Stake
Presidency Message
Focusing
on the One
Dear Brothers and Sisters:
Thanks for coming to the August
2016 Youngstown Ohio Stake Conference. It was great to see those who came to
the stake center for the Saturday and Sunday sessions. We were also excited to
learn that about 100 more people attended this conference than attended the one
previously. That's amazing progress in 6 months! But, the real progress is measured
in the spiritual growth of our individual testimonies and faith. The purpose of
our stake goals is to help each one of us to increase in our faith and
testimonies.
In our stake goals we have the
phrase “Focus on the One.” We implement this idea as we go about, like the
Savior, helping one other person to read the Book of Mormon, to come to Church,
and to find and prepare one name to take to the temple. Helping the one is the
Savior’s way of making progress. During his earthly ministry he taught this
principle many times by his example and in his parables.
In 3 Nephi 17, when he healed
the sick, he took them one by one.
21 And when he had said these
words, he wept, and the multitude bare record of it, and he took their little
children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them.
Even though he taught vast
multitudes of people, he also took the time to visit individuals in their
homes. I love the story of Jesus’ visit to heal Jairus’ daughter, who was
thought to be dead. I love his private conversations with individuals like
Nicodemus who came to him wanting to know how to enter into the Kingdom of
Heaven. In his parables of the lost coin, and the lost sheep, he emphasized how
precious the individual is.
In modern revelation the Lord
said -
15 And if it so be that you
should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring,
save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the
kingdom of my Father! D&C 18:15
Each time we help someone even a
little bit along their spiritual journey, we are doing the Lord’s work. The
Lord’s pattern is to get us started by helping us to focus on the one. This
pattern shows that in his kingdom, we are all important. It shows that we each
matter to Him. It shows that he loves each of us individually.
I hope you know how much the
Lord loves you. If you ever have any question about that, please take a few
minutes and pray and ask Him to help you feel his love for you. In my own
experience, that prayer will be answered usually within the same hour that it
is uttered.
We love you too. Please let us
know if we can help you.
Much love,
Sid Connor, President,
Youngstown Ohio Stake
Let Your Light So Shine
The other
day I was spending some time with 3 of my grandchildren. The little four year old asked if I wanted to
hear her sing a song. Of course I
responded, “yes!” So she began to sing
“I love to see the Temple, I’m going there someday…!” My heart swelled with love and gratitude for
this sweet little girl. (I was watching
her and her brothers so that their parents could attend the temple.) When she had completed her best effort of
singing this song from memory she proudly stated, “Mamma, I know another
song. Do you want me to sing it
too?” I was thrilled. She began to sing, “My life is a gift; my life has a
plan, my life has a purpose; in heaven it began… I will follow God’s plan for me, holding fast
to his word and his love. I will work
and I will pray; I will always walk in His way. Then I will be happy on earth
and in my home above.” At that
very moment, hope sprang to my heart.
Tears filled my eyes and I saw in that little one’s eyes the bright
future that lay before her and all of us.
This little granddaughter, as with all of us, carries a light in this
ever darkening world that can burn bright to be seen by all those around us if
we will let it.
President
Monson stated, “If you want to give a light to others, you must glow
yourself.” But, it seems that we are
beginning to be discouraged by the news reports and all of the things that are
happening in this world. So we let our
light dim because we do not feel that our little light will make a difference
in the world today. In reading the
scriptures we are continually reminded that we are not the first generation to
have to live with evil in the world.
Sister Harriet Uchtdorf wrote, “You..are vibrant and enthusiastic
beacons in an ever-darkening world as you show, through the way you live your
lives, the gospel is a joyful message.”
In Doctrine
and Covenant 64:33 it states,
“Wherefore, be not weary in well doing, for we are laying the foundation
of a great work. And out of small and simple
things proceedeth that which is great.” This little granddaughter sang from her
heart the key to keeping our light burning bright in this ever darkening
world. We need to hold fast to His words
and His love, we need to work, pray and always walk in His way! Then we will be happy here on earth. This simple little song sang by a faithful
beautiful little 4 year old, brightened my world and continues to bring light
to all who know her. “Let your light so
shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father
which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16) May we go forth as beacons of light into the
world and shine for those around us.
This is my prayer!
Barbara
Federkeil
Youngstown
Stake Relief Society President.
Alliance Ward Tackles Huge Task of Sorting Donations at Anchor
House
About
25 members of the Alliance Ward, including youth, youth leaders and other
adults, participated in a service activity June 21 at the Anchor House in
Alliance, an organization that helps the homeless and others in need.
Budd Kuyper, one of the founders of Anchor House, welcomed the
group and gave a quick tour of the shop. The shop has used clothing and
household items for a small fee, or free if a person cannot pay. Anchor House prepares sack lunches for the
homeless once a month and also partners with other organizations to help the
needy with emergency shelter, food, employment, mental health needs and much
more.
They have a dire need for volunteers to help sort the boxes and
boxes of clothing donations so they can be ready to distribute. (The garage and
basement area were packed with boxes.) The Alliance group quickly got organized
and were able to sort many many boxes in a short time. Some worked in the garage and some worked in
the basement area. A few of the young men and an adult leader also helped move
the sorted boxes to the warehouse.
Pamela Wagley, Young Women president, said, “I was impressed
with the Christlike example of service that is shown by the founder of Anchor
House to those in desperate need. I was also grateful for the youth and adult
leaders who were so willing to get in and get to work.”
Service at Spiderweb
Connie, Gail and
Spiderweb director Meredith were so nice today when we came to volunteer at
Spiderweb of Jefferson. Sister missionaries from Jefferson, Barbara Braden and
I (Nicki Wilpula) volunteered to help sort clothing for distribution in the
Spiderweb shop.
Spiderweb gives away (for a
mere $1 donation) children's and adult clothing to anyone in need. The center
receives bags and bags of clothing that has to be sorted and prepared to hang
or put out on the shelves in the store front. Several patrons came in while we
were there and everyone was so nice. Connie and Gail were fun to work with and
the time passed quickly. There is a lot to be done and organized there and
volunteers are always welcome.
Warren Ward and the Trumbull County
Fitness Center
Warren YM/YW and Boy Scouts recently painted the gym at the Trumbull County Fitness Center. Gil Rieger, who coordinated the community service project, said the youth and several adults took about three hours to paint the entire lower level of the gym.
"They worked very diligently and got the job done, and did a good job," Brother Rieger said. "The building was formerly a Y. It's old and needs some work. It has been part of the livelihood of the community since about 1928."
The Fitness Center is used for youth activities as well as senior programs and much more. Brother Rieger said the director, Paulette Eddington, was very appreciative of the project and pleased with the job well done.
Scout
Camp
In
June stake scouts were able to participate in either a week of camp at Camp
Beaumont with several other stakes or to do a High Adventure activity. During
the week at camp the boys worked on a service project and merit badges. The
family night activity was rained out but families were still able to join their
sons for dinner.
The boys have such a large
area to cover that many of them take their bikes and ride to all their classes
and activities.
But camp wasn’t all work, they
also could participate in fun activities like zip lining across one of the
lakes.
They had nightly devotionals from a member of one of the
Stake Presidencies or Young Men Presidencies to make sure they were spiritually
fed as well as temporally.
Girls
Camp 2016 Anchored in Christ
Girl’s Camp was once again a wonderfully
spiritual week where the young women learn about their identities as daughters
of God and they also learn some helpful life skills.
At camp one
of the service projects offered was to cut out shoe patterns from jeans that will
be sent to Uganda South Africa. They will be turned into shoes that will keep
jiggers (not chiggers, different bug) out of the bottom of feet.
They also had some fun elective classes like
hair braiding, cookie decorating, volleyball, music, improve acting, air
rifles, and archery.
They had nightly devotionals with the Stake
Presidency as well.
Youth Conference
The 2016 Youngstown Stake Youth
Conference was held at the Robert C Morris University in Moon, Pennsylvania.
The theme for this year was Steadfast in Christ. It was a great opportunity for
our youth to meet and mingle with over 750 other youth from several stakes from
states including, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and West Virginia.
The four days of
conference included workshops, outdoor games, devotionals, dances, service
projects, testimony meeting and creating Mormon message videos. There were
several keynote speakers there including, Carol F McConkie, First Counselor in
the Young Women General Presidency.
It was a great and rewarding experience
for me to attend and help throughout the conference with whatever was needed.
It was amazing to see the great work and effort put in to the conference by
many adult leasers who spent countless hours on behalf of the youth. Many of
the employees from the university were in awe of the youth and their
exceptional behavior and commented on it many times.
I invite you to go to the Youth
Conference website and see the pictures and view the Mormon messages created by
our youth. It is a delight to see them in action! www.yc2016rmu.com
Deborah
Baker
Ashtabula
Ward
Elder Joseph Connor has
returned from serving in the Mexico City Chalco Mission. He is the son of
President Sid and Sister Melody Connor of the Lisbon Ward. At the Saturday
session of Stake Conference he spoke of the blessings of missionary service and
the blessings he witnessed in those he taught as they accepted the gospel of
Jesus Christ in their lives.
Elder Connor had the opportunity to
serve in city as well as farming areas. Soccer is a popular sport and it is
common to see the children playing in the streets. The streets are very narrow
and people ride overly crowded buses wherever they go. On Saturdays the city
streets are party central all day until about 3 a.m. “They play loud music
right outside our apartment,” Joseph said. “It was very annoying. We couldn’t
sleep. We would try to shut out the music.”
On Sunday the church meetings are like
our meetings here, Sacrament, Sunday school, they have the same lessons. “But
punctuality is a big problem,” Joseph said.
The Relief Society sisters usually feed
the missionaries a mid-day meal, which varied from common foods like tacos or
enchiladas, soup or rice, noodles. But Elder Connor admits some things were
“gross,” such as pigskin boiled in beans or sauce, chicken feet, pig’s head.
However, the food, the different culture
did not seem to be a concern for Elder Connor. Teaching the gospel of Jesus
Christ and helping people turn their lives around are choice experiences. He
tells about Gabino, a man who was often drunk and would yell at and mock the
missionaries as they passed him on the street. One day the missionaries went to
the home of a young man named Tony to teach him. There they found out that
Gabino was Tony’s father. For many years the family had been torn apart because
of Gabino’s drinking and neglecting his children. Gabino wanted to stop
drinking and he kept trying. As he met with the missionaries and was taught the
gospel of Jesus Christ, Gabino found the strength he needed to change and the
family was blessed by it.
Elder Connor had other experiences as
well, helping people struggling with drugs, family problems and other issues,
and seeing individuals and families find peace as they applied the gospel in
their lives.
Joseph will be attending Brigham Young
University this fall to major in computer science.
Sister Nicki Wilpula
Public Affairs Director
