Our Caribbean Adventure: Humanitarian Projects

One of the things that we have enjoyed here and haven’t really shared with you is participating in Humanitarian projects. The Church does all kinds of projects throughout the world, including wheelchairs, water, medical equipment, school equipment, etc. The projects have to be proposed by a leader in the ward or branch (the names for our Church’s congregations), presented to the Humanitarian Senior Missionary couple, and passed by the Area Presidency before they are approved. The Church does not build buildings, but they sometimes donate the paint or other materials to help in the building. In addition, the local congregation also has to do a service project to bless the organization. We thought that you might enjoy learning about and seeing some of our projects this past year. This will take more than one blog post, so we have divided them by the kind of receiving organization. This one is on schools.

As Public Affairs missionaries, we are responsible for the coordination of the closing ceremonies where equipment is handed over to the receiving organization, and a local Priesthood leader speaks about the Church’s desire to help others. Often the organization does something like put on a program if it’s a school.

Right after we got here, we went to the closing ceremony for Hogar Mercedes de Jesus (Home of the Mercies of Jesus) – that was the orphanage that we went to again the day before Christmas. The Church had donated computers, fans, a stove, and other equipment. Although it is an orphanage, it is also a neighborhood school in the daytime with about 100 students who all came to the ceremony. After the speeches, the kids put on a cute program thanking us. Seven of the kids each said a little speech, and then held up a letter which ended up spelling “gracias.” Then all of the kids sang a wonderful song about having helping hands towards one another. It was so great!

The outside of the school - no clue as to the wonderful
things that happen behind these walls.

Here's one of the school classes in their uniforms.

A group of the girls that we really enjoyed talking with.
(A couple with glasses like two of our granddaughters).

Here's the Gracias group.

One of the bedrooms in the orphanage.

Another school was Liceo Minerva Mirabel. Here in the DR, a neighborhood who wants a school has to put together their own resources to acquire a building and start a school after a year or so, and then the government will provide them with equipment, pay the teachers, and recognize it. This school was amazing because the neighbors found an apartment building to use for the school, and our Church leaders contacted the Humanitarian missionaries. The Church provided paint which local members and the parents of the school kids put on. They tore out walls, put in electricity. They graded a large area in front which became a playground after the Church added cement. The first year, the kids had to bring their own chairs. But then the Church provided desks which included chairs, blackboards, computers, and water storage. The school has about 700 students, elementary kids in the morning and high schoolers in the afternoon.

Here's the outside of this school

A view across the street - this is such a poor neighborhood

Another neighborhood view from the school's roof

This was the courtyard before the work began (Thank you Elder Hammon)

Here are the students sitting in their new desks (Again, thank you EH)

Here we are with director, her husband, the counselor
in the stake presidency and the Hammons

A final one that we want to mention is Reyo del Sol, which is a school for children with Down’s Syndrome. Again, the Church in that area contacted the school to learn what they needed. The Church gave them tables, chairs, shelving, cassette player, fans, plastic containers, and some other things.