132. Called to Serve
- L Rshaw
- Jul 7, 2020
- 9 min read
Updated: Jun 23, 2022
"The end of all knowledge should be service to others"
--- Cesar Chavez (American civil rights activist; 1927 - 1993)
What is there to say about service that doesn't speak for itself? Actions speak louder than words anyway. This is a compilation of some of my most memorable service opportunities I had during my time in Mexico as a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
**NOTE: If you wish to get in contact with missionaries of the Church to learn more, you can do so at https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/requests/missionary-visit
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MORE THAN WORDS
As I hope you know by now, we do more than just talk about Jesus Christ both as missionaries and as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (See "More Than Good"). As Christians who try their best to emulate Jesus Christ, we believe in doing good. Say the two greatest commandments, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself" (Matt. 22:37-39). Even non-Christians alike wouldn't argue that service is admirable and something we should strive to sincerely emulate. For Christians, Jesus Christ is the perfect example of love who went about doing good (Acts 10:38). He entreated all to follow His example. He walked the roads of Palestine, healing the sick, causing the blind to see, and raising the dead. Although we may not perform so great acts of service to our fellowman, the Lord put forth simple ways that we can minister to and reach out to those who stand in need (See "Ministering to the One"). He taught that we serve God by serving others:
"Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." (Matt. 25:34-40)
King Benjamin from the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ is another prominent example of service who teaches likewise and I can just imagine Christ saying something similar of himself:
"Even I, myself, have labored with mine own hands that I might serve you...that there should nothing come upon you which was grievous to be borne—and of all these things which I have spoken, ye yourselves are witnesses this day. Yet, my brethren, I have not done these things that I might boast, neither do I tell these things that thereby I might accuse you; but I tell you these things that ye may know that I can answer a clear conscience before God this day. Behold, I say unto you that because I said unto you that I had spent my days in your service, I do not desire to boast, for I have only been in the service of God. And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God. Behold, ye have called me your king; and if I, whom ye call your king, do labor to serve you, then ought not ye to labor to serve one another?" (Mos. 2:14-18)
As a church, we believe in doing good whether that be on a one-on-one level or internationally (See "Sacred Tithes and Offerings"). As representatives of Jesus Christ, missionaries also look for opportunities to serve others whether that be to members of their local congregation called "Wards", to people they teach, or to other members of the community. Missionaries, and really all of us, are "Called to Serve". Officially or unofficially, it is our divine mandate to love one another.
I had the opportunity to render service throughout my mission. For example, during my time with Elder Chavarria in Buena Vista, in Matamoros, we got to help one of the women in our local congregation paint the exterior of her house (twice I think; see also "Trainee to Trainer"). I don't think I'd ever painted a house before then. There's a good reason why missionaries pack a pair of casual clothes besides their standard formal attire. Service opportunities can get messy and I don't remember why we weren't in our casuals for one of those painting occasions. I actually never was able to wash the paint out of my jeans. Elder Lopez and Elder Gomez managed the high reaching places with the paint roller, and Elder Chavarria and I enjoyed the lower parts and the company of the family dog.
During my time in Riveras, Elders Brogan, Urias, Scott, and I had multiple opportunities to serve Ward members with projects such as moving houses to painting to yard work (See "Yard Work, Hard Work, Smart Work"). On one occasion, we were going to help someone paint the interior of their house but in order to do that, we had to first remove the stubborn layer of acrylic paint-like sky blue wallpaper from several rooms. It was so difficult to do that there was no graceful way to do it in a timely manner. We hastily thrust our arms through the pockets in the walling and tore off the wall coverings in chunks as if we were peeling an orange. Even then, it took a surprisingly long time, and it was in the summer, and I don't recall if we ever finished that project on our own or if it took multiple trips. Either way, it was a lot of fun even if it did look like we were making more of a mess instead of progress.
There was a time that the 4 of us in Riveras were helping a Ward Member move into another house in the Area. It wasn't a far move but he still needed help with the heavier pieces of furniture. As we were moving the couch into the new, still empty, house of this bachelor, we saw a mouse scurry by and we managed to trap it under a garbage can. Elder Brogan got a broom and smacked it to death which was as horrifying and gross as it sounds. It's not a pleasant thing to do but neither is letting the mouse set up shop in the house. There's actually a favorite story in my family that's not too dissimilar. My grandparents grew up in rural Pennsylvania and sometimes critters would get into the house so they'd set up traps. On top of that, my grandpa had just bought a new shotgun to deal with the vermin. Well, one day, a large possum got caught in one of the traps but it didn't kill it. Later that day, after my grandpa got home, he found his brand new shotgun absolutely reduced to wooden splinters, and hanging in two halves. My grandpa naturally asked her what had happened. She explained how the possum had gotten trapped but didn't die right away. He asked her if she shot it. She said that she was hadn't. Confused, he asked again what happened to the shotgun if she didn't shoot it. She said, "I was too scared to shoot the gun. So I beat it to death with the butt of your shotgun!". Knowing my grandma and just what a pure heart she had to not have the courage to fire the gun but then to somehow find it easier to whack a possum to death is hilarious! Especially at the cost of poor old grandpa's brand new purchase. Thank goodness that I've never had that kind of problem!
Back on the subject of service, there was an instance in San José with Elder Mullins when we helped a woman in the Ward wash her car. I think I may have even suggested it because I felt like we owed her as much for all she did for us missionaries in the Ward. I didn't mind it although I know other missionaries who would have passed it up to go tend to someone else, like a non-member of the Church. Just the same, I think it's important that we learn to serve everyone whether they are a friend, or a stranger, equally. I think it's backward thinking to believe that missionaries can't or shouldn't offer to help out members of the Church.
And on the topic of memorable service opportunities, let's not forget about the multiple yard projects that we helped Aurelia with in Bugambilias, both when we first met her and thereafter as she progressed towards baptsim. (See "Hello")
Service can look like many different things. It doesn't always have to look like helping someone move or doing yard work for the elderly. Even small things can make a difference in someone's life. For example, once in Valle Hermoso, a truck pulled over on the road next to Elder Torres and me. The mother asked us if we could help tie a tie for her son who must have been about 12-years-old. So, while Elder Torres made some small talk, I went ahead and tied it for him. I threw his tie around my neck, adjusted it to be a little shorter than usual to account for the son's height, then I loosened it off of my neck and handed it back to him put it on, and that was that. We didn't end up ever seeing them again, but that's not the point. We don't serve to get something in return. We do it because it's the right thing to do.
One of the last service projects I did while a missionary in Valle Hermoso involved cleaning out an elderly convert’s house. Most people didn’t have an excess of possessions due to poverty in Mexico. Others had more than enough. This older man’s house was tiny and in poor condition, but it would be an understatement to say that his property was more like a junkyard than a home, nothing of which was of use or value or clean. This man was a serious packrat.
The term Packrat does not convey a pleasant thought. Again with the rats! Packrats accumulate junk. I didn’t have any connection to this man personally as the newest guy to Valle Hermoso but the other Elders asked that we all help him clear out the garbage and make his small dwelling habitable again. It was a lot of work, and I can understand why they required as many hands on deck as possible. I could not and still cannot fathom why anyone would postpone cleaning when cleaning is due. It’s one thing for a child or even for a young adult to procrastinate his chores, but for a full-grown man, it is incomprehensible. You couldn’t see the floor of this man’s house. Spiders weaved thick white webs under the bed and alongside the cracked window sill. Monster-sized cockroaches scampered across the dusty concrete floor in search of new dark hiding spots. Empty glass soda bottles, stained water-logged books and instruction manuals, useless yoga VHS’ at least thirty years old, outdated documents and heaps of receipts, miscellaneous doodads that don't belong to anything, dusty boxes and bulky bags of old clothes, dirty dishes in abundance, he had it all but next to none of it was good for anything.
We cleared out almost everything he possessed. He seemed indifferent to it all. If we thought it should go, he wasn't going to argue which gave us the liberty to make almost all the decisions for him. Definitely not a talker. We probably filled a dozen large garbage bags worth of trash which we moved onto his front lawn and swept his hard concrete floor for him for good measure. I imagine it took several days and even then, we didn't clean every inch of the place, like the kitchen. We just didn't have the time or energy. We could have spent another week on it, and there probably would have been more to do still. In the end, we couldn’t see our reflection in it but it was an immense improvement. I’m sure he was very grateful. We did our part to remove the junk, now it was dependent on him to keep it clean.
Repentance can be like that. I’ve already mentioned several illustrations and parallels to repentance but that's because repentance is central to and preparatory to the greatest blessings of the gospel (See "Repentance"). Repentance is a necessary process for all mankind because we all sin. Sin is like unnecessary hoarded garbage (See "Our Garbage"). If kept in our "houses", it can make it inhabitable, or at the very least, unpleasant. If we allow sin to occupy our lives, we can quickly become buried in its filthy influence. The longer we allow it to linger, the longer and harder it will be to remove it. But if we are diligent and faithful and “do not procrastinate the day of [our] repentance until the end’ (Alma 34:33), the effect of Atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ can make us clean again. The infinite Atonement of Jesus Christ was necessary precisely because every single one of us needed it (See "Return of the King --- Part 1"). If we turn to the Savior, and repent of and forsake our sins, the Lord has promised us that, "the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more" (D&C 58:42). Like the Anti-Nephi-Lehies in the Book of Mormon (Alma 24:16-20), the Lord will help us bury our sins so deep that we dig them up no more. His power to reclaim and redeem is infinite.
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