VT Guidelines

With updated routes coming out, now would be a great time to revisit some Visiting Teaching guidelines.

• Do your best to visit in pairs. If your partner cannot go, you can ask your supervisor or the president (I will go with you!). Please don't go alone into dicey neighborhoods.
• Pray about your visits, your sisters, and with your companion before you go out.
• Be respectful of everyone's time, make visits brief (15 min -30 min). Sometimes rules can be broken, go by the Spirit.
• The optimum is to visit each month, with more contact as needed or inspired. The minimum is to contact each sister--phone is preferred. The important part is that they feel you care about them. 
• Bring the Spirit into your sister's home by bringing a message each month. And a prayer if possible.
• If you have a letter route, please write personal notes as well as send a lesson each month. There is a real person on the other side, and she needs to know there is a real person on your side.
• At the end of the month, it is your responsibility to contact your supervisor whether you have made visits or not.
• If you learn something critical about a sister or family call the supervisor or president right away, not at the end of the month. Remember everything is CONFIDENTIAL.
• As a teachee, please let your visiting teachers come. If you don't know who they are, contact the visiting teaching coordinator (Myrna Parker) or the president (Mimi Saunders).
• If you have any problems or concerns contact the President.
• Remember visiting teaching is about PEOPLE not percentages and should not be a task, but rather a way of life.
• THANK YOU for all you do. We, the presidency, cannot visit every sister each month, even though we would love to. You are our hands, and we together, are the Lord's.

A Haiku...

I'll return to earth

graceful as spent Irises

bid farewell to June.

--By Carlene Adams


Published in the award winning death awareness anthology, 'Dreams Wander On' by Robert Epstein.

Comfort Food

From April Loveland--

This is one of my favorite recipes. Summer is upon us and most people aren't thinking about cooking a warm pot of chili when it is hot outside but it hasn't been hot here and this is what I have been craving. Enjoy...

5 Bean Chili

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground chuck
• 1 cup diced yellow onion
• 1 cup diced green bell pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder, preferably Mexican style
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, broken up with your hands
• 3 cups beef stock or canned, low-sodium beef broth
• 1 1/2 cups great northern beans
• 1 1/2 cups cooked and drained pinto beans
• 1 1/2 cups cooked and drained kidney beans
• 1 1/2 cups cooked and drained black beans
• 1 1/2 cups cooked and drained navy beans
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
• Sour cream, grated Cheddar and chopped green onions, for garnishing, optional

Directions

In a cast iron pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook the meat until well browned, stirring occasionally, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the onions, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, salt, cumin, black pepper, cayenne pepper, coriander, and cinnamon, and cook until vegetables are soft, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the bay leaves, tomatoes, and stock; bring the mixture to a simmer, partially cover, and cook for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add all of the beans, stir to combine, and continue to cook another 20 to 30 minutes, or until the flavors have come together and the chili has a nice, thick consistency. Add the cilantro, taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary.

Serve hot, garnished with sour cream, grated cheese, and chopped green onions, if desired.

Getting To Know...

The only expectant mother in our ward at the moment...Trista Sherwood was born and raised in Lake Stevens, WA. She has two brothers and three sisters. She graduated from BYU-Provo in Speech and Hearing. Upon returning from Utah, Trista was set up on a blind date by her husband, Trevor's mom who happened to know her mom. The blind date happened to be Trevor.. It was love at first sight, a definite connection and the rest is history! Trevor graduated from Western and is employed as an accountant at VSH in Barkley Village.

(Trista, Trevor, and Charlie)

Trista is mother to an adorable one year old named Charlie. He is certainly full of life and keeps her busy. In her free time, she likes to read, play the piano, and being outdoors. She enjoys Whatcom Falls Park, which is just across the street from where they currently live with Trevor's grandmother.

Trista's favorite place she has visited is Disneyland, she is a big fan. However, her honeymoon, an Alaskan Cruise in July is also a favorite memory. Currently, she is a lover of chocolate ice cream, double fudge brownie to be exact.

We hope you get to know this wonderful lady!

Monday Minutes

LESSON HIGHLIGHTS FROM LAST WEEK: “Filled with His love, we can endure pain, quell fear, forgive freely, avoid contention, renew strength, and bless and help others.” –John H. Groberg            

BIRTHDAYS THIS WEEK:

  June 5^th:  Jennifer Dunham & Kanai Callow

  June 6^th:  Stephanie Fowler

  June 8^th:  Cathy Knutson

  June 10^th: Christie Madsen

NEXT WEEK’S LESSON: Chapter 10, “The Scriptures, the Most Valuable Library in the World”

UPCOMING ACTIVITIES:

  June 9: Stake Day of Service at BC Temple, 9am-12

  June 10: Ward Fireside, 7pm

  June 12: Day Time RS Activity, “Tomatoes, Tomatoes, Tomatoes”, 11am

  June 14: RS BBQ at Ellis Home, 6:30pm

  June 16 & 17: Stake Conference

The Power of the Love of God

Here is a wonderful conference talk that went with Sunday's presidency message:

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2004/10/the-power-of-gods-love?lang=eng&media=video

Getting to Know...

Carole Galloway has led quite a full life! Born and raised in Tacoma, WA, she is the youngest of four girls and is a fraternal twin! She and her sister Cecelia weighed a total of 8 pounds 7 ounces. Carole enjoyed growing up in Tacoma around many relatives and neighborhood friends. She has spent most of her life working in various restaurants, resorts, and a nursing home. Her first job was at the Goofy Goose Drive-In.

Carole has been across the entire United States and back on a motorcycle. A "fun" memory was sleeping on the concrete in Death Valley while waiting for the gas station to open up to fill up the same motorcycle. She has lived in many places. She met her husband Karl at a Square Dance. He had just returned from a patrol in a Navy submarine. He asked her to dance at "Phase 3 Round Dance class" and they have been together ever since. They lived for some time in Ketchikan, Alaska.

 (Carole, lower right, with her three sisters)

This amazing lady has survived cervical as well as stage 1 breast cancer. After chemotherapy and radiation for breast cancer, she and Karl married in Calgary. In 2002, they moved back to Washington so Karl could go to graduate school for computer programming. Carole owns her own Bookkeeping business for small companies. She was baptized in October 2011.

Besides her love for dance, Carole loves to read, sew and crochet.  She and Karl own over 10,000 books. Her favorite treat is chocolate/mint/peanut butter ice cream, which she can find at Coldstone.

Carole is hoping to move back to Tacoma to take care of her mom and dad. Please get to know this awe-inspiring lady before she leaves us!