Visiting the Coromandel Branch

This Sunday was our first time to go to the regular Coromandel Branch meeting. We went there a couple of weeks ago but it was Branch Conference so there were lots of stake visitors and the group from Whitianga was there too so there were lots more people there than normal. This time we had a few visitors as well but nothing like two weeks ago. I counted 17 people and I think only about 6 of them were regular members. We were supposed to have a high council speaker but he never came so Elder O'Neal and I got to speak and the Branch President called on a couple of other visitors as well. I know better than to ever go to such a meeting without being prepared to speak so I had a couple of talk ideas in my church bag- good thing! Then for the next hour, they alternate between Scripture lessons and President Hinckley lessons. The S.S.teacher got up, announced that the lesson was about the Priesthood and asked Elder O'Neal to give it! Yikes! Glad she didn't ask me! He had studied the lessons but this was lesson 8 and he'd only studied up through 7 since he knew they alternate and figured there was no way they could be up to that lesson yet. Ha! Still, he did a great job, skimming through a few concepts and winging it. Such is the life in a branch (or twig as some call it). Here is a picture of our little meeting room after all had left and Buddy and the Branch President were in his office discussing business:

Notice the kitchen is off to the right since this used to be a house- perfect for when they have luncheons and such. Next is a picture of the coast just south of Coromandel:

This is looking west across the Bay towards Auckland so it is the west side of The Coromandel Peninsula.
  On Mondays we volunteer to help with the Anglican Church's soup kitchen. They only have this free meal once a week and its also supported by many of the businesses in town. We arrive about 4 in the afternoon, to begin deliveries of meals to shut-ins, then return by 5 to begin washing dishes. The lady who spearheads the process, Val Ranson, is the sweetest person and just loves everyone who comes in. We are also helped by a really funny lady who loves to dress up in crazy bright colors (including glasses) and whose name I can never remember:

Right after our dishwashing shift ends, we rush over to the Mercury Bay Community Choir for our Monday evening practice. Though we love these sweet people we have realized that we're getting too old to sing like this. By the end of the night, our voices are thrashed, or rather by about 10 minutes into the practice, our voices are thrashed. And the practice is for 2 hours. I'm not sure we'll continue this after the performance the end of April. However, I snapped a picture as Elder O'Neal was walking into the building. The practice is held in the school building music room.

And the next ones are to show what instruments are major interests in this little town:

Also all of this was what we did for our 46th anniversary since it was today too, the 27th day of February. Happy anniversary to us!