#12 Al Ain ~ Sunday, Storms & Mag

This was a wonderful week (I know you are thinking, "Finally 😅")!

Last night we were contacted by Taonga, a wonderful new member of our Al Ain Branch who recently moved here from Zambia, Africa. Most employers here only pay once a month, so many workers have to stretch every dirham for four long weeks. With wages being so modest and many faithfully sending a large portion home to support their families, it can be incredibly difficult to make ends meet.

We picked Taonga up, treated her to McDonald's, took her grocery shopping, and gave her $50 to help her get through until next week's payday. She is absolutely adorable: sweet, quiet, kind and full of goodness. We already love having her in our branch and feel grateful that the Lord has led her here.

The lower right picture tells a different story; one involving gas, long lines, and a little patience!  The government announced that fuel prices would increase at midnight ~ giving everyone a full 24-hour heads-up, which I actually think was very considerate! Our gas tank, however, was basically running on prayers and fumes.  Billy went out earlier in the day but found the lines so long that he decided to try again later. At 11:00pm the lines were still just as long, if not longer. Since we didn't have much choice, we joined the queue. There was plenty of excitement as several drivers attempted the classic "I'll just squeeze in here" maneuver, but after a few successful attempts, everyone in our line united and politely decided, "No more!" 

Then, just as we finally reached the pump, the clock struck midnight. The attendants had to pause everything, update the system with the new prices, and restart the pumps. Quite a few people drove away, deciding they could wait another day, but our tank had other plans! So we waited. Billy ended up having a wonderful visit with the attendant while everything was being reset. Sometimes even a delay turns into an unexpected opportunity to brighten someone's night. The Lord has a way of turning ordinary moments, even waiting in a gas line, into little blessings.

We had such a phenomenal Sunday!

Jennifer and Brian both spoke, and Jennifer, who happens to be a chess champion, gave an unforgettable talk using chess to teach the gospel. She reminded us that every move has consequences, we can only control our own choices (not anyone else's) and that wise disciples think beyond today to eternity. Mistakes don't have to end the game; through the Savior's Atonement, there is always hope and a way back. Every piece has a unique purpose, just as every child of God has unique gifts. And sometimes sacrifice leads to the greatest victories. Her message beautifully tied together agency, preparation, and keeping Jesus Christ at the center of our lives. Sooooo, if God were merely a chess master, He could simply overpower every opponent. But in the gospel, His purpose isn't to demonstrate superior skill, it's to help His children grow. That means He doesn't make our moves for us. He allows us (agency) to learn, sometimes through difficult positions, while offering guidance whenever we seek it.

Brian spoke about the blessings and dangers of social media. To make his point, he used AI to "improve" a couple of pictures of Billy.  One made him look like he was happily puffing on a cigar and the other (pictured) transformed him into a full-fledged motorcycle gang member! There were a lot of funny comments on Zoom from the members who got a good laugh! It was the perfect reminder that seeing isn't always believing. Our job is to seek truth, not just appearances, and to see the world through the Savior's light instead of through distorted images (or the ever-reliable sources of gossip, Instagram, Facebook, and the internet 😛).

Our Sunday School lesson was taught by the fabulous Sinclair's; they knocked it out of the park! They taught about the importance of being temporally prepared, especially with so much uncertainty in the world right now, including the ongoing situation with Iran.

 Their message wasn't, "Go spend hundreds of dollars tomorrow." It was, "Start where you are." Add an extra $20 of food, water, or emergency supplies each month and before you know it, you've built something meaningful little by little. They are great examples of this in every aspect of their life ~ such a blessing to have gotten to know them and their two great kids, Adrena (15) and Eli (11).

Their lesson was practical, encouraging, and full of excellent charts and visuals that made the whole idea feel completely doable. It was a wonderful reminder that preparing isn't about living in fear, it's about living in faith. As the Lord promised, "If ye are prepared ye shall not fear" (D&C 38:30). I left feeling inspired that each of us can take simple, steady steps to better care for our families, whatever the future may hold.

Jennifer and Mag with Teena, Jacob and baby Gianna, Taonga, me and Alma.

After church, Brian and Jennifer spoiled us with a scrumpt-dillious feast! Brian loves to cook and thankfully for the rest of us, he's incredibly good at it. It truly was a meal fit for a king (or queen!) and by the time we finished eating, everyone felt like royalty. We are so blessed by members who lovingly share their time, talents and gifts to bless the whole branch. 

One of the sweetest things about our branch is how much everyone loves having little children around. They light up the room and seem to have an endless supply of smiles, high-fives, and willing arms to hold them. 

At the same time, it's a tender reminder that many of our members have children and grandchildren back in their home countries. Watching them cuddle a little one or play peek-a-boo often makes me think they're borrowing a few precious moments until they can hug their own families again. It makes our little branch feel even more like a family, where love is shared generously until reunions come.

Gabriel (Ghana), Sunshine (Nigerian), Taonga (Zambia), Kennedy, Mag, Lehi (Nigerian), Jennifer, (Philipines), Brian (AZ), Hygine (Nigerian) Jamie, Billy and Alma (Nigerian).

Because Kennedy was out of work for a short minute, I had Magellan (Mag), helping me clean the villa. She is an absolute organizing machine. I asked for a deep clean and apparently she interpreted that as, "Let's make this house look brand new." She has rewashed everything, emptied every cupboard, cleaned every shelf and is cheerfully redoing all the work I did when we first arrived. She straps sweet baby Lehi on her back and works and works and works. Alma just runs around and plays with all our toys. Her only flaw? She'd happily stay all day, every day if I'd let her! Unfortunately, that also sent the cleaning bill up considerably, so after two weeks we had to retire the "cleaning service"!  I've given myself a budget for helping with the cleaning and those two weeks managed to use up almost all of it! I paid Mag $15 an hour, which is almost double what many workers earn here; she was worth every dirham. We've also been able to help Kennedy with his visa and have taken food and water to their family several times.

Yesterday I took Mag shopping during the floods. My GPS apparently goes on vacation the minute I leave the villa, so we got lost a couple of times. Thankfully, Mag had navigation on her phone which meant she spent the entire trip lovingly informing me exactly where to turn. She makes an excellent driving buddy, even if she does suddenly become my backseat chauffeur the moment her phone comes out! I love her dearly but being navigated by Mag is not my favorite part of the day.

*The flooding was catastrophic, leaving many families with heartbreaking damage to their homes and streets. We checked on the houses of several members who were out of town, placing towels along the bottoms of their doors in hopes of keeping the water from creeping inside.

At the villa, we were incredibly fortunate. Water had seeped into about half of the kitchen, leaving the floor covered, but compared to what so many others experienced, it was a minor inconvenience and an easy cleanup.

From the day we arrived in the UAE, I couldn't help but wonder about the enormous, wide, empty riverbeds that wound through the city. They seemed strangely out of place in such a dry desert landscape. Then the rain came; steady and relentless that lasted for three days. Suddenly, everything made sense. Those silent, dusty riverbeds transformed into powerful, rushing waterways. They filled to the brim and overflowed, swallowing any sign of their banks beneath churning floodwaters. It was astonishing to witness.

The streets quickly disappeared beneath the water. Four lanes of traffic narrowed to a single passable lane as drivers cautiously navigated the flooded roads. What had been familiar city streets only days before looked more like rivers, and everywhere you looked there was water. It was a scene we never expected to witness in the middle of the desert. It was such an emotional contrast between the desert's usual dryness and the sudden, overwhelming force of the flood.

"Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God."

— Doctrine and Covenants 123:17

#11 Al Ain Special Friends/Storage/Busy Days

These callings were extended several months ago. In the top left is our wonderful 😁 new Relief Society President, Gayle (her husband, Seth, is our Elders Quorum President). The lower left picture is Billy with his counselors, James and Sunshine. The top right is our Sacrament and Relief Society meeting, and the lower right is when Billy and his counselors set me apart as Primary President. Really, I'm the teacher over my three little girls; with two more joining us next year! 

Friend,Prince,Eli,Zoe,Adrena,Alma/Sunshine,Lehi
Jamie,Lehi,Alma/Cheza,Ellie.

Sunday afternoon we had everyone over to the Villa for dinner and a fun gathering. Here was our 'pick up' schedule:

8am - Billy leave Villa

8:30 pick up Hygiene

8:45 pick up Innocent

9:00 pick up Sunshine

9:30 pick up Mag, Alma, Lehi (jamie)

10-12 Zoom ~ Sacrament/Relief Society

12:00 pancakes

1:00 lesson for Innocent

1:30 take Mag, Alma, Lehi (jamie)

2:00 Billy take boys home

3:30 pick up Jenny

4:00 pick Joshua and Kat

4:30 Kat lesson (jamie/Jenny)

6:00 take Jenny, Joshua, Kat home

The next four pictures are from our Sunday gathering but I'll share a few other happenings in between!

First of all, thank you for your continued prayers. We have many wonderful days but the rest of the month is especially busy and hectic. I truly believe it's everyone's prayers that are carrying us through; otherwise I'd be an even bigger nutcase 😉!

Billy continues to amaze me with his willingness to serve 😇. It seems like every single day someone needs help and somehow he always finds a way to be there. Last Wednesday alone he went out seven different times to help five different people. There was a hospital visit, helping someone with gas, picking up another member who had run out of gas, spending three hours coaching one of the brethren on parallel parking (he had already failed his driving test twice and getting his license will allow him to leave his motorcycle delivery job for something much better), trips to the health department and immigration attorney, and then one last stop at a member's home to get her signature.

That day really wasn't unusual. Whether it's government paperwork, airport runs, hospital visits, helping someone get food or water or simply giving members rides to appointments and activities, his days are full from morning until night (I go with him for many things but the majority of it he is on his own). He'll finally come home, lie down to rest, his phone will ding and off he goes again 😊.

Watching him serve others so willingly reminds me of God's love in action. He has such a patient, generous heart with everyone and somehow he still has plenty of patience left for me, too. I'm so grateful for him and for all of the prayers that continue to strengthen us.

Monday should have been a quieter day, but it started early with another trip to the health office. Billy is still working on birth certificates for Alma and Lehi. They've already been rejected three times, but he's not giving up. After that came another government office with more paperwork. Around here, documents are routinely rejected two, three, and sometimes even four times before they're finally approved. Billy has simply accepted that it's part of the process and patiently keeps putting one foot in front of the other. It blows my mind, but I guess 25 years working for the government back home gave him plenty of practice!

Between passports, visas, and birth certificates, he has spent six to nine hours every week for the past four months helping Kennedy's little family. We still expect it may take another three months before everything is completed but each small step brings Mag, Alma, and Lehi closer to returning home to Africa.

The following day, one couple's bus cards had run out of credit, so off we went to top them up. Then Mag texted saying there was no food for little Alma (who's two years old) and no water. Over the last few days Billy had taken Hygiene to the hospital on two different occasions because of food poisoning.

He's also helping two of the brethren earn their driver's licenses. Each one requires more than thirty hours of practice and unfortunately they're on completely different schedules!

Then there was Kennedy.

Billy had spent most of the morning with him, but later that afternoon Kennedy missed his bus to work. The next bus wouldn't arrive for another hour and he had to be at work within that same hour or risk losing his job. Billy suggested taking a taxi; I had just paid Kennedy's wife, Mag, over 600 dirham, more than $150, to help me clean over the past two weeks but Kennedy said he didn't have any money.

So guess who climbed back into the car, drove half an hour to pick him up and then took him to work (another 1/2 hour in the opposite direction)?

Yep...Billy.

That situation made me realize we also have a responsibility to teach self-reliance and accountability. We love these members dearly and want to help them succeed but sometimes the greatest help we can give is encouraging them to prepare for life's unexpected situations.

So I decided to gently intervene and sent Kennedy a message. I know some people may wonder if we're occasionally being taken advantage of and perhaps we are a little 😜. We're still learning when to lovingly say "no." We often feel like we're their parents, but these are adults, and many of them are at the point where they need to take greater responsibility for their own choices and decisions.

"Hey Kennedy, I hope you’re doing well and everything went well today. I just wanted to gently suggest that it might be helpful to carry a little money with you for emergencies. President is always willing to help everyone, but after taking you yesterday morning and then needing to go out again that afternoon, on top of several other things on his list, he ended up completely exhausted and still wasn’t able to get everything done. Since I had given Mag over 600 dirham for cleaning, maybe it would help to keep a small amount with you, just in case you miss the bus or need it for a taxi. I’m really grateful that President can support you, and I just want to make sure we’re also looking out for him too. Thank you so much for understanding."

We'll have to see if this has any effect on him.

Some days we're moving families into different apartments. Other days we're making airport runs to Dubai; we've made 5 already (1.5 to 2 hours each way 😳)! We didn't get one of their return flight information in time so he ended up making good friends with a taxi driver 😆 ($100 one-way).

Whenever we have any Branch activity, Billy becomes our unofficial shuttle service. He'll load up one group, take them where they need to go, head back for another group and keep repeating the process until everyone arrives. It doesn't happen every day, but for Family Home Evening, Branch activities, youth activities and other events, that's just how it works. If he ever has any "free" time, he's usually in the office catching up on paperwork.

Through it all, we're constantly reminded that the Lord is in the details. He keeps opening doors, providing strength for another trip, another phone call, another errand, and another opportunity to serve. It's busy, sometimes exhausting, often unpredictable; but it's also a joyful front-row seat to watching Heavenly Father care for His children one small miracle at a time.

Mag/Prince,Cheza,Ellie/Gabriel,Sunshine/
Jennifer,Brian/Hygiene/Jenny
Alma/Rochelle,Louie/their white dog -Lumie/Mag

This mission is so different from anything we've ever experienced before. While we're excited to be here, it's also been a bit of a shock. I've never witnessed poverty like we're seeing here. It's incredibly humbling and heartbreaking.

Our branch members work tirelessly, often sending almost all of their earnings back home to support their families, yet their living conditions here are still better than what they came from. To me, it's hard to understand that we have bishops' storehouses around the world, yet some of our own branch members have gone to bed hungry. While we're here, we'll do everything we can to make sure that doesn't happen.

What will happen after we leave, I don't know, but one thing is certain: these members are some of the most faithful, righteous, and selfless people we've ever met. Most of them are in their 30s, yet we still think of them as "kids." They sacrifice everything for their families and place their trust in Heavenly Father every day. Their faith, despite all they face, is deeply inspiring. One other interesting fact is that almost all of our members have their Bachelors Degree. Yet, apart from nursing jobs, the other jobs do not pay that well. Even more surprising, if you're from Africa, you're paid less than people of other nationalities for similar work. Crazy, right 😟? Many highly educated people with bachelor's degrees are delivering food, flipping burgers, or babysitting just to make ends meet.

The Villa has become much more than just our home: it's also become a storage place for many wards and branches throughout the UAE. When meetinghouses had to be closed, church items from different cities were brought here for safekeeping. We ended up with chairs, tables, pulpits, and all kinds of supplies scattered throughout five different areas of the Villa.

That simply wasn't going to work for me 😊!

I really wanted everything consolidated into one place so that when wards and branches are finally able to meet again, all their belongings will be in one location.

Louie came over to help me first. We gathered chairs from the 'new' bishop's storehouse room, the Primary room, and the large upstairs bedroom and moved everything into our new designated storage (bed) room. It took us a couple of hours and he did most of the heavy lifting. I honestly could not have done it without him.

Next it was time to tackle the large upstairs bedroom. That's when Ram and Rob (Carla's boys) came to the rescue. The bedroom and all of its closets were packed full, so they hauled everything into the storage room and even gathered the extra toys from the Primary room.

I still need to sort through the toys and organize a few more things but what a relief it is to have almost everything in one room now!

Kennedy, Mag, Alma & Lehi

I kept thinking I'd get ahead on writing this email, but, well, that obviously didn't happen! Usually Monday and Tuesday are my slower days because by Wednesday through Sunday I'm completely exhausted and spend those first two days recovering.

Yesterday and today were supposed to be quiet. Instead, Mag needed help with a few things. Normally that would have meant getting dressed, picking her up, taking her shopping, and spending most of the day together. She's from Africa and because she doesn't articulate her words very clearly, I often have to ask her to repeat herself several times before I understand what she needs. Sometimes it's mentally exhausting.

Billy knew he was already taking her husband to the immigration office that day, so he surprised me by saying, "I'll take care of buying whatever she needs." So Sweet of him 💖!

Billy and I have naturally divided up the Branch. I usually work more with the women, while he spends more time with the men, although we both check in on everyone individually. Even though I probably should have been the one helping Mag that day, it was so thoughtful of Billy to add one more stop to his already full schedule just to lighten my load. He is so good to me.

We also stopped by Mag and Kennedy's home again for a visit (the pictures in the left corner). It must be universal that little kids are fascinated by glasses 😎! Alma (Lehi is his younger brother) absolutely loves wearing mine, so we had to take a few pictures of him looking pretty cool.

The top right picture is Hygiene from Nigeria. He's been a member of the Church for just two years and is one of the strongest, happiest, most faithful people you'll ever meet. He works as a cook on a military base, twelve hours a day, six days a week. During the summer, because the military classes aren't in session, his pay is cut in half. Yet you'll never hear him complain. His wife, Joy, and their little boy, Devine, are back home in Nigeria and he faithfully supports them every month. No matter what challenges come his way, he's smiling. He's one of the funniest, most positive people I know, and we're so grateful he's part of our Branch.

The middle picture is Armando. He is one of the sweetest, kindest men ever. He originally came to the UAE planning to work for five years. Thirteen years later, he's still here, although he believes this will finally be his last year.

Fortunately, workers here receive about a month of vacation each year, allowing them to return home and spend precious time with their families. Their employers are supposed to pay for those trips and if they're fortunate, they do. Armando has a wonderful wife and two adorable daughters in the Philippines, and he's counting the days until he can see them again. Before coming here, Armando served as bishop of his ward in the Philippines. He's another remarkable example of quiet faith and steady discipleship. We get to see Armando every Sunday on Zoom but he lives over an hour away so his visits into the city are not as frequent as we would like but when he does come in it is a joy to be with him!

This is a bit of an older picture that I should have shared months ago but here are our living quarters and the Primary room. I forgot to take "before" pictures of the living room and kitchen but honestly they haven't changed all that much!

We also went to James and Victoria DeLeon's home so Billy could set Victoria apart as our new Young Women President and Branch Activities Chair. She is going to be fabulous! She has already organized a schedule for families to host our monthly Family Home Evenings.  We just love the DeLeon family. Their two daughters, Zoe and Zuri, are in my Primary class, and they have two cars, which means they often help us shuttle members to Branch activities, which we so appreciate.

One afternoon Bill and I escaped to the mall for a little date. We ate at Chili's, bought Billy a new pair of Skechers and while I was looking at the beautiful Muslim scarves, I struck up a conversation with a young woman named Alia. She patiently explained the different styles of scarves and who typically wears each one. She was so sweet and fun to visit with. After we said goodbye, I wandered into another store. A few minutes later she came looking for me. She had purchased a beautiful gold scarf and wanted me to have it. It was such an unexpected act of kindness from someone who had just met me. Her family owns some type of travel agency and before we parted we hugged and I thanked her for making my day so much brighter.

Afterward, we stopped to look at an amazing indoor play area for my Primary children. Dion, from Africa, gave me a personal tour. It is such a fun place! 

I love meeting so many wonderful people from all over the world. Every day seems to bring another opportunity to make a new friend.

The Villa continues to be one of my favorite places. Everywhere I look I'm reminded of the Savior. Having our home filled with pictures and reminders of Him truly affects my attitude each day (even if my emails don't always reflect that positive attitude 😉😇😉)!

One difficult day we took the DeLeon family to the Dubai airport after Victoria's father unexpectedly passed away. He had been hospitalized with heart problems and was preparing for surgery but sadly didn't make it.

The DeLeons are such an exceptional family. James commutes to Abu Dhabi for work, serves as Billy's First Counselor and is an outstanding father. Victoria is a nurse working for a gastroenterologist (one of the better jobs here in the UAE) while also serving as our Young Women President. We were grateful we could at least help get them to the airport during such a difficult time.

After dropping them off, Billy and I decided to stay overnight in Dubai. We checked into the Rove Beach Resort and it was absolutely beautiful. I don't think we realized just how exhausted we were until we finally stopped.

The moment I sat down in one of the beach chairs, I completely crashed. Sometimes we're running so hard every day that we don't recognize how much it has taken out of us until we finally slow down.

Because of the Iran/USA situation, hotel prices had dropped considerably, making it possible for us to enjoy a little getaway. Even though it was only one night, it was exactly what we needed. The views were breathtaking and my back appreciated not having to spend more hours in the car and the food was delicious. They even had the cutest little store inside the hotel with a little bit of everything.

The next morning we received a call from Sheila (bottom right picture), who works as a cook, nanny, and housekeeper. She told us she had several bags of chicken wings for Joshua.

Her employer doesn't like serving chicken wings, so Sheila has permission to save them in the freezer instead of throwing them away. Once she has accumulated five or six large bags, she donates them to members of our Branch.

We picked them up, gave Sheila a big hug and headed to Joshua's home. He only had room in his freezer for one bag. So . . . off we went again! We drove across town to meet Jenny and Charm, who are both staying with the DeLeons, so we could give them the remaining bags. It turned into a bit of a comedy because we planned to meet at a café but our GPS took us to the wrong location. We finally ended up delivering them in front of their home instead.

Nothing ever seems to be quite as simple as we expect; but somehow it always works out in the end.

Another highlight was an all-day Stake Youth activity in Abu Dhabi. Before heading to the activity, everyone gathered at the Sinclairs' home to play games together before riding up as a group.

Following the activity they held a Seminary graduation where Adrena and Ram received their certificates. We are so proud of them. They are wonderful young people.

To top it all off, Brian treated the boys to McDonald's on the drive home, which may have been their favorite part of the day 😊! 

The next few pictures are actually from several months ago, also.

Our new Relief Society President, Gayle, and her first counselor, Carla, have been absolutely amazing. Shortly after the war began, we started organizing a Bishop's Storehouse to prepare for any possible disruptions.

One unexpected blessing was that our previous Branch President had been very careful with expenses. Since we still hadn't received our Mission credit card, Bill and I were purchasing many things with our own credit cards and we were able to reimburse the Relief Society with cash (I'm pretty sure Citibank loves me these days 😄)!

So we cleaned/cleared out the room and it became our temporary Bishop's Storehouse. The day before, Gayle, Carla, and I had gone shopping and purchased a large supply of food; including lots and lots of sardines 😂!

Our members are only paid once each month, so budgeting is already difficult. Sometimes their employers are even late paying them, making things even more stressful. We spend a great deal of time simply making sure no one has run out of food, water, or money for necessary medical care.

One thing that continually impresses us is their faithfulness in paying tithing. Even with so little, they continue to put the Lord first.

When the conflict in the region first began, one of our biggest concerns was what might happen if water filtration plants, oil facilities or shipping routes were affected. The UAE government reassured everyone that there were ample supplies available for at least 6 months but we still felt it was wise to prepare.

Our desire wasn't just to prepare for ourselves. If Bill and I had ever needed to evacuate, we wanted our Branch to have enough food and supplies to care for one another until additional help arrived.

Thankfully, we have always felt completely safe here in Al Ain and have never been in harm's way.

One day one of our refrigerators unexpectedly stopped working. We suddenly had twenty bags of frozen chicken breasts that had thawed enough to require immediate distribution.

So off we went once again, driving all over town!

One member had enough freezer space for thirteen packages, leaving only seven more deliveries to make before everything spoiled 😅.

It wasn't the day we had planned—but that's become fairly normal around here.

More and more, this place feels like home. We truly hope that we are contributing to the well-being of our little Branch. Every night before going to bed we ask ourselves the same question: "Have we done any good today?" Most nights, we're grateful the answer is "Yes."

Mosiah 24:14

And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.