CHRISTMAS RED BAGS SERVICE PROJECT
This is the second year we have helped with the 'Red Bags' Christmas service project. We were really looking forward to helping again. Each bag represents a kid in foster care here in Kansas City. Volunteers purchase and wrap the toys and place them in the bags with the child's name on it. Everything is donated - the labor, the money and the facilities. Our ward chapel has served as a distribution center for the last 13 years. It is one of three distribution centers in the city. In the afternoon, the social workers come and pick up the bags for the kids that they supervise. This year, over 1500 foster kids in the greater Kansas City area will have a brighter Christmas
 |
| About half done, we unloaded and organized about 500 bags Cultural hall, stage and Relief Society room were eventually all packed with red bags |
 |
| Master checker Every bag had to be checked in and then double checked for accuracy |
 |
| lots of little bikes |
 |
| Unloading the truck |
SENIOR MISSIONARY CHRISTMAS PARTY
 |
left to right
Sister Fuller (mission office) Elder Boyer (maintains all the iPads) Elder & Sister Treasure (records preservation missionaries) Sister Peless (facilities maintenance)
All the senior missionaries in the Independence area are invited over to Elder and Sister Teftelers apartment on Mondays for a FHE. We try and go as long as we do not have an appointment to visit a family in the ward. This past Monday, 23 missionaries were able to come and we enjoyed a wonderful dinner. After which, we had a great white elephant game. I think the prize for the best 'white elephant' was a pair of reindeer slippers that Robyn bought at the local Salvation Army thrift store that afternoon. Elder Ross opened the package, but when it was Sister Dance's turn, she grabbed them. Elder Ross was not upset. :)
|
 | ||
left to right
Robyn Sister and Elder Carpenter (facilities maintenance) Sister and Elder Metallo (mission office staff) Sister Johnson (visitor's center missionary) Sister Dance (facilities maintenance)
Happy Feet
'CHRISTMAS FAMILIES' service project
'Christmas Families' is part of the Red Bags project, but it is designed to help needy families instead of foster kids. It is much smaller in scope - with only about 60 families being served. The organization told our bishop that they could help 5 needy families in the ward. Robyn and I were asked some time ago, to help in sitting down with the mothers of these families to figure out their needs for Christmas. This past week, we picked up all the wrapped gifts for 2 of the families in our ward. We 'hid' the presents in James' basement and will deliver them late at night on the 24th. With his parent's encouragement, we 'recruited' Noah to help us deliver the gifts Christmas eve. I think it will be an eye opener for him to see the living conditions of some of the needy members in our ward and compare them to his own. I'm sure that is why his folks were pleased that we wanted to involve him in the project.
Pick up location at the Overland Park Presbyterian Church. The numbers on the boxes and bags correspond to a family. We had to borrow James' truck because there were 11 large bags that needed to be picked up for the 2 families. The kids and their parents will have a wonderful Christmas. Again, all of the money and labor is donated by kind people in the Kansas City area.
WARD CHRISTMAS PARTY :(
  |
CHRISTMAS CONCERT
Our P-day fell on the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, and we were invited to attend Noah's high school winter band performance in Overland Park. Noah's band chose to remember all those who lost their lives at Pearl Harbor and to honor all who served in the military during the second world war. The musical numbers they played were favorite WWII era pieces. They especially remembered the USS Arizona band. All 21 members of the band were killed when the main magazine of the Arizona exploded. They were passing ammunition to the guns above when the explosion occurred.
The high school band had over 200 musicians. So many that they were divided up into 3 groups who each took a turn performing. This does not even include the school orchestra which has almost as many performers. Seeing the facilities here and the great dedication of the staff and students, I commented to James afterwards, that I'm glad his family is here. It has taken me a few years to be able to say that, because we miss them so much. But I know that they are in a good place and that the kids are thriving in school and at church.
The names of those who served during WWII, that had a connection to a member of the band, were listed in the program. Noah made sure his great grandfather, who served in the Pacific in the Army Air Corp was listed. Honoring those who serve in the military may not be politically correct in certain parts of the country, but it is certainly alive and well in Kansas. Another reason I'm glad they are here.
 |
| Noah - percussion |
 |
| Kelehua plays the viola in middle school. |
No comments:
Post a Comment