ZONE EXCURSION

 13th & 14th of July 2026

Missionaries from our Zone were invited to tour WelfareSquare OR the Humanitarian Center.

It was a difficult choice for us to make – we wanted to do both! The Zone tour only allowed us to tour one location during our office hours. We dallied about our choice until the majority of full-time and service missionaries had signed up for their choices.

Most selected the Humanitarian Center but, since I avoid crowds whenever possible, when we made our selection we picked Welfare Square. We later learned the Humanitarian group was large enough to divide in half so both groups could more readily move through the tour.  

Grain Silos: 16 million pounds of wheat, daily processing 200,000 lbs

Welfare Square was amazing. I was speechless! So was Elder Ames! We still are! Witness this incredible facility here.

And we got a close up, first hand, personal experience seeing how goods are grown, gathered, or donated for storage, preparation, and distribution. 

Enlarged charts helped us understand the way those in need qualify to receive assistance of food, clothing, education, and even on-site training with job and/or language skills. 

original facilities

One of the fun demonstrations was bread making at the bakery – but being near lunch and smelling all the delicious things was also a humbling experience. We realized more, how secure and affluent our lives truly are.

'Bread vats' make about 40 loaves each

Windows and camera feeds from restricted areas (for safety and/or hygiene concerns) allowed us to view production workers, methods, and quantities. And the smell of freshly baked bread was to die for - but no, they did not provide bread samples.

 

But tour guides (young missionaries) explained how the products, using blind taste testing, are compared with national brand names AND they are some people who get to taste test the products. 

YUMMY!! they said!!

We were so enthralled by Welfare Square that when we got home from our work day we called the Humanitarian Center to find out if, and when, we might be able to tour that. 

statue near front entrance

Apparently it has recently been rebuilt and during July free tours were running Monday – Friday between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. We went the next day.  Even now tours are available between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Call for appointments and information – contacts on the included links.

Be sure to scroll down a bit on the link past all the info about the dignitaries and formal ceremonies to see the insides of some of the warehouses and equipment.

sorting and packaging

The Humanitarian Center was equally, if not more, astonishing! We were absolutely delighted to discover that the cataloging, processing, and organizing that happen over at Welfare Square are only the first steps before the Humanitarian Center.  

The next day and following week we told everyone that did that tour that they missed the first half of what occurs in the process and practices of caring for others.

For example: everything is meticulously numbered, labeled, and dated to efficiently move through the warehouses at both locations, while providing goods and services of all types to the greatest possible number of patrons AND prevent waste. 

Tour participants were invited to spend a few moments at each station to experience the process personally. We thought it was fun to actually do the type of work, even for minutes, that is done there. 

We loved the artistic 'RECYCLE' display showing bits of salvage from computers, and also the HOPE sign built out of ‘fake’ food bottles. 

The red dots spelling the letters 'hope' are made with the lids on peanut butter jars, and ketchup bottles line the top and bottom rows. The rest of the colors are labels on cans showing off fruits and vegetables. 

Milk showed the planning and long cycle of production from farm to table. Watching the factory lines of milk (and other common grocery items) sealed into containers, the dry milk powder process, and butter and different cheese commodities was quite intriguing. Later samples of chocolate milk were shared. 

Clean Water

It was also gratifying to learn about the interactive and interfaith coordinated efforts between many businesses and religions which assist communities to have clean water, medical and educational resources, and many types of assistance for refugees too achieve more stability and security as they begin to build new lives. 

Mobility Aid

“In 2025, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints spent $1.58 billion for caring for those in need — an average of $4.3 million per day.” 

These numbers do not include millions of volunteer service hours or programs such as "Just Serve." 

KEEP HAVING FUN

WELL! Repairs and renovations can be stressful BUT also a bit amusing!

Improvisation and creativity are the game! We usually occupy office space in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building (JSMB) but will soon be working in the North Office Building (NOB) for 2 weeks. 

The JSMB needs some serious repairs to the electrical and plumbing systems. All systems were OFF beginning the week after the 4^th of July. Full time missionaries were moved to the NOB Thursday, 2^nd July. What an adventure! 

traffic at State St. (Hwy89) and North Temple St.

We now cross one of the busiest intersections in downtown Salt Lake as we walk uphill to work and downhill to our apartment. That means waits of several minutes at crossings both ways, for trucks, bikes, cars, and buses - are all delayed by crowds of pedestrians. 

Yes, there are stairs, but I’d rather walk up or down the hill than deal with 47 steps. 

down hill from NOB driveway to busy intersection

We love being able to walk most places we need to go (except church – we are assigned to attend a Spanish speaking Ward that is about 20 minutes south. And walking some ups and/or downs make little difference.

Tuesday, 30 June the random construction workers that had been meandering along our hallways and threading through our 3^rd story office spaces all month suddenly became a seriously, coherently noisy crew.

They hammered, drilled, and sawed to remove the lower half of some large windows, replaced that with vented plywood, and after hauling in large black tube and tub looking bits of this, that, and other things, they initially walked away leaving gaping, gigantic holes showing circles of blue sky pouring in fresh air – seriously! We began joking about the new ventilation system! 

And one missionary joked the we now were working in a 'holey' building!

Elder Ames strolling along past the window noticed a noisy field trip of mid-teens passing across campus and, when some looked upward, couldn’t resist sticking his hand out and waving – much to their giggling delight. Someone suggested we should take turns sticking our heads out the holes if only someone below might take our photos. Elder Ames volunteered BUT it was time for lunch and we all decided to save such silliness for after we ate (the cafeteria has deadlines).

And did I mention that our main cafeteria is also closed 6 weeks for renovations! The elevators to the restaurant at the 26^th floor feel like riding a hay wagon enough that I feel nauseous so we often pack a lunch or walk home most days instead. We find we like our simple, plain food better than the menus available - plus table seating in all areas is somewhat limited.

We returned to work on on June 30^th to see construction workers had returned and been busy while we were gone. Sigh! Such disappointment! They put together those black pieces of this, that, and other things to make – WHAT? What are those things? What are they doing? I told the sister nearest the holes that it appeared a giant alien was now lounging along the partition between her desk and the hall walk space.

We worked the remainder of the week with the crews preparing for closure. We learned they were constructing and installing A/C systems. It was ventilation – since all power and water will be off these AC units will be powered independently so that despite triple digit temperatures the repair crews can continue their work. An all time high temperature of 109 F was recorded that week. 

exterior with one of the 'lounging aliens' trouser legs

A snapshot of the exterior shows many windows in various stages of the process.

We had missed our chance to be truly silly but have no fear. That did not stop a creative missionary from taking snapshots of us and telling AI to stick our heads through the holes. We have quite a bit of fun among the missionaries in our zone, even while actually doing some data transfer.

Our main work stations have 2 monitors and Elder Ames and I have stand up desks. We can stand or we can lower them when we want or need to sit. However, our equipment was not moved to the NOB with us full time missionaries. Service missionaries are working from home or having a 2-week break, and a few shortened their missions a couple weeks and went home. The rest of us are working during this change using laptops and one monitor. 

Hallways at the NOB are fairly narrow and some areas feel almost like a storeroom.

AC there is quite cold so some missionaries wear winter coats or sweaters. And we all adapt as best each of us is able. 

I stand the majority of each day because many chairs press awkwardly on my right thigh and cause pain that can be avoided be simply standing. So, using our wagon, Elder Ames brought my stand-up desk from home.

3 work station adaptations

He also noticed a stack of empty binders along one hallway, and realized they could be used to increase his productivity by elevating his laptop, and perching his monitor on a small inexpensive stool we keep in our apartment for visiting grandkids. 

Some of the other missionaries created similar setups, and a few brought in their own versions of possible arrangements. One even bought an extra monitor with stands for her work. 

My father often told us, “If it’s not fun don’t do it – and if you’ve gotta do it, make it fun.” 

Some suggest our work is a bit tedious. We find it exciting to download, compare, standardize, collate and help publish the data necessary for you (and everyone else) to build and extend your family trees. And many times it seems there are angels guiding our work. 

We see and feel miracles every day – YES! EVERY DAY!

Keep having fun!