Diversity of Service

On Sunday, November 4th, in Pleasant Grove, Utah, Brynlee Angela Kauffman received a name and a blessing from her proud father, Dallin. I was delighted to receive this picture from Dallin sent to me in the evening.  Baby blessings are a special day and we wish we could have been there.  (Brynlee was born August 18, 2012 in American Fork, Utah.)  

Brynlee is wearing the blessing dress Whitlie wore as a baby.  It was made by her Aunt Ronda.

Also on Sunday, November 4th, half way across the country in Kansas, I was helping with Page Elaine Bangerter's adjustment into family life with her two big sisters. Or maybe it was Alina and Anna's adjustment to Page I was helping with.  Or just possibly is was Lindsey's adjustment to having three that was most helpful.  (Which ever it was, after helping for nine days, I needed to fly home and they are continuing to adjust on their own. They will do great.) 

Page Elaine Bangerter was born October 18, 2012 in  Junction City, Kansas.
They actually live in Manhattan, Kansas.

So while Dallin and I were busy taking pictures of the events of our Sabbath Stan was also busy taking pictures of his day, and at the end of a long and unique Sabbath Stan sent me the following pictures.  As I looked at the picture Dallin sent and ones Stan sent, I reflected on the diversity of our individual opportunities for service on this particular Sabbath Day. It cannot be said which service rendered more joy in the heart for they were each unique and important in their own way. 

After helping to conduct a Sacrament meeting for the members of the Freeport Branch in the Lynbrook District Stan and Vic Goepfert, the other counselor in the NY NY South Mission presidency, spent their time maneuvering through the streets and taking five gallon containers of gasoline to various mission vehicles and generators to keep them going.  (Vic had already spent considerable time obtaining the gas from Pennsylvania.) Approximately 260 volunteers from the Queens NY Stake also attended a sacrament meeting before putting on Mormon Helping Hands vests and living the truth that when "we are in the service of our fellow beings we are only in the service of our God" (Mosiah 2:17). Truly, Sunday, November 4, 2012 was a day of exemplifying the diversity of service we have available around us.