At the beginning of our mission we were told one of the key elements of our success with the people we work with is building trust with them. If you show genuine interest in them, express support and love, and back it up with actions, they will respond.
We feel we have built that trust with both Innocent and Alicia. Innocent trusts and values my opinion and advise; particularly in helping him with his asylum applications.
Barbara, in particular, with Alicia has developed a tremendous trust level. Alicia suffers from mental illness and depression. She is on medication but recently had a relapse. She feel into a deep depression. To add to her situation her back and leg pain flared up not helping her depression. I tell you this, in terms of trust, because one night Alicia text Barbara saying she can't take this any more and just wanted to die. She wanted us to come and spend some time with her. The next day we did. I gave her blessing. It also was very evident that she and her family were in a mess so we went to McDonalds and bought them dinner to relieve some burdens. Since then Barbara has been reaching out to her regularly with positive quotes about life and struggles. She has since been back on her medication. She asks Barbara for advise now on many things. We feel now we can encourage church attendance and the blessings of the activity in the gospel now without Alicia thinking that is our only motive. She knows that with all the help and support that we give her as well as Bishop Kruger she needs to participate more. We are seeing a change in Alicia. We hope it is for the better and sustainable.
Saturday, March 26, 2016
Friday, March 25, 2016
Striving to Get Ahead with Limited Resources
The amount of money we make and the goals we have to get ahead, I have found to all be relative to our individual situations and circumstances.
Innocent for example wants desperately to send money home to his family in Africa. His desire is to send $500.00 per month. This is to help his wife and to provide money for his children to go to school. He also however, needs to take care of his own circumstances here as well.
The job Innocent had with the landscaping company was to make that happen. However, the work was inconsistent and did not pay what was presented. On his own he got a job with Convergys paying $13.00 per hour. He was encouraged and hopeful. With having a steady work schedule during the day he then could find a part time job in the evenings. He found a job at the airport cleaning offices for a janitorial company on the grave yard shift for $10.00 per hour. All was good and thought he meet his goals. At Convergys he soon realized that his computer skills were preventing him from succeeding during training and was let go.
Now he is stuck with the airport job, working grave yard, working on Sundays and not able to attend church with the block schedule beginning at 9:00 am.
When he can he still sends money home to his family but in doing so he gets himself in a situation where he needs help from the Bishop. I have to admire him for trying so hard. I think that many of these immigrants and refugees think the USA is paved in gold and money is easy to come by. They come to realize that it requires a lot to just survive. For example, Innocent was given a car by another refugee friend. Well he now realizes he needs insurance and the car needs repairs. Rent is $700.00 per month plus utilities. It is expensive, in his situation, to maintain his work status. He had to renew his work card, drivers license, etc. He did not have the money so Bishop Krueger helped with that. His car needed new tires and on his own he found some for over $300.00. I told him I could help him find tires at a better price. I negotiated 4 new tires with Big O Tires in downtown SLC for just over $200.00. He paid that himself. He was sad because his family did not get money last month.
The need for new tires is a story in itself. Innocent was driving home and both tires on the driver side went flat. He did not know what to do so he kept driving home. When he arrived he noticed that both tires were ripped and torn, barely on the rims. He called me for help. I found him the deal at Big O Tires. So one Saturday morning I helped him take the two rims off, put them in my truck and took them to Big O Tires. They mounted two new tires. We went back, put them on, then drove his car back to Big O to have the others replaced and mounted.
Innocent is trying to be self reliant. I truly admire him. In Africa his highest wage he earned was $1200 per month. That was good money. In USA $1200 per month does not make ends meet.
We are coming to realize the biggest service we can offer is to set a good example by mentoring and providing hope. That is what the Savior did during his ministry. Mentored, Loved, and provided Hope.
Innocent for example wants desperately to send money home to his family in Africa. His desire is to send $500.00 per month. This is to help his wife and to provide money for his children to go to school. He also however, needs to take care of his own circumstances here as well.
The job Innocent had with the landscaping company was to make that happen. However, the work was inconsistent and did not pay what was presented. On his own he got a job with Convergys paying $13.00 per hour. He was encouraged and hopeful. With having a steady work schedule during the day he then could find a part time job in the evenings. He found a job at the airport cleaning offices for a janitorial company on the grave yard shift for $10.00 per hour. All was good and thought he meet his goals. At Convergys he soon realized that his computer skills were preventing him from succeeding during training and was let go.
Now he is stuck with the airport job, working grave yard, working on Sundays and not able to attend church with the block schedule beginning at 9:00 am.
When he can he still sends money home to his family but in doing so he gets himself in a situation where he needs help from the Bishop. I have to admire him for trying so hard. I think that many of these immigrants and refugees think the USA is paved in gold and money is easy to come by. They come to realize that it requires a lot to just survive. For example, Innocent was given a car by another refugee friend. Well he now realizes he needs insurance and the car needs repairs. Rent is $700.00 per month plus utilities. It is expensive, in his situation, to maintain his work status. He had to renew his work card, drivers license, etc. He did not have the money so Bishop Krueger helped with that. His car needed new tires and on his own he found some for over $300.00. I told him I could help him find tires at a better price. I negotiated 4 new tires with Big O Tires in downtown SLC for just over $200.00. He paid that himself. He was sad because his family did not get money last month.
The need for new tires is a story in itself. Innocent was driving home and both tires on the driver side went flat. He did not know what to do so he kept driving home. When he arrived he noticed that both tires were ripped and torn, barely on the rims. He called me for help. I found him the deal at Big O Tires. So one Saturday morning I helped him take the two rims off, put them in my truck and took them to Big O Tires. They mounted two new tires. We went back, put them on, then drove his car back to Big O to have the others replaced and mounted.
Innocent is trying to be self reliant. I truly admire him. In Africa his highest wage he earned was $1200 per month. That was good money. In USA $1200 per month does not make ends meet.
We are coming to realize the biggest service we can offer is to set a good example by mentoring and providing hope. That is what the Savior did during his ministry. Mentored, Loved, and provided Hope.
Thursday, March 24, 2016
Bed Bugs
When we started our mission we were told that bed bugs are a problem and most likely those who we work with will have them. As we mentioned before Alicia was evicted from her apartment due to having bed bugs.
The reason I bring this up is Dolly, one of the sisters we visit with from time to time, has a severe case of bed bugs. We have researched these little critters and they are quite the creature. They actually feed off the blood of those they bite.
Well on a recent visit with Dolly I brought home one of those critters. It attached its self to my wool suit. We found it, when on the way home, we participated in an event in our home stake and one of the members of our home ward, whom we were visiting with, noticed something crawling on my suit coat and brushed it off and when it hit the gym floor it made a small blood splatter. WOW was I surprised. When we got home Barbara would not let me in the house and I had to undress in the garage. My suit hung there for a few days and then went to the dry cleaner. I guess we need to be more careful. Creepy!
The reason I bring this up is Dolly, one of the sisters we visit with from time to time, has a severe case of bed bugs. We have researched these little critters and they are quite the creature. They actually feed off the blood of those they bite.
Well on a recent visit with Dolly I brought home one of those critters. It attached its self to my wool suit. We found it, when on the way home, we participated in an event in our home stake and one of the members of our home ward, whom we were visiting with, noticed something crawling on my suit coat and brushed it off and when it hit the gym floor it made a small blood splatter. WOW was I surprised. When we got home Barbara would not let me in the house and I had to undress in the garage. My suit hung there for a few days and then went to the dry cleaner. I guess we need to be more careful. Creepy!
Immigration (Asylum) Next Steps
Innocent has been so gracious and appreciative of our help. I am truly amazed at his meekness and humility.
As requested by the Immigration Attorney were able to get an x-ray of Innocents left arm and discovered three needle size implants (tracking devices). See attached picture. Barbara and I are amazed at this. Only in the movies have we heard of such things as implanted tracking devices. Even more amazing is that the bad guys actually use them.
The attorney asked us as well to have a medical doctor perform a physical inspection of Innocents torture scares, and in the opinion of the doctor, authenticate these scares and markings. Elder Cannon, who serves with us in the Meadow Ward, is a medical doctor and agreed to perform the inspection. He took pictures and prepared a statement of authenticity. These scares will be with Innocent the rest of his life.
We will be meeting the attorney soon to submit our findings and argument for granting asylum to the immigration department in Texas. The hope is then his case will be heard in Utah.
As requested by the Immigration Attorney were able to get an x-ray of Innocents left arm and discovered three needle size implants (tracking devices). See attached picture. Barbara and I are amazed at this. Only in the movies have we heard of such things as implanted tracking devices. Even more amazing is that the bad guys actually use them.
The attorney asked us as well to have a medical doctor perform a physical inspection of Innocents torture scares, and in the opinion of the doctor, authenticate these scares and markings. Elder Cannon, who serves with us in the Meadow Ward, is a medical doctor and agreed to perform the inspection. He took pictures and prepared a statement of authenticity. These scares will be with Innocent the rest of his life.
We will be meeting the attorney soon to submit our findings and argument for granting asylum to the immigration department in Texas. The hope is then his case will be heard in Utah.
Monday, January 25, 2016
Immigration (Asylum) Update
We were able to meet with an immigration attorney this past Friday with Innocent. This attorney lives in our neighborhood and is in our home ward. We are told that she is the best immigration attorney in the state so we feel lucky and blessed that she is willing to help Innocent.
She had agreed to take his asylum case to the next step at no charge. Innocent and I have a meeting with her on Friday February 5th to help her further understand his situation and how we can enhance his case with further evidence of cruelty from his captures. When Innocent was imprisoned in Congo a tracking devise was implanted in his left arm so he could be tracked. The attorney wants to have an x-ray taken to be able to show the judge of the danger he was in and is in if he returns.
Inner-City Missionaries have numerous resources available to them. One is a network of doctors who are willing to offer services at no charge or at a very reduced rate. I have reached out to the "gate keeper" as he is called of the doctors and am waiting to hear back if an x-ray can be arranged.
Innocent has now decided to stay in the US and work at bringing his family here when he can. The main key to that is to have Political Asylum granted. The attorney said that it will take a very long time (years) but Innocent is willing to wait and work towards that.
Barbara and I are continually humbled by Innocent's faith and patience. It is truly a pleasure and blessing to work and associate with him.
She had agreed to take his asylum case to the next step at no charge. Innocent and I have a meeting with her on Friday February 5th to help her further understand his situation and how we can enhance his case with further evidence of cruelty from his captures. When Innocent was imprisoned in Congo a tracking devise was implanted in his left arm so he could be tracked. The attorney wants to have an x-ray taken to be able to show the judge of the danger he was in and is in if he returns.
Inner-City Missionaries have numerous resources available to them. One is a network of doctors who are willing to offer services at no charge or at a very reduced rate. I have reached out to the "gate keeper" as he is called of the doctors and am waiting to hear back if an x-ray can be arranged.
Innocent has now decided to stay in the US and work at bringing his family here when he can. The main key to that is to have Political Asylum granted. The attorney said that it will take a very long time (years) but Innocent is willing to wait and work towards that.
Barbara and I are continually humbled by Innocent's faith and patience. It is truly a pleasure and blessing to work and associate with him.
Friday, January 15, 2016
Trials in Life
We know that trials make us better and are a part of this mortal existence.
Two of our families are experiencing trials that are testing their faith.
Alicia just told us that Ivan contracted head lice from the day care he goes to. They had to shave his heads in order to treat it. What makes it more challenging is that Ivan sleeps with Alicia and she came down with them. She obviously does not want to cut her hair off so she is trying to treat the lice. What a process! She also has had to wash all their bedding and clothes, etc. Alicia seems to just go from one challenge to another. If you will remember she was evicted from your previous apartment due to bed bugs and now head lice. So far no bed bugs in her new place.
Innocent has told us to pray for his family in Africa. He has been trying to send them money each month to keep is children in school. If they are not in school then the threat of the military and other social influences face them. Because Innocent has not been work steadily he has not been able to send money and therefore his children are not able to go to school. Public schools in Africa carry a fee. He is concerned that his children will become subject to social influences of drugs, gangs, etc. because they are not focused on schooling and the controlled environment that brings.
Please prayer for both Alicia and Innocent! They need our support. Both have fragile testimonies and need the spirit to comfort them.
Two of our families are experiencing trials that are testing their faith.
Alicia just told us that Ivan contracted head lice from the day care he goes to. They had to shave his heads in order to treat it. What makes it more challenging is that Ivan sleeps with Alicia and she came down with them. She obviously does not want to cut her hair off so she is trying to treat the lice. What a process! She also has had to wash all their bedding and clothes, etc. Alicia seems to just go from one challenge to another. If you will remember she was evicted from your previous apartment due to bed bugs and now head lice. So far no bed bugs in her new place.
Innocent has told us to pray for his family in Africa. He has been trying to send them money each month to keep is children in school. If they are not in school then the threat of the military and other social influences face them. Because Innocent has not been work steadily he has not been able to send money and therefore his children are not able to go to school. Public schools in Africa carry a fee. He is concerned that his children will become subject to social influences of drugs, gangs, etc. because they are not focused on schooling and the controlled environment that brings.
Please prayer for both Alicia and Innocent! They need our support. Both have fragile testimonies and need the spirit to comfort them.
Thursday, January 14, 2016
Special Experience
As frustrating as a Church Service Missionary can be in the Inner-City Mission there are wonderful experiences that keep us coming back.
Innocent, our African Refugee, has been a member of the church for only a few months and has received a Limited-use Temple Recommend. We took him to the Salt Lake Temple last night for our weekly FHE activity to perform baptisms for family names on Barbara's side of the family. I was able to baptize him and Barbara as well as perform the confirmations. I was also baptized for 3 family members on the Romney side. Imagine that, we still have some family members who have not received their saving ordinances. What a special experience that was to be in the temple with Innocent.
We are finding that many things we take for granted as life-time members of the church are new and overwhelming at times for new converts. For example, when Innocent received his Limited-use Recommend and went with the ward previously, in preparation to go last night, I asked to make sure he brings his recommend. He said he could not find it and seemed to act as if he needed a new one for each time he goes. So we scrambled on Tuesday night to get him and the Bishop together to received a new one. He did not fully understand that it is good for a year and can be reused. We feel he simply threw it away. He now understands he needs to keep it and should have it on his possession at all times. What we have learned and know due to a life-time of membership and teaching from parents, teachers, and leaders Innocent is just beginning to try to understand from an adults perspective. So many questions and we feel honored and blessed to have the opportunity to help answer them.
Innocent, our African Refugee, has been a member of the church for only a few months and has received a Limited-use Temple Recommend. We took him to the Salt Lake Temple last night for our weekly FHE activity to perform baptisms for family names on Barbara's side of the family. I was able to baptize him and Barbara as well as perform the confirmations. I was also baptized for 3 family members on the Romney side. Imagine that, we still have some family members who have not received their saving ordinances. What a special experience that was to be in the temple with Innocent.
We are finding that many things we take for granted as life-time members of the church are new and overwhelming at times for new converts. For example, when Innocent received his Limited-use Recommend and went with the ward previously, in preparation to go last night, I asked to make sure he brings his recommend. He said he could not find it and seemed to act as if he needed a new one for each time he goes. So we scrambled on Tuesday night to get him and the Bishop together to received a new one. He did not fully understand that it is good for a year and can be reused. We feel he simply threw it away. He now understands he needs to keep it and should have it on his possession at all times. What we have learned and know due to a life-time of membership and teaching from parents, teachers, and leaders Innocent is just beginning to try to understand from an adults perspective. So many questions and we feel honored and blessed to have the opportunity to help answer them.
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