New Mexico Packs Blog Post 5

    Kindness and friendship greeted us our first Sunday at church in Albuquerque, Nov. 14.  Since we are Welfare and Self-Reliance Services missionaries, we are not assigned to any particular congregation, or ward as we call them.  So, we went to www.churchofjesuschrist.org, scrolled to the "Meetinghouse Locator" button, clicked on it, entered our address, and found we physically live in the Bandelier Ward in the Albuquerque New Mexico West Stake.  So, that's where we went to church.  Upon arrival, we sat down in the chapel and within seconds came a tap on John's shoulder.  A brother in the pew behind us, sitting with his family, asked if we were new and welcomed us.  After the meeting he and his wife invited us to dinner that afternoon!  At dinner we met this brother's parents who were visiting from Sugar City, Idaho.  He knew many of Shelley's aunts and uncles and cousins who had grown up in that area.  It was amazing!  Such a small world sometimes!

     If you look closely in the photo below, upper right-hand corner, there's a hot air balloon soaring in the clouds.  We walk/run nearly every morning and see balloons flying all the time.  Albuquerque is the hot-air balloon capital of the world...at least, the U.S.  We see balloons up nearly every morning, sometimes in the evening.  They're way cool!

John and Shelley and the balloon.  Can you spot it? (November, 2021)

     Now, a little bit about self-reliance in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  According to the Church General Handbook, self-reliance is "the ability, commitment, and effort to provide the spiritual and temporal necessities of life for self and family.  As members become more self-reliant, they are also better able to serve others."  Becoming self-reliant helps all of us to better serve our fellow man and thus serve God.

     Our job is to inform the local Church leaders what resources for welfare and self-reliance are available to them, both in the Church and in the community.  We are becoming familiar with the community resources available, such as employment centers, schools, food banks, counselors, etc.  We are getting to know the local Church leadership and self-reliance specialists.  As the local leaders become familiar with local resources, they will be better prepared to serve their members and community .  One example is EnglishConnect, a series of classes to teach English to non-English speakers.  Knowing English is important in obtaining or upgrading employment in New Mexico.  We don't teach English, but we assist the local leaders in setting up the classes.  This is open to all people regardless of faith, culture, or nationality.  This is one way self-reliance is improved.  That's our job.