GIRLS AND DOLLS—Brooke Bowers and Sabrina Smith help sew dolls for underprivileged children in Africa. More than 200 teens affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Thousand Oaks and Moorpark spent the first week of summer vacation doing service projects. In addition to making dolls, youths ages 14 through 18 sewed doll clothes, cleaned out a storage shed at Redwood Middle School in T.O., and built homes and playhouses for Habitat for Humanity. Habitat will auction the playhouses. Around the world each year teens from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints get together during the first week of summer break to do service projects.

More than 200 young people ages 14 through 18 from T.O. and Moorpark gathered for an annual youth conference, “Extreme Makeover: A Mighty Change,” at the church’s stake center, 1600 Erbes Road.

“It was so fabulous. They left saying they wanted to be a little better, and that was the purpose,” said Tracy Bowers, whose children participated.

“I learned how important service is. There are so many families in need in the area,” said Becca Lassen, 15.

Those 16 and older could help build Habitat for Humanity homes. Those 15 and under stayed at the church building and built three playhouses to donate to Habitat for an auction.

“The purpose for the youth conference was to build friendships with like-minded people and to strengthen their testimonies of the gospel of Jesus Christ,” said organizer Susan Lassen. They accomplished it through inspirational speakers, service projects and a creative carnival, she said.

Speakers told the teens to “keep the commandments, read scriptures, have daily prayer, serve each other and be good examples,” Lassen said.

They also had a carnival inside the church building, using the cultural hall, where each child was given coins representing talents. They were told to “spend them wisely.” There were service projects where they could earn more talents. There were games where they could spend talents.

One of the adult leaders kept urging the teens to “go and see the carpenter,” a man representing Jesus Christ. Those who did got a stamp on their hands representing partaking of the atonement. At the end of the carnival the teenagers were encouraged to consider how they had spent their talents and how the atonement of Jesus Christ affects their eternal future, Lassen said.

—Nancy Needham