South America South Area

Church leaders meet president

BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA - Elder F. Melvin Hammond of the Seventy, first counselor in the South America South Area, was among religious leaders who recently met with Argentine President Carlos Saul Menem.

During the meeting, the president solicited the religious leaders' prayers in behalf of the nation. He said that while government is a force in promoting laws to benefit the community, religious leaders work daily to help develop people who can contribute to a better and more just society. President Menem also noted his administration had helped ensure religious freedom.

Elder Hammond expressed appreciation for being invited to the memorable event.

South America North Area

Conference viewed in Caracas

CARACAS, VENEZUELA - For the first time, members here received live satellite telecasts of general conference in October. As they listened, the members had added reason to rejoice as they heard the announcement that a temple would possibly be built in Venezuela.

"More than 1,000 members filled the chairs inside the Caurimare meetinghouse, and beneath tents outside to hear the conference in the Spanish language," said David Demars, Caracas Venezuela Stake high councilor in charge of the project. "Many eyes filled with tears and hearts with joy as the hopes and dreams of a temple and seeing general conference are being fulfilled in this beautiful country."

The conference was made available through the services of a local cable TV company. Technicians of the company SuperCable donated many hours to provide the service, said Brother Demars.

Philippines/Micronesia Area

Family history emphasized

VALENZUELA, PHILLIPPINES - "Family Unity - Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow" was the theme of a recent Relief Society-Family History Day in the Valenzuela District. Among the events of the day was a display of exhibits of family history, journals and albums, and a motivational address by Roland Arcansalin, Manila Philippines Temple recorder, about temple attendance.

Classes on family history and submission of names to the temple were also held.

Europe East Area

Chernobyl children hosted

FRANKFURT, GERMANY - Members of the Hannover Germany Stake recently hosted 34 children from Ukraine. The children were from the Chernobyl area who were affected during an atomic reactor meltdown on April 26, 1986. The visit of the children to Germany was organized by Rainer Konig, stake high councilor, in response to a request by the International Organization Committee of Chernobyl Ringings Charity Program.

Although none of the children spoke German and none of the host families spoke Russian, kindness became a form of communication, said Brother Konig. During their German holiday, the children were included in family and Church-related activities, sightseeing tours and visits to recreational facilities.

Pacific Area

Riot victims assisted

PAPEETE, TAHITI - Following anti-nuclear riots that took place in Tahiti in September, Church members donated clothing to help the residents of 20 apartments that had been burned.

Pres. Arthur Perry of the Papeete Tahiti Stake said Church members also participated in various activities to help clean the city. Among those who participated were 120 LDS Scouts. No members or missionaries were injured in the riots. He said that after the riots, thousands of people held a dignified assembly downtown to express disapproval of such violence.

North America Southwest Area

Food bank donations sorted

DALLAS, TEXAS - More than 100 volunteers from the Dallas Texas Stake sorted hundreds of pounds of food recently at the North Texas Food Bank, a non-profit agency that distributes food, and donated grocery products to churches and other charitable organizations to feed the hungry in Texas.

"Service is not always convenient, but there's always someone who needs service," said Belinda Romney of the Dallas 7th Ward, Dallas Texas Stake, who participated with her husband, Mark, along with four of their six children. "You just have to be willing to give it."

Chris Bruggman, North Texas Food Bank operations coordinator, said on an average day, volunteers sort eight to 17 pallets of goods. The Church group unloaded and sorted 83 food pallets, more than four times the usual amount.

North America West Area

Joint effort for food bank

LOS ANGELES, CALIF. - Members and non-members worked together at the Church's cannery and donated part of what they canned to the Pomona Inland Valley Council of Churches food bank.

Members of the Charter Oak Ward, La Verne California Stake, together with 10 non-members - volunteers from the Pomona Inland Valley Council of Churches - took part in a cannery humanitarian-assistance program. In the program, volunteers earn a percentage of the food they can for humanitarian assistance.

The La Verne stake, a member of the council for the past five years, encourages food drives, Eagle Scout projects and ward service projects to assist the homeless and low-income families in the area, said Alene Harrison, director of stake public affairs.

Utah North Area

Service for Sort Center

WEST JORDAN, UTAH - Hundreds of items for international distribution by the Church were made or donated on a recent "Super Saturday," an event held at the stake center by members of the West Jordan Utah Oquirrh Stake.

The daylong service project was sponsored by the stake Relief Society, which made more than 1,400 cookies for the contributors. At the collection site, stake members gathered for work projects. In projects completed mostly during "Super Saturday," stake members made 35 quilts, 113 hospital gowns, 115 hand puppets, 339 painted wooden toys, 24 school kits and 97 hygiene kits.

Primary children donated small items, such as toothbrushes, shampoo or combs. All the items were taken to the Deseret Industries Sort Center in Salt Lake City.

Utah South Area

Reunion draws 600 alumni

PROVO, UTAH - Described as similar to a gigantic family reunion, alumni of the Brigham Young University High School, known as BY High, gathered for a three-day combined class reunion recently.

Among the more than 600 in attendance were students from the Class of 1923, (Karl Miller, 93), to the Class of 1968, when the Church-owned high school was closed.

The high school started as the Timpanogos Branch of the University of Deseret in 1870. In 1875, it was reorganized as part of the Brigham Young Academy and moved 17 years later in 1892 to 500 North and University Avenue in Provo. Even as late as 1920, BYU enrolled many more students at the elementary and secondary levels than it did in its collegiate courses. The high school provided education majors at BYU a place to do their student teaching.

Another combined class reunion is planned for the summer of 2000.