December 2011 Relief Society Meeting

September Relief Society Meeting: A Teacher's Heart

 

We are all surrounded by teachers - parents, Visiting Teachers, friends, community workers, etc. Take a moment to celebrate these people at the September Relief Society Meeting. Hear inspiring speakers talk about all of the teachers in our lives, especially Christ, the Master Teacher.

Make a small craft, spend time with the other sisters in our ward, and eat some yummy dessert!

Thursday, September 1 @ 7 pm.

There will be a nursery.

June Relief Society Meeting: 10 Cow Women

Don't forget about tonight's "10 Cow Women" Relief Society Meeting tonight! You can read more information about it here: http://westlake7rs.blogspot.com/2011/05/june-relief-society-meeting-10-cow.html. Although Johnny Lingo paid 8 cows for his bride, we know that the sisters of the Westlake Ward are all 10 Cow women!


Details: 7 PM at our church building. There will be a nursery. We will be having ice cream sundaes for dessert. You are welcome to bring your favorite topping to share if you want.

We look forward to seeing you there!

June Relief Society Meeting: 10 Cow Woman

Download the flier HERE

If you aren't familiar with the story of Johnny Lingo and His Eight Cow Woman, here is a synopsis, by Patricia McGerr (condensed):

When I sailed to Kiniwata, an island in the Pacific, I took along a notebook. After I got back it was filled with descriptions of flora and fauna, native customs and costume. But the only note that still interests me is the one that says: ‘Johnny Lingo gave eight cows to Sarita’s father.’ And I don’t need to have it in writing. I’m reminded of it every time I see a woman belittling her husband or a wife withering under her husband’s scorn. I want to say to them, ‘You should know why Johnny Lingo paid eight cows for his wife.’

‘Get Johnny Lingo to help you find what you want and let him do the bargaining.’ advised Shenkin, manager of the guest house on Kiniwata. Johnny knows how to make a deal.’

‘Johnny Lingo!’ A boy seated nearby hooted the name and rocked with laughter.

‘What goes on?’ I demanded. ‘Everybody tells me to get in touch with Johnny Lingo and then breaks up. Let me in on the joke.’

‘Oh the people like to laugh,’ Shenkin said shruggingly. ‘Johnny’s the brightest the strongest young man in the islands. And for his age, the richest.’

‘But if he is all you say, what is there to laugh about?’

‘Only one thing. Five months ago, at Fall Festival, Johnny came to Kiniwata and found himself a wife. He paid her father eight cows!’

I knew enough about island customs to be impressed. Two or three cows would buy a fair to meddling wife, four or five a highly satisfactory one. ‘Eight cows!’ I said. ‘She must beauty that takes your breath away.’

‘She’s not ugly,’ he conceded, and smiled a little. ‘But the kindest could only call Sarita plain. Sam Karoo, her father, was afraid she’d be left on his hands.’

‘But then he got eight cows for her? Isn’t that extraordinary?’

‘Never been paid before.’

‘Yet you call Johnny’s wife plain?’

‘I said it would be kindness to call her plain. She was skinny. She walked with her shoulders hunched and her head ducked. She was scared of her own shadow.’

‘Well,’ I said, ‘I guess there’s just no accounting for love.’

‘True enough,’ agreed the man. ‘And that’s why the villagers grin when they talk about Johnny. They get special satisfaction from the fact that the sharpest trader in the islands was bested by dull old Sam Karoo.’

‘Eight cows,’ I murmured. ‘I’d like to meet this Johnny Lingo.’

So the next afternoon I beached my boat at Nurabandi. And I noticed as I asked for directions to Johnny’s house that his name brought no sly smile to the lips of his fellow Nurabandians. And when I met the slim, serious young man, when he welcomed me with grace to his home,

I was glad that from his own people he had respect unmingled with with mockery. We sat in his house and talked. Then he asked, ‘You come here from Kiniwata?’

‘Yes.’

‘They speak on me on that island?’

‘They say there’s nothing I might want that you can’t help me get.’

He smiled gently. ‘My wife is from Kiniwata.’

‘Yes, I know.’

‘They speak of her?’

‘A little.’

‘What do they say?’

‘They told me you were married at Festival time.’

‘Nothing more?’ The curve of his eyebrows told me he knew there had to be more.

‘They also say the marriage settlement was eight cows.’ I paused. ‘They wonder why.’

‘They ask that?’ His eyes lightened with pleasure. ‘Everyone in Kiniwata knows about the eight cows?’

I nodded. ‘And in Nurabandi everyone knows it too.’

His chest expanded with satisfaction. ‘Always and forever, when they speak of marriage settlements, it will be remembered that Johnny Lingo paid eight cows for Sarita.’

So that’s the answer, I thought: vanity. And then I saw her. I watched her enter the room to place flowers on the table. She stood for a moment to smile at the young man beside me. Then she went swiftly out again. She was the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. The lift of her shoulders, the tilt of her chin, the sparkle of her eyes all spelled a pride to which no one could deny her the right.

I turned back to Johnny Lingo and found him looking at me. ‘You admire her?

‘She…she’s glorious. But she’s not Sarita from Kiniwata,’ I said.

‘There’s only one Sarita. Perhaps she does not look the way they say she looked in Kiniwata.’

‘She doesn’t. I heard she was homely. They all make fun of you because you let yourself be cheated by Sam Karoo.’

‘You think eight cows were too many?’ A smile slid over his lips.

‘No. But how can she be so different?’

‘Do you ever think,’ he asked, what it must mean to a woman to know that her husband has settled for the lowest price for which she can be bought? And then later, when the women talk, they boast of what their husbands paid for them. One says four cows, another maybe six. How does she feel the woman who was sold for one or two? This could not happen to my Sarita.’

‘Then you did this just to make your wife happy?’

‘I wanted Sarita to be happy, yes. But I wanted more than that. You say she is different. This is true. Many things can change a woman. Things happen inside, things can happen outside. But the thing that matters most is what she thinks about herself. In Kiniwata, Sarita believed she was worth nothing. Now she knows she is worth more than any other woman in the islands.’

‘Then you wanted-‘

‘I wanted to marry Sarita. I loved her and no other woman.’

‘But-‘ I was close to understanding.

‘But,’ he finished softly, ‘I wanted an eight cow wife.’

Westlake Ward March Relief Society Meeting

Chocolate Appreciation/ Soothing Your Souls (and Soles)

Thursday, March 3 @ 7 PM

Nursery Provided

You may bring something chocolate to share, if you wish.

Also, for our Exchange, bring ladies or children's shoes. 

(Bring gently used, clean ladies and/or children's shoes that you would like to give away)

Westlake Ward Exchange

There will be four Westlake Ward Relief Society Meetings in 2011. These meetings will be in March, June, September, and December. These meetings are an opportunity for the sisters of the ward to share their time, talents, wisdom, and diversity with each other. This year at each meeting you will also have the opportunity to share some items that you no longer need. You can clean out your closets and share items with other sisters in the ward.

In order for you to plan ahead, here is what you may bring to each meeting:

March - Women's and children's shoes
June - Women's clothing
September - Children's clothing and Halloween Costumes
December - Toys

All items should be clean and in good repair. At each meeting there will be tables to put the items on. At the conclusion of the meeting, everyone is welcome to take any items that their family could use. You are also welcome to take items for friends that might be in need of those things.

2 Other Guidelines:

1. Once you bring the items, they are no longer "yours," the giving and receiving may not be anonymous, so please give and receive in the spirit of humility.
2. Do not be offended if items that you bring are not taken - they simply may not be the right size, color, or style for someone else. Any items that are "leftover" will be donated to an organization that can use them.

2011 Provident Living and Relief Society Meeting Schedule

Please mark these dates on your calendar! All events are at our building, begin at 7 PM, and have nursery provided unless otherwise noted.

Jan. 13 - Provident Living

Jan. 29 - Stake Relief Society Activity
1 – 4 PM @ the Stake Center, there is no nursery at this event.

Feb. 3 - Provident Living

Mar. 3 - Relief Society

Apr. 7 - Provident Living

May 5 - Provident Living

June 9 - Relief Society

July 7 - Provident Living

Aug. 4 - Provident Living

Sept. 1 - Relief Society

Sept. 24 - General Relief Society Broadcast
6 PM @ our building, there is no nursery at this event.

Oct. 6 - Provident Living

Oct. 15 - Super Saturday
9 AM - 4 PM @ our church

Nov. 3 - Provident Living

Dec. 1 - Relief Society

December Relief Society Meeting: Christmas in Nauvoo

The Relief Society Christmas Dinner will be on Thursday, December 2, at 7 PM.


We need your help:

For part of the activity, we will be writing cards to send to missionaries and ward members serving in the military or who are away from home for the holidays. If you have any unused Christmas cards from previous years that you would be willing to donate, please bring them to church and give them to a member of the Relief Society Presidency before December 2.

If you have anything that represents Nauvoo or the pioneers, we would love for you to display it during our activity. Please let Jenny Wright, or any member of the Relief Society Presidency know what you will be bringing and feel free to write a note about your object or objects.

We will need help cooking for the dinner. All ingredients and recipes will be provided. We will need 6 sisters to make stew and 4 or 5 sisters to make cornbread. If you are interested, there will be a sign-up sheet in the binders on Sunday.

Thank you! We appreciate your help. This is going to be a wonderful way to start the holiday season.

Relief Society Meeting: November 4, 2010

Dear Sisters,

Our service project for Nov. 4^th will be filling the Child Wish List for Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital. Over 600 children go through the ER in a month. This list helps to entertain or distract the children while waiting or after being admitted to hospital.

Some items need to be new due to germs and infections, others can be cleaned and gently used. If used, do make sure they are in good repair and have been cleaned.

If you are unable to attend on Thursday, November 4^th, you may bring items to church this Sunday, Oct 31^st, or Sunday Nov 7^th.

On the 4^th we will package, box, and enjoy a dessert. Any questions contact Collette Robertson or Sheryl Mills. 

Thank you Sisters!

INFANT AND TODDLER TOYS- plastic only

• Pop up boxes
• Music and light up toys
• Rattles- NEW
• Push toys
• Activity tables
• Crib gyms
• Stuffed toys- NEW
• Infant bouncers
• Umbrella strollers
• Shape sorting toys
• High chair w/ wheels

ALL CHILDREN

• Play doh
• Bubbles
• Action figures
• Baby doll w/ clothes
• Lego and Duplo blocks
• Matchbox cars/trucks
• Barbies and clothing
• Large farm animals
• Large zoo animals
• Crayons
• Markers
• Colored pencils
• Journals- for long term patients
• Children puzzle books
• Puzzles

We will have color sheets there to put with crayons, markers, and pencils.

·         Playstations and/or games rated ‘K’ or ‘E’

·         Xbox 360 unit and/or games- ‘K’ or ‘E’

·         Wii games

·         Game cube unit and/or games- ‘K’ or ‘E’

·         Game boy advance unit and/or games- ‘K’ or ‘E’

·         Uno, Skip Bo, Phase 10

·         CD players

·         CD’s new or used- childrens

·         DVD’s new or used ‘G’ or ‘GP’ rated

·         V smile and games

·         NEW underwear- all sizes up to teenagers

·         Barretts

·         Hand held mirrors with handle- non-breakable

June Relief Society Meeting - Scrapbooking Day

Stake Women's Conference

Don't forget about the Stake Women's Conference on Saturday, February 6 from 2 - 5 at the Stake Center. We will be working on several service projects, and at the end of the conference, the musical group Heartbound will preform.

Service Projects on Saturday
We will be working on projects for Volunteer Houston, Project Linus, and the Houston Area Women's Center.

Project Linus
Please bring fabric scissors marked with your name to use during the project.

Cards for Volunteer Houston
Please bring paper-cutting scissors for making cards. All other supplies will be provided.

Other Donations
We will be collecting items for three organizations during the Conference. You are not expected to donate anything, but if you have things you would like to donate, you are welcome.

Dress for Success
To clarify earlier emails and fliers, items of any size from the following list are welcome. The majority of women Dress for Success works with are size 12 or larger, but all items are welcome.

Clothing Donations (interview appropriate clothing):
Suits: Skirt or pant (conservative and updated) ALL SIZES
Blouses: Conservative ALL SIZES
Shoes: Dress, Dark (black, brown, navy, taupe)
Handbags: Dark (black, brown, navy)
Skirts and Pants: Solid, dark colors (no patterns) SIZES 12 & UP
Jackets: Dark Colors (no patterns) SIZES 12 & UP
Scarves
Pantyhose only in black, coffee, nude (no white or bold colors)

Project Linus
If you have fabric, fleece, yarn, ribbon, etc. to donate to Project Linus, these things will be donated directly to the organization. We will not be using any of the materials that are brought in on Saturday. Donations will be taken to Project Linus for them to use in future projects.

Cell Phones for Soldiers
Some people have been concerned that if they do not have all the equipment/books/chargers that their cell phones came with, they cannot donate their cell phone. This is not true. All cell phones can be donated. The equipment is just a bonus.

While we will be performing service (tieing quilts, assembling hygiene kits, making greeting cards), we will also be meeting in the chapel at the Stake Center. Please keep in mind that even though Sunday dress is not required, attire should still be appropriate for the reverence due a chapel of the Lord.