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 manuals, etc were very outdated and we are slowly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.