lds philanthropies church programs fundraising …...lds philanthropies is a department of the...

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1 Covenants 84:112 to “travel round about . . . searching after the poor to ad- minister to their wants.” is scripture goes on to clarify that the poor will be administered to by the humbling of the rich—or, in other words, by inviting people with means to give and to serve. e poor may range from people who are bereft of the necessities of life to those who have what they need to survive but lack the resources to serve a mission or to receive a higher education. e Lord has instructed us to administer to all of His children in need. Consider Alma’s address to the people of Gideon in Alma 7, in which he pleads, “I trust that ye are not lifted up in the pride of your hearts; yea, I trust that ye have not set your hearts upon riches and the vain things of the world” (Alma 7:6). is caution is clearly an important one because it is repeated throughout the Book of Mormon. e Lord changes the hearts of those who give generously, adjusting their focus from the riches of earth to the riches of eternity. In the Book of Mormon, the Lord promises that He will prosper those who obey His word and keep His commandments. ese promises are being fulfilled today. Uniting in Purpose ere are many stories that illustrate the power of unity. One such story is that of Mother Agnes Mariam de la Croix, the mother superior of a Melkite Greek Catholic monastery in Qara, Syria. Born in Beirut, Lebanon, to a Palestinian I AM GRATEFUL for the opportunity to work with Tanise Chung-Hoon, manag- ing director of LDS Philanthropies. She leads a team of consecrated men and women who are doing the work of the Lord. Recently I had an opportunity to address the team during their yearly summit meeting, which had the theme “One Heart and One Mind.” We see this theme highlighted throughout the scriptures, particularly in the Book of Mormon, as prophets sought to unite the people of God around a common cause. Mark 10 recounts the story of the rich young ruler who asked the Savior, “Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” e Lord lovingly exam- ined the young man’s heart and replied, “One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven” (Mark 10:17, 21). We learn from this account that selfless and abun- dant generosity to people in need is a critical element in yielding our hearts to God. e fruits of this generosity are joy, consolation, and the purification and sanctification of our hearts. Brothers and sisters, is this not the doctrinal underpinning that should support and uphold our efforts? Accepting the Invitation Of the many issues that concern the Presiding Bishopric, none weighs more heavily on our hearts than the scriptural mandate expressed in Doctrine and 1 continued on page 8 A Report on Positive Change YIELDING OUR HEARTS TO GOD By Bishop Dean M. Davies First Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric We know that through the selfless sharing of your time, talents, and treasure, untold num- bers of beneficiaries have experienced the blessings of education, missionary service, family history, temple service, and humanitarian aid. Your generosity results in new opportunities and hope among God’s children—members and nonmembers alike. Above image: LDS Charities has installed several reverse osmosis systems in India to help communities filter out high concentrations of fluoride, which can cause health issues if consumed in high quantities. 2018 | Winter LDS PHILANTHROPIES Church Programs Fundraising Priorities BECAUSE OF YOU

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Page 1: LDS PHILANTHROPIES Church Programs Fundraising …...LDS Philanthropies is a department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that encourages and facilitates philanthropic

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Covenants 84:112 to “travel round about . . . searching after the poor to ad-minister to their wants.” This scripture goes on to clarify that the poor will be administered to by the humbling of the rich—or, in other words, by inviting people with means to give and to serve. The poor may range from people who are bereft of the necessities of life to those who have what they need to survive but lack the resources to serve a mission or to receive a higher education. The Lord has instructed us to administer to all of His children in need.

Consider Alma’s address to the people of Gideon in Alma 7, in which he pleads, “I trust that ye are not lifted up in the pride of your hearts; yea, I trust that ye have not set your hearts upon riches and the vain things of the world” (Alma 7:6). This caution is clearly an important one because it is repeated throughout the Book of Mormon. The Lord changes the hearts of those who give generously, adjusting their focus from the riches of earth to the riches of eternity. In the Book of Mormon, the Lord promises that He will prosper those who obey His word and keep His commandments. These promises are being fulfilled today.

Uniting in Purpose

There are many stories that illustrate the power of unity. One such story is that of Mother Agnes Mariam de la Croix, the mother superior of a Melkite Greek Catholic monastery in Qara, Syria. Born in Beirut, Lebanon, to a Palestinian

I AM GRATEFUL for the opportunity to work with Tanise Chung-Hoon, manag-ing director of LDS Philanthropies. She leads a team of consecrated men and women who are doing the work of the Lord. Recently I had an opportunity to address the team during their yearly summit meeting, which had the theme “One Heart and One Mind.” We see this theme highlighted throughout the scriptures, particularly in the Book of Mormon, as prophets sought to unite the people of God around a common cause.

Mark 10 recounts the story of the rich young ruler who asked the Savior, “Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” The Lord lovingly exam-ined the young man’s heart and replied, “One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven” (Mark 10:17, 21). We learn from this account that selfless and abun-dant generosity to people in need is a critical element in yielding our hearts to God. The fruits of this generosity are joy, consolation, and the purification and sanctification of our hearts. Brothers and sisters, is this not the doctrinal underpinning that should support and uphold our efforts?

Accepting the Invitation

Of the many issues that concern the Presiding Bishopric, none weighs more heavily on our hearts than the scriptural mandate expressed in Doctrine and

1

continued on page 8

A Report on Positive Change

YIELDING OUR HEARTS TO GODBy Bishop Dean M. DaviesFirst Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric

We know that through the selfless sharing of your time, talents, and treasure, untold num-bers of beneficiaries have experienced the blessings of education, missionary service, family history, temple service, and humanitarian aid. Your generosity results in new opportunities and hope among God’s children—members and nonmembers alike.

Above image: LDS Charities has installed several reverse osmosis systems in India to help communities filter out high concentrations of fluoride, which can cause health issues if consumed in high quantities.

2018 | WinterL D S P H I L A N T H R O P I E S Church Programs Fundraising Priorities

BECAUSE OF YOU

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True Philanthropy and Positive ChangeBy Tanise Chung-HoonManaging Director, LDS Philanthropies

Through sacrifices of time, talent, and treasure, indi-vidual selfishness declines, harmony and cooperation are magnified, and the lives of donors and recipients are changed for the better.

Giving is a sanctifying experience. Voluntary philanthropic giving (beyond tithes and fast offerings) in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is facilitated through LDS Philanthropies. As a department overseen by the Presiding Bishopric, LDS Philanthropies was created to assist individuals and families in their charitable efforts to help others. It is our privilege to invite people to give to projects and programs identified and approved by the First Presidency.

At LDS Philanthropies, we recognize the act of giving as a sacred work and are humbled daily as we see people exercise their agency to choose to share their gifts of time, talent, treasure, and testimony in spectacular ways. We recognize that generosity starts with humility and a desire to share the gifts we have been given by the Lord to accomplish His work and purposes. Generosity also demands a choice to act in tangible ways. That is why the process of choosing and sharing our gifts is important and symbolic. LDS Philanthropies exists to help others enjoy an inspiring giving experience that results in positive change.

When we are seeing, feeling, serving, and sharing as the Savior would, we are changed to be more like Him. Personal sacrifice indicates true philanthropy—a tangible manifestation of charity, the pure love of Christ—resulting in transformational changes.

Our goal is to encourage all to come unto Christ and experience the joy of positive change. We strive to meaningfully teach, engage, coordinate, invite, and report on the process and experience of true philanthropy. We hope you enjoy reading this issue of Because of You. It includes several examples illustrating positive changes that are happening because of your example of true philanthropy. Thank you for helping us accomplish our mission by donating to Church programs. I invite you to consider the impact that generous gifts have on the lives of those you choose to touch. We are blessed to work with you!

PROVIDING SHELTER FROM THE STORM

Page 3

YOUR DONATIONS AT WORK

Pages 4–5

TURNING A DREAM INTO REALITY

Page 6

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

Page 7

INSIDE THIS ISSUEWelcome

Sincerely,

Tanise Chung-Hoon

LDS Philanthropies is a department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that encourages and facilitates philanthropic support for programs and charities affiliated with the Church, including the Humanitarian Aid Fund, General Missionary Fund, and Family History/FamilySearch International. Because of You highlights the impact that donations have on these three fundraising priorities of the Church. To make a donation, or for more information about how to make a gift, contact your donor liaison, visit give.lds.org, or call 1-800-458-8298.

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Because of generous donations to the Humanitarian Aid Fund, the Church continues to partner with relief organizations to help lift others from poverty and despair.

continued on page 8

Sowing Seeds of Hope

Like many in her community of Torit, South Sudan, Natalia’s family has survived on wild fruits and veg-etables. But with the rains yet to start, the veg-etation is drying, and so is their source of food. “When I can’t find anything in the bushes, I force myself to go to the forest again,” Natalia says. “I know it’s dangerous, but my children have to eat. With God’s grace, I have survived. But for now. One of my friends was recently sexually abused in the forest, and I am afraid something may happen to me as well.”

If the rains come in good time, Natalia’s fortunes may change for the better. She recently received a starter pack of seeds and farm equipment from CARE, one of LDS Charities’ partners in the fam-ine-afflicted area. The seeds, which consist of the staple millet and an array of vegetables, will im-prove her food production, as they are high-yield-ing varieties. “I look forward to the rains since I now have seeds for my farm,” says Natalia. “I am very grateful to CARE for the help. If we get good rains, I am sure I will harvest enough to feed my family.”

Your donations to the Humanitarian Aid Fund allow the Church, through LDS Charities and our part-ners, to help women like Natalia in South Sudan and other famine-afflicted areas around the world.

HOW YOUR DONATIONS TO THE HUMANITARIAN AID FUND BRING ABOUT POSITIVE CHANGE LDS CHARITIES, the humanitarian arm of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and its partners respond to emergencies throughout the world be-cause of generous donations to the Humanitarian Aid Fund. Together, we respond to emergencies, pro-vide disaster relief, and offer short- and long-term aid to refugees, victims of famine, and the homeless. We also maintain our signature programs, includ-ing wheelchair donation, immunization, maternal and newborn care services, vision care, clean water, and other humanitarian projects. Through these efforts, we are answering the Lord’s call to “abound in good works” by having “faith, hope, and charity” (Alma 7:24).

Providing Shelter from the Storm

SINCE 2013, violence in the Central African Republic has displaced hundreds of thousands of people. More than 500,000 refugees are still seeking shelter in the surrounding countries of Cameroon, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Republic of the Congo.

LDS Charities is working with USA for UNHCR, an organization supporting the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, to help improve the living conditions for more than 2,000 refugee families fleeing from this crisis. These families will receive nonfood items such as blankets, tarps, sleeping mats, mosquito nets, and soap. This emergency is one of the least-funded crises in the world. Donations to the Humanitarian Aid Fund allow us to make a difference.

The Church recently authorized a project that in-cludes funding for shelter supplies and materials to help with the Syrian refugee relief efforts. With these funds, made available by generous donors like you, LDS Charities is working with partners to deliver 1,100 tents to families in the Idlib province of Syria. These tents will serve as shelter for more than 6,000 people.

The Church Makes $11 Million Famine-Relief Donation

LDS CHARITIES IS PARTNERING with 11 key non-governmental and faith-based organizations to respond to the famine crisis in Africa and the Middle East. Hundreds of men, women, and chil-dren are dying every day and an estimated 20 mil-lion more are on the brink of starvation because of prolonged drought, civil conflict, disease, and other challenges. Donations to the Humanitarian Aid Fund make it possible for LDS Charities to support a variety of needs, including food, shel-ter, clean water, medical care, and malnutrition treatment. These efforts will benefit more than 1.1 million people for up to one year.

Lifting Farmers out of Poverty

MANY FARMERS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES lack the resources or access to buy high-qual-ity seed and fertilizer, which means much low-er yields from their fields. To enable farming families to lift themselves out of poverty, LDS Charities partners with One Acre Fund to pro-vide farmers with high-quality seed and fertilizer as well as agricultural training. Farmers can then produce more and sell more, which allows them

HUMANITARIAN AID

Thirty-six-year-old Natalia from Torit, South Sudan, has just returned home after spending three years seeking refuge in a neighboring county. Her village was ransacked during the height of the conflict in South Sudan in 2016. During the violence, her husband was shot, and he later died in a hospital. When a semblance of peace returned, Natalia came back to her village to start a new life again.

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FAMILY HISTORY/FAMILYSEARCH

DONATIONS TO FAMILYSEARCH GO DIRECTLY TO THE CHURCH’S RECORDS-CAPTURE PROJECT.

Facts& Figures

ONLY 15 PERCENT OF THE WORLD’S TOP GENEALOGICAL RECORDS ARE DIGITIZED AND PRESERVED.

AT CURRENT RATES, IT WILL TAKE

124 YEARS TO CAPTURE THE TOP-TIER RECORDS.

5,073 FAMILY HISTORY CENTERS

318 DIGITAL CAMERAS IN OPERATION

25.8 million PHOTOS UPLOADED

1.78 million STORIES UPLOADED

10 CENTS SAVES 3 RECORDS, 1 DOLLAR SAVES 30 RECORDS,

1.26 252

AND A $10,000 DONATION WOULD SAVE 300,000 RECORDS.

BILLIONDIGITAL IMAGES

PUBLISHED IN FAMILYSEARCH’S

HISTORIC COLLECTIONS ONLINE

MILLIONINDEXED RECORDS PUBLISHED YEARLY

(THREE-YEAR ROLLING AVERAGE)

HUMANITARIAN AID FUND

Because of ongoing donations to the Humanitarian Aid Fund, a number of life-changing projects and efforts were approved between January 1, 2018, and July 11, 2018.

V I S I O N C A R E

44,626 people served in 18 countries

M AT E R N A L & N E W B O R N C A R E

42,274 caregivers trained in 25 countries

C L E A N WAT E R

581,727 people served in 25 countries

W H E E LC H A I R S

15,000 people served in 13 countries

E M E R G E N C Y R E S P O N S E

87 projects in 33 countries 

B E N S O N F O O D I N I T I AT I V E

49,359 people served in 7 countries

B E N S O N S C H O L A R S H I P S

41 people received in 9 countries

R E F U G E E P R O J E C T S

25 projects in 19 countries

I M M U N I Z AT I O N S

45 countries since 2003

CO M M U N I T Y P R O J E C T S

Over 1,500 projects in over 100 countries

100 percent of donations go to humanitarian projects and programs throughout the world wherever needed. 100%

YOUR DONATIONS AT WORK

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15 MISSIONARY TRAINING CENTERS

(MTCS) WORLDWIDE

“Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—who live in virtually every country of the world—care deeply about the human family. The Church will continue to contribute resources and manpower to provide aid in areas of need.”—President Russell M. Nelson

6 7,04 9 FULL-TIME MISSIONARIES

SERVING FROM

158 nations

SERVING IN

over 150 nations

421 MISSIONS WORLDWIDE

132 MISSIONS IN NORTH AMERICA

16,118,169 MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH

233,729 CONVERT BAPTISMS IN 2017

GENERAL MISSIONARY FUND

More than 35 percent of the current missionary force needs at least partial assistance from the General Missionary Fund to serve.

Because of you, these worthy young men and women, like Ammon and his brothers, experience the joy of becoming “instruments in the hands of God” (Alma 26:3).

*Statistics are as of December 31, 2017.

>35%

50% of missionaries

trained in the Provo MTC

50% of missionaries trained in other 14 MTCs

The generosity of Church members and others has led to sufficient levels of donated funds to the Perpetual Education Fund and the Temple Patron Assistance Fund. As a result, members are

encouraged to select other categories for their ongoing donations.

Progress on Church Programs Fundraising Priorities ( January–September 2018)

CURRENT FUNDRAISING PROGRESS

Because of your selfless acts of charity, we are on our way to reaching the goals set forth and approved by the First Presidency.

76%

GENERAL MISSIONARY FUND

46%

HUMANITARIAN AID FUND

30%

FAMILYSEARCH

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HOW IS THE GENERAL MISSIONARY FUND USED?THE CHURCH WANTS MEMBERS everywhere to have the opportunity to serve missions without regard for their economic condition. With Church membership now over 16 million worldwide, the number of members with a desire to serve as mis-sionaries continues to grow.

Donations to the General Missionary Fund help those who are unable to provide some or all of the financial support for their own missionary service.

• More than 35 percent of the current mission-ary force needs at least partial assistance from the General Missionary Fund to serve.

• The typical missionary needing assistance comes from a family with an average total in-come of less than $10,000 per year. In many places such as Africa, the average income is much less.

• The four countries with the most mission-aries needing assistance are Brazil, Mexico, the Philippines, and Peru.

Turning a Dream into Reality

GROWING UP IN SURINAME, Lorna Tjong-Ayong had many questions swirling inside her head. “I was eight years old,” Lorna recalls, “and I remem-ber wanting to know where we are going after we die and what was the meaning of living.” Lorna’s questions were soon answered when two mission-aries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints found their way to her home. When the elders taught her family the plan of salvation, she knew she had found the truth. Lorna and her family were baptized on April 18, 1999.

Lorna says she wanted to serve a mission but didn’t think it was possible. For the next decade, the missionaries played a huge role in her life. “I looked up to the missionaries; they had so much

“To help maintain this missionary force, and because many of our missionaries come from modest circumstances, we invite you, as you are able, to contribute gener-ously to the General Missionary Fund of the Church.”

—President Thomas S. Monson

knowledge about the gospel,” Lorna remembers. “I wanted to be just as enthusiastic about shar-ing the gospel as they were.” One day Lorna was invited to join the missionaries on a visit to an investigator’s house. “I got a feeling that I hadn’t felt before for any stranger, and that feeling was sincere love. We were teaching this guy, and even though I didn’t know him, I really cared about him, and I wanted him to progress. He never got bap-tized, but just to really care about someone in a Christlike way made me want to serve a mission so I could help others come unto Christ.”

“My parents didn’t have a lot of money and I was really worried about it,” Lorna recalls. To earn extra money she made and sold bracelets, and her fa-ther, a mechanic, sold pineapples. But it still wasn’t enough. Then a missionary couple serving in her area told her about the General Missionary Fund. “Because of the General Missionary Fund, I was able to go and serve a mission.”

Thanks to generous donations to the General Missionary Fund, Sister Lorna Tjong-Ayong realized her dream and served a mission in the Utah Provo Mission from 2012 to 2014.

GENERAL MISSIONARY FUND

A Note from Gary Crittenden Managing Director, Missionary Department

It is exciting to witness the record number of faithful young Saints from around the world who desire to serve a full-time mission. They do so out of love for Jesus Christ and with a hope to serve and bring souls unto Him. Many of these young men and women come from modest circumstances with limited financial resources. Generous donors like you provide needed funding so that all who are worthy and wish to serve a full-

time mission may do so. Truly, the spirit of missionary work and philanthropy is the same. Please know that many lives will be touched because of your contribution, the blessings of which may be felt for generations.

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WHAT’S IN A NAME? FAMILYSEARCH MAKES THE CONNECTIONMILLIONS AROUND THE WORLD are feeling the joy of discovering and connecting to their ances-tors as they research their family history. “When we feel this sense of discovery, we sense and seek for something more, and we want to gather more and more,” says Steve Rockwood, CEO of FamilySearch International and managing director of the Family History Department. “This brings love for those that preceded us as well as those that will follow.”

FamilySearch has record-capture specialists who are trained and equipped to gather, digitize, and share vital family history records. With the amazing innovations happening in family history research, FamilySearch is working to gather the records of all mankind and connect them into one family tree. Even with FamilySearch taking advantage of tre-mendous opportunities right now to digitize and index records from sources all over the world, op-portunities still far exceed the resources available.

“This great work ahead will require the cooperation and collaboration of all of us in the private and public

sector to partner like never before, each leveraging their own expertise and domain but connecting and belonging for the common good,” says Rockwood. “These cooperative efforts along with incredible innovations in family trees, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and neural networks will make this possible.”

Records at Risk

Poor archival storage conditions, political insta-bility, scheduled destruction, and even natural di-sasters have already destroyed millions of gene-alogical records before FamilySearch could reach them, and many more are at risk. As these records disappear, any trace or record of someone’s an-cestors disappears as well. Currently, donations have made it possible for FamilySearch volun-teers, contractors, and employees to operate over 300 cameras in about 50 countries around the world in an effort to digitize and preserve these records before they are lost. As records are rescued by FamilySearch’s teams of specialists, they are indexed and made freely available online. In 2017, over 283 million searchable historical records were added online. Those records were

“When our hearts turn to our an-cestors, something changes in-side us. We feel part of something greater than ourselves.”

—President Russell M. Nelson

added to FamilySearch’s existing online database of over 6 billion searchable names.

Innovations Connecting Families

FamilySearch International’s global family tree now connects people to potential ancestors and records from around the world. As new technol-ogies bring new opportunities for those inter-ested in discovering their personal connections, FamilySearch is working to make records from as many homelands as possible available for discov-ery. Apps like Family Tree and Memories include many features that provide meaningful discovery experiences to all who use them. These innova-tions and others are helping more and more peo-ple discover their ancestors and their homelands.

A Child’s Faithful Response

By Kim Gibson

WHILE WORKING FOR LDS PHILANTHROPIES as a donor liaison, I learned about a new fundrais-ing priority for FamilySearch called the Chinese Records Initiative. I was very excited about this because I served a mission in Taiwan and stud-ied Asian history in college. The fami-ly and family name are very important within Asian cul-ture. Centuries of

meticulous record-keeping has enabled people of Chinese heritage to trace their ancestors back many generations.

Soon after learning about this initiative, two friends, Tony and Mia San Gabriel, were visiting our home. We held an impromptu family home evening in which I gave a brief lesson about the Chinese Records Initiative. During my presentation, I told them that I felt a push on my shoulder as I spoke to them. I felt strongly that those who had passed away were urging me to get the word out about sav-ing these records. To my surprise, their 10-year-old son, Raj, ran out of the room and came back with a $20 bill. “I want to help you,” said Raj. “I worked all year for this money; I want you to use this money to help get those names.” I was very moved by his generosity, and my initial thought was to turn him

down because he had worked so hard for it. As I was saying no, Raj insisted, and I accepted the gift because Raj had listened to the Spirit’s direction.

A short time later, when Raj’s father was called to serve as president of the Philippines Butuan Mission, the family came to the Provo Missionary Training Center. Raj made sure that his parents brought with them another $20  bill he had earned. Raj was very insistent that his parents deliver his donation so that we could get more Chinese names. I was shocked and delighted that Raj felt an urgency and a desire to give after all this time had passed. Many times in life, the Spirit tells us to act, and we delay. Raj inspires me to listen to the Spirit and to act right away. I am very grateful for his example and hope to be more like him one day.

FAMILY HISTORY DEPARTMENT/FAMILYSEARCH INTERNATIONAL

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father and a Lebanese mother, she became a nun at the age of 19, and she relocated to Syria at the age of 42. Since the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War, she has operated a nongovernmental orga-nization dedicated to attending to the needs of people who have been wounded, displaced, and deprived of basic necessities. Some years ago, one of our humanitarian couples in Lebanon came into contact with Mother Agnes and was immediately impressed with her passion for serving those in need. A wonderful partnership commenced, with Church humanitarian funds being used to provide critical supplies for war victims in Syria. Mother Agnes and her team members are granted access to places where most other organizations are not permitted to go, or would even want to go. What makes her story even more remarkable is that her dedication to the Syrians comes despite her child-hood memories of her city being bombed by Syria.

We work with an equally dedicated partner in Syria that is headed by a wonderful Muslim imam, who has likewise become a great friend of the Church. Can you appreciate the significance of what is happening? LDS, Catholic, and Muslim leaders and members are working together in Syria. And this scenario is being repeated throughout the world with partners of various faiths.

Becoming One with the Lord

In a recent address at Claremont Graduate University, Elder Patrick Kearon expressed the fol-lowing sentiment: “Caring for the poor and needy is a pillar of our religion, and one that must grow in scope and prominence as challenges in the world continue to expand. To those who may not desire to join with us in worship, let them join with us in service to each other.” Truly, brothers and sisters, our hearts are knit together when we care for peo-ple in need. These efforts are made possible by the generosity of people like you who donate so willingly to the funds and programs of the Church. I hope with all of my heart that you can feel what a blessing and privilege it is to be part of this work.

President Russell M. Nelson declared that “few, if any, of the Lord’s instructions are stated more often, or given greater emphasis, than the commandment to care for the poor and the needy” (“In the Lord’s Own Way,” Ensign, May 1986, 26). As a Presiding Bishopric, we respect and recognize the importance of the service you give as you follow this injunction. It is my testimony that as you do so, your hearts will become one with the Lord’s. May God bless you, brothers and sisters. May you truly feel His influ-ence and love in your lives. May God be with you, I pray, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

give.lds.org

LDS Philanthropies encourages and facilitates philanthropic support for programs and charities affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including the Humanitarian Aid Fund (LDS Charities), General Missionary Fund, and Family History Department/FamilySearch International.

© 2018 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA. 10/18. PD60005696

continued from page 1

continued from page 3

Bishop Dean M. Davies wipes his eye after listening to a hymn sung by missionaries from the Puerto Rico San Juan Mission on Friday, February 16, 2018. While visiting the storm-ravaged area, Bishop Davies presented a $100,000 donation to a local food bank. “Before coming, I thought I was going to give support and love to Puerto Rico. We thought it was us who would give a great gift. But to the contrary, in every home, in every meeting, and with every handshake, we’re the ones who have been blessed.” To date, the Church has provided more than $4 million in in-kind and cash donations to nongovernmental organizations in the Caribbean Area after Hurricanes Irma and Maria, much of it to Puerto Rico because of its greater population. Some 100,000 households on the island have been assisted—more than four times the local Church membership.

to continue using high-quality seed to maintain their farms. One Acre Fund’s model has been consistently proven to increase incomes on sup-ported activities by 50 percent or more.

Meet My Friend, ConsolataBy Matt HeapsProduct Manager, LDS Charities

I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY to talk with Consolata on a recent trip to Western Kenya. She has nine children—eight sons and one daughter. Her hus-band is a manual laborer, and she helps with the family income by working their two-acre farm. The

family has experienced hard times, and for far too many years, Consolata and her husband could only provide one meal a day for each family member. Today, because of donations to the Humanitarian Aid Fund, LDS Charities has expanded its partner-ship with One Acre Fund, allowing them to help more families learn how to grow and sustain their food source. For Consolata, that meant learning how to improve her farming techniques.

Before participating in the One Acre program, Consolata’s typical harvest was a half-bag of corn, which was around 110 pounds. After implement-ing new techniques, her harvest is now seven bags of corn, or roughly 1,540 pounds! Not only can she feed her family three meals a day with this harvest,

but she is also able to sell the surplus and enroll her children in school. She also plants onions, kale, and sweet potatoes and bought a sheep with earnings from her recent harvest.

I asked her if she was able to do anything with her extra harvest to help others. She respond-ed, “Whenever I have extra harvest, I always take some to my church so they can help com-munity members who don’t have food.” I was touched that this good woman did not forget the principle of giving back. I wish every person who has donated to the Humanitarian Aid Fund could have stood in my shoes that day. You are making a significant difference in the lives of mil-lions of people just like Consolata.