26 October 2015

Hi All,

This week we continued teaching, feeding and taking Joren on errands.   Her son was in the Primary program and all of us were very proud of how well he did.  She has had an occasion where she has run out of food.  I can’t imagine how difficult this would be for a young mother.  Our apartment is like a feeding center as well as a teaching center for her.

We also visited with one of our African members who’s looking for a job, Joseph.   He reports that he did purchasing and payroll for a company in Africa.  Right now he is doing car detailing and he is not getting enough hours.  The ward mission leader gave us a lead on some part-time soccer referring and coaching which we are hoping to get a response for.  I also talked to the Store Manager here at Walmart and they are looking for help and would like to interview him.  Hopefully something good can happen. 

Norbert left for Texas because he has job possibilities there and his current job was going to lay him off.  He is a real humble young man who has been through the Temple.  His wife and children were killed by tribal warfare.  We hope things can turn around for him.

John M consumes a great deal of our time.  He claims to have recovered from his addiction and we’ve gone through all sorts of hassles with him in getting a place to live (the cheapest apartment complex we could find wouldn’t take him based on the background check they did).  He was about to be homeless—the Bishop, as well as us, told him he’d have to stay at the shelter because the church wouldn’t pay anymore.  Miraculously (?) some family members came up with some money to help.  We are not being cynical.  We are learning about all the difficulties a person can get into who has an addiction.  Without support, John would certainly be homeless.  We are hoping for progress—he tells us he is determined to get a place to live and a job and turn his life around.  We hope for this and are trying to help him.

We (using the term loosely, Sandy did most of the talking) taught the Gospel Essentials Class to our African Investigators.  Sandy did a wonderful job.  I enjoy watching her patiently explain things and put tender emotion into her teachings.  In the closing prayer, the member saying the prayer said some kindly things about Sandy’s teaching and prayed that I would learn better French.  Sandy is the star of this mission; I am the supporting cast. 

We actually enjoyed doing apartment inspections again this week.  Though it is a lot of miles and time, we enjoy being with the young missionaries and seeing the magnificent countryside.  For instance, one apartment is located on “Around the Pound Road”.  To get to it, you drive along a magnificent, rural countryside.  It will be interesting to do inspections when there is four feet of snow.  After a day of inspecting we met up with another senior couple, the Seamons, for a late lunch.  We thoroughly enjoyed being with them and listening to their mission stories. 

Here is a picture of a lobster we caught at the store and turned him into a lobster roll  (He was $5). 

This picture was taken of houses by the coast.  If you look at the houses you can see many of them have a “Widows Walk” which is a walkway on the roof of the house overlooking the sea. 

This is a picture of a crane along the highway:

This is a picture of the "Bug" Lighthouse in South Portland 

19 Oct 2015

19 October 2015

This week, among other things, we spent time assisting Joren and inspecting apartments.

Joren and her two boys come over for dinner and a missionary lesson.  We have had her show us how to make an African dish which we were suitably impressed by.  She is progressing and will hopefully be ready for baptism on November 7.  After which the older Sister missionaries who were here before us, are going to take her and her boys to Utah.  They are going to try to help her live there.  It’s a noble gesture but fraught with difficulties.

We also had a birthday dinner for Joren’s youngest son Lucas.  She and her two boys, another African man named Norbert, and the Elders came over.  We played animal guessing game and reverse Jinga and everyone had a blast.  Afterwards Joren texted us and said she had not laughed in a long time, so we think it was a success. 

We had dinner with an inactive member from Brooklyn New York and his wife from California—Yolanda and Victor George.  She has been a caterer and once catered Morgan Freeman and Mike Tysom.  We enjoyed our visit and read the Book of Mormon with them.  They committed to read with us. 

I had an interesting experience.  I went to pic up the Elders for a meeting with Joren.  The Elders were not there and while waiting for them I talked to a young student who was questioning what his purpose is on earth.  He told me he had contemplated suicide multiple times.  We talked about various philosophies and got around to Joseph Smith, the pre-existence and the Book of Mormon.  This young man lives up the street from the Elders.  Hopefully they will be able to talk to him again.  Interestingly, the Elders said they texted me and told me they would meet us at our apartment for the dinner but I never got the text.  Had I gotten the text I wouldn’t have gone to pic up the Elders and met this young man. 

We also went on an apartment and car inspection tour.  We loved being with the missionaries but some of the dwelling places left a lot to be desired.  We have made an incentive program for getting cleaner apartments and cars.  We took some pictures of beautiful countryside.

We’ve been working with a man named John.   The Bishop wanted us to work with him.  He is from Idaho, has been living in a Motel 6, has been addicted to pain meds and is looking for a job.  We think he was one of Mike’s patients…..Anyway he’s making some progress and enjoyed Church yesterday. 

We are teaching an English class at the Community Center.  So far it has been enjoyable.  This week we have some folks from Angola.  

We miss you all and pray for you

A pond by our apartment

Eastern Trail while inspecting apartments

Joren, Marc, Lucas and Sandy

The Elders with Norbert

12 Oct 2015

12 October 2015

We enjoyed General Conference this week.  Our African members and investigators were very touched by it.  I spent the bulk of my time babysitting Joren’s two boys so she could watch the conference.  They are cute, smart little guys. 

We also enjoyed the District Meeting this week.  The missionary program is much better organized and focused than when we were on our mission.  Afterwards we fed the missionaries lunch and visited.  We enjoy the associations with the young missionaries very much. 

We had a wonderful baptism this week of an African man and woman.  He was a minister in several African pentacostal churches but was searching for something different where obedience to commandments was taught.  He was imprisoned for seven years because he opposed the government.

 

Sandy is a key cog in the missionary effort here.  She speaks such good French that the Africans go to her for answers and she says things in discussions which parents relate to (which the Elders have difficulty with because they are not parents).  I do OK.  I’ve briefly participated in several discussions and said several French prayers.  Though I don’t do well, this is just like Albania—people appreciate the effort. 

We’ve asked the Bishop and RS President how we can help.  He wants us to compile a list of services available in the Community as well as visit some less active and clean up the rolls.  He would also like us to assist in Employment and Addiction Recovery.  The RS President gave us a number of names to visit. 

We’ve made a lot of visits and so far have had a couple of hits.  Last night we stopped in to see an African man and his two children.  He was very kind and gracious.  We left with a short scripture discussion (Sandy helped correct me as I spoke---sounds normal doesn’t it?).  We’ve noticed that the folks seem to want me to pray even though I have much less ability in French than Sandy.  We hypothesize that it might be because our African folks, like the Albanians, look to the man to be in charge (I wonder what that would be like…..having never experienced this).

We’ve been working with Catholic Charities and the local shelter to compile a list of services.  We’ve just about got it together but it’s like jumping into a swamp and trying to find your ring.  I’m putting together a spreadsheet with tabs for housing, employment, food, etc. 

Speaking of Catholic Charities, we’ve volunteered to be mentors for a refugee family.  This should be quite interesting and will help us get better acquainted with the services available. 

We also volunteer once a week teaching English at a local community center.  This is an excellent opportunity to meet and help.  In fact, Joren was met at the Community Center. 

We also met with a young man looking for a job whose wife is going to school here in Maine as a Physical Therapist.  We gave him the “Me in 30 Seconds” and helped him establish his network.  He was very receptive and we’re hopeful.  By the way, he and his wife went to SUU where Chris was one of her professors!  

Mission Update Sept 2015

Hi All,

We've arrived in Portland and are immersed in the work.  We've had some great experiences already. Below is Sandy's summary and some pictures.  We don't know about the internet in the next little while so until we get that straightened out, we'll have to call you.  Much Love to all!

Wednesday we started our trip back East.  We stopped at Andrea and Mike’s house first and enjoyed playing with the girls as well as an evening at Culvers and playing Pinochle (we got slaughtered). 

Thursday we went to Jackson Hole and went to some art galleries.  That night we stayed in Rawlins Wyoming. 

Friday we ended our driving in Lincoln Nebraska; Saturday in Indiana.  The driving has been long but Sandy has been tutoring me in French part of the time which has been good.  Surprisingly I am remembering a lot from my High School days 45 years ago. 

Sunday we went to a Kirtland Ward for church. Afterwards we went to the Kirtland Visitors Center.  We toured the Newell Whitney Store, the sawmill, and other sites.  We enjoyed being shown around by the young sister missionaries.  We were quite inspired by the films and the historical events that occurred there.  We learned about the Whitney’s incredible sacrifices—for instance, he donated a potash making plant to the Church which could have made him a fortune and which was used to help pay for the Kirtland Temple.  We also learned that the Father and Son appeared to some of the brethren in the upper floor of the Whitney Store in fulfillment of a prophecy made by Joseph Smith. 

Tuesday we left for Palmyra, New York.  Again we found the church history sites very uplifting and spiritual.  We enjoyed the missionaries we met there and were invited to the home of the Parkerson’s, friends of the Latham’s.  We ate together in a restaurant where we met several people (working there) who were Albanians.  Craig went ultra-enthusiastic and talked to them in Albanian and they gave us their address and phone number.  We sent a missionary referral for them. 

After leaving New York, we drove to Bruce and Connie Latham’s house and enjoyed their company for a night.  The next morning we met the Putnam’s, a missionary couple assigned to the area, who had already served in Portland and who tried to help us know a little more about the mission.

That day we drove to Maine and finally arrived in the city of Portland.  Sunday we went to church and met many people.  A party was planned for the African members and investigators.  The Africans sang together beautifully in Swahili and we enjoyed listening.  We started right in using our French with them.  Many speak English to some extent but are more at ease in other languages. 

Monday was an interesting day with the employment specialist from New York, Leanna Bingham.

Monday afternoon we had a discussion with Joren, an investigator from the Congo.  She is a mother who escaped with her two children after protesting against the government and being arrested and abused by that government.  She does not speak English.  She has two sons, Marc and Lucas, 4 and 2.  She is being taught by the missionaries and will be baptized on Nov. 7^th.

The pictures are of us at the EB Grandin Print shop, Sacred Grove, Joseph Smith Farm, Leaf Colors in New England, Africans at Apt.