from Loas

AUGUST 16TH, 2009



DEAR FAMILY AND FRIENDS,



SOME IMPORTANT THINGS HAPPENED THIS WEEK. ON MONDAY WE RECEIVED INFORMATION FROM HONG KONG THAT OUR NEONATAL TRAINING PROJECT IS VERY CLOSE TO BEING APPROVED. DR. CLARK AND ELDER SMITH HAD THE MOST TO DO WITH THE WRITING UP OF THE PROJECT BECAUSE IT IS A TAG-A-LONG WITH WHAT HAS BEEN DONE ALREADY IN LAO AND IS AN ADDITION TO WHAT THEY HAVE IN MIND NOW NEEDS TO BE DONE. WE FELT VERY GOOD ABOUT IT, BECAUSE OUT OF FRUSTRATION WE SAT DOWN AND WROTE A CHAIN OF COMMAND FLOW CHART OF HOW AND WHAT WE FEEL NEEDS TO BE DONE AND IT MATCHED DR. CLARK’S PLAN VERY WELL. ANYWAY, IT LOOKS LIKE WE WILL HAVE A TEAM OF PEOPLE COMING IN NOVEMBER TO TEACH IN VIENTIANE FIRST. THEN THEY WILL GO DOWN SOUTH FOR SOME MORE TRAINING WITH THE PROVINCIAL’S DISTRICT HOSPITALS AND HEALTH CENTERS.

ON WEDNESDAY WE WENT TO THE “HOME OF LIGHT”. WE HAVE A VISION PROJECT APPROVED, BUT HAVE NEVER DONE ANYTHING ON IT. SO WE WENT THERE TO LEARN MORE. WE MET WITH DR.VITHOUNE, AND HE FILLED US IN ON WHAT HAS BEEN DONE AND WHAT HE FEELS NEED TO TAKE PLACE IN LAO. IN THE SAME COMPLEX AS HIS OFFICE AND CLINIC THERE IS A BLIND SCHOOL AND DORMITORIES. WE VISITED THE PLACE, TOOK SOME PICTURES, AND AGAIN, TRIED TO FIND OUT WHAT HAS BEEN DONE AND WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE IN THE FUTURE. WE WATCHED MAYBE 30 SCHOOL STUDENTS WALKING HOME FROM A NEAR BY PUBLIC SCHOOL ALONG A BUSY ROAD BEING LED BY LESS BLIND SUDENTS. IT WAS AMAZING TO SEE HOW THEY ADAPT TO LIFE WITH THEIR HANDICAP AND ENJOY LIFE IN SPITE OF IT.

ON THURSDAY WE WENT TO A PRIMARY SCHOOL THAT ONE OF OUR LAST TERM STUDENTS TEACHES AT. (MR. SOMPHAPONE) IT WAS FUN TO MEET HIM AGAIN AND SEE HIM TEACH. WE PUT PRACTICE BOARDS UP IN THE SCHOOL, BUT REALIZED WE WERE THREE ROOMS SHORT IN COUNT. ACTUALLY, WE ORIGINALLY PLANNED TO PUT BOARDS UP IN JUST HIS CLASSROOM. THE SCHOOL HAS 10 CLASSROOMS, SO WE HAVE EXPANDED OUR EFFORT. WE WILL GO OUT AGAIN THURSDAY AND FINISH THE JOB.

TODAY CHURCH WAS NICE. NEXT WEEKWE WILL FINISH THE SIXTH LESSON IN THE TEMPLE PREPARATION CLASS AND HOPEFULLY WE WILL HAVE FOUR FAMILIES GO TO THE TEMPLE THIS FALL.

SALEUM WAS ORDAINED A PRIEST. WE NOW HAVE SIX ACTIVE PRIESTS, TWO ACTIVE TEACHERS, AND TWO ACTIVE DEACONS. THERE ARE A FEW OTHERS ON THE ROLL, BUT I HAVE NEVER MET THEM, NOR DO I KNOW WHERE THEY LIVE. I WISH WE COULD VISIT THEM. WE LAMINATED MOST OF THE OLD HYMN BOOKS THIS WEEK. THEY DON’T LOOK AS NICE AS THE NEW ONES, BUT WE HAVE PLENTY OF BOOKS TO GO AROUND.

WE ARE TRYING TO GET SOME MORE GENEALOGY UPDATED SO WE CAN SEND THE ANCESTORS OF SOME OF OUR MEMBERS TO THE Hong Kong TEMPLE.

WE HOPE YOU ARE ALL READING THE SCRIPTURES EVERY DAY. SISTER RISER AND I ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF ALMA. I AM READING THE BOOK OF MORMON BY MYSELF ALSO. I AM JUST FINISHING JACOB AND THIS MORNING WAS LOOKING OVER ENOS

“… AND THE WORDS WHICH I HAD OFTEN HEARD MY FATHER SPEAK CONCERNING ETERNAL LIFE, AND THE JOY OF THE SAINTS, SUNK DEEP INTO MY HEART. AND MY SOUL HUNGERED…”

I HOPE YOU CAN SAY THAT ABOUT ME OR SOMEONE WHO HAS TAUGHT YOU GOSPEL TRUTHS. AND LIKE ENOS, “… AND I KNEELED DOWN BEFORE MY MAKER, AND I CRIED UNTO HIM IN MIGHTY PRAYER…” FOR MY OWN SOUL, FOR EACH OF US IN OUR FAMILIES, AND FOR EACH OF US ALL OVER THE WORLD AS ETERNAL BROTHERS AND SISTERS. AND ALSO FOR GRADITUDE FOR ALL WE HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH. HAVE A GREAT WEEK!



LOVE, DAD AND MOM, GRANDPA AND GRANDMA, ELDER AND SISTER RISER, SCOTT AND JOLENE



P.S. CONGRATULATIONS TO THE DRAPER FAMILY THIS WEEK!!! SPENCER ISAAC DRAPER ENTERED THE WORLD EARLY LAST SUNDAY MORNING! (AUGUST 9TH), A WALLOPING 11 POUND, 22 ½ INCH LONG BABY BOY!!! WE’RE HAPPY TO WELCOME HIM TO THE FAMILY. CONGRATULATIONS, KYM AND ANDY AND KIDS!