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.

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

Innovación Orthopédica: Truly Angels

Innovación Orthopédica: Truly Angels

Elder Darrel L. Hammon

Monday morning was incredible! We went to Innovación Orthopédica, a company that helps people who need prosthetics. The Church is currently working with them on a humanitarian project. The project has to do with prosthetics. Once they receive a referral from a hospital or a priesthood leader, they then work with that client to help them create and develop the right prosthesis for that person.

Jose, Samuelito, Previs, Heidi, y Carlos

Cristina, one of three leaders at Innovación Orthopédica, met us at the door. She introduced us to Carlos (Freddy) and José. They are wonderful men with a vision of what needs to be done and a passion for doing it. They have been around for a long time. Both Carlos and José have been to the U.S. to be trained. Plus, they have worked with some of our people from Salt Lake.

The way they became involved with the Church is quite serendipitous. One day they received a call from James from Salt Lake City. He had been a missionary in the DR, went home, was in an accident, and lost his leg, thus necessitating prosthesis. When he was in the DR. he couldn’t believe the number of amputees. Once he was home, he decided to help the DR. So, he looked through the directory and found Innovación Orthopédica. He called them up, explained what he wanted to do, and asked if they would be interested. Of course, they were a bit skittish about this. Why would anyone call them out of the blue and say he would help them for free? That just doesn’t happen. They took the chance, however, and the rest is history. They are now a wonderful partner for the Church.

Today, there were three young people there who wanted to tell us their stories—Samuelito (11), Previs (11), and Heidi (16). Previs was with a group of eight of his friends at a carnival when a drunk driver, a woman, smashed into them. One of the eight was killed, others weren’t seriously injured, and Previs was seriously injured. Several bones were broken, and his right leg was in such a mess they had to amputate about thigh high. So the Innovación Orthopédica worked with the Church to create a unique prosthesis for Previs. He showed it to us and was very proud that he could walk like a normal young man. His life changed because of Innovación Orthopédica and their work.

               

Heidi is a different story but one filled with hope. She was born with no legs below the knee. Plus, her hands are somewhat deformed as well. For the first several years of her life, she walked on her knees. Since she was already small, the kids at school made fun of her, and she developed a very low self esteem. Finally, she was referred to Innovación Orthopédica, and they began to work with her. Soon, they created two prostheses, one for each leg.  

Samuelito, Previs, los Hammon, y Heidi

Carlos, one of the co-owners of Innovación Orthopédica, asked Heidi to walk down the hall for us and then asked us which leg had the prosthesis. Honestly, Sister Hammon and I had a difficult time deciding which one because she walked so well. We guessed the right leg. Carlos then said, “She has two,” and then Heidi told her sad story but with a happy ending. We told Heidi she was wonderful, and she just beamed. She is now a beautiful young 16-year-old with a hope for the future. When I asked what she was going to do, she said, “I am going to finish high school, and I then I want to become a doctor.” Carlos said that once Heidi graduates from high school, they are going to hire her and help her through college. What a wonderful young woman Heidi is! Her smile is intoxicating, and her view of the future is positive. She knows what she wants to do.

Carlos and José took us on a tour of their facility, truly a facility that utilizes every single space available and then some. They begin by working with the client and measuring the person for prosthesis. Then they go to the shop where a young man begins building the mold. The young who was there had been a delivery boy for a colmado, a local store, near Carlos’ house. Over a few years, Carlos would call the Colmado, and this young man was the one who delivered the goods. They developed a friendly relationship.

One day, Carlos called José and said, “I think this young man could work out, helping us in the shop.” They agreed, and the young man came to clean the building. Because he was naturally curious about what was going on, bit by bit, they showed him how to make the parts. Soon, the person who was doing the job left, and this young man took over and has done an incredible since then.

We also went back to the room where the oven/kiln was where they “bake” the mold. Two young men were there, and they create the molds from scratch. They showed us the final products they make. So, Innovación Orthopédica makes everything from ground zero, create a unique prosthesis for each person. We were impressed with everyone there. They were absolutely incredible.

Samuelito, Previs, Heidi, Carlos ("Freddy")

We stopped in to visit with Christina, Carlos’ wife. She showed us a variety of videos they had taken of some of their clients—the before and after shots. This is what humanitarian work is all about. Working with groups like Innovación Orthopédica shows me the importance of partnership and the importance of people like Carlos, José, Cristina, Heidi, Samuelito, Previs, and all of the people associated with Innovación Orthopédica. These people do not receive government funding; yet, they are willing to go out of their way to help their clients. There were a couple of times that tears almost came to our eyes when they told us the touching stories of the people they have helped. They even showed a video of Carlos and Cristina’s dog whose back legs became immobile.

They came on a Saturday and built a prosthesis that the dog wears that is hooked to a set of wooden tires that allow this little dog to move about the house and outside. That’s the kind of people at Innovación Orthopédica. They serve others, not matter who or what they are. 

Thank you, Innovación Orthopédica, for brightening our day and renewing our hope for a better future. And thank you Samuelito, Previs, and Heidi. Y gracias a Samuelito, Previs, y Heidi. Ustedes son increíbles y impresionantes. Ustedes son nuestros heroes.

Constanza: Vegetable Garden of Eden in the Dominican Republic

Constanza

Tuesday, January 3, 2012--Constanza

Constanza

We had an incredible day today. We went to Contanza, a community northwest of Santo Domingo, to deliver 18 boxes of warm clothing and blankets to the people who live in Constanza. Members and youth in Puerto Rico made the blankets. Sister Martinez, the wife of Elder Martinez, Area Authority Seventy in Puerto Rico, coordinated everything for us. She sent the boxes via boat, and Benjamin from the office picked them up on Friday from the Aduana. I then scheduled the time with Elder Domíngues, the Area Authority Seventy, who lives in Santiago. 

The Delivery

Los Snows, Atkinson, Benjamin Lopez, and we left our office around 9:25 a.m. and headed for Constanza. Also, the Rappleyes went with us. Brother Rappleye is the CES Area Coordinator. His daughter and her husband were here visiting them and had also planned on going to take a suitcase load of things to Constanza. They talked to Bennie who told them we were going with lots of stuff. So, they asked if they could tag along. I told them it would be a pleasure for them to come with us.

Snows, Hammons, Elder Domingues, Presidente Garcias, Benjamin Lopez, y Elder Atkinson

The ride there was beautiful. Once we left the freeway, we began to instantaneously climb and climb and climb. We marveled at the change of vegetation and scenery along the extremely windy road. We stopped at the top to capture a better look at the valley where we had come from. Incredible! We stayed for a bit and then climbed back in our vehicles and continued our trip to Constanza.

              

Constanza fields

 

Just before we started our descent into the city, we stopped and scanned the vast valley below—truly the Dominican Garden of Eden. It was picturesque with the many fields of vegetables growing along the valley floor, with some of the fields of various vegetables climbing up the sides of the hills, between stands of varying shades of green foliage. I took a few pictures, but the pictures just don’t do the valley justice. 

The ride into the city was amazing. We had heard a lot about Constanza and its ability to grow things. When we were at the bodega and asked people where the potatoes came from or where the carrots came from or where most any of the vegetables came from, the answer was all the same: Constanza. There were fields after fields after fields of all kinds of vegetables at different levels of growing. Next to a field full of people picking potatoes was a field of potatoes being grown. That was the way it was with several crops.

Elder Dominguez

Coming from a potato state—Idaho—I was curious to see what kind of mechanization was being used in the potato harvest. Workers like little ants hunched over and were picking potatoes. Watching the workers pick potatoes reminded me of my own potato picking days several years ago. The rows were still being dug by a two-row digger, and the men in the fields were picking them by hand, except they didn’t have the pink rubberized buckets. Rather, they had sacks in which they placed the potatoes.

Hermanas from the Constanza Branch

The rest of the fields were clean, the rows straight, and some irrigation equipment lying in the fields. It was absolutely pristine with the rolling hills and mountains in the background. Field workers, Haitians and Dominicans, were everywhere, working the land by hand, harvesting this and that. I just reflected how hard of work this was and has been for years.

The blankets

                 

When we entered the city, we called Presidente García, the Branch President, who directed

Presidente y Hermana Garcia

us to the capilla. We turned left at the light and drove a few blocks down the street, and there was the capilla, or rented house, for the Constanza Branch. Presidente García and Elder Domínguez were there to greet us along with several members of the Branch. It was exciting meeting the Branch President and finally meeting Elder Domínguez. We unloaded all of the boxes and placed them in one of the rooms in the capilla.

Once we were done, we chatted with members in the Branch who had put together a little luncheon for us—salad with tomatoes, Dominican-style chicken, two different kinds of rice, fruit, and juice. It was delicious. We had a wonderful conversation. One of the members was a doctor; so, Elder Atkinson began visiting with her about a potential humanitarian project in her hospital. Elder Atkinson promised them the questionnaire, and they promised to fill it out and send it back.

Members of the Constanza Branch

               

We had such a great time, visiting with the members, the young men and women, and the primary-age children and getting to know the great saints who live in Constanza. They are like everyone here: They are hungry for friendly conversation and companionship with senior missionaries. They were saddened that we had to leave so soon after we had arrived. They extended many invitations to return to the Constanza Branch to participate with them. 

  

Hermana Hammon, Elder Domingues, Elder Hammon

  

The Rappleyes took Elder Domínguez back to Santiago. He had come in public transportation as his car had broken down. He is such a wonderful man. I look forward to meet

Elder Hammon and a very shy little girl.

ing his family.