LINDON, Utah — When Ron and Maurine Hatfield served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Germany, little did they know that their volunteer work would grow into a charitable organization to assist an African village.Several months ago the Hatfields organized In Our Own Quiet Way, a charity to raise money to for the village of Kakamega in Kenya."They found the need was so great," said their daughter, Crystal Miller.It started when as a missionary couple the Hatfields were assigned to home teach Bernadine Angalusha, who had broken out of the poverty of her African village and moved to Germany where she took a job as a nanny.One day she met missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and began reading the Book of Mormon. When her employer found she was studying Mormonism they threatened her with the loss of her job, Ron Hatfield said.Angalusha joined the church anyway and quit her job, moving into the street, he said.She eventually found a furnished apartment, a rarity in Germany, that coincidentally had belonged to a church member who had died.Then she found another job as a postal carrier, and from Germany began assisting her native village. When the Hatfields saw what she was doing, they wanted to help.They donated $1,500, which was used to form a co-operative with 16 village families. They used the money to buy five acres of farmland, 25 chickens and two milk cows, which have made the families self sufficient.To continue the project they formed the charity and created a board of directors in Kenya and another in Utah County. Every year they set new goals for the village.The Hatfields have arranged for HART, a team of doctors led by Lindon plastic surgeon Kimball Croft, to go to Kenya in November to fix cleft palets and do other operations to improve the villagers' lives. The charity has gathered educational materials, medical and other supplies that will precede the doctors' visit.The items are awaiting shipment in the Hatfield barn on the family's seven-acre private park. The collection is the result of nine Eagle Scout projects, two LDS Relief Society projects and one project by prisoners at the Utah State Prison, Ron Hatfield said.The Brigham Young University 20th Stake helped by putting packages together for the trip. All of the work was done by volunteers."We have become a facilitator for others who want to serve, who want to make a difference," Ron Hatfield said.This week the charity holds its first Princess Festival for little girls age 5 to 9 as a fund-raiser for the Kenya project. The children, all wearing princess dresses, get to participate in a two-hour structured event with a troupe of volunteer actors.The event takes place at the Hatfield's private park that was built for their 30 granddaughters, 24 of them age 8 and under. It includes a recently completed castle, complete with tower where the girls who attend the festival get to figure out how to rescue the fairy tale princess Rapunzel.They also get to meet an actress playing Cinderella as she works to please her wicked step sisters. At the ball, each little girl will get to dance with a "prince." A "prince" will also fit each girl with a special Cinderella shoe.The fund-raising event takes place at the Hatfield's private park at 110 S. Main. The cost is $25 per child. To register e-mail hatfiro@aol.com or fax to 801-701-0091.The festival will have four sessions per day today through Saturday with all proceeds going toward the African village, Ron Hatfield said. As many as 500 little girls are expected.


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