The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ humanitarian department remains open to the needs and requests of Guam and its surrounding islands.
The president of the women’s fellowship group Lien Alem en Danpei (similar to our relief society president) made a request for humanitarian aid through a Church member on the island of Pohnpei. Danpei is a community located on Sokehs Island in Pohnpei which is a state in the Federated States of Micronesia.
“Lien Alim en Danpei” is associated with The United Church of Christ Pohnpei (UCCP), which is a Protestant religious organization. The president of this women’s organization stated, “We heard about your program of donating sewing machines to women’s groups as a way to provide learning opportunities to establish long life skills, economic pathways and a way to bequeath skills and knowledge that can be passed down generations to come.” She further stated, “Our culture as Mwoakillese women gifted us with handicraft skills that most have learned from their mothers, who learned from their mothers and so forth.”
To assist in their efforts, the Church humanitarian department donated ten sewing machines to this women’s organization. They will use these machines to teach their daughters and others life skills necessary to help make ends meet in this hard economic time of COVID-19. Many of these young women have not had the opportunity to continue their education due to the virus and this will give them a chance to learn sewing skills to help themselves, their families, and others.
The president of the women’s group believes that the skills and knowledge these women will gain can be passed down to their children. They see it as their duty to God as “He has gifted them the honor to be mothers.” They strive always to teach their children the word of the Lord and to love Him first and foremost beyond anything else. In doing so, God’s love and their love for God will transcend to their children, family, and the community. They also feel that if they teach their young women to be independent and self-sufficient, they are honoring the title of “mother.”
The Church of Jesus Christ finds joy in serving through these humanitarian donations to foster self-reliance, independence and good will through-out the community of Pohnpei. May the Lord ever be with these women and their children.