Motherhood: An Eternal Partnership with God

Motherhood: An Eternal Partnership with God

Just Singin In The Rain"

Just singin' in the rain.
 Sorry, Texas,
about the hurricane.

 It is nice here to have some of the rain to cool of the extremely hot weather we have been having.  We don't mind going out in the rain when it is just pattering down but sometimes it just dumps so heavily on us that our windows look like a hose is running on it. Driving is dangerous in downpours like that. 

In the meantime, we are making our evacuation plans and filling our 72 hour packs.  We hope we do not have to use them but the hotter summer predicts more hurricanes.  If that happens, we are out of here but we have permits already with us to get back in to help.

Stake Conference and Dinner Party

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the Crepe Mrytle Trees are in bloom and are so beautiful.  there is always something blooming at our stake center.  April Azaleas, May Magnolias, June the Crepe Myrtle.  Add some gorgeous white flowering bushes to that mix in May.  I don't know their name but they look like Crepe Mrytle in a bush form.  Elder Matson gave a wonderful inspiring talk at the Saturday Evening Session on Provident living and Spirituality. 

Sunday was also special because three special ladies came with The Sr. sisters Dustin and Goodin.  they brought Ann and her mother Agnes and Patricia with them.  that was a special treat to see them there.  Elder Matson and I also enjoyed singing in the stake choir.  They recruited Elder Matson for his beautiful baritone voice but they got an alto with him and I enjoyed it as well.  It was a small group but big enough to sound good.

Slidell Missionaries are such a great pleasant group of people to be around. They all share a sense of great dedication. I love spending time with them. We got together after stake conference and had another great dinner party. .

Dinner At Eatons

Angelia has invited all 10 missionaires to dinner twice now!  That is very generous. We had a nice time there.

That red ball just above the apartment is the setting sun on the longest day of the year.

Red Sun of Summer-Summer solstice

Summer Solstice

summer solstice is the time that the earth's axis is closest to the sun.  We were driving home from a viewing in Gulfport when we saw this beautiful sky.  I took more as the sun settled upon the apartments.

This was taken the night before we entered the MTC.  It has been hidden on my cell phone..  It was a magical and very frosty evening.

Friends

This is Jullian with Elder Matson.  He is going through some very tough times right now but we believe that he will soon see a brighter day.  Elder Marlin K. Jensen said "if the consummate Christian attribute of charity has a first cousin, it is friendship...the power is in each one of us to be a friend.  Old and young, rich and poor, educated and humble, in every language and country, we all have the capacity to be a friend."  It is about sharing a little of what we have with others.   He left our place with a little better knowledge of where he came from  (besides Jamaica) and why he is here and where he is going.

HAVE A PARTY

SOME IDEAS ARE WORTH SAHRING-THIS IS ONE
HAVE A WARD-FAMILY EMPLOYMENT PARTY

• Committee-Ward Employment Specialist ,Chairman- Assisted by the Ward Activities Committee and the Ward Welfare Council.
• Theme- What Do You Do?
• Purpose- To get to know each other better by learning what adults do for a living,and about the talents and interests of everyone and to bond together and commit to help one another as a ward family, leaving no brother or sister behind.
• Advertising.- Announce, invite with invitations to everyone and personally invite every person who is “between jobs” to be there. Arrange transportation for job seekers and treat them royally (you know how).
• Dress- Children and teens dress according to their interests for future dream occupations (not their current survival job) The survival job could be listed on their name tag.
• Adults dress in work clothes and make a name tag that fits their occupation. As an example a professor my wear his or her collegiate robes, a baker, his or her hat, and apron. Stay at home moms may wear aprons or a stack of different hats, Better still, they may dress in attire for the jobs they are experienced or educated for but are not doing at the present. (this would be helpful information)---All of these people are the resources for the entire ward membership.
• All employers in the ward are given very special honors and will speak to the group about how to be a better employee (short illustrated talks with visual aids from their work).
• You may choose two or three people to address the ward about why they chose their occupation and what preparation it took and why they like their job.
• Hobbies-Everyone could also wear a tag stating their hobbies and talents.
• Displays of jobs and talents should be brought by everyone. They will be your major decorations.
• Food can be prepared by the members who are in the food industry and those of different ethnic groups who would prepare foods from their backgrounds. (fund from the ward budget or donations)
• Foods could be set up in different booths and sold with tickets which everyone will receive equally.
• Talent show featuring work, hobbies and talents especially those who use those talents professionally.
• Decorations-If you have a professional decorator, it would be a good time to feature that persons talents in the decorating of your gym.
• Job lead Forms-Hand our job lead forms at the door and have pencils available for people to fill in job leads they know of.
• Member Survey sheets can be filled out here with a reward given for every form turned in. ( reward might be someone's famous doughnut or cookie or whatever is tantalizing)
• LDSjobs-set up a both to register people on ldsjobs.org
• Pictures- Have your most talented or professional photographer take pictures of the events and especially the people.
• Skit-You may have someone talented in writing, write a skit on the theme of how to get a job and your talented actors perform in it. Teach the concept of networking in this skit, the benefits and the non benefits if you do not network. Include the benefits of giving job leads to members of the ward family.
•  Follow-up Project-To teach the principal of working together, you might follow up with a ward work project to accomplish a service for someone. Include all age groups in the project if possible.
• Follow-up Workshops-Here is your perfect opportunity to follow up with a Career Workshop and a Self Employment Workshop.
• Follow-up Coaches-soon after the party you can pair up coaches (from the experts) with job seekers in your ward.

Slidell from the top.

This picture was taken from the parking garage of Slidell Memorial Hospital.

This picture shows Gause Blvd and turning to the left is Robert Blvd which is the street our center is on

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I thought I was through taking pictures when Jerry pointed out the doves.  There are so many birds here in the south.  I have never enjoyed them as much as I do here.

Slidell

This is the beautiful Slidell Ward Chapel

This road is called "Apple Pie Ridge Road. These are Oak Trees making a leafy canopy over the road

 

This pretty stream is just on the edge of Slidell- No aliigators in it that I could find. 

Ann's Baptism

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This is the second baptism that Elder Matson has been able to perform. since we are not on a prostelyting mission that is quite an honor.  The sisters have taught her well and she is truly converted and ready to commit her life to Heavenly Father.  She is the 6th baptism of the friends of the employment center in less than four months.  We can not take any credit, but it is wonderful to have a part in their lives and feel the joy.

To Cheer You

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Career Workshop

Every time we teach a Career workshop we fall in love with the people.  We think it is the best ever.  This class was exceptional in many ways.  They were three great women who are well educated professionals and two great young men.  One great mother son combination.  They are the lady in black and the fellow in the plaid shirt.  they were all so loving and caring and the young men accepted all the great advice and teachings they were given.  they were tons of fun, great personalities.  They all are from New Orleans but the mother and son live in Slidell now.  the fellow in the white shirt is a recently returned missionary. 

Hurricane Katrina totally wiped them out and changed their lives but they are so resilient and are doing great.  This happy caring group of friends just melted my heart. What a privilege to work with them.  Antoinette, Selon, Rose, Melvin and Ronald,  we shall not forget you.  Good luck on your job searches.  We are looking forward to the days that you come and ring the bell in our center to celebrate.

Employment Missionaries Have A Message

Employment Missionary Conference

From Thursday Afternoon until noon on Friday of this week, fifteen missionaries and two Employment Professionals met at the "New Orleans Regional Employment Center" (in Slidell) for a wonderful conference.  Missionaries traveled from other centers in Mobile, Birmingham, Baton Rouge and Hattiesburg to receive expert instruction and inspiration from our two professionals, Brother Dohm and Sister Garcia.  They stayed in a very nice hotel and were treated royally.  They are the finest people you could ever meet and it was a joy to meet all of them and get a taste of what is happening in their areas. We went to dinner at a fine restaurant on Thursday evening and had wonderful treats at the center.  It was well planned and a joy to just sit back and watch it all happen. I loved meeting these missionaries whom we get to talk to on the phone and until now did not have faces for them.  What beautiful faces they are, glowing with the light that is within them.  We met two of them who have interesting connections.  One may be a distant cousin and another couple were in my brother's ward when he was their Bishop.  What a small and great world it is. 


Being an Employment missionary takes great courage and tenacity but is very rewarding work. These folks are the best!

If you have a couple of hours to spare in New Orleans or Slidell, you go on a Swamp Tour.  Have your camera ready.  You will see some wonderful parts of God's great world.  the Sr. missionaries went together.  Started out in pouring rain but the birds and animals didn't care.  the boat was covered but we got soaked anyway, waiting to get in.  that is OK when the weather is in the 80's.