Helping people to help themselves, goal of LDS Charities
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The overarching goal of LDS Charities is to help people help themselves. Therefore, each humanitarian project requires that beneficiaries do all they can before help is provided. Then, funds donated to the Humanitarian Fund are allocated to projects where they will serve the most people with high-priority needs.
For large projects like the Luputa water project, a site monitor — usually a local returned missionary — is hired to oversee the project. Trusted organizations staffed with local people are enlisted as partners. Finally, welfare missionaries orchestrate the entire project from beginning to end.
Much of the humanitarian work is done by volunteer senior missionary couples who are usually called to serve for 18 months.
"When we got our letter that said, 'humanitarian services,' I cried," said Sister Joan Moody of Orem, Utah. "I knew welfare missionaries were out in hard places dealing with hard things. My husband and I had a lot of talks and came to a great peace about what we were going to do. From the beginning we felt protected. We felt like the Lord would be with us, and whatever we had to do, we were going to be doing His work among His children."
After serving 17 months in the DR Congo, the Moodys extended another three months to see the water project completed. "Today, I think being a humanitarian service missionary is the best mission you could serve. It's hard. You deal with a lot of hard problems, and you deal with people who are having hard times. You deal with things you can't help, but you also deal with things where you can help. When our Savior was on the earth, He blessed people. That is our role. We bless people in ways that they don't become dependent upon us. That is the part that is wonderful."
Since the Luputa project spanned more than three years, three sets of missionary couples have helped plan and coordinate the water project. They are Van and Marie Christensen of Idaho Falls, Idaho; Farrell and Marilyn Barlow of Taylorsville, Utah; Lester and Joan Moody of Orem, Utah. Short-term specialists David and Lena Frandsen of Heber, Utah; and Steve and Sheryl Bailey of Ogden, Utah, also provided technical assistance.
