The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

NOVEMBER developed in a very special way for the Mormons in Porthmadog. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon is a nick-name) are always anxious to serve the community – and the month provided them with an opportunity for a number of service projects.At the start of the month, church members joined with the Royal British Legion in the Pwllheli area for the third year running to sell poppies for the annual Poppy Appeal. The amount donated by generous local resi-dents in Pwllheli town and the surrounding villages exceeded all previous totals, largely because there were so many more collectors. Many people commented at their front doors, as the collectors called, that it was a pleasure to see them after so long without collections. Myfanwy Hughes, RBL Appeals co-ordinator in Pwllheli, said: “We are so grateful to the Mormons for helping out in this worthy cause.”

Next was redecorating the Café Cymunedol in Dyffryn Ardudwy. After years of use, the café needed a good clean-down and re-painting. Newly-appointed manager Denise Stone asked the Porthmadog Latter-day Saints for help. The result was a clean-and-paint assault by a team of youth with some adults, and a sparkling new café and kitchen. Later in November, the organisers of the North Wales Refugee Support clothing aid project in Blaenau Ffestiniog needed extra hands to help in sorting and packing the mountains of clothing donated and collected in the Orthodox Church in Manod. What followed has been described by the organisers on social media sites as the “Mira-cle of Manod.” A good number of people turned up to place clothes into sizes and types, including over 20 Mormons – ranging in age from four to 88 – and the clothes were then duly sorted and sent to Greece for the refugees. Organiser Caron Dukes said: “After so many months with so few of us slogging on relentlessly, we were agog to see one after another of a long row of very welcome helpers.” One young helper commented, in light of the terrorist attack in Paris: “At college everyone was talking about fear, anger and revenge, and it was kind of depressing. “This felt so good, to do something just out of love, to help some people just because they are God’s children and need help – and to be with so many other people who were giving of themselves just out of love. It made me feel Christ-like and reminded me that fear and hate can never be more powerful than love.”

This coming Sunday in Y Ganolfan, High Street, the main service will be held at 10am, (with bilingual communion), with Scripture Study (Sunday School for all ages) at 11.20am.Everybody welcome.