Sam West models his Special Olympics clothes and gold medal
Sam West is a lot of things. He’s a member of the Indian Springs congregation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a young adult, a son, a brother and he has Down syndrome. Sam West is also an Olympic athlete winning a gold medal in the 25m free style swimming event at the Special Olympics 2022 USA Games in Orlando, FL.
Sam waves just prior to his award winning swim
“When we lived in California we visited San Antonio for the National Down Syndrome Association meetings,” said his father Chuck West. “We were so impressed by the level of support from the local group that we decided if there was ever an opportunity to move to San Antonio we would. In a few years a position opened up and we were able to move.”
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints operates 33 nonprofit farms in the U.S. They supply the Church’s welfare system with foodstuffs of many kinds. Some 50 miles southeast of Uvalde near Pearsall, one of these farms principally raises peanuts.
Eagle Pass District members—and members in eight San Antonio stakes—volunteer at the farm during the growing season, weeding and hoeing fields, clearing fences of brush, and otherwise contributing their sweat equity toward the success of the enterprise. District members are scheduled to work there later in June.
The Church Peanut farm is located in the fertile farmland south of San Antonio
The Church acquired and began to operate the farm more than a half-century ago. Of the farm’s 2,000 acres, 750 are tilled. Again this year, 250 acres of that tilled soil have been leased to a local farmer for raising of cotton. Farm manager Michael Hurst explains that rotating the irrigated land among different crops helps maintain the soil’s fertility.
The farm’s cotton fields stretch west toward the farm manager’s home
Another crop rotation method is to let some fields lay fallow each year, which is to say, to go uncultivated. The downside to doing that are the pernicious plants that take root in the undisturbed soil. “Fallowing is great, but fallow ground can get really wild and weedy.” Weed seeds are not a desired fruit.
This year, the land also is being plowed. “The soil hasn’t been plowed in years,” Hurst says, meaning it hasn’t been turned over so that surface soil is flipped beneath upturned soil. Two six-bottom plows handily accomplish that.
The farm manager knows agriculture. Born in Killeen 49 years ago, he has farmed and ranched for most of his adult life, taking over management of the peanut farm a year and a half ago. In 2014, the manager broadened his professional capacity in a dramatic way: He enrolled at the University of Colorado and earned an information technology degree.
Area leaders of the Church gather to counsel sorrowing Saints
The path to recovery for the wounded Uvalde community was explored Sunday in a special Uvalde Branch sacrament meeting. Speakers emphasized the need for members to respond to the tragic school shootings in ways consistent with what Jesus Christ taught His disciples — forgiving, believing and supporting one another.
Gathering at the Uvalde Branch on Sunday were, from left, Brad Leininger, who is a representative of the San Antonio Chapter of Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD), Texas San Antonio Mission President Jason Tveten, Eagle Pass District President Ross Davidson, Area Seventy Jorge Contreras, and San Antonio Region Communications Director Don Larson
“We may never know why some things happen. But God knows what we don’t know, and sees what we do not see,” said Area Seventy Jorge Contreras, who was the concluding speaker during the service. Elder Contreras traveled to Uvalde from Austin for the meetings. In his talk, he specifically addressed the power of forgiveness.
Elder Contreras spoke of a similar tragedy in 2006, when a man entered an Amish school in Pennsylvania, let some students leave and eventually shot 10 girls, ages six to 13, five of whom died from their wounds. The 32-year-old shooter then killed himself.
His point in recounting the earlier shooting was to talk about the response of the Amish community. “They immediately began to reach out to the shooter’s family,” said Elder Contreras. Within hours of the shooting, members of the Mennonite community offered their sympathies to the widow and parents of the assailant and eventually attended his funeral in support of the family. “The Amish see themselves as disciples of Christ and want to follow his example of loving and forgiving everyone.”
Generally considered the southern limit of the Texas Hill Country, Uvalde is usually a quiet city. Before Tuesday, few people outside of south central Texas had probably heard of it. Now, it is on everyone’s lips, minds and hearts. Many across the area are mourning with the people of Uvalde.
Pushed out through social media on Wednesday
Young adults from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints wanted to do something. Working with a school administrator from Uvalde and other Church officials in the area, they quickly organized a stuffed animal drive. Through social media the word spread quickly and within hours, hundreds of stuffed animals were showing up at the Church’s Center for Young Adults in San Antonio.
Lilee Pack expresses her love for another child in Uvalde
“It wasn’t much.. but it was something.. and sometimes something is just DOING something” said Kristen Pack, a mother of three young girls from San Antonio, she continued: “Like many of you, my heart has been so heavy these past couple of days. My two girls, both the same ages of the angels that were taken from this world, are feeling it too.” Pack and her girls learned about the stuffed animal drive, and they wanted to be a part of it.
Young adults and other volunteers wrote notes for each stuffed animal. Their notes expressed their love and thoughts, some included testimonies of Christ’s healing power. Neal Jeppson, of the Center said, “We lift burdens with Jesus as we work together.” Continue reading ““Doing Something””
The remnants of the fence that surrounded the Mielec Forced Labor Camp during WWII. Kirkham’s building sits just to the left in this photo. If you look closely, you can see the outlines of the rough boards that formed the fence in the concrete(photo – David Kirkham)
The large stone factory is a fitting metaphor for all the gospel of Jesus Christ teaches — change is not only possible, but that which is unspeakably broken can be made whole. What was once used to imprison and destroy has become a place that is facilitating refuge and safety, and God’s hand can be seen in its reclamation. Charly Risenmay, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from San Antonio, believes that God has indeed had a directing hand in the transformation of a factory in Mielec, Poland.
Jewish candles and memorials on the concentration camp fence (photo – David Kirkham)
Risenmay’s paternal line traces their roots back to Mielec, a Polish town about 140 miles from the Ukrainian border. The land the factory sits on belonged to Risenmay’s family. She said: “The land was taken from us when the Polish government hastily conscripted it in 1938 for a factory to build Polish airplanes. When the Germans invaded Poland the next year, they took it over.” Her family were some of 2,800 Jews out of a population of 5,500 living in Mielec prior to World War II. Mielec has the devastating distinction of being the first town declared “Judenfrei” or “Free of Jews” by the German invaders. Risenmay said: “Most of my family died in the holocaust. Many members were murdered in Mielec, in the synagogue, while they were in ritual baths. The Germans literally locked the doors and burned them to death. The rest were evacuated to this factory until they were sent to a ghetto for ‘liquidation.’”
Risenmay said: “The day my aunt and her family were marched to the train. My Aunt was a child in this picture. She remembers the snow was red by the time they got on the train.”
She continued: “A few died there — having been worked and starved to death in that factory—on their own land.” Risenmay’s aunt, now living in California, was one of about 45 Jewish survivors from Mielec. She was hidden as a child by a Polish family until she was rescued. Risenmay and her aunt are very close and so the details of what is now happening in Mielec have captured her attention. Continue reading “From Ashes to Beauty”
For 20 years the Texas Children’s Choir has delighted thousands of listeners all over the world with their clear, sweet voices. Preparing for their second concert since before Covid, the choir will perform this Saturday afternoon at the Church of Jesus Christ in Windcrest (8801 Midcrown). The choir will be heading off to Hawaii next month to perform at the 80th commemoration of the Battle of Midway.
The choir performing at Mother Chapel in Ely Cathedral, London
The director, Dr. Thomas G. Hardaway, a member of the East Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has a passion for music and loves working and teaching children. As a child, he was a choir boy at the National Cathedral. He loved his experience and wants to share it with as many children as possible. As his life would attest, Hardaway loves children. He worked in the Army as a child psychiatrist and pediatrician. Wherever he was stationed with the Army, he managed to set up a children’s choir. The now retired Colonel set up the San Antonio Children’s choir in 2002.
https://youtu.be/X5tj5BPT2fM
The choir isn’t just about teaching children to sing, it is also about imbuing them with a sense of service and community. At the core of the choir is their emphasis on service. Except for their Spring Concert, all of their performances are by invitation from civic groups, the military, educational groups and other charities. The quality of their choral music has garnered them requests from all over the world, as well as closer to home. The Choir has performed before presidents in Washington D.C. Other performances have taken them to Omaha Beach in Normandy France, the Ely Cathedral in London, Kings College in Cambridge and to Carnegie Hall in New York. They have also appeared on Music and the Spoken Word with the Tabernacle Choir.
Veteran’s Day performance — Angel of Hope Ceremony
Far from being a craft of the past, the popularity of quilting has been steadily growing and is expected to be a five billion dollars a year industry in the next four years. Some young girls became the latest devotees to the growing craft. They got their first taste of quilting through their Church “Activity Days” and loved it. Rosie Jarvis and Susanne Fletcher, from the Bulverde congregation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, decided to teach their nine and 10 year old girls how to quilt. The Activity Days Leaders decided to take it a little bit further and give the girls an opportunity to share their quilts. They decided to make quilts for twin beds and then give those quilts to newly arrived refugees from Afghanistan.
Rosie Jarvis teaches Activity Days girls how to quilt
It was decided that the girls would make three tied quilts. The girls planned the quilts, picked out their favorite colors and designed how the layouts for the blocks would look best. “I love to quilt and thought teaching the girls how to do this would give them a new skill as well as providing a service to others,” said Jarvis. “This was a challenge for them to plan and tie the quilts. As they worked on this project they helped each other.” Jarvis said it was fun to watch the girls work together. She said, “I heard things like ‘this is hard’ others said, ‘let me help you.’ There was a lot of cooperation and laughs as they worked together.”
Susanne Fletcher shows an Activity Days girl how to tie a quilt
“This was a fantastic project that gave the girls an opportunity to serve people in need,” said Fletcher. “I was so impressed with their positive attitude. I didn’t think that quilting is still a fun thing to do in today’s world but they were excited to make the quilts because they knew they were going directly to somebody locally.” Continue reading ““Touching People’s Hearts””
Almost all of the original Afghan refugees have settled in and their apartments have been furnished. There are a few more arriving, like the family that was helped Saturday morning by congregations from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Now, according to Joanne Franck of the Center for Refugee Services, their efforts are shifting. Franck said, “The shift is away from housing donations to helping with job security, food security…. I know your Church has been helping a lot. LDS groups have been dropping off food — flour, rice and lentils. The center is shifting their focus to more of the ongoing needs since most of the apartments are set up. We will continue to get a trickle, but the efforts are shifting to ongoing support.” Hygiene items along with baby supplies are also top of their list of needed items. If you are interested in helping JustServe can point you in the right direction.
Members from Hill Country congregations delivered furnishings Saturday morning
Franck, along with many others, attended a get together to look back at the efforts of a Church congregation in Seguin who helped furnish 55 apartments for Afghan refugees. Franck of CRS said, “This project has been so amazing. We had so many groups, most of them were LDS, outfit entire apartments. Bishop Bird was able to get tons of apartments outfitted….It has been amazing.”
The Seguin group delivers furniture to an Afghan family
Clad in red “Light the World” t-shirts, Bishop Tim Bird, along with teenagers from his congregation, their parents and many others undertook an enormous effort. Known as “The Stable Project,” this group put in countless hours from the end of November until just recently to help furnish as many apartments as they could.
The Seguin youth group, their leaders and missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
As another school year comes quickly to an end, we celebrate graduates from high schools and universities. On the launchpad of their own dreams and successes, their eyes reflect a mixture of hope, freedom and anticipation all mingled with a healthy dose of anxiety. Their goals and aspirations are inspiring.
As someone once put it, “life is so daily”. Sometimes those dreams and goals, especially for women, are lovingly placed on the back seat as children are reared. For one San Antonio woman, her dreams of being a writer came after her children were reared and just before she retired from a career in higher education. Marci McPhee always loved to express herself through writing. Her career as a writer and editor took off, quite simply, as she was in the thick of daily life.
Marci McPhee
McPhee was serving in a volunteer position in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She was overseeing the children’s organization for several Latter-day Saint congregations. Working with her two counselors, they began writing a blog to help the various congregations with scenarios with which they were experiencing. Drawing on her degree in social work and child development, they tackled topics such as how do you teach about ideal families to children who live in less than ideal situations, bullying and channeling boundless energy.
As the blog grew with more posts and other contributors, McPhee realized that this could be compiled into a book. She edited the various contributions, stories, lesson and activity ideas into her first published work, Sunday Lessons and Activities for Kids. McPhee says her writing “is about the intersection between the Church and the real world.”
McPhee at Deseret Book with two of the books she edited
She has since edited five more books all dealing with the application of principles, taught in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in everyday life. She is adept at coaching others as they tell their stories, struggles and triumphs along this “intersection” of real life and Church teachings. She has tackled topics ranging from the LGBTQ community to a multi-racial family accepting the gospel 55 days prior to the 1978 revelation extending the priesthood to blacks. Continue reading “As Editor of Steve Young’s New Book, a Life-long Dream is Realized for Local Writer”
Regarding the tragic conditions in Ukraine, Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, an apostle of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, recently said, “We are children of one Heavenly Father. We are all brothers and sisters. Our two great commandments are to serve God and our fellowman. Please find an opportunity to help those in need—even if all you can do is pray and fast in behalf of those who struggle. Small acts of kindness mean everything to those who have lost so much.”
Ukrainian refugees are temporarily housed in this center in Warsaw, Poland
Like many of us, Sister Cindy Beattie, Texas Hill Country Stake Relief Society President, was deeply concerned by the news coming from that part of the world. She decided she had to do something about it.
“I thought there must be something we in San Antonio could be doing,” she said. She knew the Church of Jesus Christ and other worldwide relief organizations were stepping in to help but she found it frustrating to sit back and watch. “It was a Sunday evening about midnight and I felt prompted to call the Branch President in Warsaw. He was so nice and referred me to Sister Agnieszka Mazurowska the Relief Society President. She called me back immediately.”
Members of the Texas Hill Country Stake purchased suitcases that were delivered to the Krakow and Warsaw, Poland Branches for distribution to the Ukrainian refugees
Sister Mazurowska said at that time all their needs were covered, but because she was the Warsaw Refugees Coordinator, she met every evening with all coordinators from Poland. “I knew that the situation in Kraków was and still is very difficult.” She said.“I’m also a good friend of Agata Tudor Hart who is the Kraków Branch Relief Society President and Refugees Coordinator, and I just asked, ‘Agata, the members from Texas would like to help us, so maybe you need their help.’”
The need in Krakow was urgent. They needed suitcases for the Ukrainian refugees who were pouring over the border. “Many people could ask why the suitcases, because there are many more needed things,” said Sister Mazurowska. “Yes, but when you must leave your home with only essentials or you don’t have time to pack your stuff in a suitcase. You just take a shopping bag. The suitcase brings your dignity back.” Continue reading “Several Local Congregations Reach Out to Aid Ukrainian Refugees”
