October 29, 2021 (Day 2 of 2)

On the second day of their visit to Kurdistan we took Sister Bingham and Sister Eubank to visit Sharya Camp for the Yazidis who had their villages destroyed by ISIS.  There was a fire in the camp in June of this year which destroyed 188 families’ tents.  Latter-day Saint Charities provided the funds to build safer, concrete-block dwellings for these families who lost everything.

We met with the camp manager who shared details on the devastation of the fire and the construction of the new dwellings.

 I enjoyed seeing the media at work, LDSC media travels with Church officials.

The Yazidi children welcomed us to the camp with traditional songs.

Typical ‘streets’ in the camp.  There is almost no greenery.  Many of these children were born in the camp.

A Yazidi woman in the camp.  Life remains challenging.

And yet children remain children the world over…..

Barbara with a Yazidi woman and her daughter.  This woman’s husband and son were taken by ISIS 6 years ago and their fate is unknown.  She remains hopeful one day they will find each other.  Her daughter is excited to be dressed up to go to a party in the camp.

A ‘street’ in the camp lined with the concrete dwellings Latter-day Saint Charities provided.

Everyone was happy to see us…

This family arranged for the walls to section off a portion where the wife could put her sewing machine and start a little taylor shop.

Sister Bingham in the seamstress’s little ‘shop’.

A Yazidi family in the camp..

We stumbled upon this happy scene in the midst of all the dust.. a young couple celebrating their engagement with a backdrop of the only green corner they could find in the camp.  The husband-to-be was beaming with joy….

The happy couple…

Growing up in the camp….

After the camp visit we met with our members of the Church who live nearby in Duhok.  They were thrilled to have Sister Bingham and Sister Eubank come by for a visit.

Back in Erbil in our apartment Sister Bingham and Sister Eubank shared a zoom Devotional with the Iraqi members hosted by our District President who resides in Beirut, Lebanon.

A ‘zoom view’ of the Devotional.

Sister Bingham and Sister Eubank with bears to be given to refugee children made with the help of Sister Roberta Stout and Sister Carolyn Stout…. and even Geri, the traveling Blackford-family giraffe, makes a special appearance.

Our visit together concluded with a dinner which also welcomed the Standages, the other couple based here in Iraq in Sulaymaniyah.

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