Service

Just one day after school got out local youth, ages 14 to 18, packed up their bags and headed to Cascade Park outside of Granite Falls to participate in the Marysville Stake’s annual Youth Conference.

On June 8 and in the early morning hours of June 9, a series of severe thunderstorms rolled through southern Ontario. One of the worst-hit areas was the Thomas S. Monson Camp and the surrounding area. This sparkling new campground is located near Peterborough, Ontario. On the night of June 10, I received an email from my elders quorum president asking for help the following day in cleaning up the campground. It's possible it was a tornado that roared through the campground. Fortunately, no one was injured or killed. We were asked to bring our lunches and something to drink. Because preparations were just starting, there would be no food arrangements, and there is no place to buy food in the immediate area. I was amazed by how quickly the church had organized the cleanup.

On Wednesday afternoon June 1, a tornado hit the city of Springfield, Mass. Tornadoes are so rare in New England that no one expected it. Primary children of the Ludlow Ward, Springfield Massachusetts Stake each had a unique experience during the tornado. One family hurried to their cellar to take cover. They read their scriptures by flashlight and slept through the night downstairs. A few children were riding in cars. It took these children two or three hours to get home because broken power lines and trees blocked the roads. One child was home when he heard the roar of the wind like a low flying airplane and felt windows break around him and trees crack. Another child asked his aunt, "What can stop a tornado?" Before she could answer, he said, "I know. Prayer can!" All of the children were praying to be safe, praying for family members to return home safely and praying for the people of their city.

Prominent signs placed amid the miles and miles of devastation and destruction in the Japan's Miyagi prefecture send a one-word message of the resiliency of the people here: "Ganbaru," which means hold out, stand firm and hang in there. Leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints hoped to send the same message Wednesday to a group of fishermen who have not been able to work since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami destroyed or damaged their equipment and all but two of their 90 boats.

To assist women in West African nation of Sierra Leone, where some must walk miles to find clean drinking water for their families, Latter-day Saints have helped create community wells. Stories about the Church's worldwide humanitarian efforts, such as that in Sierra Leone, along with suggested ways that individuals can make service a part of their daily lives, are highlighted in "Love Thy Neighbor," an exhibit on display at the Los Angeles and Washington D.C. Temple Visitors Centers.

The Vineyard, a new website created by the Church, provides a more coordinated way for members and friends of the Church to complete volunteer service opportunities via the web.