'Extreme Makeover' hits Payson streets
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In the midst of soaring gas prices and a weakening economy the youth of the Payson Utah Stake faced a choice. They had been planning a trek to Martin's Cove, but even after saving for two years the travel expenses alone were far larger than their budget.
Facing that problem, a group of youth leaders assembled and confronted the task of finding a different project. The youth came up with a number of ideas for the conference. But over time, only one seemed to stick – service.
"We thought of lots of different ideas, but we told them we wanted to serve. We got excited about this, we all felt good about it," said Sydney Heaton, a youth leader from the Payson 3rd Ward.
The service idea surprised leaders at first, but before long it seemed like the right thing to do.
"We were worried that the youth would be disappointed, but as soon as the service idea surfaced, the Martin's Cove trip wasn't a big deal. They really wanted to serve," said Doni Bufton, who served with her husband, Alan, as the co-chairs of the project.
Hearing of similar service projects and wanting to mirror the popular television show, the youth decided on an "extreme makeover" idea. The project theme was then coined – "Service with all your heart, might, mind and strength."
Having a theme and purpose, finding projects was the next step. Leaders began seeking stake members who needed service desperately or who needed to strengthen their testimonies.
After the long process of planning, the time for service actually came on Thursday, June 18. Not even the 5:30 a.m. alarm could stop the youth from coming out. Walking around Payson, 140 youth in orange and blue shirts were easily spotted at 16 different sites. Groups such as "Ammon's Helping Hands" and "Lehi Landscaping" were found all over Payson re-roofing houses, pouring concrete and landscaping, among other projects.
"I think [the project] has done a lot of good. It's been a lot of hard work. I've never roofed a house before and it was kind of scary. But it was a lot of fun," said Rusti O'Neal of the Payson 14th Ward.
Once they were going, not even an afternoon rainstorm could stop them.
"They just sat under the carport for 30 minutes and watched it. Then, when it finished, they went right back to work," said Curtis Arrington, the first counselor in the Payson Utah Stake presidency.
The youth felt satisfied with the results of the project.
"I didn't think it would be this intense. But I think it's cool that we could see a big difference so quickly. It felt good to see," said Sydney Heaton.
The youth had reason to be proud of the work done. But what they were most proud of was the reaction from the neighbors they served.
Connie Leavitt of the Payson 16th Ward has been living in her Payson home for 39 years. In recent years, she hadn't been able to care for her yard and had lost hope for it. The Payson youth stepped in and came to the rescue.
"I just can't believe it," she said, choking back tears. "They've worked so hard. I didn't ever think this would happen to my yard. Their being here is a big blessing. It's still so unreal to me. It's just like they were miracle workers."
Carl Swenson, the Payson Utah stake president, was impressed with the dedication and work ethic of the youth. He was surprised on Friday afternoon when he drove up to see the youth doing a surprise project at his home.
"The youth have been spectacular. They've planned it and organized it. Most importantly, they've carried it out. I drove up to the house and they were the ones doing the work," he said.
The whole community noticed the service and it proved to be contagious. Neighbors watching the effort petitioned help at their houses next. Even two nonmembers joined the effort, helping in one of the cement projects and helping to serve food.
After so much work, there were plenty of opportunities to cool off. Soaping up a giant slip-n-slide Thursday night, renting out the Payson pool on Friday night and a number of activities on Saturday encouraged the youth to play as hard as they had worked.
Also as part of the conference the youth had a chance to write out their testimonies of service. To cap off the Saturday activities, one hard-working youth won a drawing for an old car that had been donated by a member.
"The thing that was funny to me was how much fun the kids had. They worked their hearts out, but they loved it," said Doni Bufton.
The youth conference changed a lot from the original plan, but it showed that sometimes the best activities can be done right in one's own backyard.
