Today I logged on Facebook and had a wonderful question waiting for me so I figured instead of just answering it for that one person, I'd answer it for all who might be wondering the same thing.

"I'm teaching relief society [the womens organization in the church] now and my lesson on Sunday is on service and I was reading your blog and thought maybe, since you're a missionary and all, you'd have some insights I could share with the girls? Like what it means to you or any experiences or just what you think members [and non-members] should know about giving and receiving service?"

First for both non-members, and members:
Search for service oppurtunities. There is a very special women in the current area that I serve in that means so much to me. She is my inspiration for what service truly means. She is a stay at home mom with 4 children still at home of whom she hometeaches them all... What an inspiration! She is constantly stressed by the deeds of everyday life, yet she still finds ways to serve those around her. What better way to show someone who shows me how much she loves me by providing service to her. The more I'm able to help her out the more that I am able to really understand love for others. She is the depiction of Christ like service and love

Now just for non-members.
A great service ya'll can give is just simply listening to the gospel missionaries share. It sounds so easy but it makes so many people happy. It is my hope that you will be inspired from this Blog to listen to missionaries. To have that desire to make those covenants they invite you to make. It's my hope you know how much love we have for each of you that do listen, and how much love we have for each of you that don't. It is my prayer that you seek out service oppurtunities in the neighborhood, and please as you find them let the missionaries know in your local community! They would love to help out. It is also my prayer that you will ask the full time missionaries to do something for you. Ask them to provide service for you. So many times while I am out here on my mission and has asked someone "May I help you" as they carry 2 fifty pound bags of something or another they always reply "no, I'm good." More often then not they say this in a "out of breath" kind of way. Please ask us to serve you we love it!

And Finally for those members.
Provide Service by inviting your friends to hear missionary lessons in your home. There is no better service in God's Kingdom then helping those around you come unto christ, and there is no better place to do it than in your home. Don't be afraid of anything, God will provide! Going back to that woman of whom I so dearly love let me share an awesome story that just happened not to long ago at her house. Being the service filled women that she is, she invited over one of our investigators for dinner and a lesson! This lesson, created a picture perfect portrayal of the service of one family. It was by far the most spiritual lesson I have been in on my entire mission. I am so grateful for the oppurtunity that I had to participate in the strong power that populated the territory in which we resided AKA the living room! It's my hope we all learn from this family and invite those around us into our spirit filled bungalows, or in other words invite them to have the missionary lessons in our homes.

Finally allow me to speak to everyone again! The more we go out of our ways the better we are in the life to come. Allow ourselves to forget ourselves and charish that happiness in others. Christ admonishes us to not worry about anything of ourselves, but to "seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you." I encourage you all to do the same to seek first the kingdom of God