Mormons put down Bibles for chain saws to serve neighbors

[Trauma-san]

Four young men spent most of Friday trying to help some neighbors in need.
Decked out in sweatshirts, jeans and work gloves, they used chain saws to cut down a mammoth section of a century-old oak tree that fell onto Bobby and Catherine Hall's home during this week's ice storm.

The four, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, noticed the damaged home and its crushed front porch while driving to the store.

"We just saw it and said, 'This is a mess,'" said Peter Brown, 20, who is in Rock Hill as part of a two-year mission for the Mormon church.

With instructions from their president to do service work in the storm's aftermath, the four immediately thought of the home at 330 Laurens St.

Brown wasn't sure whether all of the debris could be removed by Friday evening. "We might have to come back tomorrow, but we're going to get it done," Brown said.

The Halls' daughter, Jackie Walker, was working on her computer Wednesday night at her parents' house when the tree, covered with ice, fell and crashed onto the house. The blow knocked pictures off the wall, Walker said. "It scared the daylights out of me."

Fortunately, no one was hurt. But the Halls, who are on a fixed income, worried about how they would pay for the tree removal and repairs to the home where they've lived for 25 years.

"I'm still in shock," Catherine Hall said, adding she was thankful for the help from Brown and his three friends, Eric Callister, 19, Micah Clyde, 20, and Mark Peterson, 20. "I think that's wonderful," she said of their assistance.

The Halls lived through 1989's Hurricane Hugo without a scratch. Even the plants on their porch didn't blow over, Hall said. "It shows you don't have that kind of luck all the time."

The couple still isn't sure how they will pay for the home repairs, though.

"I guess we'll just pray," Catherine Hall said.

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I know these guys; Micah is a cool guy, I used to hang out with him all the time, we did missionary lessons together and stuff.  Great guy, It's a pleasure to be his friend.  What do you guys think about the possibilities of helping other people, when you get nothing in return, as a source of enjoyment? I know Micah, and out of this, he got a ton of pleasure, I'll guarantee, just being able to do a good deed.  

another positive post brought to you by DJ Trauma.  

[CharlieBrown]

If i can help people then i always try to, thanks to the socialist in me.

[CharlieBrown]

The biggest thing i've ever done is helping a family pull there house down and rebuild a new one after it burnt down. It was hella hard work and it was in the winter with 10-12" deep snow so it was long, hard work but definatly worth it.

[Trauma-san]

Man, that's good of you, though... you'll never even know when they think about you, ya know?  They probably thought of you this week, and how you helped out.  That's cool, man.