Recently, I have had many conversations with parents unsure how early they can teach their children... most anything. It is my belief we can start teaching them before they are born. From recognizing mother's voice, to coming to love music, children consistently learn behavior's and habit from the earliest moments of their physical formation.
At a young age of about three years old, I had my first experience of service in a life-changing way. Although I do not remember the event, the lives that our family served were changed for the better. The stories I have been told of this event have helped shaped me into a more giving person, for which I am grateful.
Our family lived in Kearns, Utah. At the time, there were seven of us children under the age of 8, with the 7th being a newborn. My parents were active in our church and attending every Sunday was very important. In the newspaper that morning, they heard about a village of refugees from Laos who were coming into Salt Lake City that Sabbath morning. A philanthropist had gone to the refugee office to say he wanted to take in one or two refugees. They told him he was an answer to their prayers, as they had an entire village arriving that morning and had no where for them to go. He had bought an old church and planned to convert it to his home and said they could go there. The article said they were taking donations of all kinds, from clothing to furniture, to anything else these people could use.
Not knowing the details beyond the newspaper article, my parents felt like taking us to go serve was a valuable opportunity. They told us what we were going to go serve our fellowmen that day instead of going to church. My eldest brother offered to donate his bed, which he did. Our family gathered up anything else we could do without and loaded up the car for a drive to Farmington, nearly an hour away.
When our family arrived at the church building, there was no one there. It was unlocked and donations had been dropped off, but there was no one present to take charge. My parents decided to do what they could before the refugees began to arrive. We sorted clothing into piles, as well as the other items donated.
The villagers arrived, without an interpreter. Still, no one else had arrived to help so my folks took the lead. Mom and Dad took the families around to the classrooms, giving each family a "bedroom". Mom showed the mothers the large kitchen sinks where they could bathe their babies. After showing the folks the bathrooms, Mom returned a second time to find one young lady crouched on her feet on top the toilet seat, facing backwards, flushing it over and over. She was fascinated by the device.
A baby bassinet had been donated so my mom laid my brother in it. The village children pushed him all around, entertained at the idea of playing with such a white-skinned baby. Someone had donated disposable diapers and the mothers were shown how to change their babies, completely surprised at this new idea of diapers that could be thrown away.
Us children helped sort, items, taking them to families in their rooms, and played with the children.
Perhaps I do not remember this experience, but some in my family do. As my mother told me this morning, it was just a wonderful experience and way to serve our fellowman. How grateful I am to be taught such an act of kindness at a young tender age. Lives were touched that day, perhaps mostly the lives of those of us that served, for in serving others, we are our Savior's hands.
Living Kindness-
Mama Dragon
