"A man out of work is of special moment to the Church, because deprived of his inheritance, he is on trial as Job was on trial—for his integrity. . . . The Church cannot hope to save a man on Sunday if during the week it is a complacent witness to the crucifixion of his soul" (Gordon B. Hinckley)
Well, we just (Friday) completed our training from church headquarters. It was kind of like the MTC and EFY mixed, although I guess I can't be quite sure since I've never been to EFY. We learned a ton, and I have a much greater testimony of the church welfare system than I ever had before. One of the most amazing things was what we did on Friday. We toured Welfare Square and the Humanitarian Center, and just seeing the sheer immensity of the program almost blew my mind. I was deeply touched when I saw the Bishop's Storehouse. For some reason the idea of a grocery store with no price tags nearly made me cry. I think it gave me a taste of what a Zion society is really like.
The most important thing to remember about the entire welfare system is that the Church does not (or at least should not) give out handouts. The people that receive aid (not "help," which we learned is a bad word :) ) have to do some kind of service to earn what they get. And that's the key: when someone is working, they retain their dignity and their desire to contribute.
That's why I'm so excited to go teach the workshop. I'll be able to teach people how to arm themselves to provide for themselves and their families.
I am a little nervous though. Teaching in Portuguese has helped me to notice that I have a lot of words to learn. But I'll be fine. It'll be a blast.
Oh, and how it's like EFY: I got to know a lot of awesome people. I guess I had met them before, but we just all became friends during the week, and I hope that I remain friends with at least some of them. But just like EFY, the reality is that I will probably not see most of them again. But for any one of them reading this: write me! That's all. Peace.
Well, we just (Friday) completed our training from church headquarters. It was kind of like the MTC and EFY mixed, although I guess I can't be quite sure since I've never been to EFY. We learned a ton, and I have a much greater testimony of the church welfare system than I ever had before. One of the most amazing things was what we did on Friday. We toured Welfare Square and the Humanitarian Center, and just seeing the sheer immensity of the program almost blew my mind. I was deeply touched when I saw the Bishop's Storehouse. For some reason the idea of a grocery store with no price tags nearly made me cry. I think it gave me a taste of what a Zion society is really like.
The most important thing to remember about the entire welfare system is that the Church does not (or at least should not) give out handouts. The people that receive aid (not "help," which we learned is a bad word :) ) have to do some kind of service to earn what they get. And that's the key: when someone is working, they retain their dignity and their desire to contribute.
That's why I'm so excited to go teach the workshop. I'll be able to teach people how to arm themselves to provide for themselves and their families.
I am a little nervous though. Teaching in Portuguese has helped me to notice that I have a lot of words to learn. But I'll be fine. It'll be a blast.
Oh, and how it's like EFY: I got to know a lot of awesome people. I guess I had met them before, but we just all became friends during the week, and I hope that I remain friends with at least some of them. But just like EFY, the reality is that I will probably not see most of them again. But for any one of them reading this: write me! That's all. Peace.
1 comment:
Well let us know how you are and what you are doing when you get some time! Hopefully you are safe and enjoying your experiences.
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