Memorandum of Understanding signing

Ministry of Education office building

They always have a banner for official signings.  This MoU was 8 months in the making and covers a 2-year commitment by DIC.

Mdme Chanthavone, Mr. Xampou and other officials from the Ministry of Education await signing.

Elders Vance, Xiong and Johnson were impressive as translators.  Sister Singley is on the left.

Elder Johnson's Lao was so good that the officals were always impressed as he translated Elder Singley's speech.

The signing made the papers adn TV station.

Lao Countryside and Branch lunch

Lao countryside is beautiful in the winter, especially where the farmers plant such orderly crops.

Rows of lettuce, morning glory (used for soups and boiled spinach.)

Successive crop planting allows harvesting all year round.

Farmers wash their lettuce to take to the market.

Couldn't resist the watermelons for 10,000 kip each. ($1.25)

Every Sunday the branch cooks a lunch for everyone (120) to eat after the 3-hour s of meetings.  Many come a long way to church, and this helps them and is a time for socializing.  Elder Vance is being helped by a young member.

The girl in pink (Na') was just baptized and the young man in salmon-colored shirt would be baptized one month later.

It takes a lot of food to feed the branch and cooking is done outside, along with fixing the rest of the food.

Farmers plant rice from plugs they grow in a smaler plot and then spread out in flooded fields.  Some of the farmers have irrigation to bring the water to the fields for 2 crops a year.  Those waiting for the rainy season get one crop a year.

Home-made noodles make a nice soup.

Most people ride motorbikes for transportation.

This school uses waste water to irrigate gardens and teach the students to raise crops.

Jacket & Blanket handover in Xaignabouri, Laos

DIC (Deseret International Charities) provided some emergency relief

to several very poor villages to assist the people to keep warm with unusual cold weather conditions. This was done by providing jackets for the adults, teenagers and children and blankets to be used in their homes. This is in fulfillment of a promise by Elder Gong to His Excellency Tong Yeu Tho, Vice Permanent President of the Lao Front for National Construction, that we would assist their country where possible.

Elder Singley and Elder Bush loaded bags of jackets into a van and brought them from Thailand into Laos, where they could be sorted for distribution.

A bale of blankets was purchased and delivered to the Church.

Bo and Sister Holmes helped bag up individual blankets .

Members of the branch also helped bag the blankets and stack them.

The blankets and jackets were taken to the home of Thong Yeu Thor, Vice Pres. of the Lao Front for transport to the mountain villages.  On left are members Onkeo, Thongkhan, Pres. Kompadith, Elders Harman & Vance, Elder Singley, Elder & Sister Bush.

Taking the jackets & blankets required us to go hours on roads through the mountains.  The truck ahead was stalled in the middle of the road on a hill.

When we got to the village, a lot of people were waiting for us from both villages.

The bags of supplies were officially turned over to the village officials for distribution later after they figured out a system to be fair to those who needed them. 

Thong Yeu Tho with his two brothers, who live in those villages.

Sisters Herr and Holmes accompanied us to make the handover.

A nice Lao meal was provided for us and the officials after the handover.

Khamphee enjoys everyone and everything.  He's a great help as driver, interpreter and general liaison.  He knows everyone.

  

These are the ladies that prepared and served the meal.