Who's pushing your wagon eh?

I don't talk much in detail about my Mission with the church.  Mostly for privacy reasons - many of our experiences involve legal issues and such, so they are taboo to post.  But today I feel it is important to share the experiences of this morning.  There are 800 members in the ward I serve as a Missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (you know, the Mormons)  There are only about 90 active members, there are about 50 endowed members, 95% of the members have needs.  Our (amazing and overwhelmed) Bishop followed the Prophets request to have a Community Clean-up Project.  Our area is littered with scrap metal 'collectors' (for some their only income), and littered with sheds and piles of very interesting items.  We also have 3 Gangs prevalent in our area and they make themselves known with their artistry.   800 fliers went out - 8 people came from our ward.  We stood there in the parking lot - after announcing, and fliers, and calls, and preparations.  We had dumpsters, and trailers lined up and water and Popsicles galore.  8 people stood there.   The need is so great in this ward that there are 4 Missionary couples assigned there.  One of the couples said... just wait one more minute... we all stood there looking at them wondering what kind of miracle they were going to pull off.  One by one, truckload after truckload, youth, parents, grandparents, shovels, rakes, and hearts of gold started pouring into the parking lot.  The Carvers had contacted their ward and 130 people drove in at the same time ready to work. Ready to serve the Lord, ready to sweat in the heat, and become filthy dirty working in horrid places, ready to give their hearts.  I stood there in tears today, as they drove in honking their horns, lights on, waving.... we all were overtaken by the spirit.  Today - our ward was cleaned from top to bottom, sheds came down, trees were removed, 6 dumpsters filled, and most of all, miracles happened.  I could not tell you the names of the people that I worked next to today - but I could have sworn that they all had angel wings hidden under their sweaty tee shirts, and that their hearts were made of pure gold.  How unfortunate that the people that they served were the very one's that should have been out helping, but instead hid in their houses and let others do the work.  How fortunate, that those 130 people that came - had their lives changed by a simple yet powerful service project that they 'made a choice' to do.  My children experienced Trek - they told me about the mountain that the women had to pull the wagons alone up - and the men stood at the top and could not help them.  Each one bore testimony that the 'unseen angels of God' were behind them pushing the wagons up that hill.  Today - I witnessed first hand, someone pushing a wagon from behind.  Today -serve someone - give someone 5 minutes of your life - give it away - promise me you'll never miss the chance to serve, to grow, to give.  That's when we become the human beings that God wants us to be.  It is then that he showers his blessings upon us.  Thank you Brother and Sister Carvers ward - whomever you were today - you saved my soul, you helped me believe again.