The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in San Antonio

By Giles Lambertson, Area Media Specialist

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 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. 

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.

Continue reading “Area Peanut Farm Keeps Manager and Members Busy”

By Giles Lambertson, Area Media Specialst

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.

“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.”

Continue reading “Uvalde Service Devoted to Recovery Messages”

by Leisa Parsons, Area Media Specialist

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. 

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.

“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””

by Leisa Parsons, Area Media Specialist

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. 

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.’”

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”

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”