Russell and Eileen's Church Missions: REFUGEE CHILDREN, CAMERON'S BAPTISM

This past week I (Eileen) had the opportunity to visit one of the refugee camps near Frankfurt. Several of the senior missionary sisters serving in Frankfurt visit a camp once or twice a week to do activities with the women and children residing there. The camp I visited was very clean, the facilities were good and I was impressed with the efforts the Germans have made to welcome the refugees.

There were about a dozen children that we interacted with on the day I visited. The language barrier was pretty significant as I know only a few words in German and none in the native languages the children were using. I talked with the director of the camp and she said one of her primary objectives when the families first arrived in January was to get the children in school quickly. All of the children now speak some German in addition to their native languages of Farsi, Arabic or Eritrean. One darling little 7-year-old girl would translate for me as I tried to communicate with the other children. She knew some English and also spoke German, Arabic and Farsi. It is amazing to me how well these children have adapted, moving to a new country and learning a new language. I don’t know specifics about their background and wouldn’t ask. We were there just to show the children some love and kindness. By the end of our visit many were treating me as if we had known each other for months.

In this camp there was a central activity area with some picnic tables and a TV. This is where we gathered to play with the children. The children enjoyed playing badminton and Frisbee. The play-dough and jump rope were also a huge hit. One boy could jump rope for a long time without missing a beat. I would have the children count in different languages while he jumped, first in Farsi then German, Arabic, English, and Eritrean. I wanted children to feel like their own native languages were important. Sister Rich and I tried to learn to count with them in each language but I quickly forgot the pronunciation. I think the children thought it was funny to see two older women struggle to say words in their native language. It gave me a feel for what it must be like for the families, placed in a situation where many other languages are spoken and trying to acclimate. I left with a determination to try harder to learn German. I also hope to find time to visit this camp each week and become closer with these children.

Russell and I have 13 grandchildren. We miss them very much. We are recognizing that we are missing some important events this weekend. As a family we have some traditions that we consistently follow on the 4^th of July Independence-day holiday. There is a concert in Centerville usually on the evening prior to the 4th followed by fireworks. On July 4^th we usually attend the local parade followed by breakfast at our home. Since the 3rd falls on Sunday this year, I expect the concert and fireworks were moved to either Saturday or Monday in respect of the Sabbath. Our grandson Cameron has also turned 8 and was baptized on Saturday.

Baptism opens the gate, beginning the road that will take us back to God’s presence. This covenant is a commitment we make to follow Jesus Christ throughout our lives. It symbolizes the end of our old life and the beginning of a new life as a disciple of Christ. As we continue along the road back to God, there are other covenants we can choose to make and other ordinances we can receive.

We practice baptism by complete immersion in water. This is symbolic of a death and burial of the carnal person, and a rebirth of the person as a disciple of Jesus Christ and a member of His Church. Like many Christians, we believe that a person who repents and is baptized has all their prior sins remitted. He or she is utterly cleansed and looks on the rite as a beginning of life afresh.

Baptism is also the act of making a promise to the Lord. At baptism, we make a covenant, or two-way promise, with the Lord that we will take upon us the name of Christ, always remember Him, and keep His commandments. In return, the Lord promises to bless faithful baptized members with the companionship of the Holy Ghost.

We are proud of Cameron and his parents who have taught him well. We are very grateful for our family. We are thankful to a generous Father-in-Heaven who has blessed us with our family at home and for the experiences we are having as missionaries here in Germany.