Youth in Australia helped show Christ’s love and took action to change the world by serving in their communities in late April. These youth from Melbourne and its communities conducted service projects like removing trash from a park and repainting schools.
Beautifying the earth
They started by cleaning Koomba Park in the Melbourne suburb of Wantirna on April 22 as part of the Earth Day movement to change the world. These youth, aged 11-17 and from various neighborhoods in Melbourne, worked hard to collect trash from the park’s lakes and billabongs, which are small ponds left behind after a river floods into other areas.
One of the young men was heard saying, “We’ve struck gold” after returning with a bag full of trash. Mattie Peka, one of the youth leaders, applauded the youth’s efforts in “making a clean-up job fun when being with your friends.”
Adam Berry, another local Church leader, also approved of the youth’s service. He said, quoting his father, “You’ll never feel bad when you’re doing good.” The Biodiversity Department of Knox City Council also appreciated the youth’s desire to clean the environment and make a difference in their community.
‘It’s a win-win for everyone’
Youth from Melbourne suburbs, including Heidelberg, participated in a weekend-long stake conference with the themes “Let Your Light Shine” and “Trust the Lord With All Your Heart” on April 29 and 30. They served at a local special needs school on Saturday, April 29, then met for a devotional on Sunday, April 30.
At the service project, youth painted classrooms and outdoor murals, cleaned the building and chairs, and maintained the school’s gardens.
President Richard D. McLean, president of the Melbourne Australia Heidelberg Stake, spoke about the service, saying “it’s been good for the Bellfield community, but what’s been really good is for families and singles in our congregations to fellowship and to give service. It’s a win-win for everyone.”
Georgia Tsonis, assistant principal of the school, expressed her gratitude for the service rendered by the youth. She said, “I think it’s really touching that in today’s day and age, when everyone is so busy with their work and their children’s activities — when Saturday mornings are precious — to volunteer their free time and do things that we’ve been meaning to do with our school for such a long time and just haven’t had the manpower, the staff or the money. We’ve gotten through things that probably would have taken years for us to do. We thank you so much.”
The light and love of Christ
Two different choirs provided music for the Sunday devotional, a children’s choir with a 12-year-old accompanist and the other made of members from a Chinese language congregation. In addition to the music, several speakers gave talks and reinforced the theme of the conference.
Simon Corps, one of the speakers at the conference, said, “As we let the Lord’s light shine through us, others will feel His love.”
Eric Lemalu, another speaker at the devotional, said, “Our light shines brightest when it comes from our hearts.”
President McLean and Australia Melbourne Mission President Paul J. Thomas added their testimonies of Jesus Christ.
“Charity is the antidote to contention and a true characteristic of a follower of Jesus Christ,” said President Mclean.
President Thomas further expounded on the light and love of Jesus Christ, saying, “The light that Jesus Christ shines is love. Nothing will get in the way of His love – not pain, suffering, trauma or any other opposition as we go through in this life.”
