Catherine Ethington — Relief Society Counselor, Abu Dhabi, UAE

In the United Arab Emirates, Catherine Ethington, a United States citizen and a member of the Church, recently accepted a calling to serve as a counselor in the Abu Dhabi First Ward Relief Society, the women’s organization in the Church of Jesus Christ. Despite the fact that she was anticipating the birth of her second child and had misgivings about her ability to provide adequate time to the responsibility, Ethington agreed to accept the calling.

“I didn’t know most of the women in the ward when I was asked to serve,” Ethington admits.

“The membership of our ward fluctuates with lots of expatriates from Europe, the States, Australia and Canada. Many of our sisters are from the Philippines and have come here to work while others care for their family members at home. It’s a challenging circumstance for these hard-working women, and I didn’t feel prepared to help them feel loved and included.”

In her Relief Society administrative responsibility, the young mother plans activities, service projects and lessons and organizes meetings, but above all, she feels the need to build real and meaningful friendships with each of the women. And the whole process benefits Ethington as well. “I’m living far across the world from my loved ones too, so the opportunity to serves fills empty spaces in my life too,” she explained.

Though she’s served for only a few weeks in her new responsibility, Ethington can see the benefits of her service to herself and to others. “This calling has already been a major factor in making my life in the Middle East wonderful. I have learned through experience and now know that any time invested in serving others through fulfilling my calling is just that, an investment.  It's investing in others and in my own relationship with God. As I’ve learned to balance my family and Church commitments, I’ve fallen in love with service. And I love serving with these sisters.”