Service ~ Week 5

"For, generally speaking, the most miserable people I know are those who are obsessed with themselves; the happiest people I know are those who lose themselves in the service of others."

"I recall visiting a college campus where I heard the usual, commonplace complaining of youth: complaints about the pressures of school—as if it were a burden rather than an opportunity to partake of the knowledge of the earth—complaints about housing and about food."

"I counseled those youth that if the pressures of school were too heavy, if they felt to complain about their housing and their food, then I could suggest a cure for their problems. I suggested that they lay their books aside for a few hours, leave their rooms, and go visit someone who is old and lonely, or someone sick and discouraged. By and large, I have come to see that if we complain about life, it is because we are thinking only of ourselves."

"For many years there was a sign on the wall of a shoe repair shop I patronized. It read “I complained because I had no shoes until I saw a man who had no feet.” The most effective medicine for the sickness of self-pity is to lose ourselves in the service of others."
~Gordon B. Hinckley

Damian: I did the BYU Alumni Chapter Annual Report. I woke up really early before my trip to get it done.

Sarah: I went to the temple on Saturday and enjoyed that. This weekend, all the Idiarts/Nadaulds went to a Vranes wedding in San Fran except Suzanne, Al and myself and I've tried to help Suzanne with the kids a little. . . we've had some over to sleep, play games, go to the movies, and I've helped with the carpool situations. . . it's been fun. I don't think I could do what she's done for my own children. She's got 7 kids for 3 days and 5 of them under 4 years old!! If all my kids want to go out of town together someday and they are as prolific, I'll have to enlist my own mother to come stay! This week I also got to READ with some SMART kids (usually I'm just the supervisor) That was really fun and made me really grateful to Damian that I've been able to stay home with our kids. I'm also grateful for my teacher training, so I know how to help kids learn to read and that I know the importance of reading. It's such a shame that so many kids that come from normal families struggle with reading. I think it's mostly due to 2 working parents, or parents that don't understand the importance of education. And a lot of video games/tv watching, for sure!!

Emma: I babysat on Saturday morning so my mom could go work out and then go to the temple. I pretty much helped her and grandma all weekend with all the grandkids, too.

Joshua: This week I played with Noah and Elise to help Grandma with all the kids. It felt good to help with everyone so that Grandma can consentrate on all the other cousins.

Rachel: This week I helped Grandma by: playing with Noah, Elise, Marcus, Annie and Mary. I helped Elise and Noah by feeding them. I helped Marcus, Annie and Mary by turning on a movie and helping them take a bath. When I did those things it made me feel good inside, it felt good to help Grandma with them. Today I still feel really good about it, it makes me feel happy. I also helped Grandma make dinner and blew up balloons.

Katrina: This week I helped Grandma with taking care of the Babies and playing with all the little kids and it was really, really, really, really fun and it made me feel good and I was playing balloons with all the little kids.

Benjamin: I didn't do any service except take Marcus to nursery when he got sad in Primary. My mom told me to go make everyone's beds for service. I made EVERY BODIES!! Mom's, Dad's, Josh's, Rachel's, Benny's, Nina's, Emma's and Not Amatchi's. It was easy and I liked making them, even the big ones! I think I'm a big boy now because I can help everybody.