After the Disaster V

Here is the very belated and last installment of AFTER THE DISASTER. I hope it has been helpful to some. Thanks for coming by the blog.

Coping With the Stress:
Natural disasters turn lives upside-down and cause a lot of emotional stress for victims. Feelings of panic, despair, anxiety, and anger are common symptoms disaster victims experience. These feelings are natural reactions to trauma, but it’s important to address them.
Give yourself time to heal. Don’t expect everything to be better immediately, and don’t get frustrated when it doesn’t happen when you want it to.
Ask for help from others. There are people out there more than willing to help— all you have to do is ask.
Be healthy. This means eating a proper diet, getting good sleep, and exercising. Having a healthy body will enhance your ability to cope with stress.


Helping Children Cope:
The stress and fear that follow a natural disaster can be especially hard for children. Some may regress to younger behaviors, they may become more prone to nightmares, their grades in school may suffer, or they may become extremely noisy or quiet. There are several things a parent can do to help their children cope.
Spend more time with them and allow them to cling to you. Physical affection has a healing power. Keep regular schedules for things like playing, eating, and going to bed. This will help restore a sense of normalcy and comfort. Remember, safety is your first priority. Take care of yourself and your family, and be patient as you work to rebuild.

Lincoln and the LDS

Excerpt from Mormon Times/Deseret News-click to read full report.

"History also shows that Lincoln checked out a copy of the Book of Mormon from a library on Nov. 18, 1861, and kept it for eight months. He had also checked out three other books on Mormons, though they were all unfavorable to the church."

"Lincoln was also well-aware of Utah's great natural resources and once referred to the state as 'the treasurehouse of the nation'. When Lincoln needed help to protect the telegraph line in Utah, he contacted President Young, not the territorial governor, for assistance."

Women of God

"Women of God can never be like women of the world. The world has enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender. There are enough women who are coarse; we need women who are kind. There are enough women who are rude; we need women who are refined. We have enough women of fame and fortune; we need more women of faith. We have enough greed; we need more goodness. We have enough vanity; we need more virtue. We have enough popularity; we need more purity. "

This is one of my all time favorite quotes from a talk by Margaret Nadauld entitled THE JOY OF WOMANHOOD. Just click on that title and you will be magically transported to this brief but powerful talk. I hope I'm not the only one who will take the time to read it (again).

Church Helps Starving in Ethiopia

The Church plans to send to Ethiopia more than 1.4 million pounds (540 tons) of Atmit, special food for the severely malnourished, over a span of three months, with the final shipment scheduled to arrive in the drought-stricken country by November 2008.

What is Atmit you ask....okay: Atmit is a mixture of oat flour, powdered milk, sugar, salt, vitamins, and minerals that is mixed with water and cooking oil to reach the consistency of cream soup. It has been proven a successful resource for feeding the severely malnourished.

I'm so happy to be able to pay my tithes and offerings and know what good it does.

Go here for the rest of the story.

Missionaires Leave Bolivia

Some 102 North American missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints serving in Bolivia have been transferred to missions outside the country. The transfer was taken in consultation with U.S. government representatives in Bolivia and with the cooperation of Bolivian immigration authorities as a precautionary measure during the present unsettled conditions there.

Well the missionaries are out but our member sisters and brothers still live there. Prayers are always good.

Converting Power of the Book of Mormon

Elder F. Burton Howard of the Seventy acquaints us with a strong testimony of the converting power of the Book of Mormon:

Sister Celia Cruz Ayala of the Puerto Rico San Juan Mission decided to give the Book of Mormon to a friend. She wrapped it in attractive paper and set out to deliver her present.
On the way, she was attacked by a bandit who stole her purse and with it the wrapped copy of the Book of Mormon. A few days later she received this letter:

Mrs. Cruz:
Forgive me, forgive me. You will never know how sorry I am for attacking you. But because of it, my life has changed and will continue to change. That book [the Book of Mormon] has helped me in my life. The dream of that man of God has shaken me …. I am returning your five pesos for I can’t spend them. I want you to know that you seemed to have a radiance about you. That light seemed to stop me [from harming you, so] I ran away instead.

I want you to know that you will see me again, but when you do, you won’t recognize me, for I will be your brother …. Here, where I live, I have to find the Lord and go to the church you belong to.

The message you wrote in that book brought tears to my eyes. Since Wednesday night I have not been able to stop reading it. I have prayed and asked God to forgive me, [and] I ask you to forgive me …. I thought your wrapped gift was something I could sell. [Instead,] it has made me want to make my life over. Forgive me, forgive me, I beg you.
--Your absent friend.

(“What I Want My Son to Know Before He Leaves on His Mission:” Pres. James E. Faust; C.R., p. 58, April 1996. See also F. Burton Howard, “My Life Has Changed,” Church News, Jan, 1996, p. 16)

My New Building Project

I'm having a small struggle trying to keep up with two blogs. I'm thinking I may want to combine them. Until a final decision is made I may just refer you to the other for the post of the day. I love the talk President Monson gave yesterday to the North SLC stakes via satellite from the Conference Center. Please take just 5 minutes and read it at Snickerdoodles. Thanks.

And would you mind commenting and letting me know if you also visit Snickerdoodles. Do you think one blog would due or should I save this one also for those VT messages, FHE lessons and other church related posts.

Now don't be shy, if you've never commented before, just jump in and do it. Thanks.