The Turnover

 LDS Charities donated a bunch of emergency equipment to Naval Hospital for their ambulances, including a defibulator, an ECG machine, backboads, laryngoscope with video, oxygen tanks, etc. They had a turnover ceremony on Monday February 17. Jack and I were asked to represent the mission there and give a speech. Jack took on that assignment. I got to spend some time talking with the nurse managers and an EMT and a few other hospital workers.

I wrote most of the talk that Jack used. The parts that I wrote: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members strive to care for those in need as Christ did during His mortal ministry. As followers of Jesus Christ, we consider this to be both a duty and a joyful privilege. Through volunteer service, collaborations with organizations, and donations, the Church provides worldwide aid and service to all of God’s children with the hope of building self-reliance. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints seeks to follow the 2 great commandments: to love God and to love one’s neighbor. In the Book of Mormon, a scriptural record of the ancient Americas that is a companion to the bible, one of their kings, King Benjamin, told his people “that when you are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are only in the service of your God…And behold also, if I, whom ye call your king, who has spent his days in your service, and yet has been in the service of God, do merit any thanks from you, O how you ought to thank your heavenly King!” (Mosiah 2: 17, 19) Thank you, God, for letting this all come together to aid the good people of Biliran, an island so full of beauty and good will.

Caring for the poor and needy is a foundational belief of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Built on the principles of personal responsibility, community support, self-reliance and sustainability, humanitarian efforts are designed to give individuals and communities the tools they need to improve their own circumstances in permanent and meaningful ways. We also strive to follow the scriptural counsel to be “anxiously engaged in a good cause” (D&C 58:27). 

LDS Charities, the nonprofit humanitarian arm of the Church, focuses on relieving suffering, fostering self-reliance and providing opportunities for service for people around the world regardless of religion, nationality or race. It sponsors ongoing initiatives such as maternal and newborn care, immunization, clean water, vision care, wheelchairs, refugee response and emergency and disaster relief throughout the world.

Next to me is the Waymans. They are the humanitarian missionaries who helped get this project through. It took almost a year from start to delivery. The three people next to them in white shirts and red ties are the local members- the branch president, the district president and the choir director. The guy in black is the governor of Biliran. He is very young and was very humble. The woman is the doctor in charge of Naval District Hospital. The next person is the former district president who happens to be the municipality agricultural director. He actually runs the agency like a district meeting with councils. A very impressive man. I am not sure who the rest of the people are, although I did talk to several of them. Everything was done in English for our benefit. I was so grateful.

I spent most of my time worried that my dress was too short, especially when sitting. It was the one time I got to wear this dress as it is a little fancy for regular missionary work.