Welcome to the Fuzzy Borders Ward!

Yup, I admit it. I live in the weird ward in our stake. You know the one, every stake has one.

In days past we were the "Newly Wed - Nearly Dead" ward; an interesting cacophony of crying babies and loud talkers. On any Sunday you could hear a particular sister "whispering" to her husband about her take on the speaker, or wonder just when those parents would finally give in and let that poor infant have a cheerio.

If you live anywhere else in the stake and have lived here for more than five years, chances are you were in our ward before a split or relocation. Most people buy or move to our ward first because of economics. Also, at one time our ward was the hub for the entire stake, as we grew the stake grew, one division after another. This is great, because most of the people in our ward know everyone in the stake.

On the one side of our boundaries we have folks who live in the typical tract home, 2-3 kids, sahm, 1/2 acre, middle income, and a dog or two in the minivan. These are they who show up to every meeting in their Sunday best, teach Primary or another auxiliary and are the first to sign up for the talent show. They do their home teaching and bake bread and their kids give the other kids rides to all the meetings.

On another border you'll find the lower middle income family of 8-10 kids, modest home, two small sedans about the same age as their oldest teen, 1/2 acre, and way too many cats to count. This is the family that show up every Saturday to clean the building, they are the first ones to arrive with funeral potatoes and a home made cake, they sing too quietly but cheer exuberantly for everyone else.

To the south you may find a family who bought a house on the hill overlooking the valley. They moved here from some other city or ward hoping to get lost -only to find out no matter how far out you go the middle of nowhere is still a mile off. Eventually they'll need socialization and they'll set up a rescue fire and we will come.

Heading east are the die hard cow pokes and stubborn mules who live on several acre ranches full of weeds or horses or both. They are the self reliant-s, they keep to themselves mainly, but they come running in the storms and fill their pick up trucks with broken hearts and bones and lend their hammers and muscles in repairs.

In the middle we have struggles and illness and concern. We can't stop smoking, we still have our hair too long and what am I supposed to do with that tattoo now that it's there? We also have eyes that can look away or be blind to weaknesses. We are the ward with little financial resource but keen creativity.We only have one person who can play the piano with any ease. We are lucky, she is a retired concert pianist. However she also is in advanced stages of Alzheimer's Disease, so when she begins to play "Lord, I Will Follow Thee" and in the third verse switches it up for "I Stand All Amazed", we really aren't, we just go with the flow and are grateful she can play so beautifully.

Somewhere somehow we grab everyone and anyone we can. We love that you are here because we want your company and help. Sometimes you stay, sometimes you feel the need to move up or out and we miss you when you go. Sometimes you move in, and we rejoice because we have literally prayed you into the ward. We need you. We want you. Although we may forget to visit you on a scheduled basis, say hello in the hallway as you walk by with your brood of children, or offer to help, but we will grab our coats as we head out at 2:30 a.m. when you call.

Our leadership is goofy (read: actual humans) but they try hard to lead with the Spirit. Our scout program could be better, and our activity, well, if everyone came we would have to make another two wards!

Friends are immediate when you live in the Fuzzy Borders Ward. Our acreage is as expansive as our love and need for you. Our numbers are small, but we do mighty work.

We are the ward with more people on assistance, the one with the crazy lady and the nutso family. We are the very definition of eclectic and diverse. Swing a cat and you will not hit two people who think, act, or live the same. We have loud Democrats and even louder Republicans... don't get me started on the Independents! We have home school-ers, tax dodgers, gardeners, old hippies, a tech specialist, a district attorney, teachers, bikers, a mortician, a union business agent, hot rod enthusiasts, (SERIOUS)base ball and BYU football fans, small business owners, dancers, singers and someone who throws and annual Faery Party each summer solstice. Artists, athletes, homestead-ers, nurses, rail road workers, septic tank service-rs, police and firemen, and a school lunch lady. Retirees and singles of every age bracket. Home builders, home wreckers, and a homeless person who hangs out at our building. Managers and delivery boys, one suspected millionaire and too many poor. We have long time marrieds, newly weds, divorcees, remarries, single parents, large families, blended families, and childless couples. We have White, Black, Asian, Hispanic, Middle Eastern, Nordic, Native American, and probably a few other races/places/countries represented well.

Hey wait. Isn't that the same as your ward?