Dundalk Experiences Continue 2009

This is the Town of Newcastle on the Northern coast of Northern Ireland where many go to enjoy the beach on Holiday. It is a location in the Mountians of Mourn, called so for the follage that grows here.

The beach area which rolls on for almost seven kilometers. This day was a day of Paddy misdt and what you would call a good day for Irish surfing at the Beach.

If you enlarge the picture or look close you will see on the side of the Building in this town of Newry the name of Murtagh. This is the beginning of or orgin of the name of the town I grew up in, in Idaho called Murtaugh. And of course in any good Irish twon you should have kentucky fried Chicken, just no mashed potatoes, biscuits etc. but you can have your chips.

The Chapel area of our Branch in Dundalk setup and ready for Church on Sunday. The Branch is beginning the member involvement and getting used to helping to clean the building and to keep it up and presentable for the meetings we have and allowing the spirit to be there.

The Front of our building. Yes both doors go into our building, we use the ones by the church sign. There is alot of history with this great location and with the establishment of the sign on the church there is a new spirit in the Branch and things are beginning to happen in the work of the Lord. The members are so proud of their building. It is the first time for them that the name of the Church has been displayed on their meeting location.

No picture of Ireland is complete without seeing a rainbow and this one was just across the street from where we live.

Two of the youngest members of our Branch taking a historical picture after the church sign was placed. Meet Elanor Vallely and Leah Phoenix.

Meet the members of our Branch as we held a special night for Julius and Anna Gernelis who are from Latvia and live in Ireland they had just been married in the Sweeden temple and we had a surprise party for them and a great Branch social.

This is Julius and Anna with their wedding cake in Dundalk chapel. The Cake was made by a good Branch member Rachel Meehan.

The Dundalk Branch at the Summer BBQ get together, we had 42 in attendance and 37 at the later one. This was a great number as they had not been getting together much for a while. We all need the social interaction of meeting members of the church in our associations.

Meet Bola and Eka Adebanjo and their children Lola, Lara and Layo. This was Lara'a Baptism and her father performed the baptism and it was his first ordiance as an Aaronic Priesthood holder. We were thrilled to help him with this sacred ordiance and to see him advance in the Priesthood.

Yes this is your favorite Senior Missionary couple and we send our Irish smile your direction.

Others of the Branch at the BBQ all signing together.

Meet Claire Quigley on her day of Baptism into the Church the Lord had prepared her so well and the Spirit of the Lord is guideing her in the Church. She has a son Connor.

The End of the Galway Assignment & Beginning of Dundalk

This Store is in the Middle of Ireland in a Town called Ballinasloe in Co. Galway! As we headed to our new assignment on the east coast of Ireland we just could not pass up the opportunity to get this picture and think of family at home and all that that means to us.

This was our 1st. view of Dundalk, looking from our Hotel room out over the college towards the city. As we looked the thoughts of where we would stay and who we would be meeting stired our minds and then driving on these small streets brought new meaning to the words nervious.

This is our meeting Hall here in Dundalk. It takes in the 2 double-door facilities in the picture. Our car is in the middle of the 2 sides of the Hall. We enter thru the glass side, the Chapel is on the other.

Back before we left Galway, the Branch gave us a Farewell Party. This is Pres. Keith O'Toole and his wife Karen and daughter Ciarrai.

This the Coleman Curran family, wife Emma, daughter, Eve,and baby Sophie Rose.

Eve Curran age 10

Sophie age 7 months The Branch all loved baby Sophie
and she new they loved her and played to all the attention.

Lisa Isokpan AND Sharon Isokpan, Me and Linda John & Baby Immanuel. Elder Tolman baptized Linda.

Pres. O'Toole and Elder Tolmans Good-bye!
This leaving saw the Galway Branch grow from 30 in attendance to over 60 and President O'Toole felt so filled with the spirit of his new call and what could happen in the future of the Branch. We had the priviledge of seeing 23 come into the Branch and helping to see the completion of their new building facility what a bolessing for these members who love one another and do the best they can.

"Irish Road Crew"!!!!!! Sheep keep the grass cut cheep and low fuel costs!

SOME of the beautiful garden views at Ashford Castle Connermara in the rain.

This is an awesome sight to see, I'm sure it is a great stay as well now that it is a 5 Star Hotel

This is the Jerry Dossen Family at Jerry's Baptism. Elder Tolman had that priviledge.

This is 3 weeks later when Jerry baptizes his wife Mesrek , son Gabrieal, and another sister from Nigaragia Doris Zamora ! What wonderful people and with strong testimonies. We hope for Doris that other members of her family one day will be touched by the church and they will all be reunited in this world of heavy politics.

Back to the day Jerry was baptized was also Winnie Duru & Odesauwa Ikpotokin with Elders Proctor, Ranger and Tolman.

I was glad to stand with this great borther Jermiah Dossen and feeling the potential for good he would bring to the Branch and the Church as he was Baptized. At the time of this posting he was fellow shipping two other families into the Branch one family of five from Gort and another friend from Galway of four. Jerry wants to someday servie a mission with Mesrek his good wife and companion and looks to the day when they can all go to the Temple and be sealed.

The first Relief Society of the new Branch March 17, 2009

Sharon Isokpan, Nathan, Alex and Emily Gibbons playing games and watching videos while mother and others were in Relief Society Bithday party and enjoying themselves for the evening. This was the first Relief Society meeting for the Sisters in the new Church facility in Galway.

Sisters of the Galway Releif Society gathering before their aprty or Dinner in the new Multipurpose room in the Galway Church Khensani Melhembe, Tori Holyoak, Lindsey Holyoak, Veronica Finucane, Veronica Jensen and Sister Tolman. Veronica Jesen is the Relief society President with Vernonica Finucane who is her first counselor.

Lisa Isokpan and her daughter at the Relief Society Party.

Michelle Gibbons and her Mother who is not a member of the Church but who felt right at home and was so impressed with what the church had done for the members here in Galway and how nice it was for the women to just get together and talk about things that concerned the women of the Church and the community.

Michelle Gibbons our District Primary President and Compassionet service leader in the Branch with her three wonderful children.

Relief Society Sisters around the table with sister Tolman they had a great evening and St. Patricks day. It was the first St Paddy's day in Ireland for over seven year that it had not rained and the winds blowen you hat right off the Irish said. It was just one beautiful sunny day here in Ireland.

Arrangements for the Relief Society Dinner in the new multi purpose room in Galway Branch March 17 2009 St. Patricks day.

Arrangements for the Relief Society Dinner in the new multi purpose room in Galway Branch March 17 2009 St. Patricks day. The beginning of the meal spread for the sisters and they always do a great job.

St. Patricks day Parade from above Shop street in Galway and the dancers in the parade.

St. Patricks day Parade from above Shop street in Galway and the Yell leaders or Pom Pom girls of Galway in the parade.

St. Patricks day Parade from above Shop street in Galway and the people gathering to get their spot to see all that was going on. We had many members of the Branch in the parade this day.

The Church Logo and sign on the Front of the Liosban building in Galway. This is a first for Galway to have a Sign actually Identifying we are here and this is where the Church meets. Since the Completion of the Church our numbers have been increasing. This last Sunday March 22, 2009 we had 59 in attendance to meeting. The Lords work is moving forward.

Everthing at the top of the picture on the second floor and from one side of the picture to the other side is where the Church now meets in Galway. On the Church Web site after six months of working on it we finally have our location identified so anyone coming to Galway can now find us and call us if they need directions.

As you look close you will see the flaks of snow coming down, this was the biggest snow we had seen and at the close of winter, it even stuck to the cars they almost did not know what to do with it. This has been the coldest winter and the wetest summer in over 10 years, it even froze pipe buried in the ground. So cold yes it was and now the sun has been shinning for over a week and half.

A tour of Ireland from other visit

http://kimbriggs.com/photos/ireland/dublin/dublin-streets/

Ireland Mission Events In February 2009

This is the Catholic Church in Fahy Ieland, the Parish of Father Jim Welch to whom we are most greatful and to his congregation for allowing us to use there church for the LDS funeral of Sister Mary Bridget Henehan Walker. Members of the parish came and sang with us the great hymns of Abide with me, Oh, God how Great thou Art and we shared special musical numbers of I am a Child of God and Families can be together forever. Elders Headington, Barber and Tolman taught the plan of Salavation and Sister Tolman Lead the Music without Organ or Piano and gave the life scketch of this good mother and shared the special message from the relief Society about mothers. The Elders were able to bare the Coffin to the Cenetary on their shoulders as is done here in Ireland. In all it was a great experience of being able to teach the Gospel to about 25 nonmembers of the church. These great Elders demonstrated why the Lord had called them to this area as they taught and helped with the services. Think about it an LDS funeral held in a Catholic Church and teaching from the Book of Mormon not an every day experience and what a beginning for moving into our new facility in Galway

The Elders who were serving in Galway During February 2009, Elder Barber who was going home March 5th and served strong to the very end. Elder headington who brought great spiritual strength to the District and Elder Proctor who brought enthusiam to the work and diligence of heart. Our District leader Elder Bushnell who spent a lot of time recovering from sickness.

Elder and Sister Tolman with Elders Proctor and Bushnell in the new Branch Hall Chapel after District meeting and two days before moves. They experienced 45 in attendance to the first Branch meeting after the Hall was turned over to us for use.

Elder and Sister Tolman with Elders Headington and Barber, two very hard working missionaries who love the people and the Gospel and now face new experiences in life both of whom were always ready to serve the people and on the last days of Elder Barbers mission have a family coming to the Church to understand the Restored Gospel.

The new Bathroom or Toilet facilities in the Branch hall a great improvement over what was before. There are three such rooms to facilitate the Branches needs.

The new Bathroom or Toilet facilities for the disabled in the Branch hall a great improvement over what was before.

The new Galway Primary room which is one of four new rooms created for the Primary , Sunday School , Youngmen and Women.

The Galway Priesthood room and Sunday school class room

The Galway Branch Kitchen which will soon be supplied with a fridge and Microwave and the Sisters and members were so excited to see as it made the full functioning of the facilities.

The new Relief Society room and sunday school class room which has been used for new beginnings night and will soon host the Relief Society Birthday party

The new Branch Presidents office which lends to a teaching station as well and which has already been used for temple Recommend and missionary interviews, so much better than the hall way closet for interviews and speical counseling.

The new Chapel and multipurpose area which will seat 80 people or more and now our challenge is to bring back the less active and new members that are here in Galway.

The main hallway into the New Branch hall. From some of the other postings you will be able to compare what has happened all the way through the facility.

The Large mountain rising up over the town of Westport a mountain that is hiked by many just like Timp in Utah.

The Country side looking north out of the Township of Fahy toward the home of Denis Walker whose mother had passed away and we conducted a funeral for in the township of Fahy

The railway station in the Town of Westport typical of the many across Ireland.

The Westport rail station terminal very homey and warm and friendly.

Sister Tolman at the Westport train station as we waited for Denis Walker to come out of the country to help him arrange for the funeral of his mother who had passed away at 90 years of age and this was the town near where she was born.