Volunteers from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints from congregations in Port-Vila and around Efate joined together last Saturday in a clean-up and repair project at Ulei School, a government Junior Secondary School located near the village of Tanoliu in North West Efate.
Latter-day Saints from 12 to 50 years—men and women, youth and parents—from Port-Vila and Efate took part in the “Mormon Helping Hands” activity organized by the Port Vila Vanuatu Stake. (A stake is similar to a diocese in other Christian churches.)
“When they approached us to let us know they had chosen Ulei Junior Secondary School to be the beneficiary of their clean-up service project, I was delighted,” school principal Jimmy Alick said.
“But I did not expect that so many people would be mobilized.”
The volunteers came with their grass cutters, rakes, bush knives and other tools and materials, according to Alick.
“They mowed the lawn, cleaned the edges, they raked and did a total clean-up of the school compound.”
He explained that the school is currently facing financial difficulties.
“We are truly thankful for their assistance because we no longer have a handyman at the school.”
“I must say that those Mormon Helping Hands came in at a crucial time when the school needed them the most. It is truly a blessing for the school and for the students”, he said.
During the day-long activity the volunteers completed a “major” cleaning of the school compound, to include painting the walls of the boys’ dormitory and class room.
“When the boarding students return to school on Monday they will have a pleasant surprise to find out that the walls of their dormitory and of a classroom have been repainted with the exact same paint colour of the school,” said Principal Alick.
As part of their day of service the Helping Hands volunteers repaired and then re-erected two backboards and hoops on the school’s basketball court, to include cementing the posts in the ground.
Mr Alick said the students “will be particularly happy to see that they can now play basketball on their court again.”
According to organisers, it was a joy for the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to participate in the Ulei School service project.
“It was really fun. We were all working with a smile and with a feeling of unity and love throughout the service project,” said one volunteer.
“We are taught to love our neighbour as Jesus loves us. When we are helping our neighbours in service projects such as this one, we know we are doing the Lord’s will and that by blessing the school and the students, He will bless us in return.”
The Port-Vila Vanuatu Stake President, Yvon Basil, the senior local Church leader (along with his two counsellors), participated in the service project. He thanked the Church members who came willingly and spent the day lending their helping hands to the Ulei School.
“If Christ was here, He would have done the same thing. He would help the needy, feed the hungered and heal the sick,”
President Basil also thanked the bishops and branch presidents (leaders of local congregations) for organizing and mobilizing their members “to come and help out our brothers and sisters who are in need.”
According to President Basil, the Church is well known around the world and in Vanuatu for its community service and for helping people in need following natural disasters.
“This is not the first service project we have organized and it won’t be the last. We will organize more in the future to help our brothers and sisters who stand in need.”
A few years ago, Ulei school benefitted from a donation of several polyethylene water tanks donated by the humanitarian arm of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Ulei Junior Secondary School caters to day-students and about 160 boarders from around Efate and from many other islands of Vanuatu.
Mormon Newroom Contributor: Jean-Baptiste CALO