Serve others as Jesus served

Our family has always been known as a service oriented family. I remember being 7 years old, and someone over the pulpit one Sunday talked about the Gates family and how we were always there helping set up or clean up a church event. I don't say that to brag or boast, as we never did these things for others. We always did this because our parents taught us that it was something we could do to show the Savior and our Heavenly Father that we love them. And something that the Savior would do himself. 

 Mom and Dad have shown us how much they love the Lord and Heavenly Father by their service the past decade in Africa. I was taught so many wonderful principles and qualities from my sweet parents. One of these principles is to be helpful and to serve others. I remember being at Girls Camp when I was a teenager, and every meal I would stay in the mess hall until all the cleanup was finished.

When you have young children, it is easy to make excuses and say that right now in your life, that just isn't possible. Young kids whining and crying to go home and tired, you feel like "ok, i'll help the next time." But this Christmas season, I wanted to do something different. 

This year I decided to put myself out of my comfort zone in my new ward, and to volunteer for as much as I could for our ward Christmas party and my Relief Society Christmas night. 

For the Christmas party, they had a sign up sheet go around a couple of weeks starting in November. I signed up for one of everything: to make one of the casserole dishes, bring an extension cord, bring an orange thermos cooler jug, and to bring a crock pot. The Sunday before the party, they announced in Relief Society that they needed 10 more casseroles to be made. After church, I went to the Sister in charge and I told her I could make as many as she needed, and just to let me know. On Wednesday, she stopped by my home and asked me to make 3 casserole dishes. I happily obliged. It was pretty funny because mom and dad happened to be here when I was making those casserole dishes, so they were able to benefit directly as well. The day of the Christmas party, I packed up everything that was needed and took it all to the party. 

At the Relief Society party, they didn't have pre-sign ups for anything. It was just a show up thing. But I knew that I could still help in the way my father has always taught us... don't leave until everything is cleaned up. The event was over at 8:30. But I stayed until 10:30 that night helping clean dishes, pick up trash, put the chairs and tables away, and swept up. I left the building that night with a clean cultural hall with my relief society president and secretary as they locked up the building. 

I could have easily made the excuses that we were new in the ward, and that I didn't need to help that much. We were the "newbies". No one would expect or notice if we didn't do anything. But I was grateful for the opportunity to help and to serve those in my ward. 

Thank you daddy, for teaching me the importance of hard work, as well as the wonderful benefit and love of serving in our church. Love you dad, Merry Christmas.