Branch Conference

We had the first branch conference held in Tobago on November 9, 2008. The branch is about 18 months old. It started out when our branch president and his wife (Patrick and Pamela Ramkissoon) were baptized on April 1, 2007 by Elder Danzell (currently 2^nd Counselor in District Presidency) and Elder Pooran. One other member attended with them and the elders in the member’s home in Mason Hall. The branch numbers have climbed to 32 as of the branch conference. We meet in a small rented building above the Green Grocer in Scarborough. We are currently looking for a bigger building because we had 40 in attendance for the conference and we are literally busting at the seams. We have a chapel area and 2 small classrooms with no doors between the 3 areas.

President and Sister Garcia

President Danzell

Side view of our building. The double doors go to the chapel and the single door to the class rooms.

View of the Atlantic from the porch of the chapel.

Chapel

Port of Spain District President Ashton Garcia and his wife, Colleen, and President Danzell flew over from Trinidad for the occasion. We were delighted to see Colleen as we had become acquainted with her in the Arima branch where she taught our Sunday school class. We picked them up at the airport at 8:05 am Sunday morning and took them to our meetings that were from 10-12. We fed them lunch then took them to the airport to catch a 3:05 pm flight back to Trinidad.

President Ramkissoon, President Danzell and President Garcia were the speakers. President Danzell shared about the humble beginnings of our branch. President Garcia, an exceptional speaker, gave a moving talk that was well received by the members. The spirit was strong as they spoke.

Our branch is on the 2 hour plan because we are so small. Until very recently, a branch could be formed once there was an Aaronic priesthood holder who could function as branch president. The first hour is sacrament meeting and the second is Sunday school, one class for adults and one for everyone else. That means no Primary, no YM/YW, Priesthood or Relief Society, just the bare bones. We recently split the youth into primary age, taught by Elder and Sister Ross and a teenage group by Elder Marshall and Elder Barton who take turns. One of the branch members, Brother Estrado, teaches the adults. There are currently only 3 priesthood holders in the branch. We are not a legitimate branch under the new guidelines that require 5 priesthood holders to form a branch. However, we will be ordaining 2 more men to the priesthood on Sunday. We will have a 16 year old young man who can help with the sacrament.