After a month, my sister was so happy that we were there. She made the comment, "It is just like having a wife!" I cared for her husband, kept the house clean and she came home to dinner every night. She was right. Can I get one too!!!
Saturday, September 4, 2010
I NEED A WIFE!
About 12 years ago, we lived with my sister and her husband. We thought we were only going to be there for a few weeks, but ended up staying for three months! My sister was working full-time, and her husband had just come home from the hospital and needed someone to care for him. In many ways it was a perfect situation in that we needed a place to stay and she needed someone to care for her husband.
After a month, my sister was so happy that we were there. She made the comment, "It is just like having a wife!" I cared for her husband, kept the house clean and she came home to dinner every night. She was right. Can I get one too!!!
After a month, my sister was so happy that we were there. She made the comment, "It is just like having a wife!" I cared for her husband, kept the house clean and she came home to dinner every night. She was right. Can I get one too!!!
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Bridals vs. Groomals - Breaking Tradition
The groom seeing the bride in her dress before the wedding day is no longer taboo.
Traditional photography sessions of just the bride, or bridals, are now being replaced with ‘groomals’ of both the future bride and groom. Groomals are quickly becoming more the norm than the exception with wedding photographers.
Wedding specialist Heather Balliet, and owner of Amorology in Southern California, sets up a photo shoot with the couple and photographer prior to the wedding day for what they call a “first look.”
“This is an opportunity prior to the ceremony to capture the groom seeing his bride for the first time in her gown,” said Balliet. “While this works for couples of all religions, this is an especially great option for our LDS brides who don’t have a formal walk down the aisle and who typically see each other for the first time in their wedding attire as they exit the temple.”
Many wedding photographers feel this first look should be private and intimate, away from crowds of well wishers.
“We were preparing for bride and groomals and I put on my tux and I walked out and saw Heather for the first time in her wedding dress,” said Jacob Wright of Provo. “It was shocking because I had never fathomed being at this point where I had this beautiful girl I was going to marry.” (Photo is of Jake and Heather. Heather is a cousin of ours - isn't she beautiful!)
A bride and groom dressed up for their groomals with no pressure to meet and greet guests, can create a more relaxed and fun photo shoots in diverse locations.
Some couples have chosen funky or edgy photo shoot locations in wheat fields, railroad stations with graffiti, pumpkin patches, and beaches.
It was a nice touch to have different scenery for our groomals said recently married Garrett Williams, an accounting major at BYU.
“I liked the train graffiti wall best because it was rugged and manly,” Williams said referring to a background used in their photo shoot.
The traditional studio photo shoot is being replaced with more playful and meaningful interactions outside said Californian photographer Jamie Hammond of Jamie Hammond Photography.
“I take a natural approach, focus[ing] on them and their relationship,” said Hammond “The focus should be them together, not them sitting awkwardly looking at my camera. I want to feel like I’m secretly capturing moments and that they didn’t even know I was there.”
Jennifer Fauset of Fauset Photography in Salt Lake City believes that groomals are fabulous because she can take as much time as needed with the couple to get exactly what they want. She said all of the couples have loved doing the photos beforehand.
The weather man doesn’t always deliver perfect weather for the big day. However, choosing to do groomals when the weather is cooperative can relieve unneeded stress on the day of the wedding.
“I had one couple that decided to do half of their pre-wedding pictures at the temple, the other half at a corn maze and pumpkin patch,” said Chauntelle Janzer from Salt Lake City and owner of OpieFoto. “Come the wedding day, when they stepped outside of the temple, it was a crazy blizzard. They had no worries about the weather because they already got some great pictures before the wedding.”
Friday, August 6, 2010
I Could Not Resist
Thank you Alice for posting this - I had to post it too! This is happiness. Sweet!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Castle Dale Pageant
Got the opportunity to interview some people about their community pageant. If I had the time, it would have been fun to go and enjoy the show. One of the individual's I spoke to said that Tuesday night, when Pres. Uchtdorf was there, the donkey which carries Mary, decided to wander around the set. The cow also was having issues because no one had milked her, so they had to do the deed while the play was going on!
In a natural amphitheater located near the San Rafael Swell of south-central Utah, you will find the Castle Dale community of saints reenacting the history of their early pioneer settlers.
The Castle Valley Pageant story line is based on Brigham Young’s last call to have saints settle in Castle Dale. The play contains romance, birth, death, conflict and joy.
Community members said they are pleased with the awareness the pageant has brought to their valley. The narrative teaches the gospel, which includes the story of the area’s early Latter-day Saint’s historical sacrifices intertwined with the story of Christ’s life.
The Castle Valley Pageant is one of the few LDS productions that use live animals, which according to visitors makes it real and sometimes humorous. The play has experienced several incidences where the animals didn’t follow the script, including horses running off without the actor. Many pageant visitors have never seen an actual horse-drawn wagon or how a team of horses work, which adds to the historical significance of the play.
The original script, written for a ward project in 1978 by Montell Seely and members of the ward activity committee, was meant to be a one-time event. However, according to his daughter, LeAnne Seely, a member of the pageant’s marketing committee, the thought of unifying the ward and community became the driving force for Seely in making this production a yearly event.
With the approval of stake leadership, the invitation to participate extended first to other wards and then to other stakes. Now the pageant is held every two years as a countywide production sponsored by the LDS Church.
“It was a heartbreak when we changed it to every other year,” said Ken Christiansen, member of the pageant committee. “It has been a good way to teach your family the gospel.”
During the last weeks of July and first week of August, many community members in Emery County work together to produce a spectacular program the community can be proud of.
For many, being a part of the pageant has become a family affair. This year, a few families are represented by four generations in the cast. Christiansen said his father-in-law, Earl Farley, was one of the original cast members 32 years ago. Additionally, most of Christiansen’s children have participated in the play, and now his grandchildren are playing those same parts today.
There is a great camaraderie among the cast members and wonderful traditions have been created as families return to perform as cast members year after year.
“There are a whole lot of people that don’t get in costume because they are doing behind the scene work which is valuable to the pageant,” LeAnne Shelly said. “We have volunteers [who] clean the site, others provide security in guarding the set pieces and the sheriff’s department has provided parking control for 30 years.”
Other volunteers demonstrate various pioneer crafts and activities in the interactive pioneer village prior to the night’s performance. Guests are welcome to try their hand at churning butter, spinning wool and blacksmithing, as well as tasting food cooked in Dutch ovens.
School buses have been arranged to transport people to the amphitheater by another set of volunteers, said Roger Swenson, supervisor of transportation for Emery County School District. He said it has been great to hear the positive responses people make about their experiences at the pageant.
This is an outdoor pageant, where audience members sit on bleachers, overlooking the cedar and ponderosa pines of Utah’s mini-Grand Canyon, Swenson said. This backdrop helps to create an appreciation for the rugged conditions the early pioneers faced.
The pageant averages 2,500 to 4,000 visitors each night. Those who attend are not only entertained by the diverse set of cast members and animals, their hearts are stirred in remembrance of country and the legacy of pioneer faithfulness.
“My dad always used to say, ‘If we don’t make you laugh, we’ll pay your gas to get here, and if we don’t make you cry, we’ll pay your gas to go home,’ ” LeAnne Seely said. “The pageant touches all the human emotions and interacts with all the senses.”
In a natural amphitheater located near the San Rafael Swell of south-central Utah, you will find the Castle Dale community of saints reenacting the history of their early pioneer settlers.
The Castle Valley Pageant story line is based on Brigham Young’s last call to have saints settle in Castle Dale. The play contains romance, birth, death, conflict and joy.
Community members said they are pleased with the awareness the pageant has brought to their valley. The narrative teaches the gospel, which includes the story of the area’s early Latter-day Saint’s historical sacrifices intertwined with the story of Christ’s life.
The Castle Valley Pageant is one of the few LDS productions that use live animals, which according to visitors makes it real and sometimes humorous. The play has experienced several incidences where the animals didn’t follow the script, including horses running off without the actor. Many pageant visitors have never seen an actual horse-drawn wagon or how a team of horses work, which adds to the historical significance of the play.
The original script, written for a ward project in 1978 by Montell Seely and members of the ward activity committee, was meant to be a one-time event. However, according to his daughter, LeAnne Seely, a member of the pageant’s marketing committee, the thought of unifying the ward and community became the driving force for Seely in making this production a yearly event.
With the approval of stake leadership, the invitation to participate extended first to other wards and then to other stakes. Now the pageant is held every two years as a countywide production sponsored by the LDS Church.
“It was a heartbreak when we changed it to every other year,” said Ken Christiansen, member of the pageant committee. “It has been a good way to teach your family the gospel.”
During the last weeks of July and first week of August, many community members in Emery County work together to produce a spectacular program the community can be proud of.
For many, being a part of the pageant has become a family affair. This year, a few families are represented by four generations in the cast. Christiansen said his father-in-law, Earl Farley, was one of the original cast members 32 years ago. Additionally, most of Christiansen’s children have participated in the play, and now his grandchildren are playing those same parts today.
There is a great camaraderie among the cast members and wonderful traditions have been created as families return to perform as cast members year after year.
“There are a whole lot of people that don’t get in costume because they are doing behind the scene work which is valuable to the pageant,” LeAnne Shelly said. “We have volunteers [who] clean the site, others provide security in guarding the set pieces and the sheriff’s department has provided parking control for 30 years.”
Other volunteers demonstrate various pioneer crafts and activities in the interactive pioneer village prior to the night’s performance. Guests are welcome to try their hand at churning butter, spinning wool and blacksmithing, as well as tasting food cooked in Dutch ovens.
School buses have been arranged to transport people to the amphitheater by another set of volunteers, said Roger Swenson, supervisor of transportation for Emery County School District. He said it has been great to hear the positive responses people make about their experiences at the pageant.
This is an outdoor pageant, where audience members sit on bleachers, overlooking the cedar and ponderosa pines of Utah’s mini-Grand Canyon, Swenson said. This backdrop helps to create an appreciation for the rugged conditions the early pioneers faced.
The pageant averages 2,500 to 4,000 visitors each night. Those who attend are not only entertained by the diverse set of cast members and animals, their hearts are stirred in remembrance of country and the legacy of pioneer faithfulness.
“My dad always used to say, ‘If we don’t make you laugh, we’ll pay your gas to get here, and if we don’t make you cry, we’ll pay your gas to go home,’ ” LeAnne Seely said. “The pageant touches all the human emotions and interacts with all the senses.”
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Want to take a Marriage Prep Class? Please say 'I Do!'
This article ran on Monday, July 26th. However, when it went to the copy desk, it got cut - so you - whoever you are (!!!), get to read the entire article!
'I do' have to say that I agree with the professors on this. Any marriage prep class that is offered, whether in preparation for marriage or for a marriage tune-up, it is worth the time and money invested.
Premarital education may be the best investment couples can make before saying ‘I do.’
In a sample conducted by BYU professors of nearly 50 marriage prep classes throughout the U.S., none of which were from BYU, most of the classes focused on communication skills. The study was published in “Family Relations.”
Communication is considered one of the major factors in marriage discord, according to Elizabeth Fawcett, lead author of the study and a visiting professor at BYU.
“If marriage prep classes can teach couples communication skills that will help them avoid divorce or marital distress, then these communication-based classes could be very helpful to a large number of couples,” said Fawcett in a recent news release.
Most couples are genuinely interested in premarital education, but in the hub-bub of being engaged, marriage prep is overlooked in favor of wedding prep, said BYU professor Alan Hawkins, another member of the study.
Premarital education classes get couples to talk about their expectations and clarify what they are thinking, Hawkins said. This is one of the purposes behind this type of education.
“We often bring very unrealistic expectations about marriage [into the relationship],” Hawkins said. “Confronting those things before marriage gets them thinking and to clarify what they believe [and how to] make plans and compromise.”
It takes more than love to make a marriage work, according to Hawkins. Most premarital education classes don’t go far enough in teaching that marriage is more than two people in love, it is an institution that comes with expectations. Marriage not only can bring order to our lives but establishes social institutions within our communities.
Other states besides Utah are realizing the importance and value of premarital education. Oklahoma has taken the lead in the U.S., making it a matter of public health and policy that couples get off to a good start.
Hawkins said that the investment in premarital education has far greater returns for states than picking up the financial repercussions of shattered families. Six states are now offering incentives such as discounts for marriage licenses for premarital education.
Utah’s marriage literacy and relationship classes are coordinated through County Extension offices throughout the state. Usually these classes are free of charge.
Jason Carroll, another member of this study, teaches SFL 223 – Preparation for Marriage. It is a full semester, not just 12 hours, of reality checks in understanding how marriage and relationships work, Hawkins said. It is the best education in the whole world, especially for LDS couples.
Taking a marriage prep classes before a relationship begins helps students like Brittany Guerra, a senior majoring in public health, learn the whole process from dating to marriage to family.
“Taking a marriage prep class [has] helped me have more of a structure to how I go about dating,” Guerra said. “I am not married yet, but it is working because I could be married and be unhappy.”
'I do' have to say that I agree with the professors on this. Any marriage prep class that is offered, whether in preparation for marriage or for a marriage tune-up, it is worth the time and money invested.
Premarital education may be the best investment couples can make before saying ‘I do.’
In a sample conducted by BYU professors of nearly 50 marriage prep classes throughout the U.S., none of which were from BYU, most of the classes focused on communication skills. The study was published in “Family Relations.”
Communication is considered one of the major factors in marriage discord, according to Elizabeth Fawcett, lead author of the study and a visiting professor at BYU.
“If marriage prep classes can teach couples communication skills that will help them avoid divorce or marital distress, then these communication-based classes could be very helpful to a large number of couples,” said Fawcett in a recent news release.
Most couples are genuinely interested in premarital education, but in the hub-bub of being engaged, marriage prep is overlooked in favor of wedding prep, said BYU professor Alan Hawkins, another member of the study.
Premarital education classes get couples to talk about their expectations and clarify what they are thinking, Hawkins said. This is one of the purposes behind this type of education.
“We often bring very unrealistic expectations about marriage [into the relationship],” Hawkins said. “Confronting those things before marriage gets them thinking and to clarify what they believe [and how to] make plans and compromise.”
It takes more than love to make a marriage work, according to Hawkins. Most premarital education classes don’t go far enough in teaching that marriage is more than two people in love, it is an institution that comes with expectations. Marriage not only can bring order to our lives but establishes social institutions within our communities.
Other states besides Utah are realizing the importance and value of premarital education. Oklahoma has taken the lead in the U.S., making it a matter of public health and policy that couples get off to a good start.
Hawkins said that the investment in premarital education has far greater returns for states than picking up the financial repercussions of shattered families. Six states are now offering incentives such as discounts for marriage licenses for premarital education.
Utah’s marriage literacy and relationship classes are coordinated through County Extension offices throughout the state. Usually these classes are free of charge.
Jason Carroll, another member of this study, teaches SFL 223 – Preparation for Marriage. It is a full semester, not just 12 hours, of reality checks in understanding how marriage and relationships work, Hawkins said. It is the best education in the whole world, especially for LDS couples.
Taking a marriage prep classes before a relationship begins helps students like Brittany Guerra, a senior majoring in public health, learn the whole process from dating to marriage to family.
“Taking a marriage prep class [has] helped me have more of a structure to how I go about dating,” Guerra said. “I am not married yet, but it is working because I could be married and be unhappy.”
Trekking Journey Ends for Haydons
I have been writing updates on this family since June. They finally made it home. I have learned lot about the family, the trek and the family and friends that support them. I was trying to come up with a lead for this final article, and the one (which I didn't use) which said a lot about this adventure was:
"There is hope in the extraordinary accomplishments of humble people."
My personal hope is that as we examine our own lives that we understand that getting up each morning, pulling your pants up and stepping out is ALWAYS a step forward. Those who come from pioneer ancestry, be grateful for this legacy, because of their faith, we have been able to enjoy the blessings of a restored gospel.
Haydon and Company gathered together at the conclusion of their journey.
Connor Corbin playing Come, Come Ye Saints.
The handcart is empty, but the journey for the Haydon Company is far from over.
For the past 11 weeks, Clive and Shari Haydon, their four sons — Samuel, Josh, Matthew and Mikey — and teenage neighbors Justin Carter and Brett and Connor Corbin have been trekking and pushing a handcart along the historical Mormon Handcart Trail.
For now, the boys consider this handcart trek a grand adventure. The impact on themselves and others may take a few years before realizing this 1,180-mile trek was an incredible journey.
Most individuals who go on three- to four-day handcart treks are able to connect and grasp the spiritual and physical tests that Mormon pioneers faced. The Haydon’s 71-day journey was filled with special spiritual moments, too, but their greatest connection with pioneers was demonstrated by the faith necessary to stick it out and endure to the end.
“It is a daily grind, walking down the highway every day about 16 miles,” Clive Haydon said. “We are weary, tired, it is physical. You just have to do it and go through the mundane process to do the work and every now and then you have something special happen.”
Emotional connections were felt as family and friends gathered at This is the Place Heritage Park east of Salt Lake City to welcome the Haydon group home on Saturday.
Youth leaders and members of Mt. Olympus Stake in Salt Lake City joined the ranks of those who had been strengthened and inspired by the trekkers’ journey. They met the Haydons on the summit of Rocky Ridge, part of the Martin’s Cove pioneer trek in Wyoming.
“We were taking a break, and there was this lone handcart piled three feet high and this little family,” said Charlotte Pratt, a member of the Mt. Olympus Stake. “We could tell that they had been out on the trail longer than us. This was the real deal. When we learned that they had started in Nebraska eight weeks prior to that day, our youth and our leaders wanted to weep for them. We hiked the trail together and became their friends. Everyone was in the spirit of helping this family get to Utah. It was unbelievable.”
Conditioned bodies may be a physical payoff for the Haydon company, but the real payoffs have been people they met along the way and seeing how the Lord protected them.
“I had the opportunity to pull the cart up a steep part of a hill by myself,” Shari Haydon said. “The handcart was packed and I struggled as hard as I could up that hill. I got so far and then was unable to get that cart any further by myself. No matter how hard I pulled, that cart wouldn’t move. I thought of Elsie Nielson [who Shari Haydon walked in memory of] pulling her husband Jens, in the handcart. How did they do it? From my small experience it could only have been with divine help.”
Some family obligations necessitated a replacement for RV support at the beginning of July. Tom Page, a family friend also known as “Grumpy,” joined the company and brought lots of joy to their camp, according to Samuel Haydon.
“When I got there, they were exhausted,” Page said. “They had been gone for a couple of months. It was a drudgery to get up every day, so I tried to share some songs with them and do some things that would make them laugh and get going and I think it helped.”
Many people have been affected by what the Haydons have done, according to Scott Rancie, part of the RV support team. When Rancie saw the Haydon’s plan, he thought it was quite ambitious and was skeptical it was going to happen, especially after the first two days. Even Shari Haydon had her doubts.
“This has been a wonderful experience and I am glad I pushed past my fears, my comfort zone to do this,” she said. “I didn’t really think I would make it to the end, but here we are.”
The trek was part of Clive Haydon’s master’s program and although it is finished, he hopes to remain in Utah for another year. Under the U.S. Immigration’s Optional Practical Training program, he will finish some field studies in recreational management and work on further development of applied ancestry for at-risk youth.
"There is hope in the extraordinary accomplishments of humble people."
My personal hope is that as we examine our own lives that we understand that getting up each morning, pulling your pants up and stepping out is ALWAYS a step forward. Those who come from pioneer ancestry, be grateful for this legacy, because of their faith, we have been able to enjoy the blessings of a restored gospel.
Haydon and Company gathered together at the conclusion of their journey.
Connor Corbin playing Come, Come Ye Saints.
The handcart is empty, but the journey for the Haydon Company is far from over.
For the past 11 weeks, Clive and Shari Haydon, their four sons — Samuel, Josh, Matthew and Mikey — and teenage neighbors Justin Carter and Brett and Connor Corbin have been trekking and pushing a handcart along the historical Mormon Handcart Trail.
For now, the boys consider this handcart trek a grand adventure. The impact on themselves and others may take a few years before realizing this 1,180-mile trek was an incredible journey.
Most individuals who go on three- to four-day handcart treks are able to connect and grasp the spiritual and physical tests that Mormon pioneers faced. The Haydon’s 71-day journey was filled with special spiritual moments, too, but their greatest connection with pioneers was demonstrated by the faith necessary to stick it out and endure to the end.
“It is a daily grind, walking down the highway every day about 16 miles,” Clive Haydon said. “We are weary, tired, it is physical. You just have to do it and go through the mundane process to do the work and every now and then you have something special happen.”
Emotional connections were felt as family and friends gathered at This is the Place Heritage Park east of Salt Lake City to welcome the Haydon group home on Saturday.
Youth leaders and members of Mt. Olympus Stake in Salt Lake City joined the ranks of those who had been strengthened and inspired by the trekkers’ journey. They met the Haydons on the summit of Rocky Ridge, part of the Martin’s Cove pioneer trek in Wyoming.
“We were taking a break, and there was this lone handcart piled three feet high and this little family,” said Charlotte Pratt, a member of the Mt. Olympus Stake. “We could tell that they had been out on the trail longer than us. This was the real deal. When we learned that they had started in Nebraska eight weeks prior to that day, our youth and our leaders wanted to weep for them. We hiked the trail together and became their friends. Everyone was in the spirit of helping this family get to Utah. It was unbelievable.”
Conditioned bodies may be a physical payoff for the Haydon company, but the real payoffs have been people they met along the way and seeing how the Lord protected them.
“I had the opportunity to pull the cart up a steep part of a hill by myself,” Shari Haydon said. “The handcart was packed and I struggled as hard as I could up that hill. I got so far and then was unable to get that cart any further by myself. No matter how hard I pulled, that cart wouldn’t move. I thought of Elsie Nielson [who Shari Haydon walked in memory of] pulling her husband Jens, in the handcart. How did they do it? From my small experience it could only have been with divine help.”
Some family obligations necessitated a replacement for RV support at the beginning of July. Tom Page, a family friend also known as “Grumpy,” joined the company and brought lots of joy to their camp, according to Samuel Haydon.
“When I got there, they were exhausted,” Page said. “They had been gone for a couple of months. It was a drudgery to get up every day, so I tried to share some songs with them and do some things that would make them laugh and get going and I think it helped.”
Many people have been affected by what the Haydons have done, according to Scott Rancie, part of the RV support team. When Rancie saw the Haydon’s plan, he thought it was quite ambitious and was skeptical it was going to happen, especially after the first two days. Even Shari Haydon had her doubts.
“This has been a wonderful experience and I am glad I pushed past my fears, my comfort zone to do this,” she said. “I didn’t really think I would make it to the end, but here we are.”
The trek was part of Clive Haydon’s master’s program and although it is finished, he hopes to remain in Utah for another year. Under the U.S. Immigration’s Optional Practical Training program, he will finish some field studies in recreational management and work on further development of applied ancestry for at-risk youth.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Self Makeover
Here is the second story for the day!
In a world where some are absorbed with themselves, members of the BYU 2nd Stake seem to have found a cure — lose yourself in service.
Each week there is at least one service project happening in the stake, but more often there are two or three opportunities of service to choose from.
Stake President Robert H. Todd has made a promise that if members of the stake are faithful home and visiting teachers, learning to love the people they have been called to serve, Heavenly Father will bless their efforts in finding sweethearts and spouses.
Thus far there is no statistical evidence as to how many have found eternal mates, but they are learning patterns and principles of service, Todd said.
“We are eager to set a pattern [of service] with these wonderful young people of our stake,” he said. “There is a metaphor, ‘When you help your brother across the street you will find yourself there also.’ ”
Two members of the high council, Ben Hill and Dean Dickerson, have been assigned to find service opportunities for the stake. Because the stake pulls leadership from four different stakes in Utah County, Hill and Dickerson contacted all the bishops from these feeder stakes, specifically asking if there were any needs the students could assist in.
The most recent project began last weekend on a 100-year old home in Orem. This home makeover will continue July 31 and Aug. 7, culminating with a barn dance held in the Wilkinson Student Center on Aug. 7.
More than 55 students showed up for the work project, ready to tackle the day’s assignment of chest–high weeds, overgrown vegetation and decades of layered wallpaper. People in the neighborhood have considered this home a fire hazard not only because of the yard situation but also because of interior problems.
Siblings from Hong Kong and LDS members have lived in the home for more than three years. Their parents bought the home so they could receive an American education, but left them on their own, unprepared for the language and culture barriers.
Son Lee, former home teacher to the siblings, understands the culture barriers these young people have faced. He, too, came to America, fleeing communist Vietnam as part of the boat people in 1975. He understands the complexities of coming to a new world.
Lee, also a member of the stake high council, said he feels the service being offered will help break down barriers and build relationships with these wonderful young people.
Benefits and blessings of this service extend far beyond the family for whom the service is rendered. Part of the process is learning patience, diligence and developing a hard work ethic, said Liz Blomquist, a stake member from Santa Cruz, Calif.
“We learn more about teamwork and we get to spend time with a lot of great people who like to do the same things,” Blomquist said.
Royce Herbst, bishop of BYU 3rd Ward, noticed a difference in his ward members as they learned to serve together. He said there is a greater love for each other as they observe each other outside of a student environment.
The stake provides numerous types of service, such as a service “sit-in.” Stake members came together with their laptops and did Family Search indexing together.
“It is the best video game in town,” Todd said.
This month, the stake was involved in a beta-testing program for the LDS Church to determine whether a new website could handle large amounts of traffic. Many students gathered in the WSC with their laptops to log-on to the new website: serve.lds.org.
When others sense your willingness to serve, others then are willing to serve you, said Josh Epperson, a stake member from Murray.
“I have suggested that if you want to have a really neat date, invite somebody out and go find somebody to serve,” Todd said.
In a world where some are absorbed with themselves, members of the BYU 2nd Stake seem to have found a cure — lose yourself in service.
Each week there is at least one service project happening in the stake, but more often there are two or three opportunities of service to choose from.
Stake President Robert H. Todd has made a promise that if members of the stake are faithful home and visiting teachers, learning to love the people they have been called to serve, Heavenly Father will bless their efforts in finding sweethearts and spouses.
Thus far there is no statistical evidence as to how many have found eternal mates, but they are learning patterns and principles of service, Todd said.
“We are eager to set a pattern [of service] with these wonderful young people of our stake,” he said. “There is a metaphor, ‘When you help your brother across the street you will find yourself there also.’ ”
Two members of the high council, Ben Hill and Dean Dickerson, have been assigned to find service opportunities for the stake. Because the stake pulls leadership from four different stakes in Utah County, Hill and Dickerson contacted all the bishops from these feeder stakes, specifically asking if there were any needs the students could assist in.
The most recent project began last weekend on a 100-year old home in Orem. This home makeover will continue July 31 and Aug. 7, culminating with a barn dance held in the Wilkinson Student Center on Aug. 7.
More than 55 students showed up for the work project, ready to tackle the day’s assignment of chest–high weeds, overgrown vegetation and decades of layered wallpaper. People in the neighborhood have considered this home a fire hazard not only because of the yard situation but also because of interior problems.
Siblings from Hong Kong and LDS members have lived in the home for more than three years. Their parents bought the home so they could receive an American education, but left them on their own, unprepared for the language and culture barriers.
Son Lee, former home teacher to the siblings, understands the culture barriers these young people have faced. He, too, came to America, fleeing communist Vietnam as part of the boat people in 1975. He understands the complexities of coming to a new world.
Lee, also a member of the stake high council, said he feels the service being offered will help break down barriers and build relationships with these wonderful young people.
Benefits and blessings of this service extend far beyond the family for whom the service is rendered. Part of the process is learning patience, diligence and developing a hard work ethic, said Liz Blomquist, a stake member from Santa Cruz, Calif.
“We learn more about teamwork and we get to spend time with a lot of great people who like to do the same things,” Blomquist said.
Royce Herbst, bishop of BYU 3rd Ward, noticed a difference in his ward members as they learned to serve together. He said there is a greater love for each other as they observe each other outside of a student environment.
The stake provides numerous types of service, such as a service “sit-in.” Stake members came together with their laptops and did Family Search indexing together.
“It is the best video game in town,” Todd said.
This month, the stake was involved in a beta-testing program for the LDS Church to determine whether a new website could handle large amounts of traffic. Many students gathered in the WSC with their laptops to log-on to the new website: serve.lds.org.
When others sense your willingness to serve, others then are willing to serve you, said Josh Epperson, a stake member from Murray.
“I have suggested that if you want to have a really neat date, invite somebody out and go find somebody to serve,” Todd said.
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