In the heat of a beautiful tropical morning, nearly 30 members and missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, gathered at the front door of Tasputra Perkim for a service project. Donning garden tools, gloves, and bug spray, along with willing hands and hearts, the cheerful volunteers descended upon the outdoor jungle growth with eagerness. The grounds were quickly transformed and improved.
- Raking Leaves, Cleaning the Front Yard
- Picking up the Leaves and Yard Debris
- Trimming back the Growth
- Sweeping and Pruning
- Leaving A Song for Elahe and Grace
- Pruning back a season's growth
- Raking Up Leaves, Cleaning the Front Yard
- Pulling Every Weed by Hand
- Hand Work is Required
- Members and Missionaries Making a Difference
- Do the fine detailed weeding
- Clearing the Overgrown Yard
- Raking Leaves, Cleaning the Front Yard
- The "After" Picture of a Great Pruning Job
| Temple Square is always beautiful in the springtime. Gardeners work to prepare the ground for General Conference. © 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. | 1 / 2 |
Bushes were pruned, beds were weeded, leaves were raked and piled for burning, trash was gathered, edges were trimmed and drainage ditches were cleared. Several young women got blisters from their raking efforts. Some volunteers had done service of this sort before their missions. Others were doing yard work for the first time, and were being taught by the others. One sister said this was her first service opportunity of her mission, and she hopes there will be more. “This is the work of God, to help one another,” she said.
Hajjah “Elahe" Norman, the Chairman of the facility, met the group and thanked them for their assistance with the yard work. She said the grounds are lovely, but they take a lot of time and attention when their focus is the children whom they serve. She expressed her appreciation and hopes that others will follow the example set by these young people to assist others in humanitarian efforts. While the group was working, some of the children returned from their usual Wednesday outing to the nearby Polo Club where they are able to ride horses.
The facility generously provided drinks, sandwiches and dates to the hot and hungry workers. After breaking for a drink and a sandwich, the outstanding young people joined in singing all three verses of “I am a Child of God” as a witness and a testimony of the work they do and the lives they lead now in Malaysia.
Tasputra Perkim, a Not for Profit Day Care and Training Center for children with special needs, offers therapy, classes, meals and attention during the day to more than 50 children. These children come mainly from lower income Malaysian families living in the immediate area. This home has been in existence for more than 26 years in this location in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Tasputra Perkim has also been a recipient of donations by LDS Charities.