YSA Relief Society - April 21, 2013

YSA Relief Society - April 21, 2013 Sunday

YSA Relief Society

We had a great Relief Society this Sunday with  a new Sister missionary, 3 new sisters that moved here from Mexico and some of our regulars.  The meeting began with a prayer in Chinese by a sister from Taiwan and closed with the prayer in Spanish.  Fun!!

Stake YW/YM Seminary Activity

Stake SEMINARY Activity - April 19-20
Friday evening there was a dance for the Stake YW/YM Seminary Youth.  This was well attended.  Saturday we helped with the breakfast.  Then we participated in the Seminary games which focused on scripture mastery.  They seem to have a lot of fun being together and meeting new youth.  In the afternoon they did a service project of sandbagging for possible Red River flooding in Fargo. Sister Mckenzie Larsen is the Stake Seminary Coordinator.  She is fabulous to work with.  

Spoon game

Finding the Scripture Mastery

Elder Berning, McKenzie Larsen, Sister Berning

TRANSFERS - April 23, 2013

TRANSFERS - April 23, 2013
 Missionary Transfers  
Every 6 weeks is Transfer time where the "Missionary Train" circles around the mission to take Missionaries to their new areas as they also pick up.  This was another cold evening.  While waiting we had some of the missionaries for dinner.  Some of the YSA members were there to say goodbye to Sister Johnson and Sister McCormick as they were going home at the completion of their missions.

Part of the Missionary Train-"I'm a Mormon"

Church parking lot with the "Missionary train"

Sisters Johnson, McCormick, Berning, Dallon

Zone Leaders - Elder Cunningham and Elder Sadleir

Karen Parisot, Sister McCormick, Karen Smith Sister Dallon

YSA Conference

YSA CONFERENCE   April 12-13, 2013

YSA Group - more arrived after the photo - Sister Berning (row1 rt side 4th in) Elder Berning behind her rt.

 April 12-13 was a hugh YSA Conference.  Not necessary hugh in numbers in respect to some locations, but hugh in the fact that most of those participating drove between 2-9 hours just to be with some LDS young adults.  Final count was about 65-70.  They came from North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Canada.  The schedule was changed because of the the snow storm approaching Sat night-Sun with the travel involved. Friday evening after dinner was Salsa Dancing with an instructor who did a fabulous job.  There were about 25-30 couples in a large circle.  He would give them some instructions, practice and then have them rotate partners.  Saturday morning was a breakfast, a devotional, work shops, lunch, a service project at two nursing homes, devotional and testimoy meeting, afternoon dance, dinner and more dancing.  Some did leave that would travel the longer distances.  Others stayed and made more plans for the evening.  They just didn't want the evening to end.  So we felt like it was a great success.  Brother Beck, the YSA High councilman did a wonderful job in making this a great success.  We were there to support him, the YSA and oversee the meal preparations.  So fun to be with the Young Adults.  Some have challenges in their lives and the church is such a strength for them and often their family.  

Opening devotional

Salsa Dancing Instruction

Line Dancing

Dancing, etc.

Friday Eating - later meals filled all the seats and tables.

 
     

INTERNATIONAL NIGHT - April 5, 2013
  With some YSA members we went to a performance at NDSU (North Dakota State University) because Juvaughn was performing in the program with a band he is a part of.  There were about 24 different performances from groups representing several countries all over the world.  The costumes were fabulous and the music was great although we didn't understand some of the words.  A great night of entertainment. 

Mongolian

Juvaughn's group

Juvaughn

Nepal

Pierre,SD Monuments

Pierre, SD -Monuments 
     Traveling home from Rapid City, SD we went through Pierre, SD which is the capital city of South Dakota.  By the beautiful capital building is a statue "Fighting Stallions Memorial".  Eight prominent South Dakotans were killed in an airplane crash, one of them being the Governor.  The sculpture was selected  because it symbolically represents "South Dakota's struggle to overcome adversity, desire for achievement and courage to believe in the future"  Also on the capital grounds is a "Veterans's Memorial".  A plaque reads, "They fought For flag, For country, For us".  Represented in statues and flags are the six different branches of the arm services. 
 

Capital Building of SD

Fighting Stallions Memorial 1994

Veterans Memorial

 

Rapid City, MT. RUSHMORE

RAPID CITY, South Dakota  April 1-2, 2013
 We left about 5:30 AM for Rapid City on a 9 hour drive.  We arrived at the Mission Office and then went to the Mission Home to visit with President and Sister Anderson.  They are such wonderful people with great testimonies of the work. We don't see much of them because the mission is so large geographically.  There are several deer that graze on the lawns in the neighbor.  On the way to dinner we came across an accident and realized that it was the Sisters.  Nobody was injured, but the other car looked pretty bad and it was his fault.  The Sisters were pretty upset so it was good that Sister Anderson could be with them.  Sister Kalio will be with these Sisters until she leaves early Thursday.

President & Sister Anderson with Elder & Sister Berning

Deer on the lawn across the street

The other car

Sister Anderson with the Sisters -it was P-Day-black car to left was theirs

Sister Kalio in the doorway.

 President and Sister Anderson took us to a Scandinavian Chapel. In the evening we went to a FHE class at the church and met with anothr CES Senior couple.  Busy Day!!

MOUNT  RUSHMORE 
Mount Rushmore was amazing!!!