Two young men dressed neatly in dark suits have been seen walking about Battleford lately, and Monday night they visited Battleford town council at its regular meeting.
With them was Blaine Sandberg, Battleford's congregation leader for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, commonly known as Mormons.
Sandberg brought with him two young elders, or missionaries, who are in the community for a few weeks of their two-year missionary service.
"We are followers of Jesus Christ," said Sandberg, adding the example they see within the scriptures of the New Testament is that He was a servant of all.
"So that's one of the key motivations within our church, is to serve," he said.
His companions at the meeting told council they have been volunteering in the community, at the food bank and library in North Battleford and at the Saskatchewan Museum Hall of Fame and Museum.
Elder Patrick Rodgerson of Yuma, Ariz., has been serving about four months, and this is his second area. His first was Melville where he worked with Sarcan and its clients. He is enjoying his time in Saskatchewan, although the weather is quite different from his home.
"I'm still not acclimated yet."
About receiving his call to service, he said, 'When I read Canada, I said, 'Oh my goodness, I'm going to freeze to death,' but I'm still alive."
He said he had no idea what the Battlefords was going to be like, but he was excited to come here.
Elder Ryker Vause of Enterprise, Utah, has been serving about two months. He said they have been volunteering at the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame, helping Executive Director Jane Shury. They have helped with upkeep, with preparing for the recent Welcome Home Andrew Albers banquet held to honour a local player who had made it to the major leagues, and helping with records of inductees.
He and Elder Rodgerson have been staying in an apartment in Battleford. They don't use a car, but they get around very well on foot.
They are also willing to help people out in any way they can.
"If we can't do it, teach us," said Elder Rogerson.
Sandberg said they are looking for places to volunteer. The missionaries can be reached at 306-480-8621 and Sandberg's number is 306-937-7300.
Sandberg said volunteering in the community is one of the church's tenants.
Locally, some of the volunteer work done by the Mormon church includes visiting seniors' homes, reading and helping with recreational activities. They also work with brain-injured people in care homes. They also clean up parks and green space.
There are about 30 strong and able-bodied church members available to help out in various ways, said Sandberg. Shoveling snow was one activity council members suggested.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is also known world-wide for volunteering when disaster strikes. Locally, said Sandberg, they helped with sandbagging in the Radisson and Borden areas during the flooding this spring. There were about 100 individuals helping out, he said. He, personally, was involved in efforts at High River, Alta., where he had lived for nine years. Thousands of church members from the area helped with the cleanup, he said.
He also said 1,400 missionaries will be involved in cleanup and assistance in the Philippines. The church's buildings there are built to North American standards, he said, and they stood up much better in the recent hurricane than most other buildings. They have been designated as gathering areas, he said.
The church is very well organized, said Sandberg, and able to respond quickly. A large group of people can be organized quickly to help with disaster relief anywhere.
Church-wide, he said, they supply medical kits and water purification systems to disaster areas. The women's group here prepares hygiene kits, said Sandberg, containing basic things needed after a disaster such as a flood, including toothpaste, soap, a towel and a small amount of water.
The church also teaches its members to be self-reliant. Most members have 72 hour emergency kits, based on knowing that in the event of a disaster, it could be 72 hours before government agencies or first responders can get to them.
"If you look at Katrina, those people down there, if they had 72 hour kits, they would have been a lot better off," he said.
Battleford's Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is located at 501 Riverbend Crescent, on property donated by the late Mike Gabruch. Sandberg said they have about 130 members, with 50 to 60 attending on a regular basis.
The church does not have a paid ministry, said Sandberg, who works for Larry Gabruch as a sales manager for a valve-manufacturing firm.
"Each of us are volunteers," he said, "highly motivated volunteers."
