Caring for Those in Need

Ministering amid Conflict

RaeAnn and Sterling Jarvis—Church members in Warsaw, Poland—didn’t know what to expect when they chose to host refugees in their home. But they were willing to help in any way they could.

Soon after conflict began in Europe, a Ukrainian family of five arrived at their door at 1:00 a.m. They had traveled almost 500 miles (800 km) to find safety. The Jarvises welcomed Maryna and Serhii Bovt and their three children into their home. Over time they developed a real love and concern for the Bovt family. “When you share love, it grows,” Maryna said of the Jarvises’ example of service. “It makes us closer to each other and to the Lord.”

As Church members, we strive to follow the Savior’s example by ministering to those around us. People do not have to be fleeing war or persecution to need help. Every act of kindness on our part—no matter how small—can impact someone’s life for good.

Community of Sharing

At the Church-owned Laie Hawaii Crops Farm, over 310 families grow crops to support their households. On their 1.25-acre plots, these families grow taro, tapioca, sweet potatoes, breadfruit, guava, and other island crops.

The farm is managed by a missionary couple and receives support from other missionaries and members. These volunteers help clear land, prepare soil for planting, and teach basic farming skills.

Because of these missionaries, members, and volunteers, many people who need food in Hawaii are better able to support themselves when jobs are scarce. The community is stronger when people work together to care for the farm and share what they grow.

Church humanitarian projects help provide food security, education, clean water, and health-care services for millions of people worldwide. The Church also offers many resources to enhance self-reliance, including bishops’ storehouses, employment centers, Deseret Industries stores, Family Services counseling, self-reliance courses, and Church-owned farms and orchards like the Laie Hawaii Crops Farm. These projects are often aided by members and missionaries, whose selfless donations of time, talents, and other resources make a huge difference to those in need.

An Act of Friendship

In 2021, about 200 Church members answered a call for help. They went to centers in Germany, the United States, and other places to help process about 55,000 refugees from Afghanistan.

Many volunteers served at these centers for two or three weeks, and some stayed even longer. Church members met the urgent needs of those seeking refuge by providing food, clothes, and other supplies.

Relief Society sisters in Germany noticed that some Afghan women were using their husbands’ shirts to cover their heads instead of their traditional head coverings, which had been lost or damaged in the madness at the airport. These Relief Society sisters gathered to sew traditional Muslim clothing for these women in need—showing kindness and respect for others, putting aside their difference of beliefs.

Sister Sharon Eubank, director of Latter-day Saint Charities, said, “Our individual efforts don’t necessarily require money or faraway locations; they do require the guidance of the Holy Spirit and a willing heart to say to the Lord, ‘Here am I; send me’ [Isaiah 6:8].”¹

The desire to serve when disasters strike is why the Church is often one of the first groups to respond—both with temporary relief and long-term help. The work of Church members and missionaries helps those in need to feel safe, receive physical and mental care, and feel the love of God through the kindness of others.