Sunday, March 18, 2012

Miracle day: Los Zarzuela y Innovación Ortopédica


"Miracle day: Los Zarzuela y Innovación Ortopédica
Elder Darrel L. Hammon

Los Hammon, Los Zarzuela, Bennie Lilly, Carlos
                There are days on one’s mission when you know why you are serving the Lord. Today was one of those. The Church has a humanitarian project with Innovación Ortopédica, a group of incredible people—Cristina, Carlos, and Daniel. The Church provides prosthesis to this group and then makes referrals of members and non-members who need a prosthesis. One of those members is Hermano Zarzuela from Santiago.
Hermano Zarzuela’s bishop called me a few weeks ago to ask me about a prosthesis that Elder and Sister Atkinson had worked on. When I called Cristina, she told me that since Hermano Zarzuela is a diabetic, they had to construct a different kind of prosthesis, one that could expand and contract, depending on the leg swellings and contractions, and it was going to take some time because of the way they had to build it. This week I received an email from Cristina, saying it was ready.
Hermana Zarzuela
I had talked to Hermano y Hermana Zarzuela at the Casa de Huéspedes on Monday night after Family Home Evening (FHE). Elder Snow had seen them and then came over and told me they were there. We had not previously met Hermano y Hermana Zarzuela. But they are instantly likeable. He is about 66-years old and still in pretty good health. When I visited with them on Monday evening, they were ecstatic because he was going to receive a new leg sometime that week. They were going on Tuesday morning to Innovación Ortopédica to be trained on how to us  a prosthesis.
So at 10:00 a.m., Hermana Hammon and I along with Bennie Lilly, the Area Welfare Manager, met Los Zarzuela at Innovación Ortopédica to witness la entrega of a prosthesis to Hermano Zarzuela. As we waited in the lobby, we had a wonderful conversation with Hermana Zarzuela who could not contain her joy. She thanked the Church and Innovación Ortopédica for their great work and expressed her overwhelming job at what was going to be happening today.  Soon, Cristina came out and said it was time.
Hermana Zarzuela
Just at that moment, Hermano Zarzuela walked into the lobby. His smile was grandiose. He was a new man. He then showed us how he could walk. It was truly an incredible sight to behold. While he was walking, Daniel and Carlos explained how Hermano Zarzuela learned to walk on his new leg. They told us that he took to the new prosthesis as quickly as some of their younger patients. Carlos and Daniel showed us the material from which they made the prosthesis. It is a gel-like material that allows for expansion and contraction.
Cristina served cookies and orange juice. As we enjoyed the treats, we talked about the project and the Church’s involvement with Innovación Ortopédica and what a great partnership it was. While we talked, I felt joy like Ammon did when he talked about the People of Ammon. In actuality, this partnership is truly a miracle. People who cannot walk or use crutches or even use wheelchairs can now go out and lead very productive lives. And here was Hermano Zarzuela whose eleven grandchildren had never seen him walk with two legs.
Interestingly, Daniel commented that Los Zarzuela should gather their family together on Family Home Evening night and explain the process to their grandchildren. Although Daniel is not a member of the Church, he knows enough that we gather our families on Monday evenings and spend time together, enjoying each other’s company, sharing gospel truths, and learning about Christ.
Los Zarzuela, Carlos, Cristina, y Daniel
We enjoyed such a wonderful time at Innovación Ortopédica. Thank you once again, Cristina, Carlos (“Freddy”), and Daniel, for your miracle-working abilities and your willingness to work with the Church and with people like Hermano Zarzuela.
Perhaps, the frosting on the cake—to use a very old cliché—was that evening in the temple. Brother García asked me to officiate the 6:00 p.m. session. As I stood there, waiting for the members to enter the room, in walked Hermano and Hermana Zarzuela. Oh, what joy I felt! He walked into the room. He still needs to use a cane to balance himself for a while. But he walked in. His smile was huge. We probably didn’t need the lights this evening as both of them glowed.
Los Zarzuela
My feelings today overpowered me on several occasions. What the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does around the world with humanitarian projects is impressive. Some may be large; some may be small; some involve lots and lots of people; others involve just a few. But the Innovación Ortopédica project helps one person at a time. And today, it helped Hermano Zarzuela. Because of this single event, it will affect many, many people—his family, his friends, his community, and others to see his courageous example to walk again on two legs. Thank you, Hermano Zarzuela.

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Almacén del Obispo (a.k.a. “The Bishops’ Storehouse”)

Almacén del Obispo (a.k.a.“The Bishops’ Storehouse”)
Elder Darrel L. Hammon

For those of us who grew up in Idaho, Utah, and other parts of the U.S. where the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is prevalent, you have probably spent some time in the Bishops’ Storehouse, probably providing some type of service. I was always amazed at the number of products, both canned and fresh, that were available to those who were in need. At Christmas time, our two daughters also spent some time in the Bishops’ Storehouse in Linden, Utah. They commented how they were impressed with the number and quality of food stuffs available.

Almacén del Obispo
















We also have a Bishops’ Storehouse or Almacén del Obispo here in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. It is housed in the old Santo Domingo East Mission home, located in Gascue on a short street named Casamira de Moya #5. It has a beautiful front gate that can only be opened by an automatic door opener. Then, there is the gate that has a padlock to just get to the Almacén del Obispo. Once you arrive at the front door, there is another lock on the door. But then you enter a home that has several rooms dedicated to Almacén del Obispo, including a large storage room where the bulk of the 13 items are stored.

Yes, the Santo Domingo Almacén del Obispo has just 13 items:

13 Items



















Leche de Polvo         Powered milk
Aceite                        Oil
Arroz                         Rice
Habichuelas               Beans
Harina                        White flour
Avena                         Oatmeal
Harina de Maiz           Corn flour
Jabón                           Soap
Spaghetti                     Spaghetti
Sardines                       Sardines
Chocolate                     Chocolate
Azucar                          Sugar                                                          
Sal                                 Salt

This list of 13 items may seem small compared to what many of you have seen in the Almacén del Obispo in the more heavily populated areas where there are lots of members of the Church. Interestingly, though, these 13 items are the staples in the lives of the Dominicans. As you can imagine, the rice and beans are probably the most important items on this list.

The beans and white flour come in 100-pound bags and are re-packaged into smaller three-, five-, and ten-pound plastic bags. Volunteers come each Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and then on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and help those who need help, re-package the beans and flour and sometimes the rice, stock shelves, and do general cleaning inside and outside the Almacén del Obispo.

the sealers and volunteers
The Almacén
We have four package sealers at the Santo Domingo Almacén del Obispo. They have developed cardboard models for each of the sizes of bags. They then have a huge roll of plastic. They place the model on the plastic and then cut the right size. After cutting the right size, they seal one end, fill the bags and weigh them on the scales. Once appropriately weighed, one of the volunteers uses the sealer to seal shut the plastic bag. Then, another volunteer writes the weight on the bag. The permanent marker barely has time to dry before it is whisked off to the actual Almacén where it is placed on the shelf.

Volunteers at the Bishops' Storehouse in the kitchen
Since our apartment is above the Almacén del Obispo, we often arrive home when the members are here serving. I cannot tell you what a pleasure it is for Sister Hammon and me to greet and visit with the members who come, whether they are volunteers or members who have come to obtain a few of the food stuffs to take home. They are a wonderfully happy people, eager to serve and be a part of the Bishops’ Storehouse in this part of Zion, the Dominican Republic.

We marvel how the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provides for the poor and the needy through Bishops’ Storehouses. We testify of the importance of these Bishops’ Storehouses and how they help people in their time of need as they become more self-sufficient. This is the Lord’s Way, and we are humbled to be a part of it.

Gracias a todos que prestan servicio en el Almacén del Obispo en Santo Domingo, República Dominicana. Serán bendecidos por su servicio.  
Two sister volunteers

Other volunteers



Another view