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Wheelchair for Mountain Man in Nepal

This man lives in the mountains of Nepal in a little village. His name is Bishnu Nepali. He is a tailor by profession, sitting on the ground to do his work. He heard LDS Charities was distributing wheelchairs and crawled down the mountain on his hands and knees to receive his chair. Notice the pieces of tires on his knees to protect them as he crawls. He also uses flip flops on his hands (now tucked beside him in the chair). 

During the training section of the wheelchair distribution Bishnu made his way to the floor and then to the front of the room so he could learn firsthand how to transfer to his wheelchair and take care of his wheelchair.  When the distribution section was over and they were being served lunch, our humanitarian missionaries had a chance to visit with him.  He told them how grateful he was for his wheelchair and how this wheelchair would open a whole new world of opportunity to him. 

Something about a wheelchair helps restore people's feelings of dignity. 

Wheelchair for Mountain Man in Nepal

This man lives in the mountains of Nepal in a little village. His name is Bishnu Nepali. He is a tailor by profession, sitting on the ground to do his work. He heard LDS Charities was distributing wheelchairs and crawled down the mountain on his hands and knees to receive his chair. Notice the pieces of tires on his knees to protect them as he crawls. He also uses flip flops on his hands (now tucked beside him in the chair). 

During the training section of the wheelchair distribution Bishnu made his way to the floor and then to the front of the room so he could learn firsthand how to transfer to his wheelchair and take care of his wheelchair.  When the distribution section was over and they were being served lunch, our humanitarian missionaries had a chance to visit with him.  He told them how grateful he was for his wheelchair and how this wheelchair would open a whole new world of opportunity to him. 

Something about a wheelchair helps restore people's feelings of dignity. 

Monster Floods in Pakistan and India

The heavy Monsoon across Pakistan and India during the first week of the September overflowed the major rivers in Kashmir and Punjab and killed more than 500 people and affected more two million people. The floods devastated homes, schools, hospitals and roads and still water is more than seven feet high in the villages and towns.  Crops of cotton and rice are totally destroyed and many water borne diseases are breaking out. This was the heaviest rainfall in 50 years.

http://rt.com/news/186484-india-pakistan-floods-victims/

http://rt.com/news/186484-india-pakistan-floods-victims/

LDS Charities' emergency kits for flood victims

Partnering with another non-profit agency, LDS Charities is responding to this emergency with tens of thousands of dollars in food supplies and hygiene kits to the affected areas. They purchase the supplies as close as possible to the flooded region and local members of the church help pack the items into individual and family kits. Then they use local transportation to deliver the items to 700 families.  Each of these kits will amount to one week supply for a family of 5-6 people

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Local Branch Leaders in Pakistan

A woman with her emergency items 

Helping load bags of rice

These kinds of emergencies go on all the time throughout the world, and there is no way we can keep up. But as we reach out and respond, hearts are lifted, wounds are healed, and lives are blessed. Since 1990 LDS Charities has donated over 3 million US dollars in India alone for emergency response. We are grateful for the local members who contribute their time and efforts in responding to their neighbors’ needs.  This truly is the work of the Savior as we seek out the poor and respond in whatever way we can.

There is much we can do wherever we are.  It doesn't have to be a worldwide emergency to catch our attention.  We can reach out to a widow, help a new overwhelmed mother with her family chores, or offer kind words to a child.  Wherever we are, we can "lift where we stand."  A smile and some encouraging words can mean just as much as a week’s supply of food for a flood-ravaged family.  It is all the work of the Master.

Lovin' our mission!

Elder and Sister Coffey

Emergency Surgery Amid Occupy Central Protests

On-lookers peering over blockaded fence to listen to street rallies
and pro-democracy speeches - Causeway Bay

Listening to street rallies

Occupy Central continues to engage people's lives throughout Hong Kong. Calm, clean, extremely polite and respectful protesters continue to patiently but firmly hold their own, even with fewer numbers, as many have to leave the scene to return to school or work.  But at night the numbers swell again. These peaceful students have earned a reputation around the world as the nicest protesters. They clean up their own trash, help bring in meals to the police and government officials, hold umbrellas over those guarding the situation, and share water, bananas and whatever they have with all those who come to help.  Even so, street fights, clashes with police, anti-occupy protesters and scuffles have been inevitable with thousands of people crowding the streets each night.  Some have been injured, some arrested. the roads have been  blocked, buses have been forced to stop running and schools have been closed.  But today, business and schools re-opened while a few students continue their protest for "universal sufferage".

Elder Coffey smiling because he's soon out of there!

And just in case we don't have enough excitement going on, in the midst of  the on-going protests, Elder Coffey was escorted to the hospital for emergency abdominal surgery on October 2nd. Thank you to our Area Medical Advisor, Elder Inouye, for helping get us there and knowing where to find expert medical care! Elder Coffey is recovering nicely and will be home tomorrow.  He expects to be back at work at the office in no time! No further complication or problems are expected.

The quality of medical care at the hospital has been excellent.  Different - but excellent.  To start his liquid diet after surgery, he was offered a choice of congee water or ginger water.  No jello and broth here!  Later he was upgraded to chicken consume with crab and braised tofu.  Seems to work!

Hong Kong Sanitorium and Hospital -
the tall blue-grey building

Occupy Central in Hong Kong

Photo by Sister Deborah Coffey - the empty blockaded streets, closed off to traffic with barriers.

The streets are eerily quiet this afternoon as we leave the Asia Area office, being blockaded and closed off to traffic.  Just beyond the view in this street, thousands of protesters, many of them students, are into their third day of protests, demanding "universal sufferage" - or the freedom to have, "open and fair elections".  The first night of protests saw some tear gas clashes between protesters and police, which angered many people and brought out more protesters by the droves. The second day there were over 100,000 people who engulfed the streets around the government buildings with their chants, slogans, cheers - and bodies.

  

But other than the first night of some unfortunate minor clashes, these protests are stunningly peaceful, even amidst the sheer magnitude of numbers. Volunteers bring in water, bananas and other items for the protesters.  Black t-shirts, yellow ribbons and umbrellas carry the symbols of the movement.  A downpour of rain brings welcome relief from the heat but does not dampen spirits.  

Photo by Elder Thomas Crockett - the crowds come through the barrier to march down Gloucester Road
past our Asia Area office.  

More news of the protests can be seen here: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/09/30/world/asia/china-hong-kong-protests/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

Missionaries at the Area Office, as well as employees, were encouraged to go home early the last couple of days, before the evening crowds swelled the streets again. Bus routes have been significantly limited in many areas, with bus lines largely not running to help keep traffic and extra bodies away.  But the subways are still running, swollen to overflowing with excessively long lines due to the extra strain. Many banks and businesses are closed in the Occupy Central district.  

Photo by Elder Thomas Crockett

It is a very large, mostly peaceful, protest.  Day three will be October 1st, the National Day - a holiday signifying the day the People's Republic of China was formed in 1949.  We are expecting very large crowds of protesters.    

Photo by Elder Thomas Crockett

The Church maintains political neutrality in these matters.  But it is interesting to be here at this time!  

Photo by Elder Thomas Crockett

Emergency Relief for Floods, Earthquake

One of the things we do as humanitarian missionaries is to respond to natural disasters with relief efforts. When responding to an emergency, we don’t just give money away for relief items.  Rather, emergency supplies are purchased as locally as possible by a reputable source, and distributed personally by LDS Charities and/or their partners.  It is our responsibility to make sure the emergency items get directly into the hands of the actual people in need.

In August, massive flooding and widespread landslides swept through areas of Nepal, wiping out villages, covering farmland and destroying lives.  Over 250 people were killed with over 40,000 people displaced or affected. The devastation was great. We have two humanitarian couples in Nepal who wrote up the paperwork for the relief project, and then Elder Coffey worked to get all the necessary approvals through as quickly as possible.  

Devastation to village from Nepal flooding

On September 6, our two humanitarian couples flew an hour long flight from Kathmandu to Nepalgung, which is in southwestern Nepal, to assist our NGO partner and the Red Cross with distributing relief supplies to flood victims.  Then they rode a 2 hour jeep ride from Nepalgung to the distribution site. Two large trucks hauled the supplies as far as they could and then the next day 3 tractors with trailers hauled the supplies to the distribution site.

The couples provided non-food relief supplies for 650 families in the Bardiya District of Nepal. Each family received cooking pots, long stirring spoons, plates, mugs, buckets, wash tub, blanket, sleeping mats and   fabrics for clothes.

The people were very happy to receive things to help them try to regain their lives. It was a very rewarding experience.

Distribution of supplies with trucks and tractors

Also in August, a 6.1 earthquake struck Yunnan, China, killing at least 617 people and destroying or damaging over 42,000 homes.  At least 340,000 people were displaced.  Several of our NGO partners in both Beijing and Shanghai requested our assistance with emergency relief from two of our three humanitarian couples in China. Donated items included blankets, raincoats, water purification units, emergency lamps, first aid kits, food and school supplies. Here are some of the photos from one of those deliveries.

Landslides made relief efforts more complicated

Bottled water was distributed, along with
water purification units for sustained relief

Distributing supplies

Grateful recipients await their supplies

Celebrations in the Peninsula Third Branch

   

Sundays are the best at the Peninsula 3 branch. The sisters, with their cheerful faces and vibrant smiles always lift me up.  This past Sunday after the meetings, we had a celebration.  Mhean Pangan prepared a simple "break-fast" meal for all of us to celebrate that after 19 years as a domestic worker in Hong Kong, she is finally returning home to the Philippines. This is always a great cause for a celebration among the domestic workers. 

While they sign two year contracts here, many renew those contracts over and over again, just to have enough money for their families back home.  They visit home only occasionally during holidays. Jobs are extremely hard to find in the Philippines and these women bear the burden of helping to provide for their families over 1000 kilometers away.  But Mhean is finally going home - home to her husband and her 8 year old daughter.                                                                                                                                                                                    Mhean joined the church while in Hong Kong. Her daughter is awaiting her return back home, where the two of them will begin attending church together for the first time.  No wonder it is a cause for celebration!

Philippine-style homemade soup and typical Philippine-style homemade ice cream sandwiches for a hungry crowd. ("What? Sister Coffey, you've never had ice cream this way before?????")

    

Photo time is happy time.  (Elder Coffey, not pictured, was attending to branch presidency duties)

The clean up crew - the "Abinadi Group"

The women in these Philippine branches are the salt of the earth.  Faithful, humble, often treading through severe mistreatment and heavy challenges from employers and family stresses, they remain true to their testimonies and to their faith in Jesus Christ.  They know that He is the great Comforter and He brings them peace.  I am uplifted in their presence every week.

The Lord Will Provide

Even though we are humanitarian missionaries, we also would love to share the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But to be honest with you, we are not very good at finding people.  We are just not good at starting a conversation with people on the street.  

And being in a big city makes it a bit more challenging – with everyone scurrying off to work plugged in to headphones, staring at their iPhones, and reading the paper – often at the same time! Just like the photo at the left.

This kind of scene just looks like, "Don't interrupt me - I am not interested in striking up a conversation with you."

So we don't.

So I went to the Lord and explained to Him our desires.  I told Him that we would love to share the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with someone, but needed help finding someone.

So I asked Him if He could please send someone to us. And that is just what He did!

The very next Sunday while we were in the lobby of the Church building, we were introduced to Simon. Simon had met some missionaries during the week who invited him to church. Simon has investigated the church off and on for quite a few years, and was back again to try to answer his longing questions about faith.

Since then, Simon has come to church with us each week, has heard us speak in several sacrament meetings, and has had several missionary discussions. He's a great guy and we enjoy being able to visit with him about the Church and answer his questions.

Mormon.org has lots of good material for answering people's questions. And to answer questions about our belief in Jesus Christ, click HERE.

So grateful to a loving Father in Heaven who is mindful even of those of us who aren't good at striking up conversations with people, but who greatly want to share the Gospel.  And so grateful that Simon seems to be finding answers to his questions.

Loving our mission!

Beating the Petty Person

Have a grudge against someone?  A boss you don’t like?  A nosey neighbor?  Well, now you can be freed from the stress and anguish of this “petty person” – with the practice of “da siu yan”.

The practice of "beating petty people" -- or "da siu yan" -- is a unique southern Chinese custom for exorcising any real or imagined demons.  Usually carried out by old ladies who are the de facto sorceresses of Hong Kong, these “witches” use a paper effigy of the petty person you are having trouble with, and beat it with an old beat-up shoe while they chant.  

Then they burn the effigy up – I’m sure there is more to it than that, but for 50 Kong Kong dollars ($6.45) you can have peace of mind  knowing the bane of your life will now be haunted with the curses of the chanted divination.

                                               And to think that is all that it takes!  Who knew?!

It only takes about three minutes and the feisty old ladies are given HK$50 for their trouble.

For a video of this woman beating a petty person and burning the effigy, check out my Facebook Page HERE.  

“That's not a whole lot for giving you peace of mind. But for them, it's a higher calling.

"This isn't a job that anyone can take on," says practitioner Siu Jeh. “You have to be commissioned by the gods. They have to give you the power, then you can complete the petty people beating ceremony."

http://travel.cnn.com/hong-kong/life/gallery-petty-people-beating-229091

Source: http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/see-do/culture-heritage/living-culture/pretty-person-beating.jsp#ixzz3A5gKVaf3

So What's a Mission Really Like?

So what is it really like to be on a senior mission?  We've been out three months and it is time to fess up.  Here is the truth about the whole thing.

It is utterly amazing.

It is incrediblyexhausting.

It is extremely bewildering at times.

It is undeniably inspiring.

It wasn't what I thought it was going to be.  I thought a mission would be loads of fun, being able to get out and meet lots of people and teach them about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I knew it would be challenging and I thought I knew what “challenging” meant.  I was told we would work hard and I thought I was already a seasoned veteran at that.  And then we got called to an office mission….

We are office missionaries, and we do office stuff.  From early in the morning till late at night.   And prepare for meetings.  Or go to meetings.  Or present information at meetings. 

But it turns out that it's WHAT we do on the computer that makes this all worthwhile.  It’s what the meetings are ABOUT that makes this a most incredible experience. It’s who the meetings are WITH that makes it an inspiring journey, unsurpassed by any imaginations of the heart.

We are talking about people.  Getting people dignity, giving people hope.

Meet Mrs. Du.  She lives in Gansu, China.  She just got a wheelchair from LDSC and can now get outside her modest mud-built home, go places, see people – without being carried by others. Because of that wheelchair.

This kind of thing is going on all the time, all throughout Asia. Wheelchairs, walkers, prosthetics, vision care, neo-natal resuscitation for babies, asthma training, supplies for earthquake victims, supplies for schools, hospitals, clinics, families, and children.  Food supplement programs.  Teaching principles of self-reliance, industry, thrift – and helping the poorest of the poor.

I keep a picture of Mrs. Du right in front of me at the office where I can see it all the time.  And tomorrow I will sit at the computer and do more office stuff.  But I am happy.  Because people like Mrs. Du are happier.

Plus, we get to visit amazing countries like Myanmar and China and Nepal to check on humanitarian projects, serve in the Hong Kong Temple weekly, teach Sunday classes in a Philippine branch (small congregation), speak in sacrament meetings of 6 different branches, and consecrate all our time and money to the Lord’s work. 

There is a spirit of peace that comes at the end of the day, even while exhausted and out of strength, that buoys us up and lifts us.  I think it goes something like this:

"Can that be called a sacrifice which is simply paid back as a small part of a great debt owing to our God, which we can never repay?  It is, emphatically, no sacrifice.  Say rather, it is a privilege!"    David Livingston

The Bird Garden - a Play Group for Birds

Taking a break from the demanding mission work - time to visit the Bird Garden.

The entrance to the Bird Garden - you can tell it's going to be a lovely place!

The Bird Garden, or Bird Street, is several blocks of all kinds of exotic birds for sale.  A pet bird is a prized possession, especially among older men.  They even take them on "walks" to get fresh air - carrying their cages carefully as they stroll along the street.

A dazzling array of cages to choose from, ranging from simple to very ornate.

One of the more ornate ones we saw - nothing too good for your bird!

.

This little one has a beautiful cage! Notice the intricate carvings.

Grey pink parrot.

Men like to come to the Bird Garden with their pet birds.  They hang the cages up and let the birds visit with each other while they chat away or just sit and listen to the singing.  Kind of like a Bird Play Group! 

Bringing his bird to the Bird Garden play group!

The birds seem to enjoy all the attention,
 fresh air, and socializing with the other birds.

Waiting for new homes.

This man was working on the ceramic bird feeding bowls, attaching cork blocks
to hook onto the cages.

These little canaries are about $84 apiece.  And they sing beautifully!

Checking out the little canaries.

This woman is transferring the canaries from the
smaller cage to the larger one for feeding time.
 They get to eat seeds,  whereas the larger birds eat
 something a little more - "fresh".

Yummy worms, live crickets or grasshoppers are the food of choice for some birds.  The live grasshoppers are either fed by chopsticks to the birds, or wired to the side of their cages for a scrumptious and very fresh treat.