Monday, December 18, 2017

Bienvenido a casa, Hermana Simkins

Hermana Summer Simkins returned to her St. George home and family on Friday, December 15, 2017 after 18-months of full-time service to the Lord's children in the Argentina Neuguen Mission. She was greeted at the airport by many friends and family members - including Shane, Jarrett, Jillian, Jaxson and Giselle - noting coming home is "weird.  She is missing those she loves in Argentina but is happy to be back with her family and friends. What's in her future? She is a semester away from having an Associate Degree from Dixie State University and with her 18 credits of bright and shiny new Spanish-language skills she will be ready to move ahead toward a degree in, maybe, journalism or literature.

Summer is still in that crazy place where she is speaking in English after she has translated in her head from Spanish.  She calls hers the best mission in the world and reports she loved the people who are “so loving!”  

Apostle Melvin J. Ballard dedicated the country of Argentina to the preaching of the gospel in 1925 when the first mission in South America was established. Today there are 445,108 members, 14 missions and 2 temples – one in Buenos Aires (dedicated in 1980) and one in Cordoba (dedicated in 2015).


Welcome home, Summer.  We’ll miss your enthusiastic and testimony building letters every week.

Thursday, December 14, 2017

B7 Celebrates Christmas 2017








B7 Ward members, friends and neighbors gathered together to celebrate Christmas 2017 on Saturday, December 9. The dinner was delicious, the Primary sang their little hearts out and Santa Claus was a big hit! Thanks to all who came out for the fun and socializing. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

Thursday, December 7, 2017

Relief Society Celebrates Christmas


B7’s Relief Society Christmas Party was, as always, delightful and filled to capacity with neighbors, friends and sisters in the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Thanks to all who helped with beautiful stage and table decorations, including Lain Carter, Roena Soliai, Natalie Saari, Marina Hunsaker, Ashley Lund and Cheryl Terry.  Thanks, too, to Aubrey Van Wagoner and her daughter Kara Brown for catering our delicious dinner (Kara, a Sterling Scholar, has recently been notified of the award of a scholarship to study Culinary Arts at the amazing new Dixie Technical College – Dixie Tech for short) and to B7 Young Women who served the hot meal to the sisters in the room.  Another sincere thank you goes to Sylvia Johnson who created the posters and invitations … and to all the sisters who brought desserts and those who helped with the cleanup.

The program, called “The Garden Path:  Reveries and Reflections of Mary, the Mother of Christ” was written and presented by Kathryn Barclay as the "reflective Mary," including some of the music, performed by Lauretta Swansborough with accompaniment by Julie Welch.  Maureen Taylor gave a touching performance of the young Mary. Technical support was provided by Rebecca Swansborough. 

It was a wonderful evening, filled with good food, socializing, beautiful faces and a richly spiritual program.