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!!!

 

EASTER

EASTER - March 31, 2013

Easter was a busy day.  We invited an investigator to church who we attended the Fargo II Ward with at 9:00 AM.  Hope he has the desire to hear more.  Gave him a Book of Mormon. There were wonderful talks on the last week of Christ's life, the atonement and the resurrection.  Then we attended the YSA Ward at 1:30 PM.  After church we had President and Sister Braydon, Sammi and Juvaughn from the YSA Branch for  dinner.  While they were still here the Elders (Zone Leaders) came to met the Sisters and get one of their vehicles.  So the Elders ate dinner.  Then the 4 Sister missionaries arrived.  Sister Kalio and Sister Johnson spend Sunday night with us because we were taking Sister Kalio to Rapid City, SD the next day to start her journey home to Micronesian Island of Pohnpei in the South Pacific. The YSA group left and we had a visit with the missionaries and helped to get the cars where they needed to be.  Then Sisters Dallon and McCormick left for their apartment.  So Sister Kalio and Sister Johnson spend the night and were able to visit a little more.  They had been together for about 6 months.  The next morning we took Sister Johnson to her apartment and left for Rapid City. 

Easter Dinner

Sister and Elder Missionaries

Sister Johnson made candy leis for Sister Kalio-a custom in Sister Kalio's island

Sister Dallon & Kalo washing the dishes