May through September is like a furnace and we survived 
; the hottest this summer reaching 118* degrees 
in Al Ain, with 122* in Sweihan (about 45 minutes outside of Al Ain 
). We are going into our 'winter' months which are like Utah summers ~ I'm so excited 😎! We won't get autumn here but our branch activities can be outside more which will be nice. I will miss the changing colors 🍁 and the snow ⛄ but it's ok for this season!
! Billy's talk was so great - he talked about trials, tribulations and how we sometimes think our lives are pretty tough (whereas, I must say that comparative speaking our little branch does have it pretty rough out here 😉). He spoke of our sweet granddaughter, little beautiful Emma (insert pic w/Billy) who was born with Moebius Syndrome. Möebius Syndrome is a rare neurological condition present at birth that affects the nerves controlling facial expressions and eye movements. People with this condition may be unable to smile, frown or move their eyes sideways and some may also experience difficulties with eating and speaking; which Emma experiences all of these. It makes it hard to know what emotions she is feeling because she is unable to convey them through her facial expressions. Billy spoke of Emma's strength, courage and determination as she has faced different challenges in her life. On January 24th we celebrate Moebius Syndrome Day where everyone wears purple and the motto/slogan is, "I Smile With My Heart" and "Smiles Come in All Shapes and Sizes". This is a wonderful way to help others be aware of Moebius Syndrome .
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/disability-is-diversity/202101/7-things-understand-moebius-syndrome-awareness-day
Then we had Zone Conference which is always fun and a great way to see the other Senior Volunteer Couples serving in the Middle East/Africa North Area (ME/AN). Elder Perkins, General Authority Seventy, President of the ME/AN Area, joins us and updates us on anything that we need to be aware of, then we hear from Elder Parrella, also, General Authority Seventy and 1st Counselor in the Area Presidency for a little bit, then it's back to President and Sister Weir, Director over all the Senior Couple Service Volunteers in the ME/AN Area. Unfortunately, the Weir's will be going home to the States at the end of the month which is really joyous for them but sad for us 😥.
Top left pic: We get to meet one on one with the Weirs every month through zoom ~ they are the cutest couple and a joy to visit with! To the right are Roy and Karen Phillips from Abu Dhabi - they are over all the Humanitarian couples. They've been living in Jordan but now they are closer to us, in Abu Dhabi, so we'll get to see them more 🤗. Bottom pics are with Pres Parrella and his adorable wife, Elaine, along with Emil and Christine Van Moorsel. The Van Moorsel's were serving in Kurdistan until right before the war broke out, then they went to Abu Dhabi, then Oman and are now back in Kurdistan. They are the sweetest and we have been able to see them quite a bit as they traveled to Al Ain for Visa runs and picking up Pres Parrella. Far right was just a meeting with Pres Parrella at the mall when we first arrived! 
Here we are with Hellen (who had the brain blood clot). She has had a few more doctor appointments; the 2nd when they took out her stitches. One of the times after we were done neither of our phones were working and when we went out to find Billy and our WHITE car we looked out and every other car was white 😂. We just had to walk up and down each row in the sweltering heat until we finally found him 😛! The top two pics are where Hellen lives. All the housing compounds are just right outside of the Hydroponics Farm (the process of growing plants in sand, gravel or liquid with added nutrients but without soil 🤔) . We also stopped and grabbed a few things at a really inexpensive store in town that we didn't have in the pantry for her ~ it's so fun to find new shops with so many things that I hadn't realized I needed 😅! 
Cheza giving another wonderful lesson from Emily Belle Freemans talk! Her lessons are always so great, as are Emily's talks!
This next story happened to Sheila after we had only been here a couple months. There was an activity and Sheila was able to get off work 🤗!!! BUT two separate people asked her to bring 2 different dishes and since she just couldn't afford to make the dishes she just stayed home instead 
. The policy is we should never ask the members to bring things of any kind. If they choose to bring something on their own then that is their prerogative but no one should ask and no one should expect them to (unless they are on the activity committee and we give them money to buy the stuff). Our goal is to help the members further their working situations so they can make more money so their living conditions might be better and to further their experience and gain certificates to help them with promotions, better jobs, etc.. That is where some of the church's money goes to and our personal money goes to. I have never seen the poverty that I see here. Even in Thailand it seems like people just didn't go hungry (although they probably did and we just didn't know it). But more than anything we want members to be able to come to Church and the activities with no undue burden placed on their shoulders.
During all of this we saw a photo of Sheila's husband (who isn’t working) enjoying himself at a temple open house. Interesting 🤔. We’ve encouraged her to go home but then found out her husband wants her to keep working for two more years for the girls' schooling . . . Say WHAT??? Sheila is working like a dog, no time off and her hands are so chapped. It's time for him to go out of the country and work and let her have a break. She has missed all her children's teenage years 😢. So we finally got a hold of her bishop to see what's going on because this obviously is not right. Apparently, there were a couple months where the mission money was not given to the Bishop by her husband. We think she is sending all her money home and her husband is having a little too much fun with it (I do not know where the money is going and I shouldn't judge him 🤔). All I know is that it just didn’t make sense. Even more reason for her to return home and get her affairs in order. The amount of her mission payments are a bit outrageous considering her income and the fact that so many other countries, that are richer than the Philippines, don't have these monthly dues. I know it is wonderful to sacrifice and help with your children's missions and it brings a bountiful of blessings, but I'm afraid in this circumstance there is something just not right. In other countries the missionaries go on their missions for free ~ like in Romanian, Tonga and Cambodia, etc.. Billy made some phone calls and has recently been told that, yes, the Philippines is one of the countries that the church helps with their missionaries completely so that is one more thing Billy is figuring out.
The top right pic is the Sinclairs coming for a sweet goodbye. We dropped Sheila off and it was a sad goodbye. She truly is one of the sweetest people you'll ever meet. This for sure is the very best thing for her and we hope she finds everything at home peaceful and good. We helped her with her missionary commitment so she wouldn't have to stay and slave away here and she was relieved of the burden that was lifted from her shoulders (she is so faithful and did not want to leave her ward responsible for her commitment to the Lord).
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/disability-is-diversity/202101/7-things-understand-moebius-syndrome-awareness-day
Billy is still ministering to the members; helping them find better employment, navigate visas and immigration matters, obtain driver’s licenses and offer support during hospital visits. It’s been a blessing to see how much he cares and how meaningful that service has become for him. It seems like I repeat myself with things he has to do each week but the funny thing is that he actually does these things week after week after week in the branch and sometimes it's just day after day 
!
! The more demanding part right now seems to be the executive secretary/ward clerk responsibilities, particularly with recent changes. We trust that, as always, the Lord will help him find strength and balance in these added opportunities to serve (and my help as 'acting' executive secretary/ward clerk 
). We do try to let Billy have some quiet time each day which is especially beneficial for him (and me) to be able to recharge; this helps him stay centered and present in the work.
). We do try to let Billy have some quiet time each day which is especially beneficial for him (and me) to be able to recharge; this helps him stay centered and present in the work.
Last night we picked up Teena (top 3 pictures from L to R) and stopped at a few places trying to find an ATM so that Billy could pay a computer guy to mail a part for Hygine's computer that broke. Finally with Teena's help we located one and he got that sorted out. Then off to Dubai with Teena as she had two interviews for new jobs the following day. We would be super sad if she left our branch but if this could be a better paying job then it would be worth it for her and she could save some money. We got 2 hotel rooms (only $35 a piece) and arrived and went straight to sleep! The next morning she took a taxi to her interview then we picked her up two hours later. There are 15 other applicants but I think she is the most qualified and nicest! After that interview we took her to her 2nd one but it was only offering to pay what she is making now so that was a bust. But still, she keeps trying! After that we headed home with a stop at Burger King!
We took Hellen back to another doctor's appointment only to find out that these two last appointments were more or less useless as the doctor told her that she didn't have to come back either time. The hospital kept texting her with appointments that they would set up for her, telling her she was to come, but apparently once we arrived the doctor kept saying they weren't necessary 🤔.
The pics to the right are of Kennedy on his bike. With Kennedy's great work effort he has found many different jobs and is usually working two jobs a day (trying to save money to send Mag/boys back home). He needed a bike for his new job of delivering so we bought him one and he has been going all over doing deliveries and getting great exercise as well! Bottom pic is of our friends, Mark & Shari Nyman and Mark & Lori Wallentine both serving in Dubai. We had such a great visit with them and enjoyed catching up on everything going on in the area!
I love ^^^ Josh to pieces but many of our texts still are not good in the communication department. He and Kath had to move and he needed some boxes. After a number of back and forth texts, I had finally made it clear that the boxes were no longer at the villa because I had already given them to Louie and Rochelle because they had moved earlier this week. Anyhooo, we got it figured out, took some boxes over to Josh's house and went back and took a load over to their new place. Top middle pic: Teena was having dizzy spells and was nauseated. We were out and about dropping food orders off so around 8pm we picked her up and took her to the doctor. The pharmacy was closed so I ran over there the next morning and grabbed her prescription and dropped it off at her place. When the workers here have to take time off for illness then that becomes their 'day off' for that week 😒. Middle top pic: There have been many times when Billy has received phone calls from leaders or members outside of Al Ain in the other Emeritus here in the UAE (mostly wards in Abu Dhabi or Dubai). They often have a member or friend who would like to move out to Al Ain. Billy will take their information and see if there are any job opportunities available for them here. He has been successful in helping a couple of people, but for the most part, it is very difficult unless they already have their own visa, a car or something else that would make them stand out and give an employer a reason to hire them. Ronald (pictured: top, blue shirt) was one of the young men we were contacted about. He had so much potential and so much to offer and we truly hoped things would work out for him. Unfortunately, finding work and making the move to Al Ain can be challenging, even for those who are eager and willing to work hard. Billy does everything he can to help young men and women find opportunities and make the move, but sometimes, despite everyone’s best efforts, things simply don’t fall into place. Ronald was someone we would have loved to have as part of our group, and we sincerely wish circumstances had been different.
We've received 3 other messages about members, unfortunately, they ended up living in Dubai or Abu Dhabi but the messages are so sad. Here is one from one of our Dubai African members who wrote to Billy about another member: "@William Matthews: I received a message from Brother Dubela Kabir from Kenya. He is now living in Al Ain. He was a victim of human trafficking that promising a better job but he end up nothing. He is facing difficulties and challenges. If you can reach to him is much appreciated. I asked him his qualifications and if he has a background of MEP, I will try to get a job in my new company". So sad 😢. First, Billy will contact them and find out where they are located to see if they need help moving. Unfortunately, these last 3 were not in or moving to Al Ain. Brother Dubela was in Dubai and was able to get a cooking job with some families and they are going to sponsor him with his visa. He is one of the lucky ones 😢.
Far right pic ~ I was having 7 different conversations for 3 hours the next evening. Some days we're sorting through a lot of different issues at the same time 😅! The first middle pic is of Sandra in Ghana (Gabriel's wife) showing us her fabulous creations at her bakery. We are so happy for her as she is doing so well and getting many orders. The 2nd middle pic is Louie! Billy got him a fantastic job delivering (he has a car). He is now making over $1000 a month which is HUGE! He did get a 4 day suspension for using his petty cash on gas (which is supposed to be used for change for deliveries), but I think he learned his lesson and is caught up so that won't happen again! Below him is a pic of his, Rochelle and Sophia's new place! It is a bit smaller than their other place but it's closer to the bus stop and the neighborhood has lots of trees (which I love). Now in their neighborhood it's Mag/Kennedy's house on one street, then Louie/Rochelle/Sophia on the next and then Leena/Jacob/Gianna on the 3rd! They are all only 7 minutes from the Villa! The text on the lower far right is a text that Gabriel sends to Billy and I if we don't text him every. single. day. It seems like checking on him would be no big deal but it is exhausting when they expect you to do it all the time.
Text #1 hi mummy. Text #2 how are you mummy? Text #3 how is daddy doing?
I know they have no idea how much Billy does every day and the mental stress doesn't seem to lessen. But with Gabriel doing this daily, in addition to his wife and then Hygiene's wife doing it too, it's just a bit too much. We know the girls are especially grateful for all the help they have received, but one "Thank You" is truly plenty enough. 😉
Before they headed back to Kurdistan, Christine and Emil Van Moorsel joined us for Church and Sunday dinner ~ it is always a blast when they come through town! Gabriel (motorcycle) is so faithful and comes to Sacrament meeting every Sunday before he has to go to work. Even when he got a new job he made sure he got Sunday mornings off, even if that meant he had to work the noon to midnight shift each week. Carla's boys get to join us almost every Sunday (both spoke last week in Sacrament meeting) ~ we always love having them here with us and a bonus when Carla can join, too! Sheila (in the yellow) was giving her last talk before she went home to the Philippines for good ~ story down below!
Sweet Sheila: Sheila is from the Philippines and has two daughters serving missions; this is why she is here working. She had made a commitment to pay $80 a month for their mission (which is huge for her). It’s overwhelming, especially considering that in many other countries, missions are free. Sheila works constantly, her hands are so dry they bleed and yet she keeps going. We finally got a hold of her bishop because we felt that something about this situation just wasn’t right; we found out that after she sent all that money home for the girls mission funds they were actually short on the monthly payments 
.
.I can't remember if I've mentioned Sheila before but she is literally a slave in her madam's home. They've taken her passport (illegal for her madam to do that) and she can't leave the house so she rarely gets a day off (also not part of the UAE contract). Carla, her best friend, has encouraged and has helped her to speak up to her madam and leave about once a month. Most of the workers here are all worried about getting fired if they don't comply with their bosses wishes even if the bosses have been taking advantage of them and/or are being illegal.
There is a company in Dubai that will come and intervene and help a person get out of a horrible working situation (who are more or less trapped in a house like Sheila) but they'll just help you to go back to your country. Unfortunately, the people would rather stay here and be treated like slaves and make the little money they make, than go back to their own countries. Imagine how much worse those countries are than this? But, yes, they would rather live in these circumstances because they are BETTER off than their own living conditions back home 
.
. In the top right picture Billy and I went to Carla's and gave Carla the Sacrament, with Ram preparing it, Billy blessing it and Rob passing it 
. Such sweet moments like these that make being here worthwhile! There are many sisters, because of their work schedules, don't get the Sacrament weekly. Our new Elders Quorum Pres and the Relief Society Pres are working hard to make sure their ministering brothers and sisters help with this situation.
. Such sweet moments like these that make being here worthwhile! There are many sisters, because of their work schedules, don't get the Sacrament weekly. Our new Elders Quorum Pres and the Relief Society Pres are working hard to make sure their ministering brothers and sisters help with this situation. The next day Carla, her boys, Ram and Rod, and I arranged to pick up Sheila after she had fed the family and had cleaned everything up. We only got her for less than an hour so we went to McDonalds and tried to convince Sheila that it was time for her to go home and get out of this unsuitable situation. Her hands literally look like a 90 year old grandma's. Her contract was coming up to be renewed and she had written up the things she wanted differently (like, at least having one day a week off, which is supposed to be automatic)! Her madam said, "No", so Carla and I began working harder (and praying harder) to help Sheila realize that she cannot stay under those conditions and she needed to go home for her vacation and then stay home in the Philippines!
. The policy is we should never ask the members to bring things of any kind. If they choose to bring something on their own then that is their prerogative but no one should ask and no one should expect them to (unless they are on the activity committee and we give them money to buy the stuff). Our goal is to help the members further their working situations so they can make more money so their living conditions might be better and to further their experience and gain certificates to help them with promotions, better jobs, etc.. That is where some of the church's money goes to and our personal money goes to. I have never seen the poverty that I see here. Even in Thailand it seems like people just didn't go hungry (although they probably did and we just didn't know it). But more than anything we want members to be able to come to Church and the activities with no undue burden placed on their shoulders.  |
The 3 collages above are all pics from the little surprise going away party for Sheila at the villa. She was staying the night with us as we had to leave fairly early the next morning to the Dubai airport. It was such a fun time and as sad as it is to see Sheila leave we hope being with her family will bring great joy. Both her daughters will return home from their missions right before Christmas 👏. Brian and Jennifer brought a scrumptious BR Cake for Sheila which we all enjoyed. Everyone shared such sweet memories of Sheila and there were lots of laughs, hugs and tender moments. She will be missed.
You know, in almost all of the developing/lower-middle-income countries families are asked to contribute to their child's missionary fund according to their circumstances, then the Church helps make up the difference. A young person should not be prevented from serving a mission, if they desire, because of finances. Countries where families may pay none, or potentially very little are Latin America, Philippines, Africa, Cambodia, Bangladesh and Nepal. The church only expects a family to make an appropriate sacrifice according to their abilities and we felt this had gone above and beyond what she should have been sacrificing to pay. We continue to pray that this sweet, wonderful sister will find joy at being reunited with her husband, son and two beautiful faithful daughters. May God watch over you, Sweet Sheila 💙😇💙!
Popcorn, a movie and a few other treats at the Villa for FHE. It was like a big sleepover and the last activity that Mag/the boys/and Taonga were able to come join in 😢.
I was a basket case this week with primary especially since the copy machine wouldn't work from my computer. Billy fixed it so I had enough time to print all my handouts ~ phew! I apologized for my craziness and told him I don't know why Primary should stress me out (good grief, in StG I was doing so much more and running around like a chicken with its head cut off and yet this is stressful)??? I enjoy the girls so much when they are here but beforehand it is a nightmare. Billy said he totally understands since that is how he feels every Saturday night and all morning Sunday 😟.
Updates:
1. I think the fuzzy red hat is history ~ I keep looking for similar ones but they are nowhere to be found. I found some that kind of looked the same but they were extremely hot. Oh well, this will teach me to be more responsible with the things I love.
2. One day, last week, my phone would not download anything so I thought it was just a really slow week 😂! I finally figured it out and now I'm catching up with 35 emails and 97 texts 😳.
3. I have to keep remembering how much everyone's prayers (and the temple prayers) help us every single day; I honestly do not know how we would be doing this otherwise! Thank you so much ~ they sustain us and I will miss them when we come home (unless, of course, you want to just keep keeping us in your prayers, forever 💛😉💛)! We do love you so much and appreciate you just as much 💙😇💙!
Mosiah 18:8:“. . . are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light; 9:“Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort . . ."
You all have been such wonderful friends who have helped carry our burdens, comforted us when we've been hurting and standing beside us through our life's challenges. Thank You 💖!
Philippians 1:3 “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you”
