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Home Alone—and Sick

by Darrin Lythgoe

You’re sick or injured, and you’re home from school. It happens to the best of us. But that doesn’t mean your time should be a total waste or that you should turn into a couch potato flipping from rerun to rerun. Sure you need to rest, but if you find yourself getting bored, try some of the following “antidotes”—with your doctor’s consent of course.

For Your Body:

• Shower, get dressed, brush your teeth, comb your hair. Lounging around in pajamas all day can make you feel worse.

• Open the curtains, blinds, even the windows if it’s not too cold outside, and shed some light on the subject. Sunshine and fresh air are good for you.

• Keep your sickness to yourself. Don’t lie around complaining. And don’t leave things around that could help spread it to others, like tissues, used glasses, or utensils.

• Make sure you understand what’s going on inside your body. Talk to your doctor if you need to. Read up on your particular malady. Study information that comes with the medication you might be taking.

• Don’t worry! Worrying can make you feel even worse! Try to keep a positive attitude.

For Your Spirit:

• Study the scriptures. After you finish your daily reading, check out a few of these inspiring stories: Naaman and Elisha (2 Kgs. 5); Zeezrom is healed by Alma and Amulek (Alma 15:4–11); Jesus heals the Nephites (3 Ne. 17), a blind man (Mark 8:22–26), the ten lepers (Luke 17:11–17), and the centurion’s servant (Matt. 8:5–13).

• Pray. Ask Heavenly Father to help you heal, stay caught up on your responsibilities, and make the best of the situation. A little faith goes a long way.

• Write in your journal. Years from now someone may learn from your experiences. Maybe even you.

• Do your seminary homework. Caution: Being active in seminary may lead to a firm spiritual foundation, strong gospel knowledge, and an indestructible testimony.

• Catch up on your scrapbook. Add all those pictures, ticket stubs, and souvenirs you’ve got stashed in your drawers.

• Look through your parents’ old yearbooks and photos. Try to get closer to your parents by seeing what they were like when they were closer to your age.

• Try doing some genealogy work. Ask your parents what needs to be done in your family, or check with someone in the ward who knows all about it.

For Your Mind:

• Stay up on your schoolwork. Have a friend get your assignments for you. You could suffer a relapse if you get back to school and find you’re way behind.

• Read! There are amazing things to be found in good books, magazines, and newspapers. “Yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith” (D&C 88:118).

• Watch the news. It’s great to catch up on current events, and it will give you something interesting to talk about when you get back to school.

• Watch educational television. There are plenty of informative programs that really beat the game shows and soap operas.

• Do a crossword puzzle or other kind of brainteaser—anything to keep those mental wheels turning.

• Get caught up on your correspondence. Now is the perfect time to write that letter to Aunt Hazel, an out-of-town friend, a political representative, or a missionary from your ward.

Flying Eagles

“This has been a great day,” said new Eagle Scout Sam Southam of the Arapahoe Colorado Stake. “It was a real honor to sit at dinner with an astronaut, to spend the day with great Church and Scout leaders, and to be with friends who set a goal to become Eagles and who did it.”

Sam was referring to the day he and his fellow Eagle Scouts spent at the North American Aerospace Defense Command, where most of the man-made objects in space are tracked. They also toured the U.S. Olympic training facility, all as part of a reward their stake president promised them last June when he challenged all the Life Scouts in his stake to become Eagles by the end of the year.

Thirty-five Scouts rose to the challenge and practically flew to the Cheyenne Mountains, where they spent the day learning how others fly—pretty appropriate for a flock of Eagles.

Sister Act

There’s no sibling rivalry between 17-year-old Stephanie Steed and 14-year-old Mandy Steed of the LaPlace Ward, New Orleans Stake. Even though Stephanie is student-body president, captain of the cheerleading squad, and Laurel class president, Mandy has a few accomplishments of her own, including class valedictorian, captain of the cheerleading squad at her junior high, and Beehive class president.

The sisters are famous at their schools for loving each other and for sharing the gospel every chance they get. Stephanie is school spokesperson for the parish drug-free program. They realize that since there are so few Latter-day Saints in their community, they need to set a good example. And they do.

A Flood of Help

They were on their way to the nearest temple when youth from the Bloomington Ward, Minneapolis Minnesota Stake, pulled into Nauvoo. They were about to check into the historical Nauvoo House when they learned it was right in the line of the summer’s horrible flooding. The youth went to work immediately, joining a sandbagging brigade that strengthened the levy between the inn and the river. Everyone from the smallest Beehives to the largest priests worked side by side.

So much for touring Nauvoo. They almost missed seeing the show at the Nauvoo Visitors’ Center too, because while they were sandbagging, no one picked up the tickets they’d reserved months earlier, and their tickets were given away to others. When the visitors’ center missionaries heard what had happened, they delayed the show while the youth cleaned up, and they brought in extra seating to accommodate those who had helped save the Nauvoo House.

The youth felt it was probably the most memorable excursion they would ever take. They not only had the chance to serve the dead by doing baptisms in the temple, but they were able to serve the living and generations to come by helping save a historical landmark.

Meanwhile on the Mississippi

During the summer floods, the youth of the O’Fallon Stake, Belleville Ward in Illinois, didn’t have to look far for service projects. Many of them sandbagged almost every single day. It was a never-ending chore, since levies broke several time a week.

The youth also participated in a special fast for the rains to cease. The entire community was united in this effort.

Since many have been left homeless and hungry by the floods, the youth will have their work cut out for them for some time to come. They say the whole situation has given them a strong testimony of the truth found in Mosiah 2:17: “When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.”

Cows Make Guest Appearance

Story and photography by Don O. Thorpe

Girls’ camp in Italy can be much different from girls’ camp anywhere else on earth, and not just because a stray herd of cattle might come traipsing through one day. The camp is called Fiaccola, which means “torchlight,” and it’s held in the L‘Aquilla Mountains near Rome. One hundred thirty girls attended, including some Americans who didn’t know the language. The Italian girls went out of their way to help the English speakers fit in and have a good time.

Around the campfire with no fire (because open flames are illegal in those mountains), the girls discussed how excited they were to be with so many other LDS girls. Many are the only members in their towns.

“Experiences like this help me have more faith in God and love for the people around me,” said Iris Cartia. “They get me away from everyday problems and help me concentrate on important things like planning my life so I can go on a mission and get married in the temple.”

Please Try This at Home

The Southport Ward seminary class in Southport, Lancashire, England, wants to invite you to try one of the best service projects they’ve ever been involved in: They made a Christmas advent calendar with a different act of service for each day.

Their projects included sending Christmas presents to the missionaries from their ward, giving a special presentation to the elderly, child tending, visiting a handicapped girl, and planning a scriptural presentation for their own family home evenings, among other things.

“We learned the importance of serving our fellowman and made more out of Christmas with this project,” said Amy Harbon, 17. “It was fun to give to others not so well off.”

Stephanie Steed; Mandy Steed

Youth from the Belleville Ward in Illinois had a service project that lasted all summer long—trying to hold back the mighty Mississippi.

Girls’ camp in Italy is called Fiaccola, or “torchlight.” The girls shine for months afterwards.