December 19th Summer Camp Cleaning

On the morning of 19th of December, 2008 Fo Guang Shan New Zealand Youth Summer Camp participants attended to tasks set out for them. Task one was to wash and clean the East Wing of Fo Guang Shan North Island Temple. Task two was to mop, sweep and wipe the Dining Hall, the Meditation Room and the Siang Yun Hall. Task Three was to attend to the gardens by weeding. The youths began working hard bright and early in the morning, using all their effort and strength to make the Temple the best it can be.

Under the supervision of Venerable Abbess Manshin, the youths shared the tasks at hand to help complete the mission of trimming the bamboos and cleaning up the corridors and court yard, as well as continuing to weed the garden. From all areas of the Temple, sounds of laughter could be heard, and suddenly the Temple was filled with youthfulness!

After a hard day’s work, the youths enjoyed some snacks and drinks kindly prepared by the Venerables as they expressed their feedback for the day. The youths felt a sense of satisfaction with the results they had achieved during the day, and not only did they beautify the temple’s atmosphere, they also grew and developed within themselves.

Account by Fan-Ping Chiang and Sheng-Han Lim