BRYAN, Texas — A labor of love—A group of young men in the Bryan/ College Station area come together and gather their hands to provide free labor to those in need within the community.
These men are missionaries with The Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints, helping their fellow neighbor one service project at a time.
“Oh, these guys are wonderful,” said Frank Pena, Bryan homeowner. “I bought everything, and the guy told me he’d do it and I said ‘well, let’s do it.”
Frank Pena lives in Bryan and was in need of some roof repairs.
Each time it rained, water seeped through the ceiling and entered his bedroom.
“We actually became really close with Frank and Frank’s a good friend of ours and he was talking about how he needed to get a roof and how it was leaking,” said Elder Roberts, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “I was like I roofed plenty of homes with my dad and I was like ‘I probably can help you out.’”
For Mr. Pena, it means the world to him.
“It means…a special place in my heart,” said Pena. “He knows my situation and all of the problems I’ve been having in life and my health.”
While focusing on his health, Mr. Pena was unable to do the repairs himself.
He says Elder Roberts showed up to his doorstep one day, making all the difference.
“I’m doing alright,” said Pena. “I still can’t get around too much. I’ve had two surgeries on my back and the first surgery didn’t work and the second one came and then I fell and broke it again. It’s been real trying for me lately.”
The group with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints go around town to spread the word of gospel, and in their spare time, provide labors of love.
“We do it all for free,” said Roberts. “There’s no charge. A lot of people ask us if they can pay us and we say ‘well, you can feed us, we’ll take lunch and water, but no, we don’t take any money,’ We’re a religion that doesn’t base ourselves off of money or wealth.”
The men operate with one mission in mind, to help their fellow neighbor.
“It’s a feeling you’ll never feel anywhere else is helping other people,” said Roberts. “It really brings a lot of joy out, not just for me, but the people that we help. I wish everybody in today’s world could give a lending hand, I mean, God put us on this Earth with our brothers and sisters, we might as well help them out.”
“They’re really good people,” said Pena. “All I can say is God bless them. They’re a blessing.”
If you have some home repairs in mind and want more information, you can reach Elder Roberts and his buddies at 979-574-9173.
