We have reached another end and another beginning. As we reflect back over 2016 as a Stake Relief Society, there is much to be grateful for. We have wonderful sisters in our Stake that serve with faith and dedication in their homes, in their wards/branches and in their communities. We are grateful for the love and example our sisters share with us and all those around them. We look forward to many wonderful things this coming year as we mingle, learn from and serve together. I hope you enjoy this brief review of this year gone by.
-Lorie Pierce
General Womens Meeting held March 26, 2016
We gathered as sisters for a light meal prior to viewing the broadcast from Salt Lake. We had about 190 sisters, young women and Primary girls attend.
Spring Stake Relief Society Activity held on April 23, 2016
"We are the Lord's Hands" was our theme as we gathered to participate in a humanitarian project for Haitian orphans. About 90 sisters gathered with us. We made 200 drawstring bags and 75 hacky sacks for the orphans. We also had a collection area for toiletry and school supplies that were donated locally to help refugees in the Baltimore area.
General Womens Meeting held on September 24, 2016
We gathered as sisters, young women and Primary girls to "Celebrate the Joys of Womanhood" with a large variety of tasty finger snacks. It was an evening of mingling with friends old and new for the 193 who joined us.
Other noteworthy things from 2016 include our visits to Sunday Relief Society meetings and activities throughout the Stake. It has been such a pleasure to visit the various units in our stake - to get to know our sisters better and to feel the love they have for the Gospel and for the work of Relief Society.
2016 ended with our annual assignment to provide food for the missionaries serving at the Washington DC Temple Visitor's Center during the Festival of Lights. We were assigned 6 days this year and are very grateful to the women who generously filled that assignment at such a busy time of the year. We so appreciate the willingness of our sisters to step up and serve.
Last night's Stake Women's Social and General Women's Session Broadcast were wonderful! Thank you to all who assisted in preparing the food tables! And a extra HUGE thank you to the brethren who assisted us with setup, serving and cleanup - truly without their help we would not be able to accomplish such a nice evening. Thank you also to all the wonderful Primary girls, young women and sisters who came to mingle with us and listen to the inspiring words of our leaders. How blessed we are to be able to participate in such an uplifting session of Conference!
Confession - I didn't actually hear much of the meeting last night. I was in the kitchen with the brethren and then went home early not feeling well. But I took the time today to listen to the meeting via lds.org As I listened to the words spoken by Sisters Bingham, Stephens and Oscarson and then President Uchtdorf, I heard messages that I personally needed to hear - promptings of things I need to improve in my life - hope for concerns I have - courage to try more diligently. My heart and soul were touched. My testimony and faith in the Gospel message were strengthened.
If you weren't able to listen or watch last night, I would encourage you to take advantage of the video and audio recordings available on lds.org. It will also be available to read in a few days.
Our theme for the Stake Women's Social was "Celebrating the Joys of Womanhood". Each table reflected themes from the Primary, Young Women and Relief Society phases of our lives.
Twice a year, we as sisters in the Columbia Maryland Stake have a chance to gather together with the young women and Primary girls (8+years) for the General Women's Session of Conference. This session of Conference is always held on the Saturday one week prior to the General Sessions.
It is a great opportunity to hear messages from our General Auxiliary leaders as well as a member of the First Presidency. We also have the opportunity to socialize with our sisters prior to the broadcast. This year, with all the recent changes in so many of our wards/branches, that opportunity to socialize will be especially wonderful. It is a chance to see friends from all across the stake.
Hopefully the publicity postcards have made their way into your wards/branches over the past two Sundays. There were plenty distributed to allow for sisters to use them to invite less-active sisters or non-member friends to join with us that evening. We would also encourage you to look at the young women or Primary girls (8+years) in your ward/branch - are there any who don't have a mother to accompany them? Could you fill the void?
We are not serving a meal, but there will be lots of sweet and savory finger foods to enjoy. Our set up this time will facilitate mingling. We hope that sisters will take the opportunity to introduce themselves to those they don't know and begin new friendships as sisters of the Columbia Maryland Stake.
Should you have any questions please let us know at columbiastake.rs@gmail.com.
Columbia Stake Relief Society Presidency - June 2016
L-R: Lisa Larson, Cindy Erekson, Jill Goodrich
Cindy Erekson – Stake Relief Society President
I was born and raised in New
England. I met my husband, Russ, at BYU. We’ve been married
41 years this summer. We have 7 kids and 9
1/2 grandkids.Our family has moved around a lot, mostly up and down
the East coast. We have lived in Sykesville for 11 years. I have taught seminary for 9 years, the past 2
years as the Stake On Line teacher.I also am a substitute teacher in the Carroll
County schools. I love traveling, and especially being at the
ocean! I enjoy handwork: knitting, crocheting, embroidering, sewing. And
most foods taste better with chocolate!
For the first 7 years of our marriage, my
husband was in school. Money was tight to nonexistent, but I was blessed
with the Relief Society program. Homemaking meetings taught me to cook, can,
refinish furniture, and make crafts. I learned budgeting, exercise,
health, nutrition, first aid, and parenting skills. Most of our Christmas
presents during those years were from things I learned to make in Relief
Society. I've enjoyed the sisterhood of Relief Society, - and living so
far from my own family, I like knowing that there are sisters I can turn to in
time of need. My life has been blessed by experiences shared and
testimonies born, during lessons taught by wonderful sisters. What a truly
inspired program this is!
Lisa Larson – Stake Relief Society 1st
Counselor
I was born and raised here in Maryland. I
served a mission to Paraguay. Upon my return, I met my future husband, Louie,
in my home ward and then proceeded to wait 2 years for him to return from his
mission. We moved to Columbia 2nd ward in 1999 and have been there since. We
have three children that I have been homeschooling for 5 years. I love to read,
cross-stitch and work on my family history. I also love to travel, with a
cruise being my favorite way to vacation.
Relief Society has
blessed my life in so many ways. My most treasured friendships have been made
because of Relief Society. My family has been blessed in many ways by the
little acts of service provided by the Relief Society sisters. And the
spiritual uplift that I get each Sunday from the lessons helps me get
through each week.
Jill Goodrich – Stake Relief Society 2nd
Counselor
Hi sisters! I'm Jill Goodrich. I'd like to include in this
introduction some of the tougher of life's trials I've experienced: losing
a parent while young, going through a divorce, being a single parent, dating
"again" but this time with two small children, remarrying and
starting a new family over, having two grown children who are not active in the
church, moving 3 timesin five years (we've
lived in San Diego, Hawaii, and Jacksonville, Florida), always living far from
other family members, enduring serious health issues of my own and my
children, and the continual struggle to 'endure to the end' in these
latter days. Whew! I mention these because I know that you all have
experienced many of these same trials as Heavenly Father prepares us for our
Celestial Glory. I look forward to getting to know you all better and to
sharing not only your burdens, but also your joys. One of my favorite quotes about
the importance of the Relief Society takes us back to its beginnings.
Upon hearing that her son, the prophet Joseph Smith, had organized the
Relief Society, Lucy Mack Smith stated, “We must cherish one another, watch
over one another, comfort one another and gain instruction that we may all sit
down in heaven together.” I am so grateful to be a member of this powerful and
inspired Relief Society organization. Sisters, I cherish each one of
you. It is my sincere desire to watch over and comfort you. I pray that we all
might qualify ourselves to gain instruction and edification from our Father in
Heaven, through the Holy Ghost, as we strive to emulate our Savior and
elder brother, Jesus Christ, so that we may one day all sit down in heaven together.
Sister Susan Reinsch and her counselors, Cheri Meiners and Marsha Searle, have been released as our Stake Relief Society Presidency. They have served together since Fall 2012. Susan's family is moving back to Nebraska as her husband retires. They will be missed.
The role of a stake auxiliary presidency is to provide training and support to ward/branch leaders. Susan and her counselors tried to fulfill this role as they visited throughout the stake. They spent many hours counseling and training ward/branch presidencies. Much of their efforts in their service as a Stake Relief Society presidency was unseen. They tried to relieve the burdens on ward/branch leaders by putting themselves to work on assignments - such as zone conferences meals, stake conference meals, visitor's center meals, etc.
During the time they served, changes were made to the meetings associated with General Conference. Previously held separately were a Young Womens General Meeting and Relief Society General Meeting. The changes brought together all the women ages 8+ for a General Womens Meeting held each Spring and Fall prior to General Conference. Susan and her counselors, working with the Stake Primary and Stake Young Womens presidencies, strived to create an atmosphere of welcome at a pre-broadcast social. They wanted the sisters, young women and Primary girls to come together and feel that bond of sisterhood. Their efforts bore fruits as we have seen a continued increase in attendance at the General Womens Meeting broadcast at our Stake Center.
Susan and her counselors continued planning Stake Relief Society Spring Activities. Each year being a little different from the one before - a women's conference with workshops and service project; a day at the Temple Visitor's Center; a morning of humanitarian service projects. They understood the busy lives of sisters around the stake and tried to plan activities that would be of value.
These sisters have set a quiet example through their love of the Gospel, their understanding and love of the scriptures, their love of the Lord and their love of their Relief Society sisters. We are grateful for their willingness to serve and express our love to them.
On Saturday, April 23, about 90 sisters from around the Stake came together to work on a Humanitarian Aid Project for orphan children in Haiti. We spent our morning making about 200 drawstring backpacks and 75 crocheted hacky sacks. We also had an area for collecting donations of hygiene and school supplies for local refugee relief efforts.
We began the morning with me sharing a bit about my son Matt's experiences working with these children in Haiti. Then we viewed a video of children and volunteers from these orphanages. Here's just a bit from my remarks, which provides details on who we were helping.
"My son, Matt, has become involved
with a group of women in Haiti that maintain 3 orphanages near the city of
Leogone. He makes a few trips
each year to continue his volunteer work there.
When I discussed with him ideas for things our Relief Society could do
to for these children – he felt the drawstring backpacks would be very helpful
and he liked the idea of the hacky sacks.
These children love futbol – or as we call it soccer. They play for hours with old beat up soccer
balls. For those who don’t recognize the
term hacky sack – these are small balls that are kicked between their knees and
their feet – think bouncing a ball on your foot, ankle, knees.
"In 2014 I was visiting an orphanage that I have become very
close with. During that visit one of the children was crying and no one could
help him stop. I picked him up and asked the care taker about him. She said
that he had only been in the orphanage a few weeks. He was very young, maybe
less than 6 months, but we couldn't really tell his age because most orphans in
Haiti are very small and malnourished. I asked how he came to be an orphan in
their care. She told me that he was brought to the orphanage after being found
crying in a latrine. She told me that many of her children in the orphanage had
been brought to her after being found in a latrine.She said that often mothers do not
know what to do with their child who they cannot care for. So they leave them
somewhere. This broke my heart. I couldn't imagine a woman leaving her child in
a latrine.
I held that little boy while he cried in my arms. I didn't know
how to help him. I didn't know how to help him stop crying and feel peace.
While I was holding him one of the volunteers with me starting singing what is
now one of my favorite hymns. I have only found it in the French hymn book. It
is called 'Souviens-toi'
This is a rough translation:
'Remember, my child: At the dawn of time,
We were friends playing in the wind.
Then one day, in joy we chose
To accept the Lord's great plan of life.
That evening, my child, we promised
Through love, through faith, to be reunited.'
I remember feeling something so strong that I wept. I say wept
because I didn't just cry, or shed a couple tears, I felt so much in that
moment and I could not hold back my tears. My heart felt so broken for this
child, and at the same time I felt so much love for him. And he and I just wept
together until he fell asleep in my arms.
A scripture came to
my mind in this moment: 'But, behold, Zion hath said: The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath
forgotten me—but he will show that he hath not.
For can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion
on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee, O
house of Israel.
Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are
continually before me.'"
Sisters, we are grateful to all who helped us prepare for and carry out our activity last week and to all of you
who were able to come and help us do a little bit for these sweet children of God. It was truly a joyful morning as we worked together and remembered the words of our prophet, Thomas S. Monson, who has told us that “we
are the Lord’s hands on the earth”. Below are pictures taken that morning (that is a very yellow room - some of the photos just looked better converted to black and white) and links to the patterns we used for the drawstring backpacks and crochet hacky sacks. If you have any questions, or if you have some of the unfinished work now ready for me to collect - you can reach me at loriepierce.rs@gmail.com. -Lorie Pierce PATTERNS: Crochet Hacky Sacks – prepping for filling plastic pony beads Filling and Closing Hacky Sacks
Last week we had the opportunity to gather as sisters of the Columbia Maryland Stake with sisters from all around the world for the General Womens Meeting broadcast from Salt Lake City. If you were unable to listen to or view this meeting, you can use this link to access the talks and video presentations from that night.
About 190 of our Stake sisters, young women and Primary girls joined us at the Stake Center for a meal before the broadcast. It was fun to see so many of the younger girls there with moms establishing traditions and making new friends. We are very grateful for the assistance and support provided by the brethren that day. Without their help, we would not have been able to manage such a large meal.
We are looking forward to our next General Womens Meeting. This is for all Relief Society sisters, young women and Primary girls ages 8+. It is a wonderful opportunity to gather together to mingle over a light meal and then be taught and uplifted as we view the broadcast of the General Womens Meeting held in Salt Lake City.
Postcards should be available in your ward and branches. Please consider sharing one with sisters you visit teach who are less active or maybe need an extra bit of encouragement.
The General Womens Meeting is available to watch on the BYU channel or through lds.org and if you are unable to join us at the Stake Center, we hope you will still join us in watching the meeting via these other options.
Last fall, when we met together for a meal before the broadcast, we had over 200 sisters, young women and girls join us. It was a delight to see so many from around the stake coming together. It is an opportunity to strengthen friendships and begin new ones.
Details
General Womens Meeting
Saturday - March 26, 2016
6:45pm Light Meal - 8pm Broadcast
Women ages 8+
Sunday Dress
Held at the Stake Center - 4100 Saint Johns Lane, Ellicott City
