Members and friends of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints across the South Pacific have accepted the invitation of the Church's Pacific Area Presidency to make February a "Come and Help" month.
The Area leaders invited members and their friends to identify a community need and then plan and do something to make a positive difference. Watch the invitation video on Facebook.
Here's what the Area Presidency posted on Facebook this week:
We can reach out and help others at anytime and so many Saints in the Pacific Area do just that. You make a difference for good in the lives of others without thought of reward. Thank you. With that said, we have been reminded by prophets that we cannot put a crust (in this case, your service) on the altar of God without receiving a loaf in return. That loaf may come in new friendships, good feelings or even a better understanding of who you are.
To give added emphasis to serving others, the Pacific Area Presidency designated February as the month in which individuals, families, classes, quorums, branches, wards or stakes can reach out to serve and to invite others to come and help.
I have pasted below a Facebook post I saw this evening by the Branch President (President Vakalala) of the Nakawakawa Branch in Fiji and what he and the members did in their community. They saw a need, filled it and others came and helped. Perfect! Vinaka vaka levu.
When you have participated in a service activity this month, please share in the comments what you, your family, class, quorum, Branch, Ward, District or Stake did and how you felt. The Area Presidency and other members are very interested and excited to learn how you made a difference for good as you walk in the Light of Christ through service to others.
Arohanui.
Elder Ardern, Elder Nattress and Elder Yamashita
This is what Fiji Latter-day Saint leader Peter Vakalala posted:
This Month Feburary.The Area Vision from the Pacific ask if we as Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of latter day Saints go out to the community and help.Come and Help! So we went out to the Community of Nakawakawa and cut there compound with Brush cutter.We started with the Widows and end up cutting all the compond that was needed to be cut.The Brethren used the Brush cutter and the Relief Society help to rake. The Amazing part was nearly half the Village came out to Help.Some brought there own Brush cutter. Thank you all for Sustaining the Area Vision.
In Kiribati, volunteers tidied up the nation's presidential compound and other public areas.
Over 400 members and friends of the Church from Tarawa Kiribati East Stake turned up to the project which started from around 7am with a devotional outside the Office of the President and ended at about 10am with light refreshment at the Bairiki square.
Church leader, President Penisula, said one of the officials from the Office of the President said the project was timely as the President of Kiribati would host dignitaries from around the Pacific to attend an anti-corruption meeting in Kiribati in the coming week.
"The facelift to the building and the compound had surely enhanced the good look of the office and the residence of the President of Kiribati," he said.
The Office of the President provided refreshments to the volunteers to show appreciation at the end of the project.
President of the Church's Tarawa North Kiribati District, President Tamana Natanaera, invited members of the Church and their friends to do gardening and other needed work at local primary schools.
He also reported that volunteers have started clearing debris from a collapsed meeting house (maneaba) in the Butaritari island community.
"The huge maneaba was broken in pieces leaving lots of debris which need lots of helping hands to clean it," he said. "This morning they gave their hands and they did a wonderful job as the place now is clean and tidy."
"It is a wonderful experience how we had been serving the Butaritari community in their time of grief and discouragement.This may be small but surely it has brought hope to the people of Butaritari.”
Tarawa Kiribati East Stake President, Banririe Nenebati, encouraged members of the stake to give service in the month of February and also to prepare for future opportunities, such as missionary service.