Elder Moser's 4th of July Letter to Family

            Late Friday night, a week ago, we received news from Germany (The Church Headquarters for Europe) that LDS Charities had a large warehouse in Germany full of diapers, men and women underwear and other clothing.  All items that are on the top of the list of things needed to help the poor.  The Church was giving away the whole warehouse full of these items and shipping them to the charities’ location free of charge.  The only thing that the Church will not do is pay any import taxes.  We worked on the email about this over the weekend and got it sent out. 

Diapers and supplies
delivered to SOS

            At 6:30 am Monday morning we got our first response.  The Order of Malta (a Catholic aid organization), here in Miskolc, said yes and sent in their order.  So we thought that we would be very busy the rest of the day.  We had an appointment with the local Red Cross that morning and he told us that he had his order already sent to the national Red Cross office.  But as of today, Sunday July 2, no additional orders!  I know you get tired of me saying this, but, “It is very hard to give money away.”  We are dumbfounded at the lack of response to this offer.  The Red Cross emailed us back about some questions on getting the items into Hungary, but that was it. 

            The next Monday morning we got an email from Germany on another matter.  LDS Philanthropies, the fund-raising arm of the church, wants to come to Hungary and film our “chicken project” and the garden project in Edeleny!  They feel that these two projects will be ideal for fund raising purposes.  Somehow, they heard about both projects and want to make a film about them. They are going to Greece about the refugee program there and two areas in the Fiji/Samoa area to also film.  Talk about an answer to our prayers.

            We were wondering if our efforts in Hungary, particularly with the “chicken project” was not really what the church wants us to be doing.  Everyone else is doing these quick fix projects and we have these two projects that take up a lot of our budget.  We really felt like we were a disappointment to LDS Charities, working hard, but with little to show for our efforts. We had prayed asking for direction.  We felt that we were doing as prompted, but felt maybe we were doing things wrong.

            I guess listening to the Spirit, going with the promptings and working very many long nights redoing our proposal so that it would get approved, paid off.  A film is being made of it!  I wish we could take credit.  But even before our mission call, your mom had this feeling of doing something for the children.  She actually found our partner online while still in Arizona.  So, when we got here to Hungary and in one of our first meetings, we came across SOS Children’s name, your mom jumped to make contact, she was being pushed by a feeling this was very important to save the family unit.  The actual name of the “chicken project” is “Stop the Cycle of Poverty”.  Our goal is to put food into the home so that the children are not taken out of the homes and put into foster care, which destroys the family.  The Holy Ghost was pushing and at times, we both think yelling into your mom’s ear, “Get moving!”  Move we did and the project got approved.

            Keep in mind that after all of this work on the “chicken project”, which meant almost one half of our whole budget for the year was tied up into one project; we learned that the project was not for this year, but next! We were really disappointed, because we can only fund a project up to the time we leave Hungary.  So the fact is that the project wouldn’t get our funding until next year, but the film would be made this year.  We talked this over with Germany and they said just go along with the request to show the people from SLC the project since it is in the second year of operations, even though we have not funded it, yet.  The film crew will be here the last of July to do a prelim scouting report, then back the last of August to do the filming.  Your mom and I were concerned, we are going to be filming a project that we have not financed yet!  Then again, ye of little faith, the Lord shows his hand, again He shows that he is in charge here.  We get an email late Friday from our contact on the Chicken Project.  “Will you consider funding part of the project for this year?  One of our funding source did not come through.”  No deception, no hidden truths that we are not involved.  They don’t know yet about the film proposal.  So now, once Germany gives the O.K. to fund a portion of this year’s operation, it will become “our” project.

            We are blessed every day.  We see how the Lord is directing all affairs of His Church.  We know, so much more than we did just 6 months ago, that this is His Church.  We know that he listens to our prayers and the amazing fact is that he answers most, very quickly.  He doesn’t wait to test our faith when it comes to fulfilling assignments for His Church and for the poor and needy.  So fast, that sometimes it shocks us.  We turn to see if He is there in the room with us; we feel His Spirit.