Europe/Mediterranean Area

Ballroom dancers perform

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM

More than 6,000 people attended four performances of the BYU Ballroom Dance Company in the Brussels area in mid-June.

In addition to the performances, the group met on June 10 in Charleroi with 200 members of dance clubs throughout Belgium and shared their talents with other dancers. On June 12, dignitaries were invited to a special reception for the dance company at the Charleroi City Hall. Local civic leaders and several Church leaders attended the reception, including Elder LeGrand R. Curtis of the Seventy and first counselor in the Europe/Mediterranean Area presidency, and his wife, Patricia.

"I did not come only to see you dance, but to see in your eyes the light of the gospel," Elder Curtis said to the ballroom dancers.

"The gathering made a great impression on non-members present, and everyone felt strongly a spirit of love," said local member Claude Ypersier. "Members of the BYU group are wonderful ambassadors of the Church."

That evening, a performance was given before 1,400 people, with some proceeds raised for a local humanitarian association for poor and abandoned children.

Asia Area Branch birthday celebrated

JAKARTA, INDONESIA

Members of the Jakarta English Branch in the Jakarta Indonesia District of the Singapore Mission recently celebrated the branch's 14th anniversary. The branch meetinghouse is currently housed in an office building not far from the Presidential Palace and serves as facilities for the English branch and an Indonesian branch.

Most of the English branch's 75 members (from 20 families) are expatriates living in the country to work in various industry, for embassies or world health organizations. They come from the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, the Philippines, Thailand and England. Many of the branch's youth have distinguished themselves in sports, the arts and academics at the Jakarta International School.

Philippines/Micronesia Area

Post office repaired

DIGOS, PHILIPPINES - Missionaries serving in the Philippines Davao Mission and members of three branches in Digos helped repair and renovate the post office building here.

A group of about 50 people swept and cleaned the building yard and painted the facility inside and out. Postal service workers had received some monetary donations in the past, but hadn't received enough to do the project on their own. The postal workers said they were surprised at the number of people who came and the way they worked together.

Pacific Area

Plaque notes first members

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - A plaque commemorating the first-known Latter-day Saint couple baptized in the state of Queensland was erected recently. William and Sarah Duffin were baptized in Brisbane on Sept. 18, 1890, by Elder George E. Woolley. William Duffin died in 1898; Sarah Duffin died in 1913.

Although neither immigrated to Utah as they longed to, one of their daughters did. From her have come many American descendants who are active members of the Church. Those descendants joined with members of the Church in Queensland to erect the granite plaque on the previously unmarked graves of William and Sarah. The plaque was dedicated by Bishop Mervyn J. Leneham who, 32 years ago, was baptized by one of William and Sarah Duffin's American descendants.

Among those present for the ceremony were three of William and Sarah Duffin's Australian descendants. Although they are not members of the Church, they expressed gratitude for the recognition given to their ancestors' pioneering role.

North America Northeast Area

Scouts collect food

SUMMIT, N.J. - Scouts from the Short Hills Ward, Caldwell New Jersey Stake, recently held a food drive to help the homeless here. The Scouts held the food drive through Summit Middle School homerooms and offered prizes - given by local merchants - for the top-donating homerooms.

At the end of the drive, the Scouts transported the food to the Summit Homeless Intervention Project storage area at Calvary Episcopal Church and assembled steel shelves, donated as part of the food drive, for food storage. At the beginning of the Scout project there were about 20 food items on a shelf. At the end of the project, the storage area was well-stocked.

North America Southwest Area

Choir participates in festival

HOUSTON, TEXAS - More than 145 members from eight Houston, Texas, area stakes formed a regional choir that performed at the 19th annual Juneteenth Freedom Festival in downtown Houston June 19. The regional festival commemorates the day, June 19, 1865, when word arrived in Texas that the Emancipation Proclamation had been signed by Abraham Lincoln. The choir was invited to perform at the Emancipation Day Program - part of the Juneteenth festivities - by the Rev. C. Anderson Davis, executive director of the National Emancipation Association, which sponsored the event. Other diverse cultural groups and religious leaders were also invited to participate on the program.

The choir, under the direction of Venna McKee and accompanied by Lucinda Reeves, performed six songs, including "We're a Family Tree," "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," "The American Dream," "How Great Thou Art," "I Believe in Christ," and concluded with the audience joining for "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing."

The Rev. Davis, referring to the LDS group as "our" choir, said, "They were a delightful new addition to our program."

Utah Central Area

Celebrate religious freedom

WEST JORDAN, UTAH

- More than 700 people from various churches in the area celebrated religious freedom at the close of Independence Day festivities, July 5, at West Jordan High School.

Duane Cardall, religion specialist at KSL-TV, discussed emerging freedoms in eastern Europe and urged the audience to pray for tolerance. "We human beings have difficulty accepting people for who they are," he said. "However, this event tonight, this coming together, working together, and overcoming differences, shows that barriers can be broken down."

The Rev. John Hart of St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church also spoke, encouraging those in attendance to exercise freedom in choosing good over evil.

Dennis Marchant of the West Jordan Utah East Stake was master of ceremonies. An interfaith choir of 45 men, women and youth performed at the services.

Utah South Area

Marker commemorates service

WASHINGTON, UTAH

A marker was placed on the grave of Elder Levi Ward Hancock July 3, under the direction of Maj. Carl Larson of Mormon Battalion Inc.

Elder Hancock, a member of the First Council of the Seventy in the early days of the Church, marched with the original Mormon Battalion on its 2,000-mile trek from Council Bluffs, Iowa, to San Diego, Calif.

The marker placement and commemoration of Elder Hancock's service was conducted in connection with a Hancock family reunion in Washington, where Elder Hancock died June 10, 1882.

Readers from around the world are invited to submit news items and photos for this feature on Church events worldwide. Submissions should include a telephone number of someone who can be contacted for additional information. Items should be mailed to Church News, "From Around the World," P.O. Box 1257, Salt Lake City, Utah 84110. Fax No. (801) 237-2121.