WHEELCHAIRS

For pictures and movies click: HERE
Be sure to click on the movies!

What is it like to not be able to walk or run on your own?  What is it like to be missing a leg?  Unless you have a disability you don’t really know what it is like and all the challenges that confront you through the day.  We were reminded of our own blessings in several different ways this week.

Wheelchair made in the Dominican Republic in a shop created partially by Church donations

We completed a humanitarian project for a Hogar de Ancianos (home for the elderly) in which we purchased a lot of things they needed (washers, commercial dryer, rocking chairs, etc) to do their job better.  The home is run by Catholic Nuns and other doctors, nurses, groundskeepers, etc. and supported by well-to-do people in the community. Hogar de Ancianos San Antonio de Padua was established with that name on 11 Feb 1988.

Wallace spoke with a resident about Trujillo.  He is the first person we have met that has anything good to say about Trujillo.  This old man remembers the dictator as a benevolent to his family and only had good things to say.

In 1985 Padre Marceleno Ibarreta and his Parish established a place to address a common concern of how to help elderly people who were begging in the city streets. He set up a shelter to help them. The Hogar, or nursing home, has been providing live-in care for elderly needy men and women for 24 years. Today they are serving 30 of the very poor who would otherwise be homeless on the street and are planning to expand their facility to accommodate up to 40.

Estela is the guitar playing Nun. 

Wallace tried to get out of them what he should be feeding his little guitar to make it grow! 

 The missionaries all pitched in to sing a song with Wallace accompanying on the Ukulele.

After attending the closing at Hogar Ancianos in Bonao we took the opportunity to visit the Church Camp.  Here are some pictures from our visit.  It is a gorgeous camp unmatched anywhere in the church.

Joanne Hammon and Jill Dunford

ORTHOPEDICS

We have an ongoing Area Project with a local orthopedics company.  We had the chance to attend a closing ceremony where 6 people received their prosthetic legs.  The most touching was that of Dileny, a little girl who lost her leg from the hip down to cancer.  If you go to the link above you will see a video of her taking some of her first steps with this amazing orthopedic leg.

MACAO SCHOOL

We took advantage of being able to borrow a 4-wheel vehicle to deliver some supplies we purchased as part of an Area Humanitarian Project to a little school in the mountains above the city of San Cristobal.

Juana Ortiz, Edith Haws, Cirila Abad, Wallace Haws, Yvelisse Marte, Director

 

 

Wallace did his famous magic trick to make a peso disappear right before your very eyes and then pull it out of someone’s ear.  Wallace gave the little boy the peso he pulled out of the boy’s ear, but much to Wallace’s surprise and for the 1^st time ever, the little boy did not want to accept the Peso!  Who wants pesos coming out of their ear anyway!

Rolando Marte sits among the children of Macao school.  He is the champion of the project--without him it would not have happened.

WHEELCHAIRS

This is our feature story for the week.  The Church donates about 1500 wheelchairs and other handicap aids every year to the Dominican Republic.  We attended a closing ceremony to celebrate the first Fabrication Workshop for wheelchairs ever set up in the DR.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provided funds for the fabrication, training by Optima Whirlwind and supplies to build 300 wheelchairs.  The workshop is set up in the faculties of Associación Dominicana Rehabilitatión (ADR) and so they were now displaying the product that is ready for distribution.   The ceremony celebrated the first 100 chairs fabricated in the DR which the Church purchased and then returned as a donation to our partners, ADR, ASODIFIMO, and CANIDIS to be distributed to the poor.  Among those attending were other contributors to the project, which included:  The Embassy of Canada, Office of the First Lady and the National Dominican Lottery.

                                  President of ADR, Mary Perez Marranzini speaks during the Ceremony

Jill and Rob Dunford, Missionaries assigned to Public Affairs

                                                         Joanne Hammon and Edith Haws

Bernardo Hernandez, 2nd Counselor in the Stake Presidency, Auturo Perez, National Executive President ADR, Mary Marranzini, President ADR, Wallace and Edith Haws