The New Hazleton Branch

Our little Branch moved from Hometown in the 1st part of December 2013 and is now called the Hazleton Branch. It was important for us to move for a couple of reasons. 

1. Hometown branch is over 10 miles away and most of the members reside here in Hazleton and the surrounding areas. Many of our members don't have cars!!

2. The old Church building had mold and leaks from the foundation. It also had a top floor for classrooms, ground floor for Chapel, Branch President's office & clerk's office. The basement had some classrooms, kitchen (very old!!!) and a Baptismal font. The font would fill with Mud and Slugs!!!  It certainly had fulfilled its purpose but it was time for a move!! 

We have two of the strip mall stores. Our Church is the 2 store fronts with unmarked white signs.  The Church leaders will not allow their name to be posted on a marquee sign, so it makes it difficult for our members/investigators and others to find us. With all of  its "drawbacks", we are very grateful to have something that is in Hazleton and is newer.

More of the strip mall.  It can be a busy place during the week but on Sunday it is all ours  Yeah.  

We had to get special permission from the Church to hang this BIG sign, but this is the biggest sign the Church would approve, to bad it is behind the pillar but we are fortunate to have a "mounted ash tray" for the convenience for some of our investigators.  Ha ha ha.

This is our chapel, priesthood room, gospel doctrine class & recreation hall. 

We have doubled in numbers from 30 in Hometown to approximately 60 here in Hazleton.  We are hoping to have a "REAL" chapel built in the future because in 3 months time we have averaged around 60 and our  capacity is only 68!!  The "Brethern" are aware of our growth and we are praying for a building with a "font". It's Great to grow sooo fast and have this problem!!

Our Relief Society room is very narrow but is also our biggest "classroom".  It is the only classroom with windows. 

This classroom is very typical and we have several more just like it.  It measures 8 feet by 7 feet!!  Sister Wilson teaches her Temple Prep class here and has 5 attend.  It's a challenge to write anything on the blackboard for them to see.

Our huge foyer all decorated up for Christmas.

This is Sister Fairall who loves to take care
of the library.  We found that  most of the pictures,
 manuals, etc were very outdated and we are slowly
eliminating  them. 

 All  moved in.  It is very compact but we love it!!

No Church is complete without the kitchen and the Relief Society no matter what size.  We are sooo grateful to have a refrigerator and a microwave.  

President Molanos office.  It's a super challenge to have the Branch Council as we have over 14 to sit, etc.. 

This hallway goes to all of our classrooms.  It's a bit of a challenge to pass members in the hall.  The Primary  kids sure love it as they can run and run and run.

Our fun people Meals on Wheels

These are some of our "HOME BOUND" sisters & brothers that we deliver Meals on Wheels to every Wednesday and Friday. They love to have someone to just talk to and feel important and  Sister Wilson is SUPER at that!!!!

Nice comfortable little home on the inside but on the
outside, it looks like an abandoned sad little home.
This is Pauline Surgent from Pardesville, very hard of
hearing so we knock hard and go in.  She chose to never marry
as she was preparing and going  to school to become a nun.
Super nice but VERY CATHOLIC!!

Dear Ed Rapetz.  He never changes his position.  We knock, go in, put his lunch
in his walker and his dinner in the fridge.  He is always smiling and cheerful
as he watches his big screen.  He loves the oldies, black or color.  Ed is an old
timer and can tell you tons about the coal mining area and it's history.
Wish we had more time to listen to his great stories.

Joseph Rush is always sitting in a chair in his kitchen with all his meds, news papers,
 phone, bills and controls (anything he might need) piled on the table in front of him
so he doesn't have to move.  His lunch goes on the table and dinner in the fridge.
He is pleasant enough.  He prefers Ross to do the delivery which is okay by Tammy.

Sweet smiley Mrs. Scham (Millie).  Her husband gets the meal
but she is always there to greet and visit for a minute.
They are one of two in Pardesville.  Millie flirts with Ross and
loves to sneak a hug when every she can from Ross or Tammy.

Marjorie Penkala (DOLLY). Dolly is one of our favorites.  She suffers from 

MS, cancer and depression but is fun to visit. We always end up

 laughing though a few tears may fall before hand.  Her accent is fun to 

hear and she educates us on the local cuisine and traditions.  She was born

 in her home and lived there all her life. The home is a typical three story 

"double home" (plus a basement) that doesn't have a front door,it may 

sound big but it IS NOT. The main floor is as about the size of my family 

room.  The second floor is the bathroom (tiny) and two very small

 bedrooms and the third floor is one bedroom.

Tony Meyers (& SCOOBIE-DOO)  Tony and Dolly are best friends 

but I'm getting the impression they have lived together at one time, 

I'm sure it was for convenience, hmmm.  Tony also has MS and lives in 

a fairly new home he had built, it is light and roomy, all on one level.  

He is always in a wheel chair but will not be kept down, he drives his 

own van and gets around pretty good.  We get to hug sweet little Scoobie 

once a week which gives us a "fix", we pretend he is Roxie.

Mary Kitchen sweet little old lady with multiple sclerosis and lives on the

 2nd floor  in an old dilapidated 100 plus year old 3 story building.  She chose

never to marry because she didn't want to bring children into this terrible

world but now she is lonesome.     

Mrs. Moyer is always bright and happy.  

Ross always takes this meal  in to her and she always

 asks him to pray for her.  She thinks he is a minister.

THE PLAGUE OF OUR WATER HEATER FUN FUN FUN!!!!

January 17 2014 our water heater exploded and flooded

 our kitchen and leaked down to the basement apartment

 of Gail our neighbor.

We put a new one in and it didn't work perfect either!!! 

 We called it the "plague of our water heater".  

Look what we found when we went downstairs to see what
 our leak  had done to Gails apartment.  We had no idea that she was a "Hoarder".  She a is very nice and a quiet lady!

This is a view of her kitchen.

 View of her bathroom.  Yes the black "yukkie"
 stuff is MOLD

Her living room

Another picture of the kitchen living room floor.  

Our brand new one that is much better but still leaking.  
Sister Wilson made a "custom" plastic bottle to 
catch the leaks.  We only have to empty it once a day or so.  
WE LOVE MISSONS THEY ARE SOOO EXCITING!!!

Continuing With Our Branch

Continuing On With Our Branch

Bro. and Sis. Fairall are an awesome help to the branch.  George is our High Priest group leader and Besty works in the library, Young Women, program creator, decorations, and lots more.  They are a big help to the missionaries and to us.  She is the one that loaned us the Christmas tree and also one to each of the pair of elders.

This is the Gottstiens.  Jeremy is our elder's quorum Pres. and Melissa is our nursery leader.  That is their official calling but they do a lot more like post our branch site and help the elders teach.  For business, he works at a gas station called Turkey Hill, it is very much like Maverick only twice the size.

Sis. Watson and Bro. Bhola are married.  She is a hair dresser and he....

They should soon start the temple prep class which I will be teaching.  I hope she will understand that she should wear a dress or skirt when she goes.

The Merritt's recently moved here from Wyoming.  Amber is the Primary Pres.and Tony helps where ever he is asked which is a lot.  He helps Ross with home repairs for the members, etc. Their four kids make up half the Primary.

This is our great leader, Pres. Malano and his wife.  They live over an hour away and are very dedicated to building our little branch.  He doesn't normally look like a pirate, he just had eye surgery.   Pres. Malano teaches Spanish at two different colleges.  They are an awesome couple.  Sis. Malano is our Gospel Doctrine teacher and also is in Primary.  She bakes the sacrament bread along with cakes and/or cookies and/or treats of every kind for after church each Sunday

This is Zane and Sandy Bachert .  Zane was baptized about a month before we got here and just received the Priesthood. They just got married in Jan.  They are both in the branch and looking to be sealed in the temple early fall.  Great couple, they let us crash their reception.  We should have remembered that weddings are very different back here, it is by a private invite only.

TURNING OVER A NEW LEAF FOR A NEW YEAR!!!

Lets start with WHO we work with.  Our main elders are: Leavitt, Barker, Parker & Newbold
This was their Christmas Card taken on our kitchen floor.  So adorable.

     

Poor Elder Leavitt had a flu shot and was sooo sick. 

                                                 

                    Elder Newbold is like the EverReady battery, just go, go. go no matter what.

A member donated brand new shoes and clothes for the elders.  They were in heaven trying them on since they had holes in the bottom of theirs.  They shared with the rest of the district.  

Elder White is our AP but also a relative.  He is Judith Roundy's grandson.

Great missionary and leader.  Had some health problems and lost over 100 lbs while out here.

NEW YEARS RESOLUTION: CATCHING UP ON OUR MISSION BLOG

AND KEEP IT UP!!!!!

These are our 4 "adorable" Elders:  Leavitt, Barker, Parker & Newbold

These guys are always clowning around!!

January 09 2014 

Today was a special day it being my Mother’s birthday. It was also the day that I returned home from my mission exactly 50 years ago!!  

I thought that I would put the picture of my mission car 50 years ago that I drove home all alone with absolutely no heater, defroster or radio!!  Thank goodness that I had a warm coat!!      

                                

What a blessing it was to serve 50 years ago and now to be here with my sweet heart Tamzon on another mission. The Church is true and Life is great.

This week, we picked up the elders and were off to the Trinity Lutheran Church to serve turkey dinner to people off the street.  They have a dinner once a month called the “Soul Kitchen” where all are welcome.  It was held in the basement of the church that was built in 1904.  It had a few good interest points, one of which is Tiffany stained glass in the ceiling of the “chapel” and in the windows.  They were “priceless” and beautiful.  Most of the people were very humble and sweet.  A lot of them seemed to be missing their teeth and a comb for their hair.  We had over 200 show up and I swear I washed every one of their plates!  The ladies in the kitchen were very kind but really needed a lesson from the Relief Society on how to serve.  It took five of them three minutes to fill one plate.  It was like the five stooges tripping over each other.  I had to snicker.  We came home feeling physically tired but spiritually strengthened.  Looking forward to next month but this time I won’t be the last one out of the kitchen.  Dang elders ditched us and left early with the other two elders from Tamaqua.  Stinkers.  They must have had appointments. 

Anita Italian catholic "stuck in the 60's"  Can out talk ANYONE~!!!! 

We do Meals On Wheels twice a week, on Wed. and Fridays.  Thanks goodness we have a GPS or we would have been going crazy.  All of the people on Meals are very nice.  Several are only living in the moment, if you know what I mean.  A few, we just leave at the door and never even see them.  Some we knock and go in to put the meal in the fridge.  There are a couple that seem to want to talk or visit.  This should prove to be interesting. 

This is Tony and Scoobie Do his dog.  Super nice  has MS  One of our "favorites"!!!

We finally got the internet!!  Ta Da!!  So we found a Staples and bought a printer.  Except for Walmart, they were the only ones we could find that carried printers in this big city.  haha  Thanks to Brett, Ross stopped his frustration and got it running.   Took a few hours!!!

Knocking on "less active doors"  

We had our first visit to the hospital to give a blessing with the elders to a less active who had had a stroke.  After, we went with the elders on a few appointments and finding less actives. 

Not too many answered the door, we are finding that isn't unusual.  The elders are amazing, they don't seem to get discourage but keep on knocking.  We personally get cold, the wind always seems to be blowing bringing the "wind chill" factor down 10 degrees or less.    

These are OUR Elders!!  Elder Newbold from slc, Leavitt from Idaho.
 They teach the Dominicans and we are learning to
speak spanish with them!!  

Windshield of our Lexus!!!

This was the coldest day so far.  We can tell it is going to be a long winter!! We must look for some thermals

Super hard to to scrap off!!!

On Fri., we drove with our Elders to join our other set of Elders (Parker & Barker)  in Tamaqua (about 25 min. drive) for our District Meeting which included a set of Sister and one set of elders in Pottsville making a total of eight missionaries.   We had to make it back for Meals.

 We don't seem to ever get the same route.
  
On Sat. we drove to Pottsville (everything is "villes" or "town") fifty mins. away to pick up the Elders, get them back to Hazleton, go grocery shopping, made some sandwiches so we could head out to Reading for Stake Conference.  We ended up the day with going with the Elders to the Adult meeting in Reading.  Reading (Red-ing) is a REAL standard ward house which was nice to see and be in however because of the numbers we had to meet in the high school for the Sunday Morning session (1st time to attend a stake conference in a high school!!!)  Reading is an hour and a half to drive to which made it a very long day.  The thick fog didn't help the driving situation going and coming home on saturday.   It was also Super foggy going and coming on Sunday morning for the regular session.