Interfaith Outreach Volunteers Serve Valley Immigrants
JUNE - JULY, 2018 • VOL 44 • NO 3 • EST 1975
BROUGHT
BY THE
HAND
OF THE
LORD
By Merry Gordon
2
Nephi 1:5 prophesies of a land of liberty: “Yea, the Lord hath covenanted this land unto me, and to my children forever, and also all those who should be led out of other countries by the hand of the Lord.” And those others come. They come from Jordan. From Mexico. Syria. China. Somalia. A list of nations represented by the Church’s Immigrant Services Initiative reads like a score of colorful passport stamps. And just as diverse as the immigrants they serve are a group of passionate volunteers from both within and outside of the Church. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Immigrant Services Initiative provides a wide variety of services to immigrants, including cultural adaptation classes and legal clinics. These services are provided
The Arizona Beehive
Photo by Robin Finlinson
Noemi Cruz, Rehana Mohamed, and Susan Whetten-Udall have found friendship through service.
at the Church’s Welcome Centers, and through partnerships with other multicultural and spiritual centers in the Valley. Currently, Arizona’s only Welcome Center is in Mesa, but plans for expansion are on the table. Sister Susan Whetten-Udall is a Volunteer Services Coordinator at the Mesa Welcome Center. The daughter of an immigrant, she served a Pathway mission and began an ESL program in the Valley. She loves watching lives improve as the result of the work being done. “The trajectory of a life can change,” she says, “and it can impact generations perpetually.” In the Greater Phoenix Area, affiliations with volunteers from across all faiths and walks of life bring their time and talent to people in need. These site partnerships include Arizona State University’s Continued on pg. 3
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