Hi, I'm Deborah Dushku Gardner

I'm a stay-at-home mom of 5 kids plus 2,500 Bulgarian orphans. I co-founded "One Heart Bulgaria". I am a Mormon!

About Me

I graduated in Human Development and went on to developed 5 humans. In between car-pooling, defrosting the chicken, potty-training, and folding the laundry, I run "One Heart Bulgaria" which I co-founded with a former mission companion. It has been the most amazing, life-changing journey. I have truly come to understand the profound love that God has for every single one of his children. My other interests include: teaching health/wellness classes, participating in triathlons, playing basketball, dancing to 80's music out on our back deck, reading to our little ones, and eating lots of chocolate. I served a mission in Bulgaria and love, love, love Bulgarians! Oh, and for the fun of it, might I add that we have 5 chickens, 1 tiny frog, and an adorable little doggie.

Why I am a Mormon

I feel at peace in the Mormon church. I have a sense that I am where I belong and where God wants me to be. That feeling is precious! I enjoy the other members of the church who seek to repent, change, be better people and serve others in the world. We are a sort of large family...growing, learning, and supporting each other. I enjoy worshipping along side them each Sabbath day and growing closer and closer to God and ever more grateful for my Savior, Jesus Christ.

How I live my faith

I live my faith by serving others in need and bearing my testimony of the gospel. I enjoy helping others find solutions to their problems through the gospel of Jesus Christ. He is the Great Healer of our souls. I also love working in the youth programs in our church. I encourage youth to turn to God and discover what their personal missions are in this life and then to go for it!

Are Mormons Christians?

Deborah Dushku Gardner answered...

Yes, Mormons are absolutely Christians! We believe in Jesus Christ, the same Jesus Christ of the Bible. He was born of the virgin Mary baptized by his cousin, John the Baptist had 12 disciples with whom he taught his gospel he lived his life healing, preaching, performing miracles, serving and loving others he died at Gethsemane on the cross three days after his death he rose from the dead and lives again as a resurrected being. He is our Lord, our Savior, and Redeemer. We believe that salvation comes only in and through our Savior, Jesus Christ.
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Chad answered...

In the truest sense of the word, most certainly yes!
The main belief of the mormon church is that of Christ and His Atonement for mankind. We believe that anybody who wants to can be saved through Christ's Sacrifice for us.
Without Christ, our church would be meaningless, void, and pointless. He is the core of this church. In fact, He is the leader and head of this church.
Some people say we don't believe in Christ, but I wholeheartedly disagree; Christ is everything to us - He rescues us from sin and fear, He is the reason for our being.
We celebrate and rejoice in His life and works and know that He lives today! Christ is risen and is ready to help us in our lives.

Do Mormons only help Mormons?

Sam answered...

Absolutely not. I personally have been a part of countless efforts to serve those not of our faith. We don't just serve others because we want them to join our Church. We serve because it's the right thing to do. Because it's what the Savior taught and exemplified. I think God often places people in our path when we are in a position to help. Sometimes, this can be a litmus test for how committed we are to living a Christlike life, especially if this "opportunity" comes at a very inconvenient time.

Perhaps we sometimes overlook opportunities to help because we are too focused on the problems staring us right in the face. I do know, however, that the Church makes a very concerted investment of time, talent, and resources in humanitarian aid throughout the world. We are often some of the first to arrive and the last to leave in cases like Hurricane Katrina, Haiti, and areas affected by the Indian Ocean tsunami in December 2004. We often coordinate our efforts with other organizations like the Red Cross or the Catholic Church.