A RS Night of Service

My joy with being the 2nd counselor of our Ward's RS Presidency is that I get to be apart of and plan wonderful classes and activities for our RS sisters! Last Thursday we had a Qtrly Activity called "Service with a Smile". It was to celebrate the birthday of the organization of Relief Society and what better way to celebrate than with service projects!

We had several parts to the night, and I'm learning a lot of things as I go along....one being I cannot be the one responsible for pictures! I need to assign that out, because I get pulled away and caught up in getting things rolling, then it's over and I think "Oh no, I didn't take pictures" and if I do take pictures, they are great......but I feel that the most important things that I would have really liked to have pictures of, I don't get. So we will make due, once again, with what I did take pictures of.....(remember, I forgot to take pictures at all of the mini journals class, so sad!)

We started with a speaker, M, who did a fabulous job outlining the Purpose of RS, from the January Ensign, but mainly focusing on Service. She had a fantastic object lesson that I doubt anyone that was there will ever forget, about belonging to this great Organization called Relief Society.

Then we had a short little video from the Church Website that talks about the legacy of RS and the legacy of service.

Then we broke out into our Service project groups. Everyone was to write their testimony for us to send to the Missionaries that are serving from our Ward in other places and countries, that will not only lift the missionaries up (I'm sure), but might also give them another tool to use when teaching an investigator and if they feel inclined give our testimony to the investigator, or with a Book of Mormon, however they choose to use them.

Another group was making pillows for heart surgery patients at the Hospital that one of our sisters in our Ward works at. So we had 5 sewing machines working diligently and 5 sisters cutting fabric and 1 or 2 ironing! And they turned out FANTASTIC! It was a lot of fun.

Another group was making frames for the Cooks Children's Hospital for the children at their summer camps to decorate! We had so many sisters lined up on both sides of the table gluing and visiting and enjoying each others company while making these frames. It was GREAT, in fact I was jealous that I couldn't be at all the places to be apart of the fun!

The one that really blew me away (and this is the one I'm sadest about that I don't have pictures) is we collected items for the Safe Haven home of Tarrant County. This is a place for battered women and when they leave they receive a basket of items to start out their new home/living place with. So they provided us with a list of items including a wide variety of items from toothpaste and toothbrushes, to kitchen towels, sheets and bedding, cleaning supplies, etc... and you should have seen the parade of pillows, towels, sheets, cleaning supplies, toiletries, paper towels, T.P. etc... that our tables were loaded up with! It was very humbling and very exciting to see everyone want to help these women! It was AWESOME!

Then we had the Bishop share a few thoughts with us. I tied everything together with a Quote from Pres. Faust that says that there is so much in this world that we live in that is not holy and we are faced with it every day.....but that we need to strive and stand in Holy Places. Then I talked about how when we give service of any kind, V.T., helping a homeless person or a stranger, or someone in our own Ward or family we are standing on holy ground. That we don't have to be at the Temple to be on holy ground. Every day that we decided to keep our covenants and live the Gospel and follow the Savior's example we are standing on holy ground.... or something along those lines.

Then we had two beautiful sisters sing a song that I have only recently heard that I have fallen in love with called "I will stand" which of course the chorus talks about how "I will stand on holy Ground". It was the perfect ending to the evening.

Then we had birthday cake and punch and visited and no one was in a hurry to leave and that was the best part to me....that everyone wanted to stay!

There are always so many hands that make something this wonderful happen, but I really want to thank my committee of 1 now.....for all her help and support!