Humanitarian Aid Missionaries

Humanitarian Aid Missionaries

Over 18 months ago we entered the Mission Training Center with 55 other senior couples who were called to missions throughout the world.  A few of those couples, including us, were assigned to work as humanitarian aid missionaries.  Our purpose was threefold: 

1. To relieve suffering.  

2.  To promote self-reliance.

3.  To provide opportunities for service.

The humanitarian aid was available to anyone regardless of race, religion or nationality.

Now that 18 months have passed, those couples are beginning to return home.  They have left their part of the world and in a small but significant way have made it a better place for the people there. Now they return to families and friends.  While things at home may not have changed much, their lives have undergone a profound and mighty change.  Their love of people, their excitement about the Gospel and their love and appreciation of the Savior has grown significantly stronger.

Elder and Sister Smith went to Zimbabwe in the southern part of Africa.  With excitement plus a little fear and uncertainty they stepped off the plane in Africa.  They experienced a collapsed economy and a shaky government as well as the many inconveniences associated with life in a third world country.  Yet, they endured, and in so doing were able to bless the lives of thousands of people.

A few of their projects included new school construction plus furniture and toilet blocks.  They assisted with water projects and fences for gardens.  Medical equipment and beds were provided to a government run hospital for orphaned children with special needs. 

Here is Elder Smith with a local leader after the completion of one of the new schools.

They were also blessed to participate in a few of the major humanitarian initiatives promoted by the Church through Latter-day Saint Charities.  500 wheelchairs were donated, fitted and distributed to those with mobility needs.  Also, neonatal training was given to sixty of the local health care professionals with the goal of reducing infant and mother mortality.  Significant disaster relief was also furnished to relieve some of the devastating effects of Cyclone Idai.

As you serve, you cannot help but fall in love with those you serve.  And that is especially true of the children.

Each one of these children will have a better life and a brighter hope for the future all because two senior missionaries, who probably didn't quite know what they were doing, made the sacrifice to leave friends and family and spent 18 months of their life in the service of the Lord.

Not only did Sister and Elder Smith work with humanitarian aid but they also had significant responsibilities helping the mission president by working in the mission office.  The association with the young, full-time missionaries is a blessing in and of itself.

A few of the missionaries in Zimbabwe.

When we left Cape Verde, we were blessed to have another couple step up, take over, and complete the projects that we had started.  In addition they went on to initiate and complete many projects of their own.  A few of their larger projects included the initiation of a wheelchair project, two vision projects, and a project to bring water to several hundred homes.

Elder and Sister Neff served for 12 months and are now back home after serving a productive and honorable mission.  

It is almost impossible to describe the life of a senior mission couple.  At times there is fear, frustration, feelings of inadequacy, and down right hard work.  Yet, through it all, miracles happen and those distractions are minor compared to the love and joy of seeing people receive a better life.  There is the comforting feeling of knowing that you have been about the Lord's work and have made the world a little better place in which to live.

The blind can see again, the lame have mobility, the sick are healed, the elderly are comforted, and families and children are blessed.

The Savior went about doing good.  So can we.