Recently I was asked to do a summary of the beginning of the Tobago Branch. I thought it might be of interest to some of you.
The Tobago Branch began when Patrick and Pamela Ramkissoon were confirmed members of the Church on 1 April 2007. The Ramkissoon’s were taught the gospel and baptized by Elder Christopher Danzell and Elder Yohann Pooran. (President Danzell is now the 1st counselor in the Port of Spain, Trinidad Stake. Elder Pooran is the 1st counselor in the Georgetown, Guyana District Presidency). Meetings were held in the home of another member in Mason Hall until that person moved. They only held Sacrament meeting. The meeting place was changed to the Botanical Gardens conference room for a few weeks. Eventually the current meeting place on Piggott Street in Scarborough, above The Green Grocer was secured. It has three rooms, no doors between the rooms. One room that takes half of the building is for the chapel. The two smaller rooms are now used for a primary class and a youth class.
Georgetown, Guyana District Presidency
March 19. 2009
Left to Right: President Yohann Pooran, First Counselor; President Colin Goodluck, District President; and President Dellon Murray, Second Counselor. Brother Cardon McKenzie, the executive secretary
They are all returned missionaries
President Goodluck, served in the West Indies as a missionary. He is married, has completed college, and he and his wife have one child
President Pooran also served in the West Indies, but with us until the mission was divided and he finished in the Puerto Rico, San Juan East Mission.
President Murray served in the Jamaica Mission, also in the Caribbean Area.
Brother Cardon McKenzie, the executive secretary, and also a returned Missionary from the West Indies
This young man approached us at the meeting to create the Port of Spain, Trinidad Stake and told us he had baptized Patrick Ramkissoon so we took a picture for President Ramikissoon. We didn't know that Brother Pooran lived in Guyana, nor about the calling he would receive in two weeks.
President Danzell, 1st counselor, President Gould, President Ruper, the presidency of the Port of Spain, Trinidad Stake
President Danzell served as a counselor in the Port of Spain District. He came to our branch with President Garcia for our branch conference in November. When we first came on our mission we attended the same branch with President Danzell in Port of Spain. We grew to love and respect him as a leader.
Elder Barton, Pamela and Patrick Ramkissoon, Elder Marshall at the Dwali we attended December.
Patrick was called soon after his baptism to be the branch president. Alicia Williams was baptized in January 2008 ( 4 children, Theresa 15, James 7, John 5, Anderson 1)and Francene George (son Kristen 8) in February 2008, Richard and Cecile Baynes ( girls Caelyn 3 and Aeryn 7,) in March 2008. By, April 2008, the numbers had reached about 14, including children. The two young missionaries mentored President Ramkissoon. Talks were rarely assigned before Sunday; consequently, the elders spoke almost every Sunday. A few people moved from Trinidad to Tobago and appeared on the branch directory, only Perez Estrado attended the branch regularly.
The momentum started to pick up in July when Namindry Dookran and her daughter, Linda Frankie 14, were baptized. They came to Tobago to be near Ann Marie Dookran, Namindry’s daughter, who was inactive. She lives with a Rastafarian (a religious cult that uses marijuana as part of their religion), Allen Villafana, who is the father of her four children. Next, Kay Williams (her husband hasn’t joined yet) and 4 of her 5 children were baptized in July 2008 (Janelle Burgess 15, Antonia 13, Nikita 10, Natalie 9 and Denzel Williams, 6). Then Theresa Williams 15, daughter of Alicia Williams (no relation to Kay) was baptized, in early September, which brought the numbers to 20 on the rolls (many of the children were not listed on the roll, since they weren’t baptized).
To digress a bit, in late May 2008 Elder Garry and Sister Lynette Conk came to Tobago. Sister Conk immediately started a Primary class instead of keeping everyone together in a big group for Sunday school. When the Conks returned home a couple of months later because of Sister Conk’s health, Pamela Ramkissoon taught Primary.
We arrived September 24, 2008 and were the speakers at our first sacrament meeting. Sister Ramkissoon missed being in the adult class; consequently, teaching Primary fell to us. We took turns teaching 8-13 children ages 6-11 (a few were investigators). Elder Ross became a counselor in the branch presidency to be a shadow leader along with teaching Primary with me.
Since arriving, we have attended the baptisms for Stefan Ellis, Jahdo Alleyne, Amanda Villafana, Seth, Shaquillia, Selina Ellis, Janet Pierre, Bertram Burris, James Walters, Lynda Quashie and Melvin Bovell. Our Branch roster is now at 40. We have had the typical cycle of investigators (including 3-4 families of 4-6) who attended for a few weeks and bolstered our numbers only to decide for one reason or another they couldn’t commit to the requirements to follow the Savior.
New branches like ours start with the 2 hour block until there are enough people to fill positions, attend classes, etc. You can't have a priesthood quorum meeting until you have priesthood to attend and someone to teach it. We have very few adults, lots of children (several come without the member parent) and only two active priesthood holders. We are praying for a branch clerk. All donations are hand delivered to Trinidad when the elders go there for zone conference. We do the rolls, fill out certificates of ordination, baptism, quarterly reports, etc.
We had been here a couple of months when it became possible to have a youth Sunday school class, which the elders taught. It was mostly girls, so it seemed appropriate to call a member to teach. Sister Dookran was ready for the challenge.
The adult Sunday school class teacher moved to Trinidad in December. Elder Ross then started teaching the class, and I covered Primary with the help of one of the Primary children. Recently Sister Baynes was called to teach the adult SS class every other Sunday with Elder Ross. Now Lesa Gonzales (who recently moved here from Trinidad) is helping me with the 1 hour Primary. She teaches most Sundays and I support wherever and however needed.
The attendance for our meetings has fluctuated since we have been here between 19-41. We now have 46 members on the branch roster. We struggle to keep everyone active and involved. Our average numbers are close to 30 at the current time.
Today we had 40 people in attendance! Nine attendees were investigators.
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