Friday, September 25, 2009
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Letters from the Missionaries

6/17/09
Dear Sis. Greer-Short and 8 – 11 year old girls!
Hello everyone! I just wanted to thank you all so much for your notes and letters. I loved all of them and it was a wonderful surprise! I was having kind of a tough day and when I went to check the mail that day, your letters made me go from :( to :) and I felt much better. Missionaries love getting mail because it always makes us feel good. It’s not always easy being away from our mom, dads, and families and getting letters is a lot of help because it always makes us smile really big!! :)
Thank you all very much for the time you took to think about us missionaries and write letters. We all love you very much and are praying for you. Be good to your families, friends and teachers and remember how much they love you too. If you don’t believe me, just ask them and see! :)
I hope all of you are having a good summer vacation and having lots of fun! Take care and I’ll see you all soon!
Love,
Elder Michael Graff
Sister Greer-Short
I just wanted to thank you for the letters from the Stake Achievement Day Girls. They were awesome and really brightened my day. Tell them all thank you for me. The MTC is great and I am loving being a missionary. Thanks again.
Elder Pulsipher
Monday, June 15, 2009
Assistant 2nd Counselor
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Stake Primary Activity Day!!
A few moments from our BIG Activity Day ...
The girls recieved a button at registration and earned a jewel after completing each class! They could decorate them however they wanted ...
The lunch cart!! Felt like "Where's Waldo" for a moment only - it was "Where's MY lunch?"

(Summary) Stake Leadership Meeting - Jeopardy & Presidents

In our general meeting with everyone, we played a Jeopardy-like game with questions about Sharing Time, Music, Sacrament Meeting programs, Responsibilities, and Dos and Don’ts. Many of the questions came from the Church Handbook of Instructions. I’ll reprint the questions and answers here. The referenced page numbers following the answer are from either the Handbook or the 2009 Outline for Sharing Time.
Below are a few of the questions -
· What is it called when one week of the month a Primary class teaches the Sharing Time? [Class Presentation (p. 1)]
· Where are other places to look for Sharing Time resources? [(p. 2, 12) lds.org and the Friend magazine]
· During Sharing Time we should, “open them, teach from them, testify of them . . . each week”. What are they? [The scriptures. (p. 1)]
· What is it called when one week of the month a Primary class teaches the Sharing Time? [Class Presentation (p. 1)]
· Where are other places to look for Sharing Time resources? [(p. 2, 12) lds.org and the Friend magazine]
· During Sharing Time we should, “open them, teach from them, testify of them . . . each week”. What are they? [The scriptures. (p. 1)]
After everyone did a great job answering the questions, we separated into smaller groups for more directed discussions. (Summaries from each class are listed below this post).
The presidents talked about reverence in our primaries (and homes). Most of the information was taken from the talk “Respect and Reverence” by Margaret S. Lifferth (Ensign, May, 2009).
In a quote from President Howard W. Hunter it says “Reverence is the atmosphere of heaven". Sis. Lifferth points out that if reverence is rooted in love, so is the teaching of it. Harshness is our training begets resentment, not reverence. We must begin teaching it early and have reasonable expectations. In doing so, we need to remember that we are teaching a child his first lessons in reverence, but the child may be mastering his first attempts at self-discipline as well. In all things we do, we do it line upon line, precept on precept.
The presidents talked about reverence in our primaries (and homes). Most of the information was taken from the talk “Respect and Reverence” by Margaret S. Lifferth (Ensign, May, 2009).
In a quote from President Howard W. Hunter it says “Reverence is the atmosphere of heaven". Sis. Lifferth points out that if reverence is rooted in love, so is the teaching of it. Harshness is our training begets resentment, not reverence. We must begin teaching it early and have reasonable expectations. In doing so, we need to remember that we are teaching a child his first lessons in reverence, but the child may be mastering his first attempts at self-discipline as well. In all things we do, we do it line upon line, precept on precept.
Orienting New LeadersA training and orientation handout was shared in the recent Primary training. It shares the vision and goals of the Primary general presidency. It can be used to orient new Primary leaders to their callings and as a guide for auxiliary and priesthood leaders for ongoing leadership training.
PS:
PS:
The complete email from Lori Kurtz will be sent to all of the Primary Presidents. Please share the email with members of your Presidency who may not have been able to attend the Stake Leadership Meeting!
(Summary) Stake Leadership Meeting - Secretaries

We shared ideas on keeping track of all the talks and scriptures in primary – we all agreed that keeping track is important as every child deserves a chance to be part of the Sunday program.
We talked about using a monthly calendar of events (including the weekly scripture and prayer assignments.) The calendar is sent home at the beginning of each month and is very useful for families and all members of the ward. Contact Robin Harrington if you would like a sample calendar (Columbia Ward).
We discussed that an organized primary runs more smoothly and usually contributes to a more reverent atmosphere.
Some wards list the primary talks and prayers in their ward bulletin. This helps make the children feel important and part of the ward.
The Secretary is such a powerful tool in the Primary Organization!
We offered words of encouragement and support to each other. It was a fun night to connect and share ideas! Keep up the good work ladies!
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