Sunday, April 28, 2013

Women of Faith

  WOMEN OF FAITH

 
 
Sister Davis who is holding up her daily planner

Increasing numbers of sisters, from 14 to 52 in 4 months

Sister Berg and Buxton having a companionship inventory

Visiting with wonderful women of various
religious affiliations  (Good refreshment in body and soul)
Women discover the beliefs and practices of members
of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Questions from the audience
The following was reported after the event:

What a wonderful night we had last night! We welcomed over 70+ women from NH Women of Faith to the Manchester, NH building to hear our presentation entitled “The Mormon Next Door” and to view the exhibit “We Believe in Jesus Christ " followed up by a 20 minute question and answer session with a panel of five LDS Women including Valerie Earnshaw, Sister Loralee Wilkey from the NH Mission, Amber Jensen, Myself and Linda Rose. As a result, I was asked to join the steering committee of Women of Faith to work along side them and in return, I agreed I would invite our LDS female members to join their events to create a stronger interfaith network. The women's interfaith organization was created to share religious beliefs, culture and traditions among women from various faiths. A Steering Committee plans approximately four events per year in order to develop understanding and friendship between women of all.

This event will be televised on public television in Concord, Bedford, Manchester and Goffstown over the next couple of months. The music was under the direction of Kim Spencer. Opening song was “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” sung by Kim Spencer, Kathleen Treu, Melora Colette, Melanie Medaris, Amber Jensen, and Megan Whitney. Accompanied by Pana Hong. Closing song was “I Am A Child of God” sung by Erin Crowley with Linda Rose on the Violin and Pana Hong on the piano.
 
Angela Hughes, Director of PUblic Affairs, norther New England


Sister Chapin and her daughter Ayla, both having been just baptized visit
with President Wilkey and missionaries, Elders Preslar and Holley

Young women share mormon.org and youth.lds.org links with friends.
Both are full of uplifting stories, DVD clips and music.


Three Earnshaw sisters hug their friend Jen.
Jen was baptized a year ago December. They affirm their conviction that "success in family
life is more likeley when founded upon teachings of Jesus Christ" as well as the conviction
that marrage and family relationships may be perpetuated beyond the grave.
 
 




















 
 


Glimpses in Missionary Comings and Goings, Teaching and Training

 

 Holy habits and righteous routines



 Elders Warner and Adams
Elders Shelby and Hansen
Elders Booth and McKnight
 
Teach one another
 
"Effective study during your mission will help you fulfill your purpose as a missionary and strengthen your testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Four of your most important study opportunities are personal study, companion study, district meetings (zone meetings), and zone conferences. Your daily schedule includes time for personal and companion study every day."
 Preach My Gospel




  Time out to learn by doing and having a lighthearted break at the same time!  Elder Mitchell is leading this group.  Below is a three legged race with a purpose. Sisters Westling, Fuller, Elders Pritchett, Esplin, Crockett, Resendez, Smith and Walker prepare for the relay.  Below Elder Stallings is using a moment of waiting to play Book of Mormon pictionary.
 
 
 
 Zone leaders and district leaders take responsibility of teaching fellow missionaries and of involving them in discussion and participation.  Elder Murray is teaching Elders Stallings, Pritchett, and Dickinson.  Elder Hatch serves as district leader in Burlington, Vermont.  Elder Rogers is using a balloon in a demonstration for Elders Hatch and Wikan.


 
Real play or practice or role play - whatever the name, missionaries usually find it initially awkward-- but soon discover that the real play prepares them well for teaching.
 

Elders Woodruff and Preslar
 
Zone leaders choose a goal to inspire members of their zone to increase their faith
and lift their vision.
 
 ARRIVING

 Our Largest Number of Incoming Missionaries - 26 - wait for missing luggage




FIRST EVENING
Completely exhausted, nervous and trying to listen carefully in orientation by Elder Benjamin,


 
 
TRANSFERS
Meeting new companion, the wonderful trainers
President with Sisters Hall and Wallantine
26 new missionaries  - 12 sisters, 14 elders
Sister Reid, training at 5 weeks meets Sister Cowley
  A WEEK LATER

Elders Buttars and Rohleder

Missionaries return for what s called a specialized training, focused on the new missionaries and their trainers.  Area books, planners, lesson preparation in addition to the doctrine of Christ and unifying with the Spirit and with each other are the main agenda items.
 
RETURNING HOME
 
After two years, some missionaries have accumulated far beyond two suitcases of 50 pounds each.
Elders Johnson and Barfuss
 
Checking the flight schedule - the edge of anticipation 

The UNEXPECTED
Elder Booth did not plan on a fractured finger on preparation day nor the minor operation thereafter.


Elders Gardner and Prusak
AND EXPECTATIONS  Not only are missionaries expected to keep
clean apartments but to ensure the efficacy of smoke and CO2 alarms. 
 
NO TRACE MISSIONARIES

Elers Banks, Warner and Parsons

MISSION LEADERSHIP COUNCIL



Zone Leaders' Council is replaced by Mission Leadership Training.
Sister Training Leaders will serve on the council.  More sisters will
be called to the Council.  But here is the photo of the first Mission Leadership Council
of New Hampshire Manchester Mission.
A fantastically warm and sunny day!  So the Council members took a break
for an activity with a purpose.  The teams of four soon learned to unite
and to communicate in order to succeed.



Lessons from New England

"We must develop the capacity to see men (others) not as they are at present but as they may become." President Thomas S Monson
 
 "We have two seasons: winter and the Fourth of July." (New England proverb) But we have noticed that New Englanders bring vases of flowers into their homes, perhaps to welcome spring year around. That's optimism: always seeing the flowers in the winter.


Notice the sense of fun in a typical New England red barn.
 That's a sense of what a barn can become!!


We love the distinctive "flavor" of Maine from seacoast to farming land. Notice all the buoy markers on a shack near Boothbay, Maine. Lobstermen use colorful buoys to remember the location of their lobster traps and to distinguish theirs from others. (Photo courtesy of Marcus Hutchins.) Any shed can become a showcase!


 

Windows are wonderful. They serve as a frame on which we might focus our attention.... Windows also reveal the approach of a friend, a gathering storm, a magnificent sunset...Windows welcome light to our lives... President Thomas S Monson
 
 
 
 Looking out the window at Hutchin's cottage on a clear day -
 
"It is not the going out of port, but the coming in,
that determines the success of the voyage."
Henry Ward Beecher

" The lighthouse of the Lord sends forth signals readily recognized and never failing." 
President Thomas S Monson
 
The two pictures above, taken by Marcus Hutchins from their family home front window capture the beauty and majesty of the Atlantic ocean.  Notice the Cuckold's Lighthouse in the distance.


VERMONT “A sap-run is the sweet good-by of winter. It is the fruit of the equal marriage of the sun and frost.”John Burroughs, Signs and Seasons, 1886

2013 maple syrup season = 45 gallons sap to one gallon syrup.
 1. care for the trees.attaching sap lines to the trees  to 2. Tapping each tree individually (for the Goodriches = 40,000 trees)
 

 3. Bringing in the sap gathered; Sap through tubing to trucks
 
 
 4. Sap tanks. Each tank. 7000 gallon
5. Through RO
H2o. Reverse osmosis nanofiltration.

 President Goodrich tending the boiler, an around the clock work when the sap runs. He has invented several components of the processing of sap to syrup.
 
 6. Boilers which take constant watch care
 7. From boiler to barrels

8 From barrels to Bottles.
Sister Ruth Goodrich is not only side by side Glenn in the mapling season, but in all seasons of their business and farming operations.  Both take time as well to volunteer as EMTs.  She spends many hours serving Boy Scouts as well.
 9. To Shipping or Store
 
"The best way out is always through."  Robert Frost

New England Observations

DISTANCE:  Over left ankle and up two buckles.It's about a farsee.
"The quickest way to do many things is to do one thing at a time."

ATTITUDE: "You can't keep trouble from coming, but you don't have to give it a chair to sit on."
"Small circumstances produce great events"
"Wishing isn't doing."
"You can't always tell by the looks of a toad how far he can jump."

HUMOR:
"In New England we have nine months of winter and three months of poor sledding."

So the outah statah says to the Down-Eastah....."There sure are a lot of funny looking people aound heh" And tha Mainah says...."Yup....but come Labah Day, they'll awl be gawn"!
- Submitted by Barb&Rog L. (Columbia, Maine)