President Dan Johnson called the meeting to order.
Guests: Mung Andrews, Steve Austvold, Guy Olson, Ken Hardy Invocation: by Wally Cole
Songs: Songs were lead by Keith Olson R-O-T-A-R-Y, Tell Me Why, Casey Would Waltz, Smile
Announcements: Jamie Larson announced that the peaches will be here about the 15th of August. He encouraged all to do pre-sales $30/Lug. Sell Sell Sell! Jamie and Keith are also calling for volunteers to take over next year.
Wally Cole - Rod Ebersviller has been moved from Mill St. to Good Samaritan in Battle Lake. He has been diagnosed with a form of leukemia. Please keep him in your prayers.
Duck Derby Recap - Winners were Rod Votava $500, and Sheila Hanson $250. 851 Tickets were sold. At last count, we lost about 6 ducks.
Brags & Fines:
Dan Johnson - his son lost his 1st tooth Greg Darling - gave a scooter buck;
Guy Olson - fly-in fishing trip in Canada and scooter buck, Jamie - donated for missing meetings;
Ryan W. - with apologies for missing the Duck Derby;
Steve L - missed meeting and the Derby;
John M - for having a colored photo of him in the Rotary Rounds; and
Dan - thank you to Katy J for selling downtown;
Speaker: Kathy introduced. Daryl Griffin - Daryl and his wife Valerie have been missionaries in Venezuela for about 15 years. He presented a moving story on his missionary experiences in Venezuela. Daryl and his wife served in the Andes Mountains, then Valencia, and then on the east coast- where they served most recently. The Country had great unrest due to the leadership of Chavaz (socialism or die!) and then Madero (who was a bus driver who doesn’t have the background to run a country) took the leadership position.
Challenges indicative of the poor conditions of the country include the people standing in line for as long as 14 hours to get a small bag of groceries. Daryl presented the sobering statistic that 60% of population doesn’t have enough to eat. People rummage through garbage to eat. Hospitals are in deplorable conditions including defecation on the floor and babies kept in cardboard boxes. There is an increase in disease including malaria. There is a significant increase in kidnapping. Inflation has increased by nearly a billion times. Daryl shared slides of people protesting in the street. Currently the military is attacking the protesters. There is a group under the direction the President who are kidnapping, robbing, murdering people on a whim. All humanitarian aid sent by U.S. and other countries has been blocked at the border. People are fleeing the country in high numbers.
Delta Amacuro is where Daryl has worked most recently. The furthest villiage is about 14 hours away. There is no rioting there. The missionaries work to build church/school buildings there. The main crop is Ocumo, a potato-like vegetable. The crop has been lost but they are trying to regenerate. Now these people out on the coast are also starving and disease is becoming a more prevalent challenge. The missionaries arrive with doctors and food...the people are grateful and very loyal to the guests.
Part of the funerals process there is to “pass the mud” from person to person. When the missionaries attended the funeral of a member of one community they developed a strong bond to this community. Missionaries bring music and Christian teachings from the Bible to the people.
The Oronoco river is a significant drug route. This is not the desirable route to get to the remote villages. One time the missionaries got stuck due to a broken propeller they ended up in a village that was unknown and unfriendly. They were able to develop a relationship with them and to share food with them.
One young boy has a large cancerous tumor requiring a significant treatment and Daryl can’t return now due to the unrest, so they have been sending humanitarian aid to help this young man get his treatment.
Many stories of this type of difficulty, they are attempting to get aid to the people… Couriers who are not politically motivated can get aid through to the more remote areas.
Sobering thoughts and profound sadness from Daryl at the end of the talk. He feels those in power do not care about theirr own people. He is not optimistic for the future of the people of Venezuela. This was a powerful and moving talk.
