Hurricane Help

By Shenley Searing

I have always been impressed by the organization of the Church, but I did not fully realize how important it was in efforts to serve others. The Pompano Beach Florida Stake, with many other stakes in the area, organized several relief efforts during four hurricanes that hit Florida last year. My ward was one of the many wards involved, and I was able to experience serving others.

A group of youth and leaders met one Saturday at 6:00 a.m. and drove two hours to Vero Beach. There, each ward was assigned an area to work in. Our ward was asked to help the senior citizens at a trailer park that had suffered a lot of damage. We were outside in the hot sun all day cleaning up debris and reconstructing homes, working alongside some of the residents.

This turned out to be a wonderful experience that I will never forget. I felt the Lord’s love as we served those people. Seeing the smiles on the faces of the people we were helping was such a blessing. I gained a testimony of the meaning and power of service and what it feels like to act in the name of Jesus Christ as a representative of His Church. I know that serving others is what He wants us to do.

The hurricanes caused a disaster, but there were blessings that came out of it. Testimonies grew, people were introduced to the Church, and the pure love of Christ was felt. Service brings us closer to Heavenly Father because we show and feel the Light of Christ as we act in His name. Taking upon us the name of Christ includes doing what He would do, like taking time to help those who need it most.

• Shenley Searing is a member of the Boca Raton Ward, Pompano Beach Florida Stake.