.  He's a good man and so is Dr. Zohor.

Syrian American Medical Society

In the United States, LDS Charities recently made a big donation to the Syrian American Medical Society to go to medical supplies.  SAMS mission is to provide medical help and assistance to the people of Syria.

This week we visited a clinic in Irbid where the group was offering free medical help.  Doctors and specialists from the United States were here to volunteer their time and to provide free medicine to the refugees in the area.

The doctors and specialists worked with students from nearby JUST University 

 Hundreds of people came to the center in spite of a rain storm. 

We are constantly amazed at how many good people come to Jordan to do what they can to help the Syrians.  They are the best of humanity. 

Embarrassing

Tuesday was the official handing over ceremony for the donation from LDS Charities to Altkaful Health Clinic.

Boxes and boxes of supplies were lined up for our inspection. 

The first medication was given to this Syrian woman who was so weak she could hardly walk.  It was wonderful to be able to give her the medication she needs.

SHOCKER!!

When it was time for us to pay the bill we discovered that we were 500 JOD's short.  Apparently the office in Amman had made a mistake and put the wrong amount in the envelope. Lynn was very embarrassed, but the general manager said "no problem" they will make up the difference for us until we can get back to Ramtha with the rest.  We paid them 15,000. 

Everyone was happy.

Private Showing

Nothing like being the only ones in the theater watching the latest James Bond movie with a bag of popcorn and a big drink.

AHHH . . . . . . .This is great--we deserve a break once in a while! 

Thank You Huda

Our Relief Society president, Huda Tashman, was released two weeks ago.  She has served for 12 years.  For a thank you, the Relief Society sisters decided to go to her home and give her a gift.  When she found out we were coming, she invited us all for lunch!

Homemade pizza!

Cole slaw, grape leaf rolls, 2 kinds of pizza, tossed green salad, filled dates, cake, candy, soda and hot herbal tea.  It was a feast.

The Jordanians are excellent hosts.  No one ever goes away hungry.  Do we look well fed?

What Just Happened?

Baseem Al-Refeai, the director of public health, is very well connected in Ramtha.  We get a big kick out of Baseem and lovingly call him a "bee-bee in a barrel" because he is always going in a hundred different directions without a lot of thought about where he's going or what it will take to get there.  His ideas are endless and so is his enthusiasm.  His follow-through not so much.  Some day we hope we'll find something realistic we can do with him because he's trying so hard.

Today Baseem invited us to an event at a center for disabled children in Ramtha. He told us "you HAVE to be with us" so we decided to go.  When we drove up Baseem was standing out in the middle of the road waving to us and directed us to park inside the gate, like real celebrities.

The facility looked clean and new.  We were told that is was built by someone?--or an organization?--from the U.S.? (we think).  Baseem's explanations are difficult for us to understand.  There were a lot of people in the commons area, mostly dignitaries and employees of the school.  They all acted like we were royalty and lined up to be introduced and shake our hands.

Next we were given a tour of the building and talked to the head mistress about what they do and wha they want to do to help the disabled children.  It wasn't clear to us, but we enjoyed the visit.

After that we went into a conference room with the other dignitaries and drank juice and ate cookies.  Everyone took pictures of each other.  It was fun to try to get to know them, especially the people who couldn't speak English.

At one point Baseem came in and gave a speech thanking everyone, especially LDS Charities for all their support.  We wondered what we had done to receive the thank you!  Then he asked Lynn to give a speech, but right in the middle of his talk the door swung open and 4 Jordanian policemen walked in, including the police chief.  We thought we were busted, but didn't know why.  The policemen sat down and Lynn finished his speech and we gave the chief our card.

What happened next was amazing.  Baseem had a big stack of awards and plaques to give to people and he asked Lynn to give them out, which he did and he shook everyone's hand and thanked them for their good work.  By this time we were hardly able to contain ourselves.  They even had a certificate for us!  As far as we could remember, we hadn't done anything to earn or deserve the gift, but accepted it and gave everyone a big hug.  Then we took pictures, shook more hands, and got the phone numbers of some important people, including the police chief.

What just happened?  We have no idea but it was fun.

What We're REALLY Doing Here

Neal Maxwell once said, "Go out and preach the gospel.  If necessary, use words."

That's what we do--teach gospel principles without teaching the gospel.  We are here to reach out with love to as many people as possible and be the face of the Savior to everyone.  Here are some of the things we learned in the humanitarian conference this week:

• If we can't help people out of their problems we can help them know of their worth.  God is aware of everyone.
• Slow down the pace of the projects and take time to make friends.  Focus on relationships.  
• Do humanitarian projects that will help the greatest number of people

When the time is right and the barriers are down, the people we have associated with will recognize the gospel principles we have taught them through our charity work.  It will be easier for them to accept and live the gospel.

Elder Holland Came to Jordan!!

We have known for a couple of months that Elder Holland MIGHT be coming to Jordan for our humanitarian couples conference, but were sworn to secrecy.  We didn't want the word to get out and then have people be disappointed if he changed his plans.  His wife, Pat, has been very sick for the past year and everything depended on if she was feeling well enough to make the trip.  About 10 days ago we received the word that he was coming--AND he would be interviewing each one of us.  Now that's something to keep me awake at night.

The Hollands, Elder and Sister Lawrence from the Seventy, and the McMillans (executive secretary for the Presiding Bishopric and Director of Temporal Affairs for the Middle East) flew in from Turkey where they had been to see how a new mission was doing.  They arrived in Amman, Jordan on Wednesday evening, just in time for dinner.

It's been a tradition for the couples to prepare Thanksgiving dinner for the November conference, so this past week has been very busy with preparations.  We only had an hour and a half between the last meeting and the arrival of our guests to get the potatoes mashed, gravy made, turkey sliced, etc. etc.  My assignment was to make pies and yams.  I practiced making pies for a week before and Lynn was the happy taster.  We practiced lemon, cherry, banana cream, coconut cream and pecan, plus 4 different recipes for pie crust.  We were able to get the American ingredients at stores located near the U.S. Embassy.

Sharon Eubanks, Sandi Hammond, Myrna made pies

Lynn, Elder Jensen and Hammond prepared the turkey

The Hammonds insisted that everything be done "just right."  The Amman Center was spit shined and super clean, even the bedrooms in the couples living area where we were staying.  Our clothes and suitcases were stuffed into the closets, the dirty dishes were all cleaned up and the turkey was ready to go.  In the end, I felt like the staff of Downton Abbey, all lined up for inspection when the dignitaries arrived.

We didn't need to be so uptight, because Elder and Sister Holland and the others were not pretentious in any way.  They were friendly and warm and comfortable as our own family.  We visited, ate and had a good time together.  Elder Holland teased the men about how much they had helped (or not helped) cook the meal.

Elder Holland took a piece of my pecan pie!

An elegant feast for our tummies was followed the next day by a spiritual feast with an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ.  

Elder Holland talked about our influence on our families and told us if we keep our covenants we will keep our children.  He also taught us a great lesson about the Book of Mormon.  He said the Book of Mormon is a book of revelation about revelation.

The first chapter in the book tells us almost everything we need to know about the gospel--prophets, obedience, revelation, visions, love of God, Jesus Christ, repentance and so on.  The people who only read the first chapter can gain a testimony of the book.

The Book of Mormon is so important that the prophet Joseph Smith concentrated most of his efforts and focus into translating and publishing the book prior to the organization of the church in 1830.  The restoration of the church took place after the book was off the press.  

After Elder Holland was finished, we were each given the opportunity to bear our testimony.  I never imagined I would be bearing my testimony to an apostle.  It was a special experience we will never forget.  

The next item on the agenda was for each missionary couple to be interviewed by Elder Holland and Elder Lawrence.  While the interviews were taking place, Sharon was able to spend a few minutes with our dear Muslim friend and United Muslim Relief partner, Jamal Iqtish.

 Jamal was delighted that we had arranged for him to meet with Sharon Eubanks.  He brought her some special olive oil as a gift.  He loves Sharon and goes to see her when he is the United States on business.

 Elder Holland sent Jamal a letter last June wishing him a happy Ramadan.  Jamal shows it to everyone.  We're not sure if he knows exactly who Elder Holland is, but he knows he's a leader in the church.  Jamal gave him a blanket made from camel hair as a gift.

We invited Jamal to stay for the fireside that evening, but then remembered that it's illegal for a Muslim to attend a Christian church in Jordan, so he had to be uninvited. 

The members of the Church came to a fireside that evening and 21 people from the North Jordan Branch traveled to Amman.  

Elder Holland oversees the Middle East.  He loves the area and is optimistic about the future.

Middle East// Africa North Area

These are the six couples serving in the Middle East/Africa North Area.  We love getting together to receive training, give reports and speak English!   

KIRDISTAN, NORTHERN IRAQ

Jim and Karen Anderson from Farmington, Utah 

RABAT, MOROCCO

Gary and Susan Jensen from Springville, Utah 

BERUIT, LEBANON

Rex and Nancy Allen, Midway, Utah

AMMAN, JORDAN

Ron and Sandi Hammond, Rexurg, Idaho

BEIRUT, LEBANON

Kent and Susan Wiser, Salt Lake City, Utah

(they will be arriving in December)

AL HUSN, NORTHERN JORDAN

Lynn and Myrna Tolley, Salem, Utah

How Arabs See Us

We were in Amman this week for the semi-annual Middle East Humanitarian Conference.  It is always a wonderful time and an event we look forward to .  Sharon Eubanks, Director of Humanitarian Services for the Church was with us for 4 days.  She is a delight.

The District President from Lebanon, Kareem Asuad, came to the conference and spoke to us on the topic of "How the Arabs See You."  This is what he said:

They see is as the Good Samaratans  A stranger, traveling in a foreign country, meets someone who needs help.  There is a language barrier, but he takes time and forgets about his journey.  His genuine feelings are there.  He treats the stranger well and makes sure after he goes home, the person is well taken care of. The people here in the middle east see the humanitarian missionaries as good Samaritans.

The members of the Church see us as The Branch of the Olive Tree in Jacob Chapter 5:  The Book of Mormon was written by people from this area who were familiar with olive trees.  They understood the  parable of the old olive tree which is decaying and the master wants to save it.  President Kareem said this is the area where the original olive tree ( or the original church) existed, but is now old and decayed  The members here see us as the good branches, bringing strength and energy to nourish others.  We are sent to this area to be "grafted" into local units of the church and help them grow.

Married to a Muslim

Virginia Malah, one of the most faithful members of our branch, is married to a Muslim man.  They met and married in the United States and spent a few years there before coming to Jordan to live.  She has never been allowed to teach her children anything about the gospel and for a time she wasn't even allowed to come to church but over the years her husband has relaxed the rules and she has much more freedom.  Virginia still wears a burka when she goes out, but does it out of respect for her husband's wishes.  She is good to him and has adapted well to his Muslim family and her situation.  In return, he allows her to come to church and to serve the women in the branch.

Today Virginia was sustained as the new Relief Society President in the North Jordan Branch.  

Virginia (President), Halla (Visiting Teaching Supervisor), Myrna (2nd Counselor), Samera (1st Counselor)  The secretary, Samaya doesn't like to have her picture taken so she went missing.

Jordan Flu Shot

Dr. Abd at the Altkaful Clinic was so happy with the donation from LDS Charities, he offered to give us each a flu shot!   How's that for a thank-you gift???

There were two separate rooms--one for the women and one for the men.   Dad was very brave.

The woman who gave me my shot was dressed in traditional Muslim dress, all white with everything covered but her eyes.  As soon as we went behind the curtain away from the men, SHE REMOVED HER VEIL!!  I GOT TO SEE HER FACE!!  SHE WAS CUTE!!  What a treat to see what she looks like!  She gave me the shot in my hip and it didn't even hurt--much.  Thank you, Altkaful.

Much Needed Medical Supplies

The medical supplies donated by LDS Charities to the Altkaful Health Center have started to arrive.

Thumbs up for the medications!

Much gratitude from our friend, Abd, the director of the clinic.

While we were in the clinic, a Syrian woman came into Abd's office to ask for some medicine for her son.  He was shot in the back 3 years ago, leaving him paralyzed.  Since he was shot he has been bedridden and is suffering with severe bed sores.  Recently he has been very depressed and suicidal.  All she was asking for today was some cream for the sores.  

I was interested in hearing her story so I asked her about her life and what had happened.  She can speak a little English--enough so I could understand most of what she said.  Her name is Samera and she was a school teacher in Syria.  She had four children, 3 boys and 1 girl.  One of the boys died, her husband left and married another woman, her home was destroyed and her son was shot.  After that she fled Syria and came to Jordan.  Now she's living in poverty.  Her daughter is living in Amman with her two children.  Her other son is 10 years old and not in school because they have no money.  

I really wish I could help her and the many thousands just like her.  The medicine donated by LDS Charities will ease a little bit of the suffering for her son, but it can't begin to heal the deep wounds in the soul of Samera.  May God bless her and her family.