Sylacauga Branch Assignment

      Sylacauga, Alabama, the home of Bluebell Ice cream and the sweetest little LDS meeting house we have ever seen!!  President Sainsbury assigned us to attend an hour drive away; this tiny branch of the church.  There were 22 people in attendance not including the visitors.  The Branch President is even from another town an hour away!! They were going to reduce their meeting to a two hour block, but the members prayed about it and wanted all three hours.  There is only one child and one teenager actively coming.  The Sacrament talks were assigned from another ward and one lady spoke on love from a wheel chair who had a bad fall and hurt her knee badly.  She was wearing a Fentanyl pain patch (visible on her lower neck) and had difficulty slurring her words.  I was impressed she would follow through on her speaking assignment after her accident!! Her husband gave the final talk and their grown daughter also spoke on patience.
     Elder Heer and Elder Lindstrom are assigned to the Sylacauga Branch and they are stellar missionaries.  They arrived early and greeted the ward members at the door, administered the sacrament and one sang in the choir while the other played the keyboard!!! It seems so amazing, the same choir leader directs all the music for all the meetings including choir practice after church!!!(Missing 4th Ward choir, Alto section and Gail Borup!)
   There is a relaxed attitude about this tiny branch and some ward members show up in casual clothes, but at least they come!!  The ward needs everything, so we are going to pitch in and help!!
.  There is a great sense of community and they have a linger longer once a month where they serve dessert and visit.  President McCorkle asked us to speak next Sunday on "Service!"
 

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