A Week of Humanitarian Service

Dear family and friends,

This week has been a bit unusual for us because we spent a couple of days out of the office helping the humanitarian missionaries with their projects because they were in Suriname and could only be here for part of the week.  On Monday, with the help of about 50 members from the district, we unloaded a huge truck load of supplies for 22 different organizations that serve the handicapped people here in Guyana.  It consisted mostly of hygiene kits, school kits, quilts, clothing, and books for the deaf school.  When the last three boxes were unloaded, I noticed that  they were marked queen size quilts.  We opened one box because the sisters wanted to see what they looked like.  There was one green one that looked a lot like one I saw Sister Gaye Griffeth making last year, and there was a maroon one that looked familiar also.  They were beautiful quilts.  

Since the weather is so hot here, I wondered what the people here would do with a large quilt.  Just a few minutes before we left, one older sister whispered something to the other sister missionary about wanting to have one of those large quilts.  They were not  ours to give, so she asked the director over the handicapped organizations if she could have one.  The director said "yes." When the sister went over to get it, the director turned to us and said, "that is what these things are for, people in need".  I watched that sister pick out a beautiful quilt and she immediately left to  catch a bus to go home.  She was so excited.  It was like Christmas to her.  

I asked what she would do with it, and was told that the people use them as a cover for their beds or couches to brighten up their homes.  It was just fun to see!

Toward the end of the week, we went to Lindon to see the ending of a different humanitarian project which we thought was wonderful.  The church donated 50 sewing machines to the women there who were interested in learning to sew for themselves and their families. A retired Home economics teacher offered to teach them a 4 week course on sewing.  They learned to draw their own patterns and sew a dress, a shirt and a blouse.  We attended their graduation, where they were each given a sewing machine, an iron and a sewing kit.  The women were so proud to show off their new clothing and take their machines home.  Some of them did not have electricity in their homes, so they received treadle machines, which are only available to third world countries.  

We need to go home teaching in a few minutes so I have to close for now but know that we are busy and loving the service we are involved in. 

Love from Elder and Sister Beutler