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Members throughout the Church’s Pacific Area do service for ‘Come and Help’ month

Members of the Erakor Branch in the Port Villa Vanuatu Stake clean the graves in the cemetery in Erakor, Vanuatu, in February 2022. Credit: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Volunteers weed and landscape around a primary school in Papehue, Tahiti, as part of “Come and Help” month in the Pacific Area. The initiative lasted throughout February 2022. Credit: Screenshot from The Church of Jesus Christ – Pacific Area YouTube
Volunteers sweep and clean the area around a primary school in the community of Papehue, Tahiti, for a February 2022 service project. Credit: Screenshot from The Church of Jesus Christ – Pacific Area YouTube
Church members pose with their neighbors who served with them in a project at a primary school in Papehue, Tahiti, in February 2022. Credit: Screenshot from The Church of Jesus Christ – Pacific Area YouTube
Members of the Erakor Branch weed and clean the village cemetery in Erakor, Vanuatu, to honor their ancestors as part of "Come and Help" month around the Church's Pacific area in February 2022. Credit: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Church members in Maupiti add trees and plants to a new medical center on the island for their "Come and Help" activity. French Polynesia, February 2022. Credit: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Primary children in the Faanui Ward of the Bora Bora Tahiti Stake participate in the "Come Help" project by cleaning up a park in February 2022. Credit: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Children of the Faanui Ward play on the playground after picking up trash around the park in Bora Bora as part of the Church's "Come and Help" service activities around the area in February 2022. Credit: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Members of the Paea Tahiti Stake and their friends paint new lines for games on a school playground in Tahiti as part of a service project in February 2022. Credit: Screenshot from The Church of Jesus Christ – Pacific Area YouTube
Members of the Taravao 1st Ward help weed and beautify the yard of a neighbor in French Polynesia, February 2022. Credit: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Members and friends of the Taravao 1st Ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Tahiti clean the yard of a neighbor in February 2022 Credit: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Members of the Arue Tahiti Stake weed and clean the cemetery in Tautira, French Polynesia, on Feb.12, 2022. Credit: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Taravao 2nd Ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints improve the play area of the Ohi Tei Tei School in Taravao as part of a community service project in French Polynesia, February 2022. Credit: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Volunteers turned out in force for various “Come and Help” projects around the Pacific Area of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in February. This was part of a South Pacific-wide monthlong initiative by the Church to encourage community service and care for others.
Children, youth and adults spent hours cleaning, painting, sweeping, planting, landscaping and more, reported Pacific Newsroom. Church members invited others to join them, and worked side by side with their neighbors.

Bora Bora

The Bora Bora Tahiti Stake covers many islands of French Polynesia, and stake members are on many islands. On the island of Bora Bora, Primary children in the Faanui Ward helped clean the park and sports complex of Teriimaevarua.

Primary President Mahealani Tetuanui said: “We explained to the children that ‘Come and Help’ is also about inviting friends of other faiths. We were touched by the simple faith of the children who spontaneously invited their friends to participate.”

More than 20 children joined for the morning of service and then played together in the park when they were finished.

“A service rendered always leads to a blessing received,” Tetuanui told Pacific Newsroom.

Primary children in the Faanui Ward of the Bora Bora Tahiti Stake participate in the “Come and Help” project by cleaning up a park in February 2022.
Primary children in the Faanui Ward of the Bora Bora Tahiti Stake participate in the “Come and Help” project by cleaning up a park in February 2022. | Credit: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Meanwhile, on the island of Maupiti, members of the Maupiti Ward helped landscape the gardens and courtyard of a new medical center being built.

The ward members helped add more than 100 plants to the gardens, including breadfruit, mango and longan trees, along with decorative plants. When the center is finished, an inauguration ceremony will be held involving the entire island.

“Everyone came armed with strength, faith and pride to serve relentlessly unto the end,” Bishop More Firuu said. “When it was complete, all faces were brimming with joy and satisfaction, having been useful servants in the vineyard of the Lord by helping others.” 

Church members in Maupiti add trees and plants to a new medical center on the island for their “Come and Help” activity, in French Polynesia, February 2022.
Church members in Maupiti add trees and plants to a new medical center on the island for their “Come and Help” activity, in French Polynesia, February 2022. | Credit: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Tahiti

On Tahiti Island, more than 120 people from different congregations in the Taravao Tahiti Stake served in their communities on Saturday, Feb. 12, as part of the “Come and Help” initiative.

Volunteers coordinated with city officials to find out where they were needed, and invited friends to join and make their area a better place to live.

Members of the Taravao 1st Ward help weed and beautify the yard of a neighbor in French Polynesia, February 2022.
Members of the Taravao 1st Ward help weed and beautify the yard of a neighbor in French Polynesia, February 2022. | Credit: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

In Hitiaa, volunteers cleaned the wharf, while in Tautira they worked in the city cemetery, reported Pacific Newsroom. Those in Taravao helped with a beautification project for a school. And in Toahotu, volunteers painted fences and cleaned other areas in the neighborhood.

Taravao Tahiti Stake President Rupe Parker said: “Serving in the community is our way of sharing Heavenly Father’s love for all His children. We want each of our neighbors to know how much Jesus Christ loves them and cares for each one of us.”  

Members of the Arue Tahiti Stake weed and clean the cemetery in Tautira, French Polynesia, on Feb.12, 2022.
Members of the Arue Tahiti Stake weed and clean the cemetery in Tautira, French Polynesia, on Feb.12, 2022. | Credit: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Papehue

Church members from the Paea Tahiti Stake took part in a project recently to help improve a primary school in the community of Papehue.

Entire families served together and had a lot to do that day, including weeding the school vegetable garden, clearing and sweeping the yard, repainting furniture and painting games on the sidewalk of the playground.

Members of the Paea Tahiti Stake and their friends paint new lines for games on a school playground in Tahiti as part of a service project in February 2022.
Members of the Paea Tahiti Stake and their friends paint new lines for games on a school playground in Tahiti as part of a service project in February 2022. | Credit: Screenshot from The Church of Jesus Christ – Pacific Area YouTube

One participant told Pacific Newsroom, “Whether parents or young people and even children, everybody was of one heart and one mind to serve. We found great joy in beautifying our school.” 

Bishop Marc Taputuarai of the Papehue Ward said, “Serving the community helps us become more like the Savior through sacrifice and love.”

Church members pose with their neighbors who served with them in a project at a primary school in Papehue, Tahiti, in February 2022.
Church members pose with their neighbors who served with them in a project at a primary school in Papehue, Tahiti, in February 2022. | Credit: Screenshot from The Church of Jesus Christ – Pacific Area YouTube

Vanuatu

Members of the Port Villa Vanuatu Stake worked together to clean up the local cemetery in the village of Erakor in support of “Come and Help” month.  

Men, women and young adults volunteered to weed, trim and beautify the graves in the cemetery, in a combined activity focused on family history. 

Louisette Waiane, who participated in the cleanup, told Pacific Newsroom, “We had a really uplifting experience knowing that we are not just helping and taking care of part of our village, but we are serving our ancestors on the other side of the veil.”

Members of the Erakor Branch weed and clean the village cemetery in Erakor, Vanuatu, to honor their ancestors as part of “Come and Help” month around the Church’s Pacific Area in February 2022.
Members of the Erakor Branch weed and clean the village cemetery in Erakor, Vanuatu, to honor their ancestors as part of “Come and Help” month around the Church’s Pacific Area in February 2022. | Credit: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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