Women convene for annual conference

On January 26, approximately 300 women from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Vista Stake – comprising the Fallbrook, Bonsall, Vista and Oceanside areas – convened for their annual conference.

The theme for this year’s conference was “Joy in Womanhood.”

Keynote speaker of the event was Mary Ellen Edmunds from Salt Lake City, UT, who has traveled the world serving missions for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Hong Kong, the Philippines, Indonesia and Africa.

In her keynote address, Edmunds said, “As women, we tend to carry too many burdens ourselves. Our purpose is to share our burdens with one another. And to learn that laughing at life is a great way to get through our trials.”

Leigh Braithwaite, from the Fallbrook Fifth Ward, said, “The keynote speaker was a breath of fresh air and she was honored to be a part of the conference.”

President Richard W. Hollady, First Counselor of the Vista Stake, gave a brief message to the group following the keynote speaker. A musical number, “The Olive Tree,” was performed by Michelle Cohen and Kerinda Van Wagoner, who were accompanied by Ellen Luckow.

One of the main purposes of the conference was for each woman to be a participant in the annual service project. This year’s project was to make comforting fleece pillows to donate to the Children’s Skin Disease Foundation, a worldwide organization devoted to children who suffer from rare skin diseases.

The pillows are designed to bring great comfort and relief to children who are unable to lay their heads on any kind of fabric that is in any way abrasive to their exceptionally sensitive skin.

The goal of the women’s conference was to make 300 pillow kits.