Advance Directive Class for RS Sisters

    Relief Society Sisters had an informative class taught by Linsey Bailey about planning for end-of-life preferences they should consider. Linsey is the granddaughter of Joyce Dickerson and is a regestered nurse at Lodi Memorial Hospital. At the same time she is working online on her Bacheler's Degree from Aspen University. Following are the things that were covered: 

     A Living will communicates your values and treatment preferences should you be unable to speak for yourself. Often addresses end-or-life medical treatments, but can also include wishes, values, and goals of care. 

     Power of Attorney/Health Care Proxy designates someone else to make all medical treatment decsions for you if you cannot make them ourself. 

     POLST (Physician's Orders for Life-Sustainng Treatment) is not intended to replace an Advance Directive, but rather complement it by ensuring consistency. When signed, this form is a legally valid physican order and must be followed by health care providers according to California Law. Linsey answered questions and emphasized that all topics should be discused with family, friends, doctors, and whoever may be involved in decision making.

YM and YW Get Etiquette Lesson from Bishop

Bishop Holden

      The Young Men and the bishopric put on a delicious etiquette dinner for the youth in our ward. The etiquette lesson was presented by Bishop Holden, who got an early education in etiquette from his grandmother.   He taught the youth the proper use of all the utensils at the table along with being a conversationalist and all things included in dining with others or being invited to dine in someone's home.  From not talking with food in your mouth to thanking your host--the bishop covered it all.  SO--feel free to invite any of our wonderful youth over and test their skills!

  

                              Here are some snapshots of each of the tables at the etiquette dinner.

Members and Non-members Work Together to Harvest Pomegranates

    A non-member friend  who lives in the foothills had planted  24 acres pomegranates on his farm.  Soon after, he had a heart attack and was unable to care for it.  Mark Wilcox and Cliff Kerr stepped in and took care of it for two years.  When the first crop was ready to harvest there was no way it could be done by two people.  So they reached out to members of the ward, and to all their non-member friends who have an interest in fruit production.

  Here are a few pictures of the event.  Left: Sister Gonzalez enjoys picking the fruit and did an excellent job. Below left:  Brother Kerr introduces the Elders from our area and gets them started.  Center: Showing the sister missionaries how to measure a pomegranate for size. Right:  Ardell Gillingwater chats with the orchard owner.  Below light:  Mark Wilcox helps unload picked fruit. 

 

   This was an all-day project.  For lunch the 35 volunteers had a meal of hamburgers and hotdogs cooked by non-member Alvin Soto. He works as a custodian at Tokay High School and outdoor cooking is one of his many talents.

      Dave Gillingwater had plenty to do during the day, but his favorite thing is to talk about emergency preparedness, which is his specialty.  He cornered the sister missionaries and showed them his emergency kit which can take care of a stranded and injured person for three days, and is contained in a lunch bag.  Below are some of the items he showed.

     Top Row:  A good supply (40) of quarters, list of  emergency phone numbers, a blanket for warmth, a fire lighter and flashlight among other things.  Bottom Row: multiple knife, can of soup (the tape on the can can be used to open it, as well as tape on bandages if necessary,) a roll of toilet paper condensed to a small flat pack, and emergency sun screen.  

    This picture shows the lunch bag open.  On the left are two MRE's (meals ready to eat--beef stew.) Some (but not all) of the other things in the pack: mosquito repellent, plastic spoons, band aids and first aid kit, matches, sewing kit, buttons, magnifying glass which can also be used to start fires, razer blade, compass, and three snack bars.

    The pictures on the right show the small bag which is all packed.  Two bottles of water reside in the lid area. Dave suggests that each family have one of these and keep it in their car at all times.

Relief Society Sisters Create Hygiene Kits

 

     As part of the National Day of Service on September 11, 2021, as a ward we came together in remembrance of those we lost on 9/11, and collected items to put together hygiene kits for the Ronald McDonald House Charity.  

    Generous members donated enough items to make 124 hygiene kits to give to the Sacramento chapter, who will then be able to give these kits to families who stay at the Ronald McDonald House.

Ward Birthday Bash/Carnival

    Mokelumne River Ward has a big birthday celebration every year in September.  This year was no exception and planning began months before. The party is known for it's excellent food. Food guru Cathy Leonard headed up the salad portion of the dinner.  She chose three delicious salads: Cowboy, Italian Pasta Primavera, and Classic Macaroni.   She bought the ingredients, cooked the macaroni and boiled eggs at home, then supervised a group of sisters for chopping , mixing, and packing the salads into little individual boxes.  See picture below.

Top row L to R:  Liz Sprowls, Lisa Holden, Betty McOmber, Joyce Dickerson, Ann Kerr

Bottom Row L to R: Jill Disch, Judy Wilcox, Suzanne Fairbanks, Cindie Parker, and Magalita Rosenbusch and her sister.

Casey Haynes (center, blue shirt) Elders Quorum President in the ward, is also the GO-TO man for delicious meat. Party goers had several things to choose from and all was cooked to perfection. Upper left corner is salad maker  Cathy Leonard enjoying the meal with her husband Travis.

   The carnival was enjoyed mostly by children and teens.  There were animals to pet, games to play, and lots of yummy prizes.

    Since the bash/carnival was held on September 11, the entry to the pavilion was lined with flags and everyone noted the occasion of the twin tower tragedy and the loss of lives.

Youth Excited About Temple Trip

   With the COVID pandemic going on for so long, youth temple trips were far and few between.  Thirteen teens from our ward were excited to be able to travel to the Oakland Temple (Sacramento was closed) and be baptized for 100 people who have died before being able to join the church. 

The group was accompanied by Tim and Genny Shull.

 

Sister Missionary Update

   Sisters Lund and Gonzalez pose together.  Sister Gonzalez was herself a new missionary for Mokelumne River ward just a month ago.  Now she is welcoming Sister Lund who is from Washington D.C.  and was recently serving in Stockton as a Spanish speaking trainer.  Before her mission she attended BYU-Provo  studying music and dance, and hopes to be accepted in one of BYU's traveling programs.  Unfortunately  (for us) she was only here for 12 days.
 

   Sister Gonzalez's new companion is Sister McLeod from Las Vegas, Nevada.  She has been in the mission field for seven months, and has a delightful personality.  Each gave a talk in Sacrament Meeting on September 12 and they were excellent.  We are blessed to have such amazing missionaries.

Relief Society Sisters Fill Goodie Bags for Foster Care "Graduates"

   Relief Society sisters gather at Ardell Gillingwater's front porch to fill bags to be given to 18-year-old kids who are just leaving the Foster Care program.  Lori Wick (center picture) is Executive Director of Mary Graham Children's Foundation and headed up the project.  She had bags that needed to be filled with items that the boys and girls would find helpful, and enjoyable as they venture out into the world. 

    Participating from Mokelumne River Ward are Lisa Clegg, Ruth Dadella, Betty McOmber, Tressa Spencer, Ardell Gillingwater and Ann Kerr.  The event was organized by Ardell who is the RS Service Coordinator.
 

Dean Flores Baptized

   Dean Flores, son of Erin Flores, was baptized August 28 with family participating in the service.  He was baptized by his Grandfather, Bill Griffitts, who lived many years in Lodi, but now resides in Auburn.  Dean was baptized in an aunt's swimming pool in Auburn.  His sister, Leah Belle, sang the primary song "I Will" accompanied by his uncle.

   His mother said Dean took the whole thing very seriously and feels "almost different, like a new kid. Dean is very loved at home."

Relief Society Sisters Donate to Shower Bus

     

Relief Society sisters donated clean socks and underwear to "Showered with Love Mobile Showers."  The project was initiated by Cathy Leonard (left) who is the stake Communications Director.  Suzanne Fairbanks (right) first councilor in the ward Relief Society, brought the baskets full of donations that had been collected.

   Mary Jarrard, Kelly Hanisch and Lori Behnke are three devoted volunteers who gave us a tour of the three showers inside a decorated bus.  There is also another shower with special features for the handicapped. The bus includes a hair dryer for winter months.

    The shower bus has provided over 5,000 showers since its inception. They call it "God's Bus, because he helped in every way to get it going," they said. 

   Ann Kerr interviews the "Showered With Love" staff and learned that the bus travels around Stockton and Lodi with a weekly schedule for stops. The stop in Lodi is at the Gravity Church on Central Ave. Those using the showers not only get clean clothes, but a towel, washcloth and sometimes shoes. Bags of supplies are given to each to use there, and take with them. (See picture on lower right in the above collage.)  Notice the colorful bus, decorated with scriptures. One of them is from Ezekiel 34:26:  I will make them and the places all around My hill a blessing; and I will cause showers to come down in their season; there shall be showers of blessing.

   LATE NEWS FLASH --The full time missionaries make 100 peanut and jelly sandwiches a month to supply the shower bus users with breakfast or lunch when they are hungry.  The supplies for the sandwiches come from the church and are delivered to the missionaries at the stake center where they make up the sandwiches.  Then they are picked up and saved to be used as needed during the month to bring a little light to hungry shower takers.

Dave Gillingwater Teaches Winter Gardening to Relief Society Sisters

       Winter gardens can't be grown in many places, but they are perfect for California.  Dave says that our prophets have always told us that we need to be prepared temporally as well as spiritually for our time.  President Kimball has said, "Eat what you grow."

   Dave taught a lesson to Relief Society sisters on growing a garden in the winter. He passed out a chart telling when to plant various seed, how to transplant, how far apart seeds should be, and how far apart the rows should be.  Broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, and sugar peas all grow well in the winter.  "If you don't have much room," Dave says, "plant near a fence and let sugar peas grow up the fence." Another thing he taught is to adapt to your situation.  Plant the things your family will eat.

   The picture above shows some of the fruits and vegetables grown in the winter.  The round red "tomatoes" are not tomatoes, but persimmons, Dave says.  He brought Dixie cups and potting soil to plant 5 or 6 types of seed and begin their growth.

Alysabeth Ann Webb Returns from Mission

    Alysabeth Ann Webb left for her mission to Ranacagua, Chile 18 months ago.  She was only there 2 and 1/2 weeks when COVID struck Chile and she was returned to the USA and placed in the Idaho Pocatello Mission where she served 10 months until she was able to go back to Chile where she spent much of her time in quarantine. She still had some good experiences and says that "God has a plan for all of us."

   While on her mission her parents moved to Utah, but she returned here for her homecoming.  Her brother Evan is also a returned missionary now going to school at BYU Hawaii.  Before Sister Webb's talk in Sacrament meeting the two of them sang "Joseph Smith's First Prayer" together.  Both are excellent singers.  Alysabeth plans to continue her education at Utah State University.