Never Grow Weary Of Doing Good

Two young men from the United States have pulled up their sleeves to lend a helping hand around the Richmond area.

They introduce themselves as Elder Charlie Barnes and Elder Joseph Schraeder, missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Elder Barnes said they weren’t sure how many people they had helped so far, but they had received more than 30 calls expressing the need for help since reaching out to the community on Facebook.

“We do small acts of service everyday, and we do bigger acts of service a couple times a week,” Elder Barnes said.

“A lot of people need help maintaining their lawns and gardens.

“Life can get stressful or things can happen and we get busy.

“The small things that build up over time are what most people need assistance with.

“Oftentimes the highlight of our time spent helping people with various chores is getting to know them and talking about their lives.

“The simplest, but most important way you can serve someone is to listen to the stories they have to share.”

These young men, and others like them, live their faith.

They choose to leave their families for two years to serve a community and share that faith because they believe in living like Jesus, who took every opportunity to serve those around him, did.

“We believe that being a helping hand in the communities we live in makes everyone’s lives easier and more full of joy,” Elder Barnes said.

“Elder Schraedel and I started doing community service when we got here at the beginning of November.

“We do all this free service because we recognise that God and so many people around us have served us and helped us become the people we are today.

“We want to return the favour and also show everyone what it means to love and serve your neighbour.”

When asked if the community could do anything to help them, their answer was simple - help everyone.

“Look for little acts of service you can do for those around you,” Elder Barnes said.

“Be aware of people and situations around you and see if there is any way you can lend a helping hand.

“What comes around goes around.

“When you are willing to help someone out when they are in need, the people around you are going to be more willing to help you out when you need it.

“As long as there are missionaries around you can count on us lending a helping hand.”

If you are in the Richmond area and need a helping hand, give Elders Barnes and Schraeder a call, or shoot them a text, at 0414 622 730.

“Feel free to give us a call or text if you are interested in learning more about us or if we can serve you or someone around you,” Elder Barnes said.

“One of the best ways to get in touch would be to go to ComeUntoChrist.org and request a missionary visit.

“You can also stop any missionary wherever you see them, we are always glad to talk and help out.”

• Topics:

• My House My Home
• Community