Announcement to Stake Council Members of 2017 Stake Budget

11 November 2016

TO: Stake Council Members

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

First our thanks to all who conducted and participated in the Stake Auxiliary Training this week. It was OUTSTANDING in every way! All of you did a magnificent job!

Hopefully, we’ll have time to report briefly in our Stake Council meeting on Sunday, Nov 20, on how you felt it went and if you have any recommendations to change the format for next year.

You are receiving this email with two attachments:

1. Proposed 2017 Stake Budget: Please review the proposed funds for your organization and reply with any concerns. You’ll notice we made a few comments to give further explanation as to the rationale for certain budget figures.

The 2017 stake budget is a little tighter because the allocation of budget funds (based on average sacrament meeting attendance) from the Church to our stake has been dropping over the past few years due to a reduction in stake membership from 2,835 in 2013 to 2,653 in 2016. Sacrament meeting attendance also has dropped, from 43% in 2013 to 39% in 2016.

2. Proposed 2017 Summer Camp Funding Letter: We hope to distribute next week this letter to all families with children announcing changes to our summer camp funding policy. In short, we have increased the Boy Scout Summer Camp family contribution from $100 to $150 and decreased the summer camp fees for everyone else from $100 to $75).

Despite the reduction in funds available to us as a stake, we continue to feel strongly that the summer camp experiences for the youth and children are among our best “investments” as so many lives are changed and testimonies strengthened at these camps. We hope lightening the financial burden of summer camps will be a blessing to families in our stake.

So please review the attached two documents and reply with any suggestions or corrections, before they become final.

Gratefully,

The Stake Presidency

Announcement of Ward Budget Allocations for 2017

11 November 2016

Bishop Miller,

Due to a number of factors our stake membership is becoming smaller. As a few bishops are now aware, it has caused some staffing concerns for several wards.

We are confident that, in time, the growth will return to our stake.

In the meantime, we are experiencing some budget challenges because both the numbers attending sacrament meeting and the attendance percentage at sacrament meeting have been dropping for the past few years.

For example…

For 1^st Quarter 2013 in our stake:

·   1,169 attended sacrament meeting

·   43% sacrament meeting attendance

Compared to the 3^rd Quarter 2016:

·   1,015 attended sacrament meeting (154 less @ $48/person = $7,398 reduced allocation)

·   39% sacrament meeting attendance (down 4%)

Both dynamics—fewer members and fewer members attending sacrament meeting—affect our budget allocation ($48 per attendee, per year) from Church headquarters. As a consequence, we must make the following changes to your 2017 allocation:

·   Your 2016 Ward Allocation: $5,000 ($1,250 per quarter)

·   Your 2017 Ward Allocation: $3,800 ($950 per quarter, which will vary—see below)

Other funds you currently have to help you make up the difference:

·   Your 2015 Carry Over: $1,725.09

·   Your 2016 Potential Carry Over*: $3,762.00

·   Your Current “Other” Account Balance:  $540.00

Over the years we have not significantly adjusted your allocation even though the allocation to our stake has been dropping. We assumed it would come back, but it didn’t. To avoid this in the future, we will adjust your budget allocation each quarter based on your sacrament meeting attendance. Usually a quarterly adjustment is nominal, but the varying income amount will help you monitor the changes happening in your ward.

Thank you for adjusting your year-end 2016 and your 2017 spending accordingly. We are having to do the same with the stake budget. Together we’ll make it work!

The Stake Presidency

* Current balance in your ward budget as of Nov. 1—what you would carry over if you didn’t spend anything the rest of the year. We recognize it’s not realistic that you’ll just stop spending right now, but hopefully it will give you an incentive to monitor carefully your spending for the balance of 2016.

Explanation of 2017 Summer Camp Funding Policy to Bishops

14 November 2016

Bishops,

Attached you’ll find a DRAFT of the announcement about changes to our stake’s 2017 Summer Camp Funding Policy. 

We are sending you this document for your review and feedback before we ask that you distribute the final approved version to all parents with children in your ward.

Fortunately, the change in policy does not reflect a sizable increase over 2016 in the total stake subsidy. It’s just more equitable way to follow the guidance in the handbook to use church funds to lighten the financial burden on families, in this case to minimize the high cost of summer camps. 

You’ll notice that the new policy raises the family contribution for boys attending the expensive Boy Scout Camp. We’re not against Scout camp, but we cannot continue to subsidize so heavily a camp that appears to increase its registration fee by 10% or more every year. 

While the policy raises the family contribution from $100 to $150, we do not feel it is significant enough to allow youth leaders to conduct fundraising. We feel parents can still help their children learn to earn enough to meet the $150 portion of the registration fee. Hence the importance that you to notify parents far in advance.

Understandably some of you will wonder why we continue to subsidize summer camps at all when we’re having to cut stake and ward budgets—announced last week--due to the decrease in budget allocations from SLC?

While the day may come that we must eliminate or reduce the summer camp subsidies, our feeling is that lightening the financial burden on families is one of the most effective use of these sacred funds….funds that originated with these same members in the form of tithes. 

Our summer camp subsidies are a great benefit to the family’s budget and also we hope the subsidies encourage families to send their youth and children to these spiritually beneficial summer camps. We feel strongly this is a very wise use of the generous allocations received each quarter from the Church.

We also feel, as we have continually seen almost every ward (and the stake, for that matter) carry over more than $1,000 in unused budget funds each year, that there is more we can all do to tighten our belts and refine our budgeting processes before we start eliminating or reducing camp subsidy funds that directly bless the family budget.

Thank you for giving this your consideration. We look forward to hearing from you…prior to the Bishop’s Training tomorrow.

Thank you,

The Stake Presidency

By the way, we will no longer require you to receive the family contribution before receiving the reimbursement funds from the stake. Please submit a list immediately after your youth complete each summer camp and we’ll send you a reimbursement check as quickly as possible. As most of you know, by now, if you do not start working with families to submit their family contribution(s) early in the year, it can create a major cash flow problem for you by spring. Please help parents understand the importance of teaching their children how to earn money and to submit their family contribution(s) on time.

Remember, all summer camps are supported by the family contributions and stake funds. NO ward funds are used to support summer camps. However, the cash flow needed to pay for summer camp registration fees, often required in the spring, is the responsibility of the ward. So you have a sizable amount of money that comes in and goes out through your “Other” account. It’s very important that you work with the families and help them to pay on time or you will run the risk of falling short of the money you need to pay the registrations, which will later be reimbursed by the stake.

New 2017 Summer Camp Funding Policy

15 November 2016

TO: All Parents of Youth and Children in the Mount Hood Stake

FROM: The Mount Hood Stake Presidency

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We value greatly the summer camp experiences the youth of our stake enjoy each year, especially when the gospel is taught and testimonies are strengthened around a campfire with other youth who share their beliefs and standards.

Therefore, we have tried to make these camps as accessible and affordable as possible.

The Church discourages fundraising (see Handbook 2, 13.6.8) and suggests ALL youth activities, including summer camps where possible, should be covered by ward budget funds.

While we have not been able to cover all the camp fees with budget funds, we continue to use these funds to minimize the financial burden on families. For several years we were able to reduce the family’s cost for summer camps to only $100 per child or youth.

We are happy to announce that we now have a new, and hopefully more equitable, fee schedule for families beginning in 2017, as follows:

                  • $150 per boy for Boy Scout Camp (regularly $305 to $320 per boy)

                  • $75 per child or youth for other camps, including:  Young Women Camp
                                    (reg. $125), High Adventure (reg. $150), Camp Helaman for Priests-age
                                    young men (reg. $170), and Cub Scout Day Camp (reg. $125)

                  • NO FEE for Church-operated summer camps for Primary-age children, including:

                                    Primary Activity Days (girls ages 8-11) and 11-Year-Old Scout Day Camp

The subsidized fees above are good for only one summer camp per youth except young men, ages 16-18, who may also attend Camp Helaman at the reduced $75 fee because of the value we believe this multi-stake camp provides in preparing YM to serve full-time missions.

Non-member families pay the full or regular camp fee, unless there is a financial need.

We appreciate your support of this policy and urge parents to teach their children the importance of earning the reduced share (either $75 or $150) of their summer camp fee.

About the 2016 Presidential Race

25 October 2016

In response to Dantzelle asking from Greece (on their mission) who to vote for in this year's presidential race.

I assume, Dantzelle, you’re asking our opinion on who to vote for (if not too late for those of you half way around the world). This is the first time when so many patriotic, Constitution-loving Americans are feeling totally disenfranchised. The two main parties have failed us and have given us the worst possible candidates. 

It’s the perfect storm of pathetic politics!

In my opinion, we either vote on principle or pragmatics. 

If on principle, then you write in the name of a good and wise person, otherwise you contribute to “evil” and the people further mourning (see D&C 98:9-10). 

If on pragmatics, then you vote to block Hillary, who is the more sinister of the two and has shown in her many years of government service she embraces policies counter to the Lord’s plan of agency and freedom. (But I have little hope a self-serving, narcissistic man like Trump will do much better.)

Because both candidates are so horrible, I personally feel a deeper responsibility to answer to God (principle) than to a party or even America (pragmatics) this year. 

I’m still shaking my head and asking, “How did we go from a Mitt Romney four years ago to a Donald Trump today?”

We’ve seen a lot of things turn revolting in America during our years in this wonderful land, but this…ahem…trumps them all. No wonder we see billboards by realtors offering to sell our homes when we move to Canada!

Sorry, this probably doesn’t help.

Love,

Crismon

Stake Auxiliary Training guidelines for Nov 8, 2016

25 October 2016

Stake Auxiliary Presidents (RS, YW, Primary, SS)...

Thank you for the preparations you are making for your one-hour break-out sessions at Stake Auxiliary Training meeting. 

We recognize this once-a-year training opportunity makes this a precious hour. We will do everything we can to make sure you have the full hour immediately following the 20-minute opening devotional in the chapel under the direction of the stake presidency.

In case we have not communicated to you already, we would appreciate you giving emphasis in your training to “Teaching in the Savior’s Way.” We encourage you, in your training, to model principles and practices taught in this Church-wide initiative available online and in the "Teaching in the Savior’s Way" booklet.

As additional resources:

• Feel free to contact Scott Emery, our Stake Sunday School President, who is our stake resource just as ward Sunday School presidencies serve as the resource for the ward council in helping to implement this initiative;

• Attend the live broadcast of the “Teaching in the Savior’s Way” training meeting at the stake center on Saturday, Nov 5, at 12:00 to 2:30 pm; be flexible and ready, if you feel prompted, to adjust your Stake Auxiliary Training break-out session plans based on what we receive in the broadcast just three days earlier;

• Remember you will be training leaders on how to help teachers so you may want to draw from the online instruction on the role of leaders in overseeing the implementation of “Teaching in the Savior’s Way” in each ward;

• If you want to use any of the training videos available online, please contact Russ Hokanson, of the Tickle Creek Ward and our Stake Technology Specialist, as soon as possible so he can help arrange for you to have the technology support you need.

We recognize you likely have other training matters you want to address with your ward counterparts. Please know we do not expect you to devote the entire time to the above topic, but we appreciate very much you giving it emphasis in your break-out session.

Finally, a couple of additional thoughts…

…While this is a “precious hour” of training, let’s remember that this one hour of training will not likely make a huge impact in and of itself. In the end, our greatest influence in helping ward leaders will be in our ongoing ward visits, stewardship interviews and one-on-one training. So please do not stress over making this the “perfect” training meeting.

…It is sometimes customary to provide refreshments after a training meeting like this. While it’s a nice way to encourage leaders to linger and visit, we discourage refreshments for several reasons: (1) it inappropriately models the very thing we ask teachers NOT to do—bring food to the classroom; (2) it burdens you and your leaders in having to prepare temporal food when we want your full effort to be on preparing a spiritual feast; and (3) it sometimes places auxiliaries in competition with each other to offer bigger and better after-meeting treats.

Thank you again for your stake service—for your deep and abiding love of the Lord that motivates us to give Him our very best effort in blessing His children. 

Please know we love you and are so honored to associate with you in this mighty and marvelous work.

President Lewis

Discussion about moving wards with the creation of YSA and Spanish branches in our stake

3 October 2016

Dear Brian (Yates),

Thank you for the clarification. I apologize for any misunderstanding or mischaracterization. I accept your apology and ask that you forgive me, as well.

You are right, you did send me a thorough and helpful email on 9/16, to which I failed to respond (I’ve included below for all to review). I apologize for not responding.  I shared, however, with the stake presidency that I was not inclined to approve a move of the YSA Branch to the Institute (or any other building in the Gresham Stake), but forgot to communicate my feelings to you after you so kindly shared your thoughts.

So you’re aware, here are three major reasons I see for not moving the YSA branch into the Institute building or a location in Gresham: (1) I was the bishop that moved the YSA Ward out of the Institute into a church building and it made a huge difference in helping the YSA feel they were a true Church unit and they began to grow (40 to 75 in average attendance) and  function (accept leadership roles) as such; (2) the full-time missionaries in our stake would not be able to attend the YSA branch meetings without some special permission, which may be hard to get inasmuch as crossing mission boundaries is, as one Area 70 said, a send-home transgression; and (3) placing the YSA branch within the Gresham Stake boundaries would inherently undermine the Springwater YSA Ward. While it may make sense to us to rescue the many YSA on the east side seemingly being neglected right now, this is not an appropriate way to get priesthood leaders to change direction.

If there’s a silver lining, hopefully this discussion on both the Spanish and YSA units has now been broached with all the “key players” (the stake presidency and you, as the HC over both units) so that we can once-and-for-all put to rest any rumors or hidden agendas among any of us with regard to thoughts of moving an existing ward or branch into the Estacada building. And while the idea of creating a fourth ward out of E-SR-TC is enticing, we are not seeing enough growth (either in converts or move-ins) to justify such a consideration at least not until we consistently see 250+ attendance in at least two of the three wards and even there I believe SLC might balk at such a recommendation in part due to the thin numbers in the TC Ward (they’ve stopped opening the first curtain for sacrament meeting).

Brian, thank you for taking the time to explain what happened. We value very much your service on the high council and for your faithful service to two units—the YSA and Spanish. The fact that you serve both units speaks to how much confidence we have in you. We are equally grateful for your willingness to provide double-duty service.

Gratefully,

Crismon

Your email to which I never responded (my apologies!):

When I was asked to work with the Spanish group, I began to look to the future and began looking for the solutions to the problems we addressed last night, as well as some others.

Growth of the group was one thing I looked at and the fact is, at some future date, the Sandy building will not be able to accommodate both the Spanish Branch/Ward and the YSA Branch/Ward.

President Hansen and I discussed this and he asked me to explore what options exist, and to get the opinions of Pres. Westover and of Bro. G - from a YSA, not Spanish, point of view.

Pres. Westover is not concerned about the possibility of having to move, as long as Estacada is not the destination building.  We both believe moving the Branch there would be damaging to our efforts. He likes the idea of the Stake Center or the Institute or the Troutdale building.

Brother G hopes we choose the Institute, but he also likes the idea of the Troutdale building.

My thoughts are that having the YSAs meet at the Stake Center would be the best option for the Stake, but I recognize it will likely not happen.

Why do I say it is best for the Stake?  Moving Damascus Ward for a short time to the Estacada building would give the minimum required 2 units per existing building, which then would allow us to petition Salt Lake to build another building.  We will need that building because the SR/Tickle Creek/Estacada combination will soon birth a 4th Ward.

At that point, the YSAs could move to Troutdale, (because by then, they will have outgrown the possibility of using the Institute) also by then, our relationship with the Gresham Stake YSAs will be so solid that the Gresham location will be desireable. Or they could just stay in the Stake Center with Damascus and the Spanish Branch. The 2 Gresham Wards would meet in the new building located in Gresham proper.

The units per building would be:

Sandy - 2 Units

Estacada - 2 Units (Estacada + the new Ward)

The Stake Center - 3 Units

The new building - 2 Units

So, if the YSAs don't go to the Stake Center, I recommend they go to the Institute, and when they outgrow it, the Troutdale building (which currently houses 2 wards) will be nice.  And yes, I know we will outgrow the Institute in a year, but there are benefits to meeting there until we do outgrow it.

Thanks,

Brian

In response to this email chain:

Brian,

I appreciate your vision and enthusiasm for growth, but SLC is doing everything possible to avoid building in the USA since most of the growth (and need) is in Africa and Latin America.

So our chances of getting a building in Gresham are very remote because…

1. The Church sold the land where the Hogan building was located in Gresham and there are few pieces of suitable size remaining, that I can tell;

2. We would have to have sacrament meeting attendance in multiple wards of 300 or more before they’d start looking at dividing wards (we only have two wards that pull more than 200 sacrament meeting attendance and that’s only on an occasional basis);

3. We need 3 units, not 2, in every building before they’ll consider building;

4. The Church is monitoring attendance and growth in every building (we are required to submit an annual report) and they require wards to attend in “open” slots in buildings even located in other stakes before they’ll build a new meetinghouse, i.e. they would require WH and PV wards attend meetings in the Gresham Stake Center or Stark or Troutdale before building again;

5. City of Gresham has a reputation of making it difficult to build within the city limits, partly because there is so little land left so they can be tough.

In short, it is extremely remote that we’ll ever see another meetinghouse in Gresham. So I appreciate your eagerness for growth, but—because of your stake calling—anything you say can be taken as a reflection of the stake presidency. So please do not drop hints or suggest to leaders or members that someday a Sandy unit will be going to Estacada. That just isn’t practical. In fact, to force a Sandy congregation anytime soon to drive to Estacada just because leaders want to create the appearance of growth is both unrealistic and unkind. Please do not instigate rumors.

Thanks,

Crismon

FROM BRIAN: I would never instigate rumors. I have not made suggestions or dropped hints to anyone - leaders or otherwise - that one of the Sandy units would be going to Estacada.  What has made you think that I had?

FROM CRISMON:

During our Spanish Branch discussion meeting you mentioned openly that you had already communicated to President Westover that he should be thinking about a possible change in location (due to the possibility of a Spanish branch), maybe even Estacada. President Westover confirmed with me later that you had dropped a hint to him that the branch may move, possibly to Estacada. I assured him that would not happen.

Later I was told (I believe in a stake presidency meeting) that Bishop Howes, hearing that there was a possibility a Sandy unit might eventually move to Estacada, supposedly said, “Well, if any ward should go to Estacada it would be our ward” since he has a number of members who live off of Highway 211 half way to Estacada.

I am concerned that this idea (rumor) is even being discussed anywhere outside of the stake presidency (where it’s NOT being discussed). It just creates unnecessary instability and insecurity in the hearts of leaders and members.

I concluded that such a rumor came from you because of the comment I heard you make at the Spanish Branch discussion meeting. That’s when I began probing as it raised a deep concern with me. Then when you asked the question in the email below about moving a ward to Estacada (an idea that I have never suggested, proposed or entertained, that I recall), it further concerned me that the idea (and rumor) was coming from you. Hence this email chain.

If I’ve misunderstood or unfairly judged, please accept my apology.

FROM BRIAN:

That is not accurate.  During the Spanish meeting, when we talked about a potential meeting-time conflict I said that I don't think we need to be concerned with the YSA branch in regard to meeting time conflicts. Only after the meeting and then in a private email to you did I talk about speaking with President Westover.  I have never openly discussed this.

Here is the related portion of the email I sent to you:

"Growth of the group was one thing I looked at and the fact is, at some future date, the Sandy building will not be able to accommodate both the Spanish Branch/Ward and the YSA Branch/Ward.

President Hansen and I discussed this and he asked me to explore what options exist, and to get the opinions of Pres. Westover and of Bro. G - from a YSA, not Spanish, point of view.

Pres. Westover is not concerned about the possibilty of having to move, as long as Estacada is not the destination building.  We both believe moving the Branch there would be damaging to our efforts. He likes the idea of the Stake Center or the Institute or the Troutdale building.

Brother G hopes we choose the Institute, but he also likes the idea of the Troutdale building."

I believe the idea of a ward splitting occurs to most people when they see the overflow being opened, and especially when the second overflow is opened. When the Stake has the creation of two new units as a goal, you are guaranteeing discussion, at the members level, regarding which ward will split and where the new units will meet.  Hopefully, it does not strike fear or insecurity into the hearts of leaders when they consider this goal, it should make them consider what they can do to help bring it about.

I can't speak to what Bishop Howes thinks or said, or as you wrote: "supposedly" said; I have never talked to him about this. And speaking of not talking to someone about this, if in the future you need to probe about me, please feel free to talk to me. I'll give you first hand information.

If I have done anything wrong I sincerely apologize, and I will publicly apologize to whoever I have wronged.

Helping leaders with callings recommendations so ward and stake auxiliary leaders' recommendations are not rejected

The following is prepared to assist priesthood and auxiliary leaders in making recommendations for callings, including instances where inspiration is received but recommendations are declined.

Doctrinal foundations of callings:

• This is the Lord’s true church, He will reveal His will to us (D&C 1:30, 112:10, AofF 1:5)
• Revelation, and thus final decisions, flow through priesthood keys (D&C 28:7, 35:25)
• Whom the Lord calls, the Lord qualifies (Thomas S. Monson, April Conference 1996)
• The Lord sometimes withholds communication so leaders learn to develop judgment and become like God; the Lord then stands behind those decisions (see Moses 1:25)

How do we reconcile ‘competing revelation’ when a recommendation is rejected?

• Right person, wrong time
• As in marriage, there’s no “one-and-only”
• Natural to feel right about those we like or who are dependable
• Additional information was needed before asking in prayer
• Feeling an urgency to decide quickly

Key factors in approving callings: peace of heart, a settled feeling among all in the bishopric or presidency, worthiness, availability, personal and family circumstances

Other factors that may affect approvals: dependability, length of service in current calling, willingness to serve, talent, teachable, respect for authority, enthusiasm for work

Three Approaches to Making Recommendations

Directed by priesthood leader

Your priesthood leader selects the candidates for you

• Pro: No rejection rate, no frustration from rejection
• Con: No participation in the revelatory experience, may not prefer candidates chosen

Select from a narrow group

Your priesthood leader gives you a group of 4-5 names to choose from

• Pro: Some revelatory experience, low rejection rate, low frustration
• Con: Limited flexibility, may not prefer any of the candidates offered for consideration

Choose from general membership

You choose from the entire stake or ward membership

• Pro: A sweet, revelatory experience
• Con: Sometimes high frustration from number of rejections due to above factors

-- September 2016

Update on Duraye at the end of September 2016

21 September 2016

Dear family,

We are happy to report that things continue to go well for Duraye in many respects, including she now has a job…started this week at a company that helps people invest in high-end homes or something like that. I haven’t investigated it personally, but she likes it because it has both a base plus commission.

She also has had a wonderful experience attending the Arcadia Ward where leaders and members have reached out to her very warmly. Amazingly, there were already some connections of friends in that ward. In fact, the bishop was a counselor in the bishopric of Jeffrey and Olivia’s student ward at ASU a couple of years ago and loved them dearly. That has helped open the door for Duraye to become very well acquainted with Bishop and Sister Horsley.

The ward has already provided her with a generous supply of food from the storehouse and $334 in assistance to offset two bills that were due this week.

All of you have so generous in helping Duraye get into her new apartment in Scottsdale and to get a “fresh start” to life. She’s very, very grateful to the family and recognizes this is no small sacrifice. Little by little she’s getting on her feet again and has hope with the family’s generous support.

In addition to your financial support, having so many family members help her move and set up her apartment (in 2 hours flat!) earlier this month was thrilling. She was touched by such an outpouring! Please continue to reach out to her with emails and phone calls. Needless to say, her life is a bit lonely with both daughters now in Utah, her favorite pet dog Pearl having to stay in Mesa due to the no-pet rule we didn’t originally know about and just being on her own in a new place. So your outreach with calls, texts and emails are welcomed. 

What will really help is if family members in the Valley can remember to invite her to holiday or family gathering. Please feel free to forward this to your children in the Valley. We so appreciate them remembering and connecting with Duraye as often as possible. More often than not, she may decline your invitations, but just having invitations to decline will touch her deeply.

As for the finances, here’s a brief rundown so far:

In addition to the original up-front payment of $2,150 to get her set up in the apartment, we spent another $778 in costs for utilities, moving expenses and a variety of bills (like her cell phone) that were past due and very much needed.

In all, we’ve spent $2,928.58. Fortunately, the family generously donated $3,034.00 leaving a $183.42 surplus. THANK YOU!!

While Duraye has a job, she really won’t see a paycheck for a week or two. So we’ll need to continue to provide some support, as we originally agreed. Fortunately, her bishop is working with us and using some fast offerings to supplement our efforts to keep her afloat.

In the meantime, here’s what we need for our second installment.

Her rent is $950 per month. Because the landlord failed to have the apartment ready for move-in, as promised, we were able to negotiate a reduction of $176 off the October rental payment. So with this reduction plus the $183 surplus, we won’t need as much from the family this month…

$950 monthly rental

- 176 negotiated one-time reduction

- 183 surplus from original family installment

$591 for rent in October

However, we expect we’ll have a few expenses that may need to get covered before she finally starts pulling a paycheck. So we recommend that we contribute about $700 total in October.

May we ask that we all send $100 each before Oct 1? For those who originally committed to send $50 per month, please send only $50.

As all expenses are coming out of our personal funds, please send funds by check to:

Vivienne Lewis

1121 SW 10th Drive

Gresham, OR 97080

Or, if you prefer, you can send payments via PayPal.

Thank you so much for your kindness in being so prompt and again for your generous support. We trust this is making a difference in our sister’s life. Above all, she knows that we truly and deeply love her; no matter the past, she is loved by all of us!

Thank you for ongoing support and love,

Crismon & Vivienne

503-914-8689 M

P.S. We leave tomorrow, Thursday, 9/22, for Virginia where we will visit Dallin and Janelle’s family (he’s now a professor at Southern Virginia University) for a few days, returning on Tuesday, 9/27. But we’ll be available by email, text or phone, if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you!

Update on Duraye's status after first week in her new apartment

9 September 2016

Dear Myreel, Corwin, Wick, Delon and Durelle…

I owe you an update on Duraye. Overall things are going well, I feel. Here’s a brief report…

APARTMENT:  Thanks again to everyone helping so eagerly (and with so many helping hands), she was so appreciative and commented later how it all brought such happy memories of being with family. Sadly, there are still some obstacles…refrigerator just arrived today, but because there’s no 3-prong outlet where the fridge goes the fridge is temporarily plugged into the wall in the living room. Even though an adapter is fine, the landlord is sending in a handyman to install a 3-prong outlet so it’s done right. That should be the last of the handyman jobs, but because it has been 8 days to get everything done that should have been done before she moved in, we are negotiating with the landlord (94-year-old man in CA who only speaks Spanish; crazy, huh? :) to get a week of rent (about $250) knocked off the October rental payment. We’ll see…

EMPLOYMENT: She may have a job interview on Monday. I’ve tried to get her to widen her scope as far as jobs. While she feels she needs to earn $40-$50K per year, I showed her that her living expenses only require $25K or more per year…that there are many jobs that can support that income level. Going to that level of job, though, is a real downer for her personally, as it would be for any of us, and she understandably worries that going there will impact her ability to get a higher-paying job later. She makes a good point. But she very much wants and is looking for employment. She goes to a nearby Panera Bread to use wifi as she doesn’t have it in her apartment. I suggested she get acquainted with her neighbors and befriend one enough to trust her with their wifi password as she’s picking up everyone’s wifi in the complex, but of course secured. Also, she apparently has connected with Randy Daems re: resume help and I’ve passed along some thoughts from both Wick and Myreel.

CHURCH: I visited with the bishop again, after his return from watching grandchildren in MN. He said he was waiting for her membership record to arrive. I had to explain again that he won’t see a membership record, but the timing is important the Church rally around her with HT and VT, opportunities to serve, and even welfare assistance. I explained she has four key bills totaling $475 that need payment by 9/20-ish and asked if he could please meet with her soon enough to possibly assist with those. That doesn’t count food. I asked if he’d also consider a food order. Also Duraye is moving forward on food assistance (food stamps). I tried to stress with him that what she needs most right now is a friend…a single woman with whom she can “hang out.” After your wonderful experience helping her to connect with several in her home ward during the block meetings early last Sunday, Myreel and Delon, there was a pot luck (singles?) that evening. It would have been perfect for Duraye to attend and get acquainted. She told me later, “I was so tired” but then confided she didn’t have anyone to go with. So a friend is crucial right now. I hope I can get a little more enthusiasm out of the bishop, but I’m on the brink of becoming annoying already. We’ll see what happens this Sunday. I was able to get the name of the ward RS president, Mary Lou Alredge (I think :) So far, no one from the Church has reached out to Duraye this week.

PERSONALLY: She admits to being lonely, but at the same time is on the phone a lot with me and others working on getting the apartment, food stamps, resume rework, job searches, etc. worked out so she’s staying somewhat busy. I find interesting that in some ways she’s confident and on top of everything and then other times admits to being “overwhelmed” by it all. I invited her to have over-the-phone scripture study with Vivienne and I each night (we don’t get to it until 10 or 10:30 pm before retiring), but I suggested it would be a good way so she doesn’t feel too lonely. I tried to explain that it’s not about trying to “convert” her but to break up the boredom and loneliness…just to interact with someone each night. So far she hasn’t taken us up on it, but we’ll continue to text her each night to let her know she’s invited.

Our thanks to all of you. We are very close to recovering all the “first wave” of Duraye’s moving and living costs so far ($2,840); all but three of the nine of us have sent checks, which is greatly appreciated. You were all so generous. Thank you!

FYI…Stayner insisted on contributing something, but I’ve tried to discourage him because he has some huge medical bills hanging over him. He did mention, though, that most will be covered by insurance. Of course, 20% or even 5% of his doctor bills will still be astronomical.

I was going to send out an email asking you to forward to your families, encouraging everyone to reach out to her. I even hinted to her that she may start getting contacted by family. She’s OK with it, but on second thought this is a marathon, not a sprint. A “blitz” of well wishes from the family would be nice but short-lived. She’s really quite busy right now trying to get her arms around her new place and life. Too many well-wishes may just hobble her from getting some things done. For instance, Madelyn is with her today before she leaves for Utah. So instead I recommend our small group reaches out to her as often as you feel comfortable to see how she’s doing and if there’s anything we can do (as a family, not individuals) to help. Maybe around holiday time would be a better time for the family to remember her…and hopefully we can encourage some families in the Valley to reach out to her to join them for their family gatherings, as Myreel suggested. A wonderful suggestion!

I hope this is helpful. I’ll stay in touch.

Love,

Crismon & Vivienne

Letter to Duraye's new bishp

8 September 2016

Bishop Horsley,

Thank you for taking my call today. 

I don’t want to dump too much on you. We appreciate so much any help your ward can give in making our sister, Duraye Lewis, feel welcomed in your ward. Our greatest hope, of course, is that your efforts and the family support will help her find her way back into the Church and the joy of living the gospel.

As I mentioned earlier, not only is she not a member of the Church, but she has a DUI on her record (she has an Interlock on her car), has had a hard time keeping a job and, for the first time in years, is on her own…and so quite lonely. We hope your ward can help fill the vacuum to a certain extent before she drifts back into old habits and/or old friends. 

I don’t say that to place pressure on you, but just want you to feel a bit of the urgency we are feeling as a family inasmuch as she has allowed us, for the first time in a long time, to help her get on her own and make somewhat of a “fresh start.”

As I mentioned, she was raised in an extremely active LDS family (all 12 of us…now 10 living...were all born and raised in Arizona). Sadly, she got sideways with the Church, has struggled with addictions, has been mostly less-active after her divorce and excommunication at least 20 years ago, but has stayed in touch with the family.. Just recently she has begun to make some positive turns (such as allowing us to move her into her own apartment last weekend) and we’re anxious to work closely with you in helping those baby steps continue.

It was a joy to discover that we may have a number of established connections within your ward, especially Paul Gilbert and family.

Besides helping Duraye find a friend to help go with her to ward and stake activities and assigning home and/or visiting teachers, we would like to ask if, after meeting with her, you would consider helping her with welfare assistance. The other 9 children in our family…all active members, two are stake presidents…are working together to get her established in her new apartment in your ward ($2.8K so far and counting :) Because she’s unemployed, she’s pretty much penniless. She is actively looking for employment and we’re doing all that we can to help her with her resume and networking with friends. We hope your ward or stake can also help in this effort.

There are two reasons we hope you will consider helping her with welfare assistance, even though we recognize she’s not a member of the Church:

1) She’s pretty much destitute with ongoing bills (needed so she can look for work)…and the family resources are starting to get strained, though we’ve committed to support her apartment cost for up to a year @ $950 per month plus utilities; but even more importantly...

2) to put her in a position to be accountable to you or someone on your ward council. In other words, you’re so much closer to her geographically and contact-wise than any family member (her closest siblings live in the distant Arizona communities of Thatcher, Ajo and Kingman). We feel if she’s on your “welfare rolls” she’s not as likely to fall through the cracks (since you won’t have her on any membership rolls) and hopefully you can put her to work on a regular basis cleaning the chapel or working on Indexing…or something...so she receives assistance with dignity but is also accountable to someone for her service “payments."

So far the family has paid…$2,841 to get her into a home as per the following:

$2,150 for 2 payments @ $950 + $250 cleaning deposit

$100 for credit checks on Duraye and a sibling

$250 for utilities

$146 for cell phone bill

$195 for fuel, groceries, incidentals

Some of her current bills that need payment by Sept 20 or so are:

$300 car rental (through a friend, who buys-sells cars)

$34 car insurance (through the same friend)

$89 Interlock device mandated by the courts

$50 court fee

We’re hoping that the ward would consider helping with these four bills, if possible, but we’re committed as a family do whatever we can to help. We’ve encouraged her to seek government food assistance (food stamps), but maybe she would qualify to receive a storehouse order, too.

Please know we feel badly that we’re placing her on your “doorstep,” so to speak, but we have all seen the blessing a ward family can be in the lives of those, who are working their way back. Our prayers are that she will find employment soon, so as not to be a financial burden on the family or the church, yet appreciate the family and church’s efforts to help and thus soften her heart enough to desire re-baptism and the blessings of Heaven again.

We appreciate so much your willingness to consider this approach from our family. I’ll be happy to visit more when it’s good for you.

Gratefully,

Crismon & Vivienne Lewis

Gresham, OR

503-667-5843 H

503-914-8689 M

P.S. I give you permission to forward this email (or excerpts) to other ward leaders, as you see fit to help share the “load", asking only that this be kept confidential as much as possible. As you well know, people respond better when they don’t think they’re a “project."

Plan for family members to contribute to Duraye's move

1 September 2016

Dear family,

You were so kind to respond to our last email about wanting to help our sister Duraye. We are so gratified to see such an outpouring from all of you, even those who are struggling financially. Everyone wanted to help her even though she has burned some bridges with some in the family over the years.

Your commitment to contribute to a fund to help Duraye get on her own has given Vivienne and I the encouragement to move forward.

We are pleased to report significant progress. Each step of the way we have worked with Myreel, Corwin, and especially Delon and Durelle, who have always been the closest to Duraye.

Here is our quick report on the three objectives spelled out in our original email on August 19:

1. EXPRESS OUR LOVE AND SUPPORT FOR HER: As I reported to you on August 20, Duraye was deeply touched that the family had come together and made a financial commitment to help her move out of her apartment and into an apartment, in hopes of making a fresh start in many ways. With that encouragement and support, she began looking aggressively for an apartment.

2. LOCATE A MODEST APARTMENT IN A DECENT, SECURE AREA FOR RENT UNDER $1,000 PER MONTH: Duraye located a 2BR, 1Ba apartment in a small complex near downtown Scottsdale that she felt comfortable with. The rent is $950 per month. We have since co-signed the lease, turned on the electricity and, in fact, she moves in this Saturday, Sept 4, thanks to “muscle help” from cousins Nelson, Alvin Jace and Buddy.

Duraye’s new address is:

6906 E. 4th Street, #5

Scottsdale, AZ 85206

602-348-2373 M

It all came together very quickly and it’s especially nice so many family members are gathering in the Valley this same weekend to attend the BYU-UofA football game in Glendale. They’ll all be there to help her make the transition and celebrate her new start.

3. HELP HER CONNECT WITH THE CHURCH: We have identified that she will be living in the Arcadia Ward boundaries in the Scottsdale Camelback Stake. I have spoken personally to her bishop, Bishop William Horsley, and hopefully they’ll wrap their arms around her and help her make changes in her life that will bring her true joy again.

THE FAMILY COMMITMENT

Unfortunately, Duraye is pretty much penniless (with some debt) and unemployed, which means family support was essential to move forward.

Our hope was that we could help her with a combined commitment of $1,000 or so per month for three months. You responded accordingly, for which we are most grateful. Several offered to send more, if needed, recognizing that there are many unexpected, up-front costs with getting into a new place.

We personally co-signed a one-year lease on the apartment and have personally funded all additional costs.

The up-front housing costs came in at $2,608. She also has a $145 cell phone bill/debt that needs to be paid to retain her service so she can continue to look for employment, so the grand total of up-front costs is $2,753.

See below for the details on how this amount was reached. Fortunately, the landlords didn’t require a first-and-last monthly payment, but they did hit us with a $950 refundable security deposit, which caused the up-front costs to rocket to the $2,753.

This will take her through September. On October 1, there will be another $950 monthly rental fee drawn from our personal checking account each month. Our hope is Duraye will land a job soon so she can begin reimbursing us for her rent. You’ll remember that we all committed to providing the housing support for at least three months.

Fortunately, the only utilities cost is electricity (water, sewer, trash are part of the rental). So besides the rental and electricity each month, her out-of-pocket will be her living expenses, including car, auto insurance, gasoline, phone, food and other obligations (including debt payments) which total $600-$800 per month.

Our hope is that she can get a job soon and the Church will provide some assistance to help tie her over until she gets a job.

YOUR CONTRIBUTION

Thank you again for making a commitment to help. We had hoped it would be closer to $50 or $100 per family, but warned that we may need a “double payment" up front, which is what happened.

There are nine of us participating in this. If we divided the first-month cost of $2,753 by 9 = about $306 each.

All we ask is that you make the “double payment” contribution that you committed to. If you can pay more, that’s great. But do not feel obligated to do so. Several families offered to pay more, if needed.

If, by chance, we receive more funds than needed immediately, all surplus will be applied to future monthly contributions. We will notify you no later than Sept. 20 what is needed for October.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR CONTRIBUTION

As we mentioned, we have made all payments so far from our personal funds. So contributions are to come to us directly.

Here are options for making your payment:

• Send a check in the mail:

Please make out the check to Vivienne and mail to:

Vivienne Lewis

1121 SW 10th Dr.

Gresham, OR  97080

• Bill-pay from your bank

Have it sent as per above.

• Paypal: 

Send to lewis.reliv@gmail.com

You can set up your paypal account with a credit card, or have it linked to your bank account. If you pay with a credit card, you will be charged 2.9% + 30 cents. There is no transaction fee for payments made from your bank account.

• Google Wallet:

Send to: cvlewis@gmail.com

Similar to Paypal. It is easy to download the app on your mobile device or go to Google Wallet on your computer. You cannot use a credit card, but you can set it up with your bank account or debit card. 

Thank you so much for coming together as a family in trying to help our sister. Our hope is that our united and combined generous response will touch her heart in a new way that will ultimately lead to her drawing closer to the Lord and to us.

If you have any questions, please contact us: 503-667-5843 H, 503-914-8689 Crismon cell, 503-927-0647 Vivienne cell.

Love,

Crismon & Vivienne

DETAIL OF FIRST-MONTH, UP-FRONT COSTS:

$2,150 for 1-month rent $950, a refundable $950 security deposit and a non-refundable $250 cleaning deposit

$100 rental application fee (for credit approval @ $50 for both Crismon and Duraye)

$23 for processing and shipping of cashiers’ check to landlord

$250 refundable Arizona Public Service start-up fee; first bill due in October

$85 for moving expenses (U-Haul rental, mileage, fees, and gas) - thank you Nelson & team!

Total moving costs: $2,608

Also urgent $145 for cell phone due 9/7

GRAND TOTAL: $2,753