We're Thinking About Winter

It's not too early to start thinking about winter.  If we want to get a good price on winter clothing (coats, gloves, hats) we need to start now.  Last year LDS Charities provided 10,000 winter coats to refugees and poor Jordanians.  

These pictures were taken last October at the distribution.

Today we had a meeting with the General Union of Volunteers Society (GUVS) to discuss the possibility of doing the same kind of project again this year.  We will get their recommendations and submit a proposal to Salt Lake for approval.

Ideas for Educating Syrian Children

Farrukh Mirza, the education coordinator of UNICEF in Jordan invited us to meet with him in his office in Amman this week.  He is a delightful man, full of energy and passion for his work with the Syrian children.  His organization heads up a group of about 25 other NGO's who are trying to assist the refugees in a variety of ways.

As education coordinator Farrukh works with the Jordan Ministry of Education to try to accommodate the large number of children in the school system.  At the present time, classes are being held in the mornings for the Syrians and in the afternoons for the Jordanian children using the same classrooms.  There is a shortage of classrooms and teachers as well as students.  Attendance among the various age groups is low for a variety of reasons.  The number of children not enrolled or attending school is alarming.

Farrukh explained one of the ways they would like to address the problem is to provide a mobile school van that would go around to the various groups living too far away to attend school.  The van and teacher would visit 3 times a week and have a standardized curriculum approved by the Ministry of Education.  Participation certificates would be given for 1st, 2nd and 3rd level completion.  We really like the idea.  Save the Children is working on the details and we will meet with them next week.  It's something we have been thinking about doing with United Muslim Relief.  Perhaps this will be a project LDS Charities can help "make happen."  It looks promising.

Would it look like this?

Food Boxes and Eid Clothing

We have struggled with the fact that we made the decision that LDS Charities can no longer provide food to the Syrians who are living outside of organized camps in Jordan.  As much as we would like to feed everyone, we realize that LDS Charities cannot continue this program forever.  It's still a hard thing to do, but knowing that refugees can get food by moving into a camp makes it easier.

We discussed the situation with UMR officials several weeks ago and told them there would be no more food boxes from LDS Charities.  UMR understood and agreed that they cannot continue either but decided to continue their program 3 months on their own and give the people time to prepare.  We have just been heartsick.  Our leaders  and after discussing the problem with our leaders, we decided to ask them  if they would approve continuing the food boxes for just one more month.  The cost is $12,500 for 250 boxes.  Today we received approval.

The scriptures remind us again and again to take care of the poor and the needy, but it must be done in the Lord's way.  We never want to create a "dependent" people, and hope we can help others become self-sufficient.  We don't know how to do that--but the Lord does.  That's all we need to know right now.

CLOTHING FOR EID (Muslim version of Christmas)

We were happy to hear that our after-the-fact proposal to donate $2,000 toward UMR's project to buy Eid Clothing for refugee children was also approved.  We are very impressed at the support our leaders have given to the Muslims as they celebrate their religious holidays.  "Eid Mubarak" means "happy Eid"

What Will The Refugees Do?

As we mentioned in an earlier blog posting, the World Food Programme  (WFP) announced that they will be discontinuing providing food to refugees living outside of organized camps effective August 1.  This announcement will affect over 440,000 refugees who have been receiving a small monthly stipend for food and now will receive nothing.  We are wondering what will happen when people actually realize there isn't any more food for them if they are living outside of a camp.

In the last few months it has been reported that about 3,000 refugees have moved into the camps.  The other 400,000 are still living out in fields, with relatives, in barns, in tents, etc.  Many have used up all their savings and have nothing left so what can they do?  With no jobs and no food, they are forced to take desperate measures.  Families are sending their children out to beg.  Angry, frustrated fathers are abusing their families.  Going back to Syria is hopeless and dangerous. They don't have a lot of options.

So why don't the refugees want to go into the camps?  We're not sure.  They certainly must have good reasons, but we can't understand why they wouldn't want to go there.  The camps provide shelter, food, schools and medical assistance.  The conditions aren't ideal, but many good NGO's are working hard and doing a lot of good things in the camps.  It doesn't make sense.


This article published in the Jordan Times, Aug. 11, 2015 states:

"Syrian refugees are legally barred from working in Jordan, but some are managing to find jobs while others are going back to the camps due to high living expenses, and a good number are reportedly returning to Syria. . .Also, there are those who are going back to Syria where they have fields to cultivate or they have some links. . .

We are estimating that in 2015, there will be around 50,000 refugees going back to Syria from Jordan. . . the reason for this trend are not exactly clear, but some are reportedly returning to reunite with family members.. . . also, the difficult living conditions at the camps, especially in terms of hygiene, water and electricity services, are elements that are causing this trend.. . . at present, thousands of Syrian refugees are trying to be smuggled to Europe, incurring high risks and endangering their lives, in the absence of work opportunities in their country and in the region in general.

The target for the International Organization for Migration is to help 50,000 Syrians be resettled in third countries during 2015.

Birthday Boy

This week was Lynn's birthday.  He got so excited about the birthday phone calls he couldn't get to sleep and stayed awake all night!!

Celebration at our weekly couples meeting.  Cute hat!!

Dinner at a Restaurant in Amman included Chocolate Lava Cake....We wanted to lick the plate.

Blazing Hot

It's really really hot in Jordan this week, and we are grumpy.

114 degrees outside our back door.

93 degrees in the hallway inside our apartment.

Thankfully we have three wall air conditioners that work sort of good, not the best.   We try not to go outside very much, but when we do go out we don't see very many women--mostly men.  I think that's because Muslim women are required to wear scarves and coats in public.  TOO HOT!!

North Jordan Branch Coming and Going

The last 12 weeks have been difficult.  Lynn has been carrying the entire weight of the North Jordan branch on his shoulders while President Amer has been in Thialand.  It hasn't been easy and he has worked tirelessly to keep everything running.

 We know the Lord has helped him and we're very grateful.

Today President Amer was back (!!!!)  We were so happy to see him, we gave him a big hug and a kiss on each cheek.  It was truly a special day because we not only had our branch president with us again, but we also had a couple of real genuine investigators (!!!!).

Watching the branch members "fall all over themselves" with the investigator couple was really cute.  Every comment was directed to them.  The Sunday School teacher changed her lesson and taught Joseph Smith and the first vision.  Amer took all the time in the Priesthood/Relief Society combined meeting to preach the plan of salvation and a variety of gospel topics.  The visiting district clerk stood up and told about a spiritual experience he had (and even drew pictures on the chalkboard).  Brother Fayez got involved and preached something--we're not sure what, but it was very sincere.  We don't know if we scared the new people or if they were converted on the spot.  We'll find out.

Nadar, the young military man who wants his name removed from the records of the Church attended and participated in the discussions. He even gave the closing prayer.  Afterward he went into President Amer's office and wrote the required note asking for his name to be removed from the records of the Church.   I wonder, how can a person do that?  Nadar thinks he cannot progress in his career in the military as long as he's a Mormon, so he decided to quit the Church.  How can someone turn his back on everything he knows is true in exchange for a promotion at work?    Ahhhhhhhh!!!!!

*Just as an explanation in Nadar's defense--94% of the population in Jordan are Muslim.  Christians (mainly Greek Orthodox  or Catholic) make up about 6% of the population.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints isn't officially recognized here and keeps a very low profile.  For young LDS men working in the military, the people they work with are suspicious and probably perceive the LDS Church as a cult.  The dilemma LDS young men face is--quit the Church, keep their jobs, get promotions, and avoid harassment--or stay true to the faith, come what may.  Many feel they cannot be true.  Personally, I have faced the disapproval of an older Muslim woman because my head was not covered with a scarf.  It wasn't fun.