June 3, 2022
Becky & Bryan, in Lovere, at Lake Iseo, NE of Alzano Lombardo

Greetings from Italy!  At present, we are working on 13 Humanitarian projects for refugees in Northern Italy.  Four of these are specifically to help refugees from Ukraine.  Two of these are to help provide food for Ukrainian refugees--one project in Milan and one in Torino (Turin).  Two other projects are to help refugees from Ukraine with shoes, sleeping bags, backpacks, hygiene kits, and "Phrasebooks."  We thought that as part of our blog, we could introduce you to one partner organization (non-governmental organization--NGO) every once in a while.  This writing, we will mention Terre des Hommes, an NGO started in Switzerland, but presently in operation in Italy and many other countries.  It focuses on helping refugee children and mothers, but assists families and all refugees.  The project that we (Latter Day Saint Charities) initiated with them about a month ago, and will continue for several months, is purchasing and dispensing about 300 hygiene kits a week to refugees from Ukraine, along with "Phrasebooks," to help refugees communicate more easily in various situations.  Latter Day Saint Charities paid for printing of 4,800 Phrasebooks for this project.  Each page has phrases or words listed in 3 columns--Ukrainian, English, and Italian.  Most of the Ukrainian refugees they help are in the NE portion of Italy, arriving from Romania, then Slovenia, into the towns of Tarvisio, Trieste, and Udine.  We feel that Terre des Hommes is a very good partner, and we/ Latter Day Saint Charities are delighted to partner with them in providing this help. We are most grateful to be part of this vital work.

 

Phrasebooks, for refugees from Ukraine, with 3 columns of common phrases, in Ukrainian, English, & Italian


Our work in our Church unit in Lecco gives us contact with refugees and migrants from Nigeria and Ukraine, and of course as well with Italians.  On Wednesday, we drove to the home of one our members to visit her.  She has had a stroke, and recently fell, so is now homebound.  To get to her home, we had to go on extremely narrow, winding roads on the steep mountains.  The roads were so narrow that they should have been one-way, but they were for 2-way traffic, and we often had to go very slow and wait for cars coming the other direction.  It is gorgeous on the green, steep mountains, but it is an incredible experience to drive, and to find a place to park.  Unlike our last Humanitarian Services mission in Cape Verde, we do have a car, so we can travel longer distances and do more visits to people in outlying areas.  We  are grateful to be able to use it to help us to minister.

       Left: Bryan in Alzano Lombardo;                                       Right:  Becky in Alzano Lombardo                          

We live in a small town called Alzano Lombardo.  If you look it up on your browser, you will learn that it was in this tiny city that Covid first broke out in Italy.  We live across the street from the hospital where it all began here in Italy.  We also live about a block from the cemetery featured in the NY Times, where about 400 people were buried the first month or so of Covid in 2019.  But no one talks about the grief that occurred here 3 years ago.  Just this week the government started to allow people to not wear masks in some stores.   It is a beautiful little town, surrounded by green mountains, and has water canals filled with ducks and with flowers alongside, and parks we can walk in.  It has quaint, narrow streets, and a flavor found only in Italy.  For Bryan, the best is that we have 2 plant nurseries right next to our apartment building, so we have purchased many flowers and vegetables for our balcony.  We love Alzano Lombardo.  

Pond, with ducks and geese, plus waterfall, in Alzano Lombardo

We are grateful for the opportunity to serve.  We are grateful for all of the good people in Italy who give of their time and energy to serve the poor, as we are trying to do.  May the Lord bless each of you.

Park near our apartment in Alzano Lombardo, where we walk almost every day. Note church bell tower in the background

Love, 
Bryan and Becky

Comments

  1. Daniel GrossmannJune 3, 2022 at 1:28 PM

    Hi Bryan and Rebecca, I admire your noble humble work. I did not know the Covid first broke out in in Alzano Lombardo. You both are so missed! Love, Daniel

    ReplyDelete

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