"Have I Done Any Good" was taken from the LDS hymnal #223. "Have I done any good in the world today? Have I helped anyone in need? Have I cheered up the sad and made someone feel glad? If not, I have failed indeed. Has anyone's burden been lighter today Because I was williing to share? Have the sick and weary been helped on their way? When they needed my help was I there? (vs 1) For the answers see chorus and vs 2.

Monday, May 20, 2024

Good People Everywhere

Today was a great day for N. Macedonia
These are Elders Jeffrey, McNiven, Adamson and Lindsay.  They are the only missionaries in the country of North Macedonia.  They are the only missionaries who speak Macedonian.  They are in the Albania mission but never transfer to the 23 other companionships in the mission because no one else speaks Macedonian.  This day they are full of smiles.  For the first time the Book of Mormon has been published in Macedonian!

They are so excited to hold a Book of Mormon in the language of the people they teach.
These good missionaries are on a mission to spread the good book.
(Sadly, every one of them will be going home in July 
after two years and no replacements are in sight!)


Let me share some of the other good people we have crossed paths with lately.
This is a new consultation room for the Skopje Hospital intensive care unit.  They honored us with much appreciation.  
Your donations made this possible.


These are three remodeled rooms at the Mother Teresa Senior Home in Skopje.
Your donations made this possible.


This is a new elevator at a public school with 30 handicapped children.
The parents had to carry the children and their wheelchairs up and down the stairs each day.
Your donations made this possible.


The whole school turned out to show much appreciation.  There was a terrific program put on by the students.  The mayor and television crews were on hand.
Kristi and the mayor cut the ribbon.
Your donations made this possible.


The school provided a feast of local food for the invited "dignitaries".


We were impressed by what kind and good people were associated with the school.
These Muslim girls were excited to practice their english with Kristi.


Below are all the missionaries in Kosovo.
They unloaded all and assembled some of 380 new wheelchairs for Kosovo.
Yes, Kosovo has only one senior couple, David & Colleen Long (MLS) and only six younger missionaries, Sisters Liddicott, Lindsay and Elders Leblow, Vasas, Secrest, Bredikhin.


The folks at Handicos in Prishtina distribute the chairs all over Kosovo.
They are good people as are these missionaries.
Your donations made this possible.


This is the Muhaxhiri family.  
Sharii is the new Branch President in Gjakova, Kosovo where we live half the time.  
The young missionary, Elder Pimentel, was released as Branch President and transferred.
We usually have 12 - 15 at church each Sunday.  As you can see almost half are pictured below.
They are good people.


Everywhere we go, we find very dedicated, selfless people, willing to help those in need and give of their time to improve the lives of others.  I am so impressed with so many people living for and contributing to the needs of others.  My pessimistic view of the world is beginning to change.

I am realizing that YOU are a good person.  Your donations - to any cause outside yourself -
has qualified you as a good person.

The projects I mentioned did not come about by us but by YOU!

Kristi wanted her photo taken by this mural, she is good in trying to teach me.



Wednesday, May 1, 2024

"Good Grief"

Grief is mental suffering.  
I suppose I have experienced that in a small way but take comfort in knowing that 
"thy afflictions shall be but a small moment."  The good part is the growth afterward.
When I tell you my "grief" you will roll your eyes and laugh, but to me it has been real.


We prepared ourselves for what we thought would be our role of relieving the suffering of humanity in this corner of the world.  We were mentally prepared for changes but not prepared for the detail of the work.  Remember we had been to the MTC, Salt Lake City Headquarters Mission and then cooled our heels in Albania and then a B&B.  It seems we needed more training.  Lots and lots of training.

So first we flew to Frankfurt, Germany.
Those are the Sar Mountains, dividing N. Macedonia and Kosovo (the two countries we live in).


In Frankfurt we met with five other couples assigned to different countries in central Europe.


We learned we were in the Central Europe Area of the Church (one of 23 world divisions).
Kristi and I serve in the green section of the Area, along with many others.


You can see that the Welfare and Self-Reliance portion of the Area is very organized.
The Church does employ a lot of folks.  We are down at the bottom of "Field Operations" where it shows six managers and twenty-one couple Senior Missionaries.  The other areas also have a few Senior Missionaries assigned.  There is a great need for more.  
Good grief, what have I gotten myself into?


We were gone four days and they tried to fill our heads with new forms and reports, more computer insights, software training, financial reports, evaluation criteria and reports,  protocols and the necessity of keeping receipts for ten years.  Good Grief.  Now please, just let us get to work.

No, not yet, they wanted us to share how great an experience being a senior missionary is, so in the evening we experienced old fashioned German bowling.  No gutters and creative scoring.  I must admit I had fun and of course winning is always fun.


We went to the Senior Missionary family home evening.  There are a lot of senior missionaries in Frankfurt.  These four couples were heading home.


Another evening we went to the Frankfurt Temple.


So now we are pumped full of new information and ready to put it to use?  
No, not yet.  On our return we were invited to the Albania Mission couples' conference.

We drove down through N. Macedonia to Korce, Albania.
It was beautiful and I said, "Good grief, are we just tourists now"?





Our Mission leaders are great people and we did learn more, but also had fun activities.

This is President and Sister Auras.  They are helping and teaching us all, in the three countries of Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia.  There are nineteen senior missionaries and less than sixty young Elders and Sisters. The Auras' are serving here for three years from Germany.


Sunday was Branch Conference in Korce, Albania.


Monday was P-day or preparation day.
We watched and ate at a demonstration of making a traditional food of Byret.
It was especially good.



The next day was the Mission Conference with all the young missionaries in the mission.


They are bright, intelligent, conversant in Albanian and Macedonian, and in touch with the Spirit.
I have been so impressed with their work ethic and love for the people they serve among.
It is a delight to be around them.  
(And none of them call me "Older Skidmore" yet, rather than Elder Skidmore.)
OK, one more photo - can I go home now?  I can't contain one more drop of learning.


GOOD GRIEF, all of a sudden we are almost on our own.  
We are starting to get in the swing of things.  
Our world is meeting new people every day, emails, forms, starting projects, monitoring projects, documenting projects, filing every bit of information with each project and then seeing that it is closed and that everything is accounted for.  
"Almost" on our own.
We can call Frankfurt any time.
We can call other Humanitarian couples, any time.
There is even a help line with the main software we use.
This is "but a small moment."
GOOD GRIEF - with prayer we are never alone.