gotobeijing: Where there is devotion, there a powerful change for good

Where there is devotion, there a powerful change for good.

Devotion is a human need. We need to give devotion and we need to receive it. Where there is devotion, there is a powerful change for good. Love is shown and joy is felt. Devotion is something we teach our children in word and by example. Children learn the most from parents when they are taught by example

Our family has a great sense of devotion to our country and to our fellowmen, as well as a desire to fulfill our duties towards them. We have had many opportunities to show devotion to others. In particular, we had the opportunity to show devotion to an exchange student from Haiti that became our dear friend. Her name is Marie.

We were privileged to take her into our family and care for her as we learned about her history and the country she came from. She shared with the situation in her country. She taught us how to cook foods from her country and taught us how they lived.

It was a privilege to learn from her and about her culture. We were devoted to her while she was in our home.

To this day we stay in contact with Marie. We can see how showing devotion to someone can change their lives. It brings us great joy to see the amazing progress that Marie has made in her life as she finished her education, found a wonderful husband and a successful career. Marie now has two children, and lives in Quebec, Canada. There is great joy received when devotion is given. When devotion is given, joy is always felt.

Devotion is an important quality for our children to possess. I know my children are learning devotion because Brett recently showed devotion to a neighbor. He noticed that this neighbor needed help pulling weeds in his yard. The neighbor's wife had died and the neighbor was sad. Brett called his friends to help go to this man's house and clean up his yard. This devotion to the neighbor touched our neighbor's heart and Brett's. They both felt a connection of love and joy towards each other. This is the power of devotion. By small and simple things, great things come to pass.

Since learning about Marie's culture, we see the great importance of international relations, which is why we think the Olympics are so important in bringing cultures together. That is why in 2002 we showed our devotion to Olympic ideals by volunteering at the Salt Lake Winter Olympics. It brought us joy to see the athletes come to our hometown to compete on the world stage, and we were privileged to be a part of that.

We are impressed with the people of China and what they are doing to show the world who they are. All the volunteers will have an incredible experience in which they will always remember. We see that China's people are ready to give their devotion to the world. We THANK YOU for that.