Philippines/Micronesia Area
Elders rebuild home
DIGOS, PHILIPPINES - When a fire destroyed the home of one of the members of the elders quorum of the Bansalon Ward, Digos Philippines Stake, the other elders in the ward decided to help, said ward member Felicidad M. Luardo.
"With the help of the bishopric and other local leaders, they rebuilt the house," she said.
Seeing the cooperative project, neighborhood residents were intrigued and some asked to know more about the Church.
Europe Area Missionaries clean up city
MECHELEN, BELGIUM - Missionaries in the Belgium Antwerp Mission and Mechelen Branch mission leader Ivo Marien are helping beautify streets, forests and parks here.
In cooperation with the city, missionaries are supplied with trash bags. They work a few hours a week to fill the bags. Garbage trucks haul the full sacks away the next day.
Since the volunteer work started, it has received considerable publicity. This includes six newspaper articles, two radio talk-show interviews and a television talk show, during which Brother Marien answered questions about the Church's history and doctrines.
Europe/Mediterranean Area
Share talents, testimonies
PARIS, FRANCE - Military personnel stationed at U.S. bases in the Mediterranean area have enjoyed the entertaining performances of a group of five Church members from Utah, called "Confetti."
The members, who share their testimonies along with their talents, are Annette Adams, Anita Keller, Sandra Wilkes, Karlene Young and Jeanette Jensen, from Provo, Orem and Pleasant Grove, Utah.
The group began several years ago and performed recently at the invitation of the U.S. Department of Defense.
Central America Area
Lamanite Generation tours
GUATEMALA CITY, GUATEMALA - BYU's Lamanite Generation attracted capacity crowds and gave additional performances during its highly successful tour of Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras from April 26-May 26, according to Edward L. Blaser, director of performance scheduling.
In this city, they performed four times in the National Theater for capacity audiences of 1,200. The group also held firesides on Sundays for members and non-members.
The group began its tour in Mexico with a first-time visit to the LDS Colonies in Chihuahua, then traveled to and performed in Delicias, Torreon, Monterrey and Mexico City. In Mexico City, they held an exchange with the Church's Benemerito school. After visiting Guatemala City, they traveled to Quetzaltenango, Retalhuleu, and Coatepeque, where they took part in a fund-raising effort for a children's hospital organization. They completed their tour at Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula in Honduras.
Brazil Area
Youth learn worth of service
SALVADOR, BRAZIL - Youth in the Salvador Brazil Stake learned the value of helping their neighbors recently during a super service Saturday.
During the one-day project, the youth cleaned the street where the meetinghouse is located, a city square, the gardens surrounding a convalescent center, and visited an orphanage.
Of the appreciation and friendship of those assisted, stake Pres. Carlos Shunji Obata said, "The young people recognized the worth of rendering service to their neighbors."
North America Central Area
Children donate readers
CRAIG, COLO. - Five Primary children in the Craig 1st Ward, Meeker Colorado Stake, recently donated 40 Book of Mormon readers to inner city children in New York City.
The children, Evan Pressley, Sophia Solomon, Jodee Ence, Laurel Mortensen and Alan Horrocks, earned money over a three-month period. The readers were sent to two branches in Brooklyn to be distributed through the Primary.
The project was done with the help of the children's Valiant A instructor, Mary Pressley.
North America Northeast Area
Missionary tutors honored
BALTIMORE, MD. - Two missionaries from the Washington D.C. North Mission, Elders Tyler David Webb and Scott Lane McBride, were recently honored by Baltimore City Schools and the Baltimore mayor for their community service. The missionaries tutored inner city children in reading and other basic subjects, and also helped in clean-up projects.
"These people have demonstrated that they can make a difference in the lives of the children they help," said Baltimore schools superintendent Walter G. Amprey.
The missionaries worked a few hours each week tutoring in the Cherry Hill district of the city. They taught fourth and fifth grade students in reading, math and English. "It was great to see the children catch on, see it click in their minds and say, `Oh, I get it!' " said Elder Webb.
The missionaries received medallions from the school district and a citation from Baltimore Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke.
North America Southeast Area
Preparedness prompted
JACKSONVILLE, FLA. - Recent severe weather episodes in Florida may have motivated several hundred people to attend an emergency preparedness workshop hosted by the Jacksonville Florida West Stake, held at the stake center in Orange Park.
"Members of the stake had been among thousands of Church members who traveled last fall to South Florida to help in relief efforts after Hurricane Andrew struck," said Joan G. Hudgins, public affairs director.
The program featured a talk by George Winterling, meteorologist on television station WJXT, who warned that even with today's advanced weather reporting tools, a hurricane could quickly form off the Florida coast, giving residents only from 24 to 48 hours of warning.
North America West Area
Tijuana LDS return service
WILMINGTON, CALIF. - More than 70 youth and adults from the Tijuana Mexico Stake recently traveled to the Harbor area of Los Angles to join in a graffiti painting community service project.
The impetus for the youth to take part in the project came from Tijuana Pres. Jesus Gallardo, who wanted to reciprocate for nearly a decade of service projects in Tijuana by the Harbor Ward, Palos Verdes California Stake.
Most of their effort was centered at Banning High School where they cleaned debris and painted hallways and locker rooms. The community service project was publicized by four Los Angeles television stations.
The visiting members were among those who received help after devastating flooding in Tijuana last year. The Harbor Ward members were excited to renew friendships with the Tijuana members. "We had more volunteers to house them than we had visitors," said Harbor Ward Bishop David Bond. A joint sacrament meeting held the next day included speakers from both stakes.
Utah Central Area
Trees project successful
WEST VALLEY CITY, UTAH - High priests in the Marcrest Ward, Salt Lake Hunter Central Stake, helped in a recent community tree-planting project in which 180 medium-sized trees were planted in the Pleasant Valley Subdivision.
The trees were provided by Pacific Corp and Tree Utah and will be part of an energy tree study offset program.
The high priests, under group leader Morris McDonald, helped organize the tree-planting project. They dug some holes at the homes of single sisters and helped as West Valley City Parks Department delivered the trees that were 250 pounds or more.
"We were looking for a community service project and trying to involve the entire community, crossing all religious lines," said Bishop Gordon C. Madsen.
Utah South Area
Branch a blessing for seniors
OREM, UTAH - A branch at the Seville Retirement Residence facility in the Orem Utah Park Stake has proved to be a great blessing to elderly residents of the complex, according to branch and stake leaders.
The complex consists of 97 units and provides room and board, housekeeping services and planned recreation for residents. Under the direction of Pres. Henry Anderegg, the branch conducts Sunday meetings. Home teachers and visiting teachers are provided by other traditional units within the stake.
Seville residents are enthusiastic missionaries and do much fellowshipping on their own, noted stake missionary Richard D. Grover. During the past year and a half, three residents have been baptized, and several more non-members have expressed interest in the Church.
Readers from around the world are invited to submit news items and photos for this feature on Church events worldwide. Submissions should include a telephone number of someone who can be contacted for additional information. Items should be mailed to Church News, "From Around the World," P.O. Box 1257, Salt Lake City, Utah 84110. Fax No. (801) 237-2121.
