You're Never Too Young To Serve

A week ago last Saturday, our family went to the Portland Oregon Temple and served by working in the flowerbeds. I serve in the Young Women's program at church and it was actually a youth activity, but I decided it would be fun if Matthew and Amelia came along too, as a family service project.

Amelia was amazing, she loved every second as we pulled out old tulip bulbs and flowers, and tied up the daffodil leaves, she giggled as she moved the rubber bands far away from my reach.

Amelia can run so fast these days, I could hardly keep up as she ran towards to next gardening job by the flagpole.




We had two wards working together, it was surprising how fast the time flew by and we achieved a lot.

I went with one of the Temple gardeners to drop off the old flowers, and to my surprise saw a coyote, it was beautiful, reddish brown in colour, it ran down the hill as we arrived and watched us carefully from the bottom of a hill, as it stood behind the trees. Apparently there was also a small snake behind me, when the lady I was with mentioned it, I screamed and jumped back a mile, she thought it was hilarious that I wasn't at all scared to see a coyote, but was petrified of a little snake, who wouldn't harm me.

Matthew was the master sweeper.

Afterwards, I snapped a few shots of Amelia by some of the flowers that remained and we enjoyed a short devotional given by the head gardener. He talked about how the Temple was a protected environment and likened that to how we as individuals are protected by family and friends in the gospel, and how important it is that we each establish firm roots in the Gospel, it was really a great message not only to the youth but to all of us.


It was such an amazing morning, the weather was beautiful and even though we were working, you could still feel the peacefulness of the Temple grounds.

How lucky we are to have a Temple so close, and what a great service to do as a family. I can't wait to go back.