If Ye are prepared, ye shall not fear!

Hi Sisters. I just wanted to make sure that all of you are prepared so you don't have to fear things that are coming up in the news about the Swine flu, and other concerns. We have been taught for years to prepare ourselves with food storage, and emergency preparedness items, in the event that things happen in this world that we will need this kind of help. Hopefully all of you have some food storage to be able to get you by for a short term situation. I was called this morning by my daughter who lives in Park City, Utah. She told me that all Park City Schools were closed for the rest of the week and they even canceled Prom, because 3 cases of the swine flu had been reported. My daughter had told me this past week that she had personally felt like if Swine flu came to Utah that Park City would be one of the first places that it would hit, becasue of all the people visiting Park City as tourists, as well as people flying out of the country for Spring Break and vacations. Wow, she nailed it didn't she! I call that personal inspiration because she has been preparing herself on behalf of her family just in case. I am very proud of her for being prepared. Oh and she even gave me the website for where I can go to find out more about the Swine flu and get info and updates and that is at http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/swineflu_you.htm My daughter has inspired me to get better prepared. I have lots of food storage, but very specific things and I have left out purchasing like canned veges and fruit because it expires way too fast and I have wasted so much of those kinds of foods over the years. My daughter prompted me to check my food supply and I found out that my powdered milk has expired. How can you get buy without having some kind of milk, especially if you have children in your house? Well that was put on my today's grocery list. I also realized that though I have wheat to grind and a grinder to make flour to make bread and rolls, I don't have any yeast. Another thing to put on my list. I also found out doing this inventory that all of my sugar that I had stored has also been used over time, and I am completely out. This was a good wake up call for me to get myself better prepared in the event that I might need to be.

My daughter also mentioned some of the symptoms of the Swine Flu and she told me that she had stocked up on the kinds of meds that would treat symptoms of flu and a variety of other things. She said she didn't have any extra children's tylenol, motrin, cold and flu meds, and other things to treat symptoms if she had to hunker down in her home for days to weeks. She also brought up a point that if kids and adults are nauseated, which is one of the symptoms of Swine Flu and other flus, that Gatoraid would be needed to keep the sick person hydrated. Smart Daughter I have, but I contributed to that comment and suggested that maybe we all should have some powdered Gatorade on our food storage as it would last longer than what is in bottles. These are just some things to think about. Well, I did an inventory on my medications that I keep on hand to treat the colds and flu symptoms for my husband and I as we are empty nesters. Guess what folks... most of my meds are expired too. I think I have just purchased them in the past and forgot about them or used them from time to time as needed, but I realized, if I needed them now, my over the counter meds are expired. Today is the day to change my situation for this.

I don't think anyone needs to panic, but everyone does need to be prepared. Young couples I have the greatest concern for as many couples I have talked to say that they don't have any food storage because they can't afford it, or don't have anywhere to store it, or that they say if anything happens, they will just move in with their parents until the problems are over. I am here to say that moving back home with Mom and Dad for a while is a great solutions if they are prepared for extra, and if they are close enough in proximity to do so, but these other reasons need to be reconsidered. There are all kinds of easy and affordable food storage solutions like the $5 a week plan,( http://members.cox.net/auburnheaven/selfreliant/foodstorageplan.pdf ) or you could do like my youngest daughter does, and that is to buy one or two extra items every time they go shopping and put them away for a rainy day. Where does my daughter put them in her tiny place? Under beds, in a corner of the room, on top of the refrigerator, stacked up in a closet or anywhere she can find. She sayd, "I know I don't have much Mom and I can alwasy come home to you and Dad for a while, but the Prophet has told us to do it, and I want to do it."

I hope my thoughts encourage you to do some thinking about where you stand on your preparedness.

Attention Sisters:

I am also posting this announcement on my other Visiting Teaching Surprise blog so that I don't miss any of you.
It has become quite a task lately for me to keep up with all the new information, design, ideas etc., of my blogs as I actively do 5 of them. I try to get new information on them in a timely manner, and sometimes I have typos, misspellings or other things missed when I edit myself. Some readers have brought it to my attention and I have fixed them, but it would save me a lot of time to not have to go back and fix a project once it has been posted than to find them before it posts. This is why I am writing this. I could really use someone to volunteer to edit my projects or posts before they are actually posted. It would save me so much time, and frustration, because I want to share with you something that is not ridden with mistakes. If there are any of you who could spare a couple hours a month to just go over my projects to edit and look for mistakes before publishing, I would really appreciate it. (I can't pay you so this would be a service) I love to do do this creative work with a valuable purpose in mine, and that is encouraging Visiting Teaching and sisterhood. I can tell by my readership that what I do is needed, wanted and appreciated. If you can help me, please email me at ktgauger@gmail.com Thanks! Katie G.

I recently sent out a call for help with translation into Spanish of things on this blog and my V.T. Surprise blog. I want to publically thank Maria and Maya for offering to help me translate my ideas into Spanish as that isn't something that I can do myself. This is a much needed service as our Spanish sisters need the same kinds of helps that this blog provides, to encourage and assist them in their own Visiting Teaching. Thanks again. Katie G.

Lehi Utah Gateway Stake

If you are in the Lehi Gateway Stake, you will want to snag this poster and bookmarks. I actually drew them up for my own Ward Relief Society President but since the goals are Stake wide, you can print it off four your ward. You can take it down to a printing store and have it blown up into whatever size poster that you want. I also suggest laminating the bookmarks is a good idea too. Enjoy! Katie G.


If you would like to use these goals in Poster or Bookmark form for your own family use, I have taken the Stake label off of both of these for your use. Enjoy! Katie G.

Visiting Teaching Monthly Schedule

Do you ever get so busy that forget from one month to the next who gave the Visiting Teaching message, and who provided a little gift or handout for your sisters? Well I certainly do, and I don't know if it comes with age, or just that life is so busy that I become forgetful. I use to blame it on all the dead brain cells that happen when your give birth to children, but since I have not given birth for at least 20 years, that can't be the excuse for not remembering anymore. Soooooo I decided if I write it down, how could I forget. Well I still forgot until I displayed it in a prominent place that I look at or go to every day. Now I am covered, and don't have any excuse. If you are like me at all this little schedule that I worked out in Word format can be of help to you. It is for April until the end of this year. Next year, I will make a full year template. Just fill in the blanks with the names of you and your Visiting Teaching partner, and there will never be an excuse that somebody forgot.

Go to http://visitingteachingsurprise.blogspot.com to print yourself a copy of the schedule, and Happy Visiting Teaching!

Love, Katie

What a wonderful, uplifting Conference!!!!

I just had to come into my office, and write my thoughts about President Monson's talk, which was the last one in the morning Sunday Session. The stories that he told were absolutely amazing as usual. I don't think I can ever forget the picture that was painted in my mind of the woman from Russia or Prussia who took her children to gather with the Saints, and as each one of her children died on their long journey, she dug their graves using only a Spoon. I can only imagine how this wonderful faithful woman must have felt as she dug, spoonful, by spoonful in the hard ground, and what thoughts she must have had to be able to get back up and gather her remaining children and move forward the next day.

I am filled with such love and admiration for those pioneers from all countries that suffered unwritten anguish, keeping their faith and paving the way for the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I also believe that from here on out, I must ask myself... what do I have to whine about, when my challenges are but a tiny speck compaired to what those before us have suffered. Their faith and devotion paved the way for you and I, and it gives me even more encouragement to keep doing what I am doing to strenghten my own faith, the faith of my family, and others.

When I beging to feel discouraged about what is happening around the world with the economy, with new Country leaders and the direction that their leadership takes our country, when I see my individuals vocations, gouged by the current economic circumstances, I can picture in my mind the pioneer woman from Russia with a spoon in hand, digging the graves of her chilren. Let us all lift ourselves and be grateful for what we do have, and do the best we can to lift and encourage others. There are so many others whose lives have been much more challenged than mine ever could be, and to them I express my love and gratitude.

These are my thoughts, and I am sure that there will be many more thoughts about the talks given in this Conference. I would love to hear your thoughts as well. Your thoughts can be collected to help all of us with the talk we choose to focus on to share with your sisters through Visiting Teaching for the month of May. I have created another blog for everyone to hear and share your thoughts and voice.
Go to: http://ldsconferencetalksandthoughts.blogspot.com/ and make your comments, so that others can read them and be lifted and blessed by them about your thoughts about Conference and the talks.

(April 2009 Visiting Teaching Message in Spanish) Mensaje de las maestras visitantes and General Conference Activity Packet

Por medio de la oración, lea este mensaje y seleccione los pasajes de las Escrituras y las enseñanzas que satisfagan las necesidades de las hermanas a las que visite. Comparta sus experiencias y su testimonio e invite a las hermanas a las que enseñe a hacer lo mismo.

Escudriñemos diligentemente las Escrituras
“Les recomiendo las revelaciones de Dios como la norma mediante la cual debemos regir nuestra vida y por la que debemos medir cada decisión y cada acto. Por lo tanto, cuando tengan preocupaciones y desafíos, afróntenlos recurriendo a las Escrituras y a los profetas" ("Fear Nor, Little Flock", en 1988_1989 Devotional and Fireside Speeches 1989,pág. 112).
Continuación.... http://www.lds.org.ar/SocSoc/Maevisit/200904mensajeabril.htm

For General Conference Activity Packets in Spanish that you can download and print off for your family go to http://www.sugardoodle.net/mambo/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4195&Itemid=5 Please make sure you pass this word along as I know so many members would like to have more Spanish materials available to them.

I wanted to let you know that since I don't speak Spanish, I rely solely on the Visiting Teaching message page from LDS.org in Spanish. I can only copy and paste the quotes listed on that page in Spanish so I can only provide handouts using direct quotes. The other ideas that I share, I cannot correctly translate into Spanish, as I simply don't know how. My hopes for you wonderful Spanish speaking sisters, is that you can have a friend help you translate the recipes, ideas, directions, etc. for one another.

Another option would be that if someone who reads my blog and knows how it helps others, and who is bilingual, would be willing to translate for me. We could do this translation via email, so you would not even need to live close by me. I could then make up an entire Visiting teaching blog for Spanish Speaking sisters. I could share the very same wonderful and creative ideas, tips and handouts that I do in English but in Spanish. This service would take up several hours during the end of each month (in preparation for the new month) and the only compensation you would get from this work would be in the form of knowing that you are giving a great service that is wanted and needed. You would need to be committed and have your translation completed before the new month so that I have the time to post it as well. I would also list your name and biography on the blog as the translating services. If there is anyone who would be willing to help me out in my efforts, please contact me at ktgauger@gmail.com
I hope I hear from someone willing to help, as I would love to be able to share everything with my Spanish speaking sisters all over the world!

Most Sincerely, Katie G