Chili Cookoff is Fun for All

        It was another one of the Mokelumne River Ward's great friendshipping events. A large crowd enjoyed choosing from 15 different pots of Chili and multiple choices for toppings, cornbread, salads, and deserts.  Each person was given a ticket before they ate and asked to put it in the jar in front of the chili they choose as the best. The winners were awarded prizes. How could one choose?  Each one was delicious.
    "Peoples' Choice" was nailed by Chene Mogler (left) and Tyler Burton (right) picked up an award for "Most Colorful" with a pot of chicken chili made by his wife Jennell. Others who won awards were Loren Perry for "Perry's Chili," Eric Fairbanks for "Woodland Chili," and Tammy Woods for "Just Eat It."
    Chene Mogler was also awarded a prize for his "Hottest Chili" called "Two Alarm."  Cindy Parker nailed "1st Empty Pot" with her "Sweet Bacon" entry.

   These are a few or the people who attended and enjoyed the event.  In the upper right picture are the "official" tasters: Elders Quorum President Don Daley, and bishopric counselors  Joseph Stringer and Tyler Burton.
      Thanks go to Tammi Woods, Ann Grether, Andrea Mogler and Julie McGhie for planning and organizing this wonderful event.

Lily Mogler Makes Annual Masters Wrestling Tournament

    Lily Mogler's picture recently appeared on the front page of the Stockton Record sports section.  Quite an honor!  This is her story.
      Lily, daughter of Chene and Andrea Mogler, was introduced to wrestling in 4th grade when her older sisters started wrestling in high school.  She would hang out on the mats while waiting top pick up her sisters. That led to her joining the youth wresting cub at Tokay.  She started competing in tournaments in 5th grade.  She is now a freshman on the Tokay team.
     Why does she like wrestling?  Because it keeps her in shape, helps with time management, and teaches discipline.  "It helps you to develop into a strong independent woman and teaches you how to deal with touch times without giving up."
     As a 5th grader she qualified for SCWAY kids stats in the 12U division for Folkstyle and went to Texas to compete at Women's Body Bar Nationals in Freestyle.  In 6th grade she won 1st in both Freestyle and Folkstyle at the Clash for the Crown all girls tournament and brought home two custom singlets (athletic jerseys.)  She also competed at Reno Worlds.
   As a freshman she worked hard to earn a spot on the girls varsity lineup and wrestled hard to earn a spot at Masters.
    Lily goes to seminary each morning and Young Women every Tuesday night, and considers it a good break from the stress of school.  Every summer she looks forward to girls camp and being around nature.  She says she feels the spirit there and can feel her testimony growing stronger.  Lily's parents support wrestling for her because it makes all the girls appreciate their bodies as they are.  The girls compete against other girls their same size. Lily recently dropped five weight classes by not skipping meals, but using portion control and smart meal choices all season. "It teaches them how to eat correctly and in a healthy way," says her mother Andrea.  "Ultimately wrestling gives them a lot of self esteem."

"Days for Girls" -- A Project of Great Significance

     Above is a picture from the "Days for Girls" website illustrating girls in countries where they previously had no access to menstrual care solutions, and now they do! They can now face the world with dignity, health, and opportunity.

    Lodi stake is involved with other stakes to provide women around the world with safe, beautiful, washable, and long lasting alternatives they can count on month after month--along with vital health education. Our stake is beginning a project that will last through September to create at least 500 menstrual kits .  Above are pictured two sisters from Mokelumne River Ward who are in stake positions and working to organize the wards for this project;  Center: Cathy Leonard, Stake RS Secretary, and Right: Ruth Anderson, Stake RS President.

       These are some of the sisters in the ward who participated in a Saturday four-hour event to complete as much as possible.  The kits involve 16 different parts, so it is not a task that can be completed in a few minutes. Young Women as well as Relief Society sisters are involved. Many more events will happen, and sisters can also take work home. The goal is to make a sustainable solution that will shatter stigmas and limitations for all women and girls.  A very noble project.  We will be writing more about this as the project progresses.

Wade and Ann Broughton Called to Serve Mission

Ann and Wade Broughton

    Wade and Ann Broughton have been called to serve in the North Carolina Charlotte Mission and will check into the MTC on March 16.  In Charlotte they will be working with a Spanish speaking ward of the Church.
   As a young man, Wade served a mission in Bogota Colombia.  While there he served as the branch president for six months.  "Then is when I learned the wonderful value of sister missionaries," he said.  "Besides being branch president, I was the Relief Society president too.  None of the other Elders it the branch had a clue about what to do."  Fortunately his mother had been a RS President when he was young, and Wade knew what to do to train the sisters in Colombia until sister missionaries could be sent there to help them.
   Meantime Ann graduated from BYU and was teaching elementary school.  She also wanted to serve a mission and had turned her application in.  But then Wade came into the picture, they fell in love, and Ann was prompted by the Holy Ghost that she should marry him and postpone her mission.
  The Broughtons have had many experiences serving in the Church. Wade has been an Elders Quorum president twice, Young Men president, Priest Quorum advisor and executive secretary for two bishops. He has also been a scoutmaster, bishop's counselor, stake high counsel, and stake YM presidency.  Recently he was bishop of the Lodi 2nd Ward until the Lodi wards were consolidated.
He is currently Assistant Area Auditor for Sacramento Coordinating Council.
   Ann has also had a variety of callings in the church: primary counselor and president, Young Women counselor and president, seminary teacher, Relief Society counselor, stake RS secretary and counselor in the stake Primary.  In addition her talent for playing the piano and organ has been an ongoing part of her church service.
    Recently Wade has volunteered once a week in the Family History Center.  Ann has served as a temple ordinance worker in the Sacramento California temple for ten years, and was joined by Wade after he retired from General Mills.  They are well prepared to service a mission and will be an amazing asset to the Spanish ward in Charlotte, North Carolina.  We wish them well.