Local brethren were joined by others from the Phoenix metro area and Show Low, and had one visitor from Richland, Washington. Included in the festivities were a potluck meal, fun show and a professional karaoke session. Attendees were encouraged to dress in costume after services—a costume that expressed their dream job. The most creative costumes were chosen, and the winners were James and Marlow Koller. Marlow dressed as a baker and James as a millennial king. They also dressed both of their service dogs: one as Darth Vader and one as Superman. Their prize? A delectable home-baked dessert made by James Loiselle. Second place went to Stephen Kennedy who came as a professional mattress tester, dressed in bed and all.

After the meal, the fun show began. Emceed by Joe Camerata—using his best Italian accent—aka the famous “Giuseppe Verdi.” We were a small group of acts, but it was an action-packed evening just the same. We laughed at the joke telling of our young stand-up comedians Karson Koeller and Anna Frayer, and we enjoyed a beautiful Israeli dance performed by Laura Meidinger, her son Harrison, Sigi Calenius and Becky Smyda. We chuckled through a humorous skit called “Raising Kids Bob’s Way” with the Ferrier family, and laughed again at a skit called “Safety Sue and Wally in the Amazon” presented by Lorelei Nettles and her son Roger. We were also amused by two readings given by Sylvia Kennedy and Gerald Hoyer, and heard some catchy tunes from Fred Weed.

After the show, talented singer Karla Bonner hosted the karaoke portion of the evening. She started things out by showing us how it was done, though few of us compared to her abilities. Several of us tried our karaoke skills, but quickly learned that if you have not done karaoke before, it is a bit more difficult to follow than one would think. But it was fun to try, and everyone enjoyed the experience. A full evening of fellowship, laughter and fun was had by all!