Category: Community News

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The Parable of the Invisible Bike Coach

By Neal B. Jeppson, San Antonio Center for Young Adults

Lessons Learned

I just finished teaching my last child to ride a bike.  It’s been something that I’ve looked forward to and dreaded all at the same time.  Not only does learning how to ride a bike test the relationship between the learner and the teacher; it also magnifies human weakness on both the part of the rider, as well as the one doing the teaching.  So why do we insist on inflicting these types of experiences on ourselves and others? We do it because after all of the tear filled moments, the scrapes have healed and fears are overcome, a reward that can rarely be found in other experiences awaits for both teacher and the learner.

So many lessons are gained on a little bike, rolling on hard concrete, with a young parent and a semi-trusting child.  For me, it has been a classroom of why human weakness is so critical for me and my family’s development in life. It has become what I call, The Parable of the Invisible Bike Coach.

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The Invisible Bike Coach

Imagine what it would be like if we didn’t experience weakness in this life.  It would be like learning to ride a bike with the help of an invisible bike coach. In this scenario, the rider would simply mount up and never sense any imbalance. The coach, of course, would still be there, holding the bike steady but the rider would have no idea that any one else was helping them along.

“This is easy!” the rider exclaims as they begin peddling. As they continue, the invisible bike coach walks silently behind the bike, fingertips pressing into the seat, steadying the rider. Sometimes the invisible bike coach may even run behind the bike, gently pushing it to make it go faster.

Gradually the rider starts to get the hang of it and the invisible bike coach notices moments when he is able to lessen his grip on the bike seat. The rider, unaware of any additional support or even the need for help, acknowledges the ease of the challenge and recognizes that they are just “really good at this bike-riding thing.” Soon the invisible bike coach lets go completely and the rider heads off into the sunset.

In this scenario, there’s no falling, no scrapes and no frustration. Only the joy of riding. Sounds good, right?

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Strength Found in Weakness

When learning to ride a bike, there are lessons that can only be learned if the rider understands this principle: Weakness presents an opportunity for growth. This lesson is more important than just how to properly bandage a scraped knee after falling off a bike. It’s perhaps even more important than developing grit from having to pick oneself up after a fall. Recognizing weakness allows the rider to determine need. A need for help that they are unable to provide for themselves. Let’s consider what other opportunities for growth the rider could have if they were aware of the coach’s presence and his assistance. Continue reading “The Parable of the Invisible Bike Coach”

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Community and Church Members Unite to Aid Refugees

by Ken Jarvis, Area Media Specialist

For quite some time the city of San Antonio has been involved with helping immigrants.  Since last fall most of the attention has been to help Afghan refugees.  Before that, it was the influx of young boys from Central and South America.  The truth is for many years San Antonio has been receiving refugees from around the world.  A number of civic, religious and government organizations have united to aid as of as many of these refugees as possible.  

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An Afghan girl is excited about her new home

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has greatly increased its involvement in these activities. The need to support worthy community activities was emphasized in the 1990 General Conference by Elder Glenn L. Pace, then Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric.  He spoke of the need to, “…reach out  beyond the walls of our own church.”  He chided members of the Church a little by saying, “We cannot become the salt of the earth if we stay in one lump in the cultural halls of our beautiful meetinghouses.” 

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Becky Brusso, San Antonio Area Just Serve Coordinator, fellowships two Afghan men who accompanied their wives for training on new sewing machines that were donated

So how do we find ways to reach out to others? One excellent way is to use the Just Serve website (https://www.justserve.org/).  According to Becky Brusso, JustServe Specialist for the San Antonio Area, “JustServe is largely not service for the Church it is service for the community. In the San Antonio Area every stake has a JustServe Specialist and hopefully soon every ward will have one too.”  Brusso added that all of these callings are really community based.  “It’s about helping organizations in your community to post their projects and their need for volunteers and donations on the JustServe website.”  

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Joann Franck, (left) San Antonio Refugee Center representative, and Cindy Beattie, (right) Hill Country Stake Relief Society President, coordinate where donated items will go

Continue reading “Community and Church Members Unite to Aid Refugees”

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Focusing During 2022

Written by Leisa Parsons

I love the trend of focusing on a word for the year rather than a list of resolutions that may or may not happen. I do a lot of online fitness classes, and subscribe to a couple of different streaming programs. During one workout, the instructor was using the correct Sanskrit names for many yoga poses and terms — there were no “downward dog” poses. We were doing “Adho Mukha Śvānāsana” (yeah, I realized quickly that this workout was beyond me!) One word that I remembered and didn’t have to Google was “drishti”.  A “drishti” is a specific focus point that is held while maintaining a yoga position. Often times it is very difficult to stay balanced while trying to hold a certain pose, but if you pick a point on the mat or the wall to focus upon, it becomes much easier to stay upright. Essentially, a drishti is a visual anchor that helps you to keep your balance. (If you think it sounds hokey then try standing on one foot with your eyes closed) I have learned that I can hold yoga poses much better when I focus on a drishti and let other distractions fade away.

In a similar, more spiritual manner, I can avoid falling into danger if I focus upon the Lord. Just as a yoga drishti helps keep me anchored and balanced, focusing on the Lord will keep my spirit safely anchored. I’ve thought a lot about a word I want to help define 2022 for me (this is hard because there are so many great words!) however, I have decided “focus” will be my word. 

I want 2022 to be full of joy and I know it’s achievable as I focus on my Savior. I know President Russell M. Nelson’s promise is sure, he said, “The joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives. When the focus of our lives is on Jesus Christ and His gospel, we can feel joy regardless of what is happening—or not happening—in our lives.”1  I want joy in 2022!

I just returned from the baptism of my twin nephews Max and Milo. Their church leader gave them both a blanket and embroidered on each was the phrase “Always Remember Him” I love this! I want one embroidered for me! I want to be more intentional on where my focus is this year. I want to focus on Jesus Christ — His incomparable life and perfect example. I want to focus on how I act, rather than on reacting. 

Continue reading “Focusing During 2022”

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The Goodness Continues!

by Leisa Parsons, Area Media Specialist

Santa and his elves have nothing on our indefatigable group of youth and members from the Seguin congregation! Yesterday, they teamed up with additional members from the Cibolo Valley Stake and delivered household furnishings and goods to 14 refugee families in one day.

Bishop Tim Bird described the day as “…an incredible crazy, organized, chaotic day…!” They were able to help furnish previously bare apartments. The Afghan community is close knit. They help and share with each other. As a result, yesterday the members from the Cibolo Valley area were able to identify an additional 15 families in need of assistance.

If you would like to assist with ongoing deliveries to help the newly settled refugees please consider checking out their “Stable Project” ministry. Check out their Facebook group. They have an Amazon registry set up or you can purchase IKEA gift cards for larger items at a better price. Also, share this post with others to help spread the word.

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Doing Good

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by Leisa Parsons, Area Media Specialist

At this time of year our list of “to do’s” seems to grow exponentially as the holiday season rolls forward — too quickly for parents and agonizingly slow for children. Clad predominantly in red “Light the World” t-shirts, a congregation in Seguin ditched their lists in favor of what the Savior Himself would do — they went about “doing good.”

Moving larger furniture items out of storage at Rackspace for delivery

“Doing good” is probably an understatement! Youth and members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Seguin spent their last Saturday before Christmas helping six Afghan families receive much needed household furnishings and supplies. Bishop Tim Bird said: “Many years of moving families in and out of wards prepared us for today. We have been on moves when it rained, been on moves where they were on the third floor of a building, been on moves where you couldn’t park close enough to the home and had to carry stuff a mile away.” They encountered all of that on Saturday, but the spirit of what they were doing propelled them on.

They had started the day with a plan to deliver to four households, but as they were moving furniture and dishes they became aware of two other families that had nothing. This group from Seguin can’t look the other way — they are too invested in their work of bringing comfort to others. 

The families were living in empty apartments before the Seguin congregation showed up. The sizes of the families they helped sound a little like the song “12 Days of Christmas”. They helped a family of nine, another family of eight, two families of seven, a family of six and an apartment of five single men. Continue reading “Doing Good”

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Hill Country Congregation Brings Christmas to Children in Need

By Ken Jarvis, Area Media Specialist

A Christmas tree was put together and decorated in record time

It was a pleasant, warm south Texas Saturday. Volunteers from the Bulverde Ward, Hill Country Stake, gathered at SJRC Texas, formerly known as St. Jude’s Ranch for Children, in Bulverde. Their goal, to decorate the campus for Christmas.  

Garland and wreaths decorated the walls of the Community room

SJRC Texas cares for children and families who have been affected by trauma, abuse and neglect. These kids had to be removed from their homes by the Department of Family and Protective Services. The Bulverde ward has had a long relationship with SJRC Texas helping clean and repair the buildings and grounds. But this time the need was to convert the campus into something special for Christmas. 

Hands small and large cut sheets of colored paper into strips and glued them together into paper chains

Kim Bodily, the Relief Society Service Project Coordinator said, “My assignment was to find a group that was in need and would let us help with a hands-on activity for this Christmas season. SJRC Texas was a perfect fit.”  Continue reading “Hill Country Congregation Brings Christmas to Children in Need”

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It’s the Season of Giving and Gratitude

by Leisa Parsons, Area Media Specialist

Bishop Tim Bird with his Stable project volunteers and the first family that will receive the Giving Machine donations (two of their 8 children pictured)

The Texas Giving Machine, with its crew of youth and adults clad in red “Light the World” t-shirts, is gearing up to provide the first of many full apartment furnishings this Friday evening to a family of 10. 

The “Texas Giving Machine” at a parade in Seguin

The Giving Machine built by youth from @churchofjesuschristsat Seguin congregation has been showing up all over the area. From parades to Seguin City Hall meetings and other community events. The Giving Machine has pictures of 72 items displayed that people can purchase. 

Boxes arriving from the gift registry being opened and categorized by Seguin youth

They can purchase items directly and drop them off at the First United Bank in Seguin, where the machine will be during the day. Or they can go through the Amazon registry and scan the QR code on the back of each item’s picture. Continue reading “It’s the Season of Giving and Gratitude”

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Culturalingua First Annual Welcome Walk

by Leisa Parsons, Area Media Specialist

Culturalingua held its first annual Welcome Walk in San Antonio. The “welcome” was extended to the many refugees and immigrants recently arriving in San Antonio. Latter-day Saint Charities was one of the event sponsors. Members and missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ could be seen everywhere helping to man various stations. Also, very prominent was our Texas Giving Machine built by the @churchofjesuschristsat youth group in the Seguin congregation (@SeguinStableProject). It even caught the attention of San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg and many in our community!

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Faith & Cookies

“Starting something new is never easy but this has been a very memorable experience for our family. We love the words of Christ in John 14:27: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you…Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

When Jared was laid off from his job in 2019, we were grateful that the fear and uncertainty that would normally accompany such a transition was replaced by divine peace. We felt like everything would be all right even though we weren’t sure what it would look like. Shortly after, we ignored all the rational reasons to avoid starting a new risky venture and we simply dove into starting a cookie business. We felt peaceful that this would be good for our family. We wanted to create a place that would make everything from scratch and use only the highest quality ingredients. We wanted it to taste “homemade” in the best sense.

Our kitchen became a never-ending procession of new cookies. We enlisted the help of friends and neighbors to help us compare different iterations of cookies to help us improve the recipes. For instance, in creating our Texas Ranger cookie, we experimented with nearly a dozen different mix-ins before settling on the optimal mix of 3 types of chocolate chips, oats, coconut, pecans and toffee bits for a truly unique cookie. Taste testing with neighbors was always an important and fun part of the process.

We really value family time and perhaps the best part of starting this new business is the extra family time that resulted. Creating this shop together has given our family a common goal to work on together. One son created an iOS app while another designed the website. Yet another son helped us refine recipes and have helped out at the shop. We now have a wonderful team who also works in the shop day in and day out. We strive to create a friendly and relaxed environment so that our customers know we are grateful for their support and hopefully feel the friendliness. We have really appreciated all the enthusiasm we have received from our customers.

Starting something new is never easy but this has been a very memorable experience for our family. We love the words of Christ in John 14:27: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you…Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

Jared & Anne Marie Sorenson, owners of Texas Cookie Shop, San Antonio, Texas

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Christian Cupboard Filled!

by Leisa Parsons, Area Media Specialist

By the end of the year, members and missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will have donated a whopping 3,000 volunteer hours in 2021 working at the Christian Cupboard, a food pantry, in Seguin, Texas!

Today, a few of those same volunteers helped unload a truckload of food for the Christian Cupboard, representing the largest single donation of food in the Cupboard’s history. The truck was sent by the Church’s humanitarian services in response to a request made by Bishop Tim Bird, of the Seguin congregation. 

The Christian Cupboard of Seguin finally finished erecting a warehouse for storage, making today’s shipment possible. Bishop Bird said that often times the folks at the Christian Cupboard have had to purchase items off the shelves at HEB to keep their pantry stocked, so they are thrilled with today’s delivery, especially during this holiday season.

Members and missionaries helped unload 24 pallets of food ranging from green beans to chicken soup, applesauce, rice and other pantry staples. Of course there were two pallets of the perennial favorite of any food bank — peanut butter! Pallets of laundry and dish detergent were also donated.  Want to volunteer like the youth and folks in Seguin? Find opportunities for service at JustServe