DanNBarb Aldridge's Family Blog: August 2016

Well ... it has been a while since we posted. It seems things have really "busied-up". That is good and bad. Good that we are so totally engaged ... bad in that sometimes we don't seem to know when to say, "that is enough for now" and we get too overextended. But, there seem to be so many needs that we would like to help with. So, we are going to try to employ better prayerful focus on priorities and moderation, as needed. We'll see how that goes.

Many people across the nation have been experiencing a heat wave. Well, last week we were melting here too. It got up to 97 degrees, and then it started raining. It cooled to 82 degrees. It started raining at about 3:30 in the afternoon and by 4:00 we had to leave our apartment ... when we came back to our apartment and Barb got out of the car, her glasses became all fogged up. Now that is humid!!!! The weather here can be quite erratic ... one day it was in the high 60's with rain all day; the next day it was in the 90's again.

We are having such a learning and "appreciation gaining" experience with these wonderful people from Africa. Everyone we meet has their own personal story of gratitude for being here in the U. S. and feeling "safe", as compared to being hunted to be killed, or always in jeopardy, especially those who have not been supportive or spoken against the reigning government. Due to all they have been through, it seems to take a little time to build a trusting relationship. But they are wonderful people, torn from their families (in most cases), having left wives (in most cases) and children behind, with nothing much more than their shirt on their back. The people we have the opportunity to work with are primarily well educated and successful people ... doctors, law enforcement, company owners, workers with the U. S. and other governments, ministers who had their own large congregations, etc.

All have had passports and VISAS from their country to come to the U.S. seeking asylum. Once they arrive, they have to go through a painful and very long process of documenting the atrocities they have lived through that caused them to flee. It is all part of applying for and justifying their seeking asylum here in the U.S.

In an outreach of humanitarianism to these people who are being slaughtered by a corrupt dictatorship type of government, a combination of the U.S., State of Maine, and the City of Portland government agencies, if there conditions justify it (all do to some degree), provide a roof over these people's heads (at least at night). Then, when space becomes available, they are placed in a temporary Family Shelter. However, most all face what one precious family of 5 who recently arrived faced. They have their own bedroom but share 1 bathroom, a kitchen and small living space with 21 people. They then spend their days getting ready for, or established in schools (where there are children), enrolling in and attending English as a Second Language classes, taking care of medical issues, walking (have no cars, can't afford taxis or buses) to the "Soup Kitchen" to eat, or to a store to buy groceries with their meager ration of food vouchers (not food stamps), then cooking, sharing pots and pans with others in the same Family Shelter unit they have been assigned to. All during this time they are desperately looking for an apartment to move themselves or their family to. The General Assistance Agency provides them with housing vouchers to pay apartment rent, if they can find an apartment.

Because of so many arriving here from Africa, in this same condition over the past few years, there are far more needs than there are apartments. Therefore, the owners and landlords are taking advantage of the supply/demand imbalance and raising the rental prices beyond that covered by the government vouchers. It is a very challenging problem that we have become quite involved in. Our hearts go out to these precious people who are here by their choice, but certainly not of their hearts desire ... other than to stay alive.

We are working with multiple husbands/fathers trying to help them work towards a path where perhaps at least some of their family can come here. It is a long hard road of several years. In most cases, the husbands may never be able to be with their wives again. And, the chance of them even being with their children again is something prayed for and hoped for, but a giant hurdle. Can you imagine??? Yet, they are going forward, doing all they can do to "rebuild from ground zero". Once receiving a work permit (typically 1 – 1 ½ years), even though they were often well off and well employed in their native country, they almost all start out in a "minimum wage" job, and have a hard time going anywhere else very quickly. They have to become re-credentialed here. They scrimp and live extremely meagerly to try to send whatever meager amount they can home to their families. We hear of all of these other Senior Missionaries being invited to dinner where they serve … the people we work with cannot do that because first of all, they have no money to do it, and secondly, they most often live with other people who are not their family (even when they are in an apartment). So, we invite them to dinner at our home … which we have done several times. Also, our home is where many gospel/missionary discussions are held. We are grateful we have a home where that can be accommodated.

Our church welfare programs, and the individual good people of the Portland and surrounding Wards continue to provide assistance to the degree possible, in the way of food and clothing resources, education and training resources, and other assistance as deemed appropriate by the Bishop of the Ward. This assistance is received with much gratitude and blesses these impoverished people to move forward in their lives, at least to a life sustaining degree … certainly not a “life-style” sustaining degree.

We find ourselves becoming involved in almost all aspects of the issues these precious people are confronting: Food resources, transportation, housing, gospel teaching and strengthening, education and training and working on ways to try to reunite parts of their family at some point in the future.

One thing we have found interesting is that in a marriage, the African women retain their maiden name. And, the children that are born to that marriage relationship receive the last name of their mother, not their father.

Following a recent missionary lesson with some wonderful people from Burundi, that we have grown to really appreciate, we took them to Hometown Buffet for dinner. They thought it was very good. They were impressed with all of the “fresh” choices. Most all people from these African countries that we are working with are accustomed to eating mainly fresh vegetables and fruits, as well as rice and beans. We very much enjoy spending time with this couple ... and we believe they feel the same.

On Sundays, we usually make multiple trips back and forth across the Casco Bay Bridge, from South Portland to downtown Portland, picking up African members and friends of the church from Africa to bring to, and take home from church. It takes time and resources, but we are grateful to have the opportunity to spend time with them … And, to help them have the opportunity to go to church ... most having no source of transportation of their own. The few that have been here long enough to be somewhat established, and have a car, do help transport some (very much needed). However, if they have a car, they often also have to work on Sundays and can’t attend many meetings, or attend only Sacrament Mtg.

Recently we had the opportunity to have some wonderful new arrivals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to our home for dinner and to introduce them to our Church. As perhaps would be expected, they speak perfect French, and they are coming along as well, or better, than can be expected with English, for the time they have been here (few weeks). We had planned on the missionaries being here, but they unexpectedly had a meeting in Manchester, New Hampshire and weren't going to be back in time. Barb was not able to go with me to pick up the family because there were 5 of them. We had lasagna ... they had never heard of, or tasted, such a food dish. They seemed to enjoy it. Following dinner the lesson part was up to us. We showed them the "Overview", and two detailed segments on the DVD "An Introduction to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" in French. They seemed to be very interested and they had us rewind the DVD a couple of times to watch again and for them to ask questions. We had a very good gospel discussion. Dad did an amazing job (that is Barb commenting to our children ... I am not as confident about it as her). The husband commented on what good French Dad used when answering Gospel questions and talking about the Gospel. He explained much about the Godhead and referenced many instances in the New Testament when all three members of the Godhead were represented. Barb told them it was because I was having help from the Holy Ghost. It was a special experience and the Spirit was strongly felt. We have had the opportunity to assist this precious family on several occasions and greatly admire them. They are people of strong faith in Jesus Christ.

This family has 2 little daughters, one is 7 the other is 5, and a brand new baby. Their precious 5 year old went into our bathroom a couple of times. After I took the family home Barb found that she had been playing in the bathroom with my shaving cream :-). She had sprayed some out many places in the bathroom. It is green in color and showed up really well. It was just fine ... nothing at all damaged ... just sweet curiosity of a little girl.

Last week we had the opportunity to drive up to another town, about 50 minutes away, to pick up another of our African members. He had dropped off his car at a repair shop. We drove him back to Portland and dropped him off at his work. In Burundi he had graduated from Burundi University with a Bachelor's Degree in Food Technology Engineering. While he was in the car with us, he got a phone call from his wife. She is still in Burundi with a smaller child. He told us again how unsafe it is in Burundi. Every day they, the government, kill people. He has been here almost 3 years.

Now, some interesting facts about Maine: It seems that almost EVERYONE has at least one dog. The demographics of this area seem to tilt towards us older people. Portland was settled in 1716. It was called Falmouth Neck. It was bombarded and burned during the Revolutionary War, but was rebuilt in 1786. Kittery, Maine is the oldest settlement. It was settled in 1623. It is in the bottom (south) part of Maine, really close to Portsmouth, New Hampshire. We have done apartment inspections there. The zigzag sewing machine was invented by Mainer, Helen Augusta Blanchard. She was born in Portland and she obtained 28 patents between 1873 and 1915. Stephen King, the author of horror and suspense novels was born in Portland in 1947. Evidently he still lives north of us a couple of hours in Bangor. Thought you might like to know some of the interesting ways they say things here. At home, when the city wants to slow down traffic on a specific street, usually in a neighborhood, they install "speed bumps". Here in Maine they call them "raised speed tables". I know I mentioned once that they had a sign that said watch out for moose in the road, but I don't think we told you they actually have signs that say "moose crossing". More interesting facts coming next time.

We are reminded daily of how truly blessed we are to be born here, in the United States, to have the economic blessings we have, and on top of that, to have the restored Gospel in our lives. We each should truly be filled with gratitude. That doesn't take away from the many challenges and even hardships we deal with, but the Lord has certainly blessed us beyond measure. We are also working hard to give the gospel blessings to these, our brothers and sisters, so that they too can build towards what we already enjoy. They are like our desperate pioneer forefathers, giving up so much in search of something better. We hope we can help at least some find it and hold onto it.

We send you all our love, and know that you are in our thoughts and prayers. We also appreciate very much your prayers in our behalf ... we need them.