Author: Leisa

by Leisa Parsons, Area Media Specialist

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 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.

Continue reading “Twenty Years of Sharing Through Music”

By Leisa Parsons, Area Media Specialist

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. 

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.”

“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””

By Leisa Parsons, Area Media Specialist

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.

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.”

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. 

Continue reading “Ongoing Needs for Settled Afghan Families — Where We Have Been and What is Next?”

By Leisa Parsons, Area Media Specialist

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.

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.”

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”

By Ken Jarvis, Area Media Specialist

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.”

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.”

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”

The memes about Texas weather are well known to residents of the Lone Star state —spring weather in Texas can give you whiplash. The unpredictable Texas weather made its presence known during the San Antonio North Stake’s trek with high winds and temperatures dropping as low as 14 degrees.  “Weather was a key aspect and the kids and adult leader’s resilience was amazing to see,” said Mark Bush, who helped with this year’s trek. Bush continued: “We especially appreciated that our pioneer ancestors put up with months of this type (or worse) weather driven by their faith.” 

What is Trek all about? It consists of teens giving up their cell phones and games while being clad in long dresses, bonnets, pants with suspenders and a whole lot of down-filled parkas showing up this time. The teens were organized into “families” with mock siblings and assigned a “Ma and Pa”. Each family, consisting of approximately 10 children, were responsible to pull a handcart over uneven terrain as they strived to recreate a pioneer experience. As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints they are getting in touch with their “roots” as they simulate the journey of early pioneers across the midwest.

“When ‘Doubt Not Fear Not’ was chosen for our 2022 Trek theme, we never thought the youth and leaders would be tested to the extreme that they were.” said Kelly Abbott. She and her husband David worked as this year’s Trek directors. She said, “The weather went from sunny the first day to very cold and windy through the night and all through the second day as the families pushed and pulled handcarts. A few started to have doubts that things would not get better. But as they awoke on the third day, the sun came out. There was a look of triumph and accomplishment on every face. They did it!” Continue reading “Trek — Warm Hearts and Very Cold Hands”

by Leisa Parsons, Area Media Specialist

Stories provide the fabric that weave families together and span generations. Memories shared, provide a glimpse into their lives and hopes for the future. This story of love, hope, faith and firearms starts in 1892 with John and Jemima Shaw.

In 1892, they moved their family from Mississippi to south Texas in search of better farming prospects. They would eventually settle in Cuero, in DeWitt County. There, they established themselves as hardworking farmers and they were devout members of their Protestant church.

Two missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints showed up at the Shaw farm one afternoon, tired and hungry. Mattie Shaw, the oldest of John and Jemima’s 11 children recorded: “The two missionaries…walked on foot to all the farms at that time. When they first came to the house Papa told the girls to give them a drink but he did not invite them to come in.” Continue reading “Faith, Firearms and RootsTech”