The Bishop spoke to the combined Relief Society/Priesthood about Food Storage and Prepardness. Sis. Herrin gave a presentation on having a 72 hour kit all ready to go!
Sis. Perrins spoke on the importance of having food storage and finances etc.
Bro. Capps demonstrated and discussed the use of mylar bags and cans. We do have a manual dry pack canner in our ward. The cans, lids, and supplies can be purchased at the Storehouse in Slidell or ordered on line at Providentliving.org.
The hurricane season is nearing the peak season....we have had a calm summer but the season is not over yet. Please prepare yourselves as well as you can. You will feel such peace in your hearts if you are prepared as well as being in a comfortable situation if and when a storm or some other difficulity comes into your life.
Next Sunday Sis. Beth Berry will be our teacher. It is also Fast Sunday. We will have two fast Sundays in September due to General Conference the first weekend in October.
Sis. Dodge is still in Gardon Park hospital as of Monday morning. She may be moved to a a rehab center in the next few days. She is in great pain. Please remember her when you say your prayers.
Sis. Marsha Shaw knitted some beautiful hats for Sis. Hunter. I am unable to contact Sis. Hunter as I have misplaced her phone number. If anyone out there has it please contact me so I can get the hats and scarfs donated by so many wonderful sisters to her. Thank you very much!
Also...Sis. Shiela Wood has discovered she has Chinese Drywall in her home. All of her things are contaminated with it. She has had to move into an apartment while decisions are made on her home. Please contact her if you have any house hold things you may want to donate to her. She has been very ill and that led to the discovery of the Drywall contaimnation in her new home. She also lost many of her things in Katrina. Still..she smiles and we love her for her beautiful example!

Sunday the lesson was taught by Sis. Roberts....it was a great lesson on Service and the joy we recieve as we do it. How blessed are we in our church to have so many opportunities for service...meals for others, rides to doctors, phone calls, letters, missions, supporting missionaries, Visiting Teaching, callings etc....the list could go on and on. We all grow and learn and grow some more as we do the best we can with the opportunities of service presented to us. And I think the Father does present them to us as presents...he wants us to learn, to stretch ourselves out of our comfort zones. Service is a precious gift to us for our growth.

Next Sunday...Aug. 30th.....we will meet with the Priesthood to discuss the prepardness of us as a ward and as indivdual families. We will be meeting in the chapel!

Sis. Dodge was moved out of ICU into a regular room at Garden Park. Please call before visiting as she is not very strong and may not be up to a visit. Please remembe her in your prayers.

Sis. Shiela Wood has discovered her home is riddled with Chinese Dry Wall. As you know she has been suffering with much illness as of lately....and now they know it relates to the dry wall. She has had to move out of her home into an apartment. She lost most of her things in Katrina and now most of her things again. As usual she is up beat and delightful and wonderful. Please keep her in your prayers and thoughts.

Remember to attend the YW's fashion show Saturday at 10 am. The girls have been making clothes and will model them for us. And they will even feed us some light refreshments.

September is "Member September Month" all ward members are encouraged to do their Visiting teaching as early as possible and then to visit one extra person or family or more. Please report the extra visits to me, Toni Willson. I will then pass the info on to the Bishop!
Thanks for all that all of you wonderful sisters do!!!!

Wonderful news to report today...
Ralph and Pat Head have a new grandson. He was born August 6th and weighed 8 pounds, 9 ounces. His name is Kyle James David Head and he was born in Salem, New Hampshire to Kyle and Nicole Head. He is the 17th grandchild for the Head family! Congratulations!!!! Pat was able to travel to Salem and get to hold that new little fellow!
Thanks to Pat for calling me with the news!
If you have any info you would like to share...give me a call....831 8128.
Just a reminder that next Saturday [Aug. 29th] the Young women are having a Fashion Show at 10am in the cultural hall. All sisters are invited to attend. Light refreshments will be served. The girls have been sewing up a storm and are excited to model what they have made. Even if you do not have a daughter in YW's...come and let them know we love and support them! I am sure it will be a delightful morning.

Sunday August 23rd our lesson will be "Unselfish Service" by Dallin H. Oaks. Sis. Brenda Roberts will be our guest teacher. You can read this talk on line or in the May 2009 magazine. It is taken from a talk given at the April Conference in Salt Lake.
Sis. Carolyn Dodge is in Garden Park Hospital. She is in intensive care and at this time can have no visitors. Please keep her and her husband in your prayers. As of yet the doctors are still running tests and have not found the cause of her illness.
I want to thank Jaimie Anderson for her wonderful lesson Sunday. We really appreciate her and her willingness to teach.
Shay Beland had her baby Monday around two in the afternoon. She had a girl and named her Summer Rose. I think that is the name...but you know me and names! All are well. We wish her a speedy recovery and return to church.
Is there anyone who would like to take over this blog? You will need to be a self starter. I wish I had more particpation in this and do wonder if this info helps anyone. I know it could be more.
This is not my talent! If interested please contact me!

Just wanted to remind you all that this Saturday there will be a Ward Social at Flint Creek in Wiggins. It begins at 10 am. The ward will provide hamburgers and hotdogs and asks if you go to bring side dishes to share. There will be the opportuntiy to swim and sun and there is even a bathroom near by. The cost is 1 or 2 dollars per vehicle to get in. Contact Bro. Stewart or Bro. Hillman if you are interested in attending and need more infomation.
Have Fun!!!!

It is Tuesday already...I have had family visiting most of the summer and it has been blissful!
However, I have really let my church responsibilities fall a little. Please be patient with me as I try to get back into doing all I should be doing!
The lesson Sunday was wonderful as usual. Sis. Ingram taught a beautiful and interesting lesson.
It was on the Wentworth Letter. In this letter the Prophet Joseph shares the Articles of Faith.
If you have a chance...read it!
We are going to try some smaller Enrichment groups again....maybe a "Book Club" or basic sewing or crocheting etc..... A excersize group possibly. Do any of you have any interests etc....we should explore? They will just be smal groups for those who are interested.
Any volunteers to lead or attend these activities?
We are always open to suggestions. Can anyone recommend a book we could read? Doen't have to be a church book.
Give me a call or send me an email...ma1willson@aol.com. I will be waiting!
Thanks!

Just in from Sis. Marsha Shaw...her Father made it through the surgery and is recovering well.
He is 88 years old so we still need to keep them in our prayers.
Also remember Sis. Astrid Hunter. I will call her tomorrow to see how she is doing.
Hope everyone has a great rest of Thursday. See you Sunday!

Sis. Marsha Shaw's father will have emergency surgery today at 6 our time. He is 88 and fell and broke his hip. Please keep them in your prayers. He lives in Arizona.

Sis. Frisby is doing well and has returned to the nursing home. Beth and I visited with her Monday. She looked wonderful and was as happy and bright eyed as she always is. She can speak but the words she wants to say do not come out exactly. She is aware of that. Her mind seems bright and allert. She loves visits! She is back at the Boyington. If you stop by to visit her you can visit Kathy Saucier as well. They both reside at the Boyington on Broad Ave. It is located North of Memorial Hospital on the right side of the road.

This next sunday[Aug. 9th] our teacher will be Sis. Ingram and the lesson will be #38...The Wentworth Letter. It would be wonderful if we all tried to read it before hand.

I must apologize that the newsletter is late in coming. It was my fault. It will be printed up tonight and I will get them on all the doors so you can pick one up!

Please remembe to get your VT done for August and if you did it for July call your supervisor so we can get it into the computer for the report on time.
Thanks to all!

Thanks to all who participated in the lesson today! It was a great help to me!
We are going to miss Susan Knox for the next 6 months or so as she joins the many from our Ward who have been deployed lately. We have many sisters in our ward whose husbands are gone or who will be leaving in the next week or so. If you know them please give them your help and support.
Thanks to Danny Chipman for sending a scarf for Sis. Hunter. Sis. Shaw has volunteered to crochet a hat. Thanks!
Sis. Valene Frisbee had a stroke Saturday morning. She is in Memorial Hospital on the forth floor. She would love to have visitors. She is doing faily well but has lost her ability to speak. It is possible it may return with time. Please keep her in your prayers as well as all our sisters. We missed her cheerful voice in RS today as she usually shares her "Happy News" each week.
Sis. Peggy Margan and Sis. Jill Niven have moved from our Ward. We wish them the best. They will be missed.
Sis. Peggy Thomas had a baby girl July 16th. She named her Madeline. She says she is a wonderful, beautiful baby. We are so happy for her and her family!
This morning Sis. Carol Curry went to Hattiesburg for the blessing of her newest Grandson, Cayden. He is the son of Jackie Curry Fitzgerald and husband. Cayden has three older sisters who are very happy to have a baby brother to love.
Plase let me know if you have any news to share...good or bad...or just something you want to announce! Thanks!

It is so hard to believe it is August already...where does the time go?
Melonie had a wonderful shower Tuesday night. The baby is adorable! Melonie looked wonderful! We missed those of you who were not there!
Tomorrow in RS the lesson will be taught by me, Toni Willson. And unless I change subjects at the last moment the lesson will be on Prayer and having prayer in our hearts all the time. If you have any experiences you would like to share...I will give you the opportunity to do so tomorrow in class. Plus...you could give a little prayer for me that I will say the things I should say with inspiration!
We are very blessed in our Ward to have so many wonderful sisters like you! Thanks for all that you do in public as well as private. I am ever so impressed.
Remember if you have a scarf or soft hat you would like to donate to Sis. Hunter please bring them to me tomorrow! I will see that they are given to her.
Thanks again for all the service you all daily! You do make the ward a better place!