Saturday, February 20, 2010

Helping Hands for Haiti

On January 12, 2010 the Carribean nation of Haiti experienced a devastating earthquake, causing a need for humanitarian assistance unparalleled in recent memory. The outpouring of support has been tremendous. We have all read and seen accounts of people rushing to aid Haiti. The LDS Church has been amongst the groups providing the necessities of life to the people there. The destruction in Haiti is so widespread that aid will be needed for years to come, as the poorest country in the world struggles to rebuild.

When the earthquake happened I knew that we could do something to help. Inspired by the tremendous support that our ward gives to our Stake's annual humanitarian aid service projects, we decided as a Presidency to devote our Relief Society Commemoration (birthday party) to begin a service project to help the children in Haiti who were and continue to be effected by the aftermath of the earthquake. We will be making dolls and felted balls to send to Haiti. We will also have a quilt set up to tie that we will donate to the Humanitarian Center.

The Relief Society has a long history of providing help to those in need. Indeed the name of our organization implies that our mission is to provide relief to those who suffer. When he organized the Relief Society, the Prophet Joseph Smith commanded the sisters to, "look. . .to the wants of the poor—searching after objects of charity, and in administering to their wants.” The sisters of the Relief Society took that commandment to heart and began ministering to the families in their communities. As the church grew, so did the influence of the Relief Society. As we learned in the September 2009 General Relief Society Meeting, the sisters of theRelief Society created an effective grain storage system and then taught it to the government during wartime. They also created a hospital system and helped establish one of the great modern hospital systems. President Eyring stated in that meeting,
The Relief Society was at the heart of the beginning of the Church’s power to give humanitarian aid across the world. Leaders of nations, when they visit Utah, express awe and admiration for what the Church is doing for the poor and the victims of war and natural disaster across the world. Those remarkable gifts to the children of God are part of the enduring legacy of Relief Society.
Recently the church added a fourth mission to the Threefold Mission of the Church. It is "To care for the poor and needy." This further legitimizes the work of the Relief Society, and lets us know how vital our work is to Heavenly Father's eternal plan.

We, as women, are blessed with talents and abilities that enable us to bless the lives of others. I know that some of you will feel unequal to (and perhaps even a little uninterested in) the projects that we have planned for this night. You may think that you do not know how to sew. You may think that you are not creative. We hope that you will overcome these doubts and join us. Who knows, you may pick up a new skill that will be useful to you at some time in your life, or a hobby that will bring you joy, or even a new friend that you never knew was out there. Remember the words of President Uchtdorf, "
You might say, “I’m not the creative type. When I sing, I’m always half a tone above or below the note. I cannot draw a line without a ruler. And the only practical use for my homemade bread is as a paperweight or as a doorstop.”

If that is how you feel, think again, and remember that you are spirit daughters of the most creative Being in the universe.
It is our privilege to be in the Relief Society. It is our honor and our duty to serve the people of the world who need our help.

Please join us on Wednesday, March 17th at 6:30 at the church for a fun night of Haitian food and birthday dessert, contests (with prizes!!) and most importantly, participating in a service project that will help ease the pain of the children of Haiti. See you there!