Healing Ourselves Through Service to Others
Shortly after my husband, John, and I arrived as Mission Leaders in the Santiago, Dominican Republic Mission, one of our missionaries let it be known that he was ready to go home. He had just reached his one-year mark on his mission and insisted that since he had not done anything worthwhile, it was time for him to go home and attend Medical School.
We couldn’t believe that he would claim that he had done nothing worthwhile in an entire year in the mission field, but he was insistent. My husband, John, insisted that this missionary, who I will call Elder Jones, couldn’t go home until he could think of at least one thing that he had done that had been meaningful. After realizing he was going to have to come up with something, he finally admitted, that he had been a part of a service project to clean up a graveyard one Saturday, and he felt that that activity was probably worthwhile.
John suggested to him that he spend his time only doing service projects for a while. Elder Jones protested saying that the Zone Leaders would be hounding him to know how many discussions he had taught, how many discussions with members, etc. We assured him that we would explain to his leaders that he was only to do service for a while.
John requested Elder Jones to supply him with a list of his suggested service activities. It was so fun to see how Elder Jones’ creativity took off! He and his companion started teaching English classes in their ward. Since Elder Jones was a pianist, he also started teaching piano lessons to youth in the ward. They had classes on how to conduct music. The ward loved all these activities.
There was such a positive reaction to all their projects that John suggested to Elder Jones that he come into the office and be an office Elder, creating service projects for the entire mission to be involved in every Saturday. At first, Elder Jones was critical of this idea, but the truth was, he had really enjoyed serving in their ward. But he insisted that if he came into the office, he should not be expected to do proselyting in the evenings like the other office Elders. He had told several people, “I’m very embarrassed to be wearing this missionary tag, which announces that we are here trying to convert people to our beliefs. These people already have beliefs. We should respect those beliefs. We are essentially destroying a culture.”
I knew that this missionary had struggled with depression. I assumed that this depression had affected and twisted his thinking patterns. During his year as a missionary, his parents had gone through a divorce, which I’m sure affected him strongly.
His parents had been married in the temple. He cynically asked me one day how we could expect him to teach about temple marriage, when his own experience with his family had been so excruciating? I suggested to him that he might be able to find comfort by reading the scriptures. He replied flippantly, “Franky, I find the National Geographic to be more inspiring, so that’s what I read during scripture study time.” Personally, I began to wonder if perhaps it would be best if we sent him home, but John was reluctant to send him home when he was hurting so deeply. John wanted some healing to take place, and he believed it could come through service. So, Pres. Douglas agreed that Elder Jones, unlike the other office Elders, wouldn’t have to proselyte in the evenings.
This experiment turned out to be shockingly effective. Elder Jones got busy interacting with many organizations in the mission. Before long, he had all 140 of our missionaries involved in service projects every Saturday. For example, he collaborated with the Mother Teresa Foundation and had our missionaries working together with them to provide services to Haitians working in the sugar plantations, who were essentially treated like slaves. Our missionaries also helped in the Mother Teresa clinics, carrying patients to and from their appointments, who were unable to walk.
Then Elder Jones came to me, knowing that I had worked with doctors and dentists in my work in India. He asked me to invite some of these doctors and dentists to the Dominican Republic to do medical and dental clinics. I contacted these doctors, and they were happy to comply with my request. Thus began a series of medical clinics and dental clinics focused on providing services to children in slum areas and to the “Bateys”, which is where the Haitian farm workers lived.
These clinics were tremendously successful. Our missionaries loved serving there! They would play with the restless children who would line up for hours with their parent, waiting for their turn to see the doctor or dentist. Our missionaries even began to teach some of the parents. Most of children had never before seen either a doctor or a dentist.
Our missionaries helped to set up and run these clinics. They provided all the necessary logistics to make them work. They also taught the waiting parents and children during the long waits. They taught them how to use a toothbrush, and then passed out toothbrushes at the dental clinics. They taught them about hygiene and nutrition at the medical clinics.
The people in the community loved interacting with the missionaries. One inactive member of the Church who Elder Jones recruited to help with these clinics, was quite moved by this experience and returned to activity in the Church. The teaching of the gospel in these areas began to flourish.
Elder Jones also set up projects with an organization called “Acción Callejera”, roughly translated into “action for the street children”. They worked to provide safe housing and education for the runaway and orphaned children living in the streets. Our missionaries tutored the children, encouraged them, and helped them set goals. A number were reunited with their families.
Elder Jones was on a roll! He made connections with several wonderful community service organizations. One was with an organization that helped handicapped children. Once again, our missionaries loved working with these kids. Several of their grateful families and friends began taking discussions.
Another interesting and unexpected thing happened. When we arrived in the mission field there had been about a dozen missionaries who were struggling with depression. They would come to the mission home twice a month for appointments with the area Church psychologist. But after the service programs started, the number of missionaries needing to see the psychologist began slowly to dwindle. None of them wanted to miss the service projects!
Before long, there were no missionaries coming to meet with the area psychology doctor. It was remarkable! The healing was not only affecting the people we served, but it was also affecting our missionaries! There was a new vitality in the mission. We were hearing less and less about depression and discouragement.
We had Elder Jones speak at the Zone Conferences and train and encourage the missionaries to find projects in their own areas. It was rewarding to watch him as he began to develop his leadership skills.
Elder Jones also had quite a transformation during this time. His personal depression seemed to dissipate. He became enthusiastic and visibly happier. Unbeknownst to us, he and his companion were “sneaking out” at night and teaching. His pride wouldn’t allow him to have us know that he was teaching.
Finally, his two years were up. The night before transfers, we typically had a dinner and a testimony meeting for the missionaries going home. As he came into the mission home that evening, he was ecstatic, “Sis. Douglas, I made it! I made it!” I gave him a high five, while enthusiastically exclaiming, “I’m so, so proud of you!” If I could have hugged him, I would have!
I said to him, “Elder Jones, you not only made it, but think of all the hundreds of people that were served throughout this mission: street kids, handicapped children, kids in the bateys, and so many adults and organizations. And think of all the missionaries, who overcame their own depression while working in your projects.” He said, ‘Yea, all that was great, but do you want to know what the best thing was?”
I was surprised at this answer. I could hardly wait to hear what his own assessment was. He said solemnly, “The best thing was being able to wear the name of Jesus Christ on my lapel and be a representative of Him.” I was speechless.
It turns out that in the evenings when he and his companion had begun “sneaking out” to teach, they had found, taught and baptized a family. As Elder Jones had been serving, he had caught the Spirit of our work. He had not only healed others, but at this point in his life, he, himself, had been healed.
It works! Studies have repeatedly shown that when you are involved in lifting another person that you are typically lifted more than the person receiving the help. It also opens heaven’s windows to you as you strive to receive the blessings you seek from God.
Over the years, we have had well more than a thousand volunteers who have come to Rising Star Outreach to help us in our work. They arrive usually full of enthusiasm and can hardly wait to get started. They have come halfway around the world to help offer healing to patients of leprosy and their families.
It’s always a beautiful experience to take them back to the airport as they have finished their service and are heading home. There is a very different feeling among them. Many express surprise that, even though they came to offer healing to the leprosy-affected, they themselves have been the ones who have been the most healed. It’s how it works—it’s an eternal formula!
Pres. Thomas S. Monson taught, “I firmly believe, that the sweetest experience in mortality is to know that our Heavenly Father has worked through us to accomplish an objective in the life of another person”—to help make someone whole. “Reach out to rescue . . . the aged, the widowed, the sick, the handicapped, the less active,” he has said, and then he has led the charge. “Extend to them the hand that helps and the heart that knows compassion.”
“Let us examine our lives and determine to follow the Savior’s example by being kind, loving, and charitable. And as we do so, we will be in a better position to call down the powers of heaven for ourselves, for our families, and for our fellow travelers in this sometimes difficult journey back to our heavenly home.” – Thomas S. Monson, CR April 2017
This is the perfect season to reach out to our fellowman. As we honor the birth of our Savior, let us walk in His footsteps to lift and to help heal others. We may be very surprised to find out that we have invited the Savior into our lives, to heal us as well.