Courtesy photo Around 150 women, ages 14 and up, participated in “Being Prepared for Hard Times, Together” in Panaca.

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The Panaca Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints hosted a big event on September 15 and 16 for the women of the county. The theme for the non-denominational event was “Being Prepared for Hard Times, Together.” It was held at the LDS chapel in Panaca. The program covered the emotional, spiritual, and physical aspects of being prepared.

The Saturday session started at 10 a.m. with a hymn, prayer, and a discussion led by Chirine Wadsworth on the need for long-term food storage. Afterwards, the 150 participants attended three breakout seminars encompassing food storage, emergency preparedness, and addiction awareness.

Lunch immediately followed the breakout sessions, after which a few speakers addressed the ladies on various topics. Pastor Becky Eizman, of the Trinity Assembly of God, spoke on “Building Strong Communities through Faith in God.” Kevin Quint and Lori Nichols, from the Division of Child and Family Services for the state of Nevada, were the final speakers of the day. They shared information and brought awareness of the need for foster care homes in Lincoln County and all of Nevada.

The Sunday fireside was also held at the Panaca chapel and televised live to the LDS chapel in Alamo. Approximately 80 women were in attendance at each location. The featured speaker for the event was Roberta Hess Park. She is a retired counselor with a MS in Psychology. The topic was “Surviving, with Hope, when Hard Times Hit our Families.” Park spoke about her difficult childhood, her career in education, and her spiritual awakening. She shared several stories of people who were faced with trials and, since they were spiritually prepared, were still able to find happiness and be bearers of hope.

“My heart is full,” said Lisa Carter, Panaca Stake Relief Society President. “It was such an uplifting event. Women from all over the county came, from various religious denominations. We learned together, laughed together, and grew stronger in love and unity as we counseled each other on how to prepare for hard times. We are stronger together. It was truly a wonderful and fulfilling experience to be a part of it all.”