You can read more about how members and leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are working to help those affected by Sandy. You can read more about other efforts, such as aid sent to refugees in Syria and more of where and LDS Philanthropies funds are used, at the LDS Philanthropies/Humanitarian Services website.

The post Help those Affected by Superstorm Sandy appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

~by Michelle

I was interested to read this MSNBC article last night: “In Japan, the Mormon Network Gathers the Flock.” I think Kari Huus did a good job explaining how The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is able to respond quickly in times like this disaster in Japan, both to care for its own and to care for others.

For example, you can read a little about how it is that church members and missionaries were so quickly accounted for after the earthquake and tsunami. [Find out more about that here.] The article mentions the home teaching program and how that is an essential part of Mormon emergency preparedness abilities. [Read more about the Mormon home teaching program here.] Huus also explains how the Church is involved in relief efforts – both in sending monetary aid and also in sending human resources to the country to help assess needs and determine how best to fill them.

My friend’s husband works for LDS Humanitarian Services. A recent Facebook update from Laurie communicated that her husband was off to Japan to help. As I read the MSNBC article, I thought of something she wrote here at Mormon Women not long ago about how the Church works at times like this. She writes:

One of the blessings I have received as an observer of LDS humanitarian work is my testimony of how the Church works….During a disaster, local leadership at the local branch and ward level is able to quickly assess the situation, which is communicated to stake and regional leaders, and then to Church headquarters. There are rarely glitches when it is done as instructed.

Huus shares something similar in her article. Quoting Elder Richard Hinckley, the article notes:

“With four or five calls from a bishop — using phone trees — we can locate any one of 14 million church members in the world in a matter of minutes.”

If phone lines are down (as is often the case in disasters like this), that’s when the home teaching program (and the visiting teaching program) fill in the gaps. We really do believe in being each others’ keepers.

We also work to organize ourselves to help others around us in our communities and also in the world. As Steve Allen, a Church public official said in Huus’ article:

We strive to help people whenever there is a disaster….Our desire to help is not based on religious affiliation or any other affiliation.

I love what my friend, Laurie, said about all of this:

Watching this system in place has greatly strengthened my understanding of the temporal and spiritual ways the Lord has established to make sure His children are well cared for. Heavenly Father loves His children, and I am thankful for His wisdom in providing the priesthood and Church administration to bless others. I am grateful for wonderful leaders who are led by the Spirit in this work.

Again, I appreciate Huus’ article. I think the article’s title captures how Mormons feel about “the Mormon network.” To us, it is more  more than just evidence of a culture that focuses on emergency preparedness and discipline. This is evidence of our doctrine, too. A doctrine that believes in caring for one another, both in and outside of the Church. We take seriously the commandment of the Lord, Jesus Christ, the Great Shepherd, who said, “feed my sheep.” And we believe He is involved in helping the Church organize itself in a way to facilitate our ability to do that.

My thoughts and prayers are with the people in Japan, and also are with those (both from the Church and from other organizations — hats off to them, too!) who are trying to figure out how best to help.

p.s. Just wanted to provide a link to LDS Humanitarian Services for those interested in ways to help. 100% of monetary donations go to help those in need.

The post “The Mormon Network” – Mormons and Emergency Response appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

~by Chantal

“We think we have chosen our peers. In reality, a few years’ difference in the dates of our births, a few more miles between certain houses, the choice of one university instead of another, posting to different regiments, the accident of a topic being raised or not raised at a first meeting – any of these chances might have kept us apart. But, for a Christian, there are, strictly speaking, no chances. A secret Master of the Ceremonies has been at work. Christ, who said to the disciples “ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you,” can truly say to every group of Christian friends “you have not chosen one another but I have chosen you for one another. The Friendship is not a reward for our discrimination and good taste in finding one another out. It is the instrument by which God reveals to each the beauties of all the others.” –CS Lewis, The Four Loves, p. 85

Choice friends cross our life path at unexpected times and often in ways we don’t recognize at first. Severall years ago, my dear friend-to-be, Cindy, served as the Stake Relief Society President and is a midwife by profession. We had a Stake Relief Society service project in conjunction with the Relief Society broadcast that was no different than many others I’d attended over the years. And yet, this event would end up being a significant experience in the tapestry of my life.

This particular Saturday, we had gathered donations and were assembling birthing kits to go to Mozambique, Africa. Cindy had joined a medical team to give training to traditional birth assistants in rural Mozambique. These kits included a sheet of plastic (for the mother to lie on the ground), a shoe string (to tie off the umbilical cord), a razor blade, and several disinfectant wipes. She then showed a video from her experience there. I cried for the mothers in Mozambique. How is it possible that nearly half of the almost 6 billion people of the world live today in such abject poverty?

A few months later, in my role as Primary President in my ward [local congregation], we were setting up for a Primary activity. I was expecting our 5th child and had to leave early and to go to a doctor’s appointment for a routine monthly checkup — which I felt was a waste of time.

But this checkup turned out not to be routine at all. There was no heartbeat.

Ultrasound confirmed our baby had died inside of me. After a difficult induced delivery, our baby daughter, Ann, was born four days later with a kink in the umbilical cord. We held her, dressed her and buried her in the dust of the earth.

Here I became acquainted with death, grief, and God.

I am always astounded at the depth of pain I felt for a little one I had for such a short time. This heart-searing pain came from the depth of love a mother has for her baby, given only by God. My greatest desire was to hold, love, raise and nurture this beautiful daughter.

Grief was a confusing mystery to me. The anger, the depression, the forgetfulness, the loss of time and motivation all came in waves I did not recognize or understand. Most surprising to me was also the loss of self-esteem and confidence. It doesn’t seem to be mentioned much. But all that I was, all that I knew, all that I believed was crushed into tiny pieces, mixed together and left in a pile of mess at my feet. How do I begin from there?

I won’t go into much detail on the year following except to say that after much fasting, prayer and a priesthood blessing we decided to have one more little baby. Not to replace our little girl, for no one will replace, but we felt to move on. In full confidence and faith we were delighted to learn another little daughter would join our family. Having paid my dues to death and with such astronomical medical odds of such a problem, I moved on in courage, not fear, and hope.

But again at a regular appointment in nearly identical fashion and timing, there was no heartbeat. It had never even remotely crossed my mind that this could happen again. The surprise and shock was more than I could wrap my mind around. There are no words to express the stunned crushing blow that moment held. I literally thought my own heart would stop and I would die of pain on the spot as I collapsed to the floor. It is far more horrific when you know what is ahead and I was hysterical. I learned that death twice is exponentially more painful and difficult.

I fought depression with anger. I was mad. Mad at the world, mad at people, mad that I would have four out of six children to raise here on earth. Logically, I understood everything about the plan of salvation but my heart would not match my logic. The river of emotions came despite my knowledge and faith. It was several years but felt like a lifetime. I felt 90 years old. Then I was numb. I felt nothing. I wondered if as a mother I could ever find joy after such grief or if I would have to die first. I prayed many times my other children would forget and not be too damaged from the difficulty of those years.

Here is where my friendship with Cindy changed my life….

(Please follow this link for Part 2.)

—–

For more First Person posts, please click here.

The post First Person: Hope Arising from the Ashes of Grief, Part 1 appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

We also want to be clear that we know that Mormon women are not the only people who care about service. We are inspired by so many in and out of the Church who are motivated purely by love to help those who are less fortunate than they are, and to make the world a better place. Thank you to all of you who give of yourselves and your time to serve God’s children all over the world. If we all do a little, we can make a big difference!

In fact, the first featured story is about Muslim and Mormon women working together — and building friendships — as they serve, side by side. 

And here are a few other stories:

Mormon women work to save premature babies

Mormon Women Reach Out to Serve in their Communities and Around the World

Service Project for a Small Community Grows into Relief for the World

Sewing clothes for children in another country

The post Links We Like: Mormon and Muslim Women Working Together; Other Service Stories appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

-by Penney

I won’t ever climb Mount Everest but going to Haiti was an adventure of a lifetime for me.

My husband, Bret A. Tobler DMD, has made many trips to Haiti to serve the people with his skill of dentistry. I have always stayed at home to take care of the office — and worry. This last February (2009) he did some fast talking and convinced me that if I ever wanted to accompany him this would be the trip.  I was very hesitant and worried myself sick to the point that I almost backed out at the last minute.

As the Lift a Life team flew into Port-au-Prince all my anxiety left and I realized that this wasn’t about me. This trip was about serving the people who live in the mountains near Timo. They live without running or clean water, without electricity, without the opportunity to receive dental or medical care — and with the biggest hearts on the planet.

This little village was so honored that they were chosen to be the sight of our week-long clinic. They vacated their small and modest homes and their beds for us. They fed us three meals a day and cared for us like royalty. They opened their heart and homes not only to us but to the hundreds of people who flock to their little village for dental and medical care. Never have I met a more generous people.

We hiked down to Timo, 700 vertical feet and about 3 miles. With the help of villagers and their donkeys, we also packed in 50 bags of equipment and supplies. The villagers greeted us with great excitement, and although I spoke no Creole and they spoke no English it was easy to share our hope for a great week with each other.

The  “Elder” of the village proudly showed the team how a 16 year-old boy used a broken pick axe, a sickle and a five gallon bucket with a rope tied to it to dig a new latrine (36 deep X 6 feet wide) for our convenience. It took him seven days of working all day to complete the work.  He was so tickled with his accomplishment he just beamed as we went in and out all week. He would catch our eye and give us a thumbs up!

The villagers began lining up at 3 am on the first morning, and word spread quickly that the American doctors and dentists were there. Some people walked for five hours to see us, and the line never died down. The medical and dental teams treated over 400 people each day. Families were given vitamins and medication for conditions caused by poverty and malnutrition.

The dental procedures we performed were very basic, mostly fillings and extractions. It broke our hearts to see so many young children losing their permanent teeth because they were rotted below the gum line.  We taught  classes every day about brushing and flossing. We did fluoride treatments and every person received a new toothbrush kit.

There are so many stories I could tell about our week in Timo but the one I will never forget is the baby that was born in the clinic. A woman in labor in a village 2 hours walking distance away was being attended by a local midwife. The baby was not coming so it was decided that she would walk to the American doctors for help with the delivery. She arrived at 5 am and not wanting to take priority waited in line until her turn came at around 7 am. In triage she was asked, “When is your baby due?” She replied, “Now.” At this she was taken into a room and examined she was ready to deliver but struggled to push the baby out.

Two labor and delivery nurses were part of our team. It was clear to them what to do and after communicating with her and her mid-wife the baby was born safely. They taught the midwife how to use a bulb syringe to clear the baby’s mouth and nose so he could breathe. The midwife was thrilled at the knowledge and was sure he would save many babies that would have otherwise been lost. It was very exciting. Two hours after delivery they wrapped the baby up and she walked home. That is how courageous these people are.

There were a few children that needed more care than we were equipped to give. A couple of the doctors paid out of their own pockets for these children to be taken into Port-au-Prince to be seen in a children’s hospital for further treatment. The doctors were amazing.

On the last visit to the village (last year) it was clear to the dental team that in their absence crude dental procedures were being performed without any skill, anesthesia, or sterilization methods. They came up with the idea to teach a young, bright villager to be the village “dentist.”  After much discussion with the “Elder” of the village, a man by the name of Guichard was chosen.  The team taught him the basics of extracting teeth. He worked beside them for the week they were there. They left him with some simple instruments, anesthesia, and sterilization methods.

This year we were happy to see Guichard again and get his report of the last year. He had helped over 100 people. He had learned some English so he was better able to communicate with us. He also gave us the good news that he was accepted into dental school in Port-au-Prince.  We are so proud of him! He would begin in the fall and had already approved another village “dentist” to replace him, Bebe. They, Guichard and Bebe, worked beside the dentist all week and learned the basics of caring for their fellow villagers. We focused a tremendous amount of time on prevention as we figured that they would have the most influence on young mothers caring for their children’s teeth. We resupplied and checked their equipment.

Another story I can’t help but tell is about a local girl that lives in Port-au-Prince and was ask to be one of our interpreters. Farah speaks excellent English, in fact she speaks Creole, French, English and Spanish. She was so helpful, we couldn’t have accomplished half of what we did without her. We quickly formed a bond with her. We found out that she was trying to come to school in the United States. After many phone calls and letters and much work on her part, we were able to sponsor her to come to Brigham Young University Idaho. We receive weekly emails from her and she is doing very well. She will be a great asset to her country. She is studying to be a medical doctor and wants to go back to Haiti when she is finished.

The night before the team departed, the Villagers put on a program in gratitude for the service and supplies they received. Here is what they told the tired humanitarians:

“If we had a blue sky, we would give it to you. If we had some stars, we would give them to you. If we had a beautiful garden, we would give it to you. If we had money, we would give it to you. But we do not. All we have is our love and our grateful hearts.  We hope you will accept these and come and see us again.”

We were with a team of 22 wonderful people that had all sacrificed to be there. The love that was felt in this group towards Haiti was over whelming. On bus ride back to the airport, even though we were all exhausted, conversations centered around “How could we do this better next time?” “What supplies should we bring next time?” “ What tool could the people use to better their lives?” I saw a difference in people’s eyes. It was so fulfilling to complete such important work. We all realized that we are so blessed and it is our quest to bless others.

I am so glad that I mustered the courage to go. I realized all the more that there will never be a perfect time to serve. Life will always get in the way. We must make it a priority and leave room in our busy schedules to do good. It really cost SO little for us to do so much good.

The post First Person: The Adventure of a Lifetime appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.