"Secret Sister Dinner"

Again....

I have been so busy I am behind in updating this blog.

So following this post are 3-4 more about the activities we have had this month.

Lots of pictures too.

This week marks the end of our Secret Sister month.

All of the Sisters received an invitation to dinner.

As I received the R.S.V.P. calls many of these sisters expressed gratitude for the past month.  Sisters told me of the sweet notes that touched their lives, the fun in receiving a little gift each week and how much this cheered them.  Just hearing these words and sharing the sentiments with the Young Women made the whole month so worth it.

In preparation for the Dinner I asked each sister to bring  a picture of them when they were a teenager and also if they were willing to come prepared to share any kind of experience they remembered from their youth.

As the sisters arrived there was a lot of visiting among the young women and the older sisters.  The pictures were displayed for everyone to guess who they thought each sister might be.  We had made name cards so each sister could sit with the young women who had been serving her over the last month.

We all sat down to eat Chicken Salad Sandwiches, fresh fruit and dip and fresh vegetables and dip.  Cucumber punch or water to drink and a yummy pinafore (little cake) for each person.  It was all delicious.

Then each sister took a moment to share her experience as a youth.  Everyone participated and the young women learned something very valuable.  Each of us has something to share and we can all learn from each other.  We learned that experiencing dating, first kisses, being late for curfew, girls camp, school and many other things are the same now as they were then.  We learned that the gospel, the things that help us build and strengthen our testimony and feeling the spirit is the same whether it's 1962 or 2011.

The young women learned that these great Sisters are just like them.  What a great night.  This also will help with the transition into Relief Society, because now each young women feels like she knows a Relief Society Sister personally. 

I feel like this was one of the most successful activities we have had so far.  We have decided to make it an annual tradition.  New year, new Secret Sisters.

Our darling table settings

 Check out those little cakes.  Bro. Underwood made them.  They are dipped in chocolate, I know they look rich but they were absolutely delicious.