Several weeks ago we received notice that Bishop Dean Davies from the Presiding Bishopric was planning to come to Jordan. Dave McMillan the Director of Temporal Affairs for the Middle-East would be accompanying him, along with their wives. They held a 3-day "cluster meeting" (conference) in Amman with directors of temporal affairs from Africa, Europe and the Middle East. At the end of the conference Bishop Davies and Brother McMillan asked to spend a day with us to see some humanitarian projects in Jordan.
We personally have never been into the formal refugee camps but we thought it would be good for Bishop Davies (and us) to have the experience. The Church recently made a large contribution to the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) for their medical clinic in the Zaatari camp so we felt it would be appropriate for the director of SAMS to take us into the camp and see the clinic.
Getting into the refugee camp requires a formal written approval which isn't easy to get. Security is extremely tight and they don't let just "anybody" go in. The visitors from Salt Lake sent copies of their passports two weeks ahead and we asked Laui Alkuzi, Jordan Director of SAMS to help us make the arrangements. Then all we could do is hope and pray and wait.
As time for the planned visit grew shorter, we experienced a real test of our faith. On Tuesday, the day before the visit we still didn't have the written approval. All we had was a promise, which doesn't get you past the armed guards (and a tank with a machine gun on the top) at the gate. We waited until noon and called Laui to say we would have to cancel and do something else if we didn't hear anything by 1:00. Truth is, we didn't have anything else at all. We tried not to panic and have faith. We prayed again and told the Lord we really needed His help and we needed it by 1:00. At 1:02 the phone rang and we got the news that written approval had been received. Whew!! We are so grateful to the Lord for answering our plea for help. Bishop Davies never knew what we had been through. Everything went very smoothly.
This is the only picture I could get from the street leading up to the gate. No pictures allowed of the guards or the entrance.
Inside the camp we were allowed to take a few pictures, but asked if it was okay first. The Tolleys, Bishop and Darla Davies, Brenda and Dave McMillan. They were nice folks.
Lynn made sure to thank the SAMS camp director for granting us permission.
We saw lots and lots of young mothers with their children in the clinic.
Here we are looking at a display of used eyeglasses.
The pharmacy gives medications to about 250 patients per day.
The school playground looks like a fortress--completely surrounded by barbed wire.
UNICEF oversees the schools in the camp. These children are getting a good education.
The people living here are from Damascas. The artwork is beautiful.
The Zaatari Camp isn't ideal. There are lots of problems here, as we can imagine, but there are also many organizations working to make life in the camps bearable. Besides medical care and schooling, there is water and electricity available. Every family is given money for food and there's one street of shops where a huge variety of goods including fresh vegetables and fruit are available to purchase. There is one bicycle for every 50 people. Water is delivered every morning. The streets are paved and electricity is available. How amazing is that? It's not perfect, but Jordan is a good host. May God bless the Jordanians and the Syrians.
No comments:
Post a Comment