Our Heads are Spinning

June 9, 2012

Wow!  We have learned so much this week if feels as if heads might pop, and it’s all been a wonderful experience. Monday we went to Welfare Square in Salt Lake.  If you’ve never been there we recommend it.  It is amazing to see the complexity and the organization of the church welfare system.  We toured the facilities and received excellent instruction.  We also were given some of the goods produced on-site, homemade bread and jam.  Yum!  It would take several pages to describe all the operations so sufficeth to say it was amazing. Next we were taken to the Joseph Smith building (the former Hotel Utah), had our pictures taken and then were treated to a fabulous lunchby Elder Rudd at the top of the building.  The views are wonderful and so was the food.

In the afternoon training we were introduced to some of the Major Initiatives, which are approved and funded at Church Headquarters.  There are six areas, Vision Care, Neonatal Resuscitation, Water, Food, Immunizations and Wheelchairs.  We also learned about the Church’s Emergency Response Program.  Hopefully we won’t be involved in that but who knows when natural disasters will come.  Then we were introduced to the Area Initiatives which are smaller projects to be determined locally under the direction and approval of the Area Authority.  We will be finding, designing and managing these projects.  There is a huge range of possibilities according to the local needs.  We will also be hands on with the Major Initiatives.  There are two or three scheduled for this year. Life will not be boring, that’s for sure.

One of the things that impressed us the most was a greater understanding of how the Welfare Program really works in the Lord’s way.  The Humanitarian or Welfare work is not a give-a-way program.  It is designed to help people help themselves, to work toward independence and foster feelings of

 worth.  We saw many videos where people, communities, villages, etc. were changed for the better.  When they contributed to the project that made life better there was such hope and joy on their faces. It was very touching.  We feel so blessed to have this opportunity to be a part of this life changing work.

Hope you all are doing well, as well as you can whatever your circumstances.  We love you dearly and pray for you. We truly all are in the Lord’s hands.

Love, Elder and Sister Ashton