Hala401

I went to Honduras I think in 1999 after Hurricane Mitch. It was the worst hurricane this century in the area. Our purpose was to help rebuild as much as we could. We were in Tegucigalpa and where we were housed was nice by Honduran standards. We worked in a dental clinic and a house for visiting Doctors and Dentists. As we traveled about from project to project, I was not allowed out alone, not even in front of a store. As we traveled we passed cardboard houses along side the river running through there. The rich people live in the relatively flat, low country and the poor people live on the canyon walls, and the places are prone to huge land slides, burrying hundreds of people at a time. I came home shaken, but recovered. In April, 2001 we went to Kenya, up around Nanooki and Nyeri, not that far from Mt Kenya. What I saw shook me to the core. There were whole areas of coffee farms that were deserted because upwards of 2/3 of the people had died of aids. Families lived in shed roof dugout houses in the hill sides with no running water and no sewage. I did not ever figure out if the even had the outhouses that I grew up with in my early childhood. These were dignified, friendly people and many spoke English with an English accent. I fell in love with them, and would have returned but church authorities in the US would not allow me to do it. I was not LDS at the time. Many moving things happened to me there and I did not speak to the people with the humility and kindness that I feel now. When I returned to the US, my heart stayed in Kenya and in a year, my cushy, suburban life was crumbling. I just could not come home and go back to tending the garden, going to movies, and leading the normal comatose life of the urban American suburbanite. Nothing meant anything to me any more. Before Christmas 2004, it was all over and by June of 2005, I was divorced, dishowened, fired, and shunned by the church. The next 7 years taught me much about suffering, humility, rejection, and near starvation. It changed my life, so perhaps by March 2011, perhaps Heavenly Father felt I was ready to begin to live a live worth living. So, I have a very soft spot for the suffering of others and hope that in the time before I die, I can work for others in a way pleasing to Heavenly Father. Hala

I was victimized by the "all sin is not equal" crowd, so my emotions are very strong around the issue. If all sin is not equal then when do we just not forgive? Where does it start? I'm sorry I can not be rational about this, but just wanted to open the idea that we have to be really careful who we play God with.

I have visited and intend to volunteer when I can. I am well taken care of now. Alhumduallah!

I will attempt to change it. I um DID change it but must wait for "approval". This causes me to feel like getting um sassy. Still, this sassyness is a newly developing trait that I have not encountered before.

My source was a Youtube video, though I am at a loss to tell you which one. I am actually not against Polygamy, used in a Godly context, namely no 14 year olds marrying 50 year old guys, and everything being voluntary. Oddly, I did see it in Islam, but something unknown to many is that the Qur'an actually forbids it. LOL. I've lived in a household with more than one woman and a man or men. I was never part of any intimate liaison at that time, however.

According to several women that I have talked to, the Church has significantly changed its approach to several areas, and I for one, being from Evangelical, Fundamentalist, Muslim, Amish conditioning, think that growth and the ability to prayerfully consider change to be a good thing. The most obvious example is the abandonment of Polygamy in the late 40's. One woman, about 20 years my senior said that it used to be much different for women when she was young. "You pretty much had to obey the men". I pretty much greatly admire President Hinckley a lot. It was his message to the general conference in 2004 that greatly turned me around. Before that, I thought that Mormon women were among the most abused on earth. Now with my new perspective, it seems as if we are pretty much princesses. So, I think it is great that our church can grow, be guided by the prophet, and mature along the way.

So, if anyone wants to, I am Hi I'm Gwen Boucher | Mormon | 8DMZ on Mormon.org

So, my natural inclination is to follow the lead of the man, except when he is being a dork. Sunday, we are having joint Relief Society/men session and the Missionaries are explaining about Mormon.org and putting up your profile there. One of the men in the audience was being all "secret squirrel" and it aroused my mischievous twin. It just wrankles my fir when some guy tries to put women down. The Missionaries helped me log onto Mormon.org the first time and since then I put in all the 'stuff'. Mormon.org edited my work to make it more to their liking, and I was OK with that. I mean we both have different ideas about literary license, but I can see their objective. So, while the missionaries are trying to explain all this, one guy kept trying to say that the proper authorites needed to approve it and all sorts of off putting things. Finally, since he was speaking out of turn, I decided to also, and when I stood up, they handed me the microphone, but they did not give it to MR Control Freak. So, I told everyone that my profile was already up and it was easy and jolly good fun. Then he said that you have to have a film crew to help you, and I said that you could do it yourself. He usually tries to keep me under his thumb, but this time people were thanking me for standing up to his self importanceness. You know, I always try to make nice, but sometimes ...

I struggled with Temples at first, knowing the history of some of the grand, extravigant Catholic Churches in Europe. It is one of the issues that I have had to put on a shelf and wait for the understanding that the Holy Spirit will give me in time. Through The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints, Heavenly Father has been so good to me that it silences my doubts about Temples, and now, having been in one, I see quiet elegance, not the signs of excess I have seen other places.

I actually wore Niqab (does same thing as burqua) for a time, and must say that in America that Niqab is hostility magnet, making the woman the scape goat. It is my opinion that American Muslims who wear Niqab have a deep need for acceptance from anyone and at the Mosque, a woman in Niqab is honored by the men. They do this complicated mind game. Strangely only 1/3 of American women who convert to Islam, remain so.

I saw this on the news, and it brought back remembrance of my life about 5 years ago, and I must say that not even in my most desparate times was I reduced to eating out of the garbage. However, there was a deli just down the street that would set their food that would be thrown out just outside the back door after closing, and then what was not taken by poor people would go into the garbage. I got sick from it many times. Thankfully, Heavenly Father rescued me from that situation even before I was looking for him. Those were dreadfully hard days, but they did waken compassion in me. Just after those times, my situation began to greatly improve, and I now live comfortably among those who say they love me and I am beginning to believe it. :) Video - Breaking News Videos from CNN.com

I must have wakened feeling al-self destructive this morning. First I want to make it clear that I am trying to repent of my feelings about christians in general. I know that many are devout, caring, loving people. I was so abused by them and taught such hate that... From my very biased and narrow point of view, I wish that the LDS would not call themselves christians, and this conflict nearly made me discontinue meeting with the missionaries more than once. So we finally arrived at a compromise. To me, the LDS are the 1.0 version and the rest are 8.1. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the restored church, and the rest are largely apostate. For me, the LDS are one of the few churches who really try to do what Jesus Christ said to do. I realise that there are many exceptions to my prejudice, including specifically "Prison Chaplain". So, I think that Dan Savage's use of profanity negated his message immediately. However, we can gain points of thought even from those we disagree with. In many ways, the Bible, especially the OT is pretty messed up in places. No I would not with to be stoned on my wedding day. While I am neither gay or lesbian, and frankly just do not "GET" the issue, if God wants someone persecuted, it won't be by me. I have heard messages from the pulpit that made me want to slink out of the church in the most shamed way imaginable. Things like "All Muslims will go to Hell", John Hagee, "Gays should be vomitted from our midst", made me feel deep shame. I am so happy that I will never be an Elder in the church. As a woman, my only job is to be loving, sweet, kind, and caring, and that is challenging enough.

Well, at least I am not close enough for anyone to drag me out back of the wood shed and hyde me.

I'm sorry Hoosierguy. Usually when I get upset and speak is when I am the wrongest.

Now, you have said the wrong thing in my sight. I was raised in a dirt poor fruit migrant family so poor, we couldn't even measure up to being trailer trash. My family felt that anyone who was not just like them were somehow bad. I carried that attitude until Heavenly Father decided to heal me but it took years. I was stuborn but not like God. I was one of them bible thumpin folk who condemned everyone else as sinners, especially Catholics and the Mormon cult. Well first came Hurricane Mitch, and after that, according to the design of God, I wound up down in Honduras helping to rebuild. I came home with a love for Hispanics. Later, since I was such a devout Bible thumper, I was asked to go to Kenya to save the dirty sinners. Imagine my absolute shock when I started to get off the plane and there were Black people there! Woe is me, I thought. I came home with a deep love and respect for black people. Then 9/11 happened, and while I hated who ever attacked us, I just never thought it could be everyone in the Middle East. So, I started reading about the Middle East and the Quran. I was absolutely appalled by the attitude of evangelicals, and what some in our government tried to do, that I converted to Islam. I came out of Islam with a deeper understanding of religious fervor, Middle Eastern people, and a desire to really find God, and do what he says to do. So then Mormon Sister Missionaries, captured me running loose in the Mid West. Now I have a deep love for Jesus Christ, my church, and am moved to try to do everything I can to please Heavenly Father. Heavenly Father is no respecter of race, or anything else. He looks at our actions. I think that one of the most repulsive things we can do is hate another person because of their race, nationality, or family. Myself, I look forward to such mixing of the races that they all disappear. Maybe one day my Daughter will marry one of the blackest men on earth, and they will have a dozen beautiful children.

I think their children are beautiful.

This is for me and I don't advocate it for anyone else. My skirts are quite long, and I wear long sleeves and modest neck line. When the church President walks up to me and tells me to shorten my skirts, I might think about it. My clothing is not off putting because I talk to more people every day than I can even imagine. And, maybe America could use someone setting a good example. It sickens me that women wear skinny jeans, and tight tops away from church. If any one wants to use the church management to create license to create an excuse to dress inappropriately, it won't be me that does it. For us to try to conform to the world in its present apostate state is ludicrous.

We are mostly vegetarian, but do eat some meat. I will check out the connection to pasta. Thank you.

I have this problem that after I eat, within an hour or so, I feel really weak and tired. I have had fasting blood tests that show no diabetes. Maybe fasting test is not the right one? So, I notice that blood sugar test kits are cheap, and wonder if I should just buy my own and take blood sugar test when I feel weak and awful. So, can someone tell me what meter is cheap and good?

The Straight Dope: How much of all Internet traffic is pornography? Nearly 40 Percent of the Internet Is Porn - Asylum.com A number of years ago, I took a writing class and the teacher said it was 70%, so we all should learn to write some porn.

I'm sorry, had a bad case of speaking before thinking. I am not anti-mormon, I am member and I gave up self hate. :)_

What? Why not? This goes against what I believe about the church.

It is a bit surprising to me that it would be possible to have a Prom in Utah where all the girls were not aware of certain standards of decency. How can this happen? I think even a two strap, bare shoulder, above the knee dress is not acceptable. However, I must admit that some who know me say that my conservative standards now are owing to my very wild, very far distant past. Several times I have heard church authorities say that members should not stand out from the general public in their appearance. So now I am wondering how 65 year old woman whose figure has sagged would look in bikini top and mini skirt? This I have seen in the city. I wonder if it is time if we said, enough, and brought our standards back to what Heavenly Father sees as acceptable?

My experience with them could have been clouded by the fact that I was Muslim woman, so my appearance to them might have been even more off putting than regular "Englishers". Many people thought I was Catholic Nun, and after a while rather than disabuse people of the notion, I just said, "Bless you my child" and went on my way.

Muslim clothing is not hot because of use of breathable fabrics and also the shade created by the clothing reduces solar heating. NO, you do not wish to be Amish, please tell me you do not? I lived in Mid West for a year, and got to go to New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Iowa, and all that. There are just lots of Amish there. My stepfather was Amish and tried to force his beliefs on the family in a very frightening, and hostile way, so when I was in the Mid West, I made it a point to scrutinize the Amish in the hope of making sense of his ways. They are very isolationist, and their primary language is a form of German. It is very hard to get to know them because even visiting their shops and fruit stands, I never saw one smile. I do however know a few people who have Amish friends and they say that they are lovely people. In spite of not being Muslim any more, I still dress pretty much Muslim because I am comfortable, and feel secure.