MCB Happenings

12/31/2022

Commentaries on 2022 for the Branch

12/31/2022 No comments

As we turn our minds to the new year, we cannot help but be astonished at the awesome historic events in 2022 for the Montgomery Branch. Let us review:

Perhaps our last totally virtual Chinese New Party was organized by Jason Liu and Brad Johnson and was held on Zoom on February 12. Who can forget the GongXi FaCai song and dance by Brother George Chang?
Three missionaries faithfully completed their missions and returned in 2022: Meimei Lu from the California Oakland/San Francisco Mission, Megan Tsai from the Taiwan Taichung Mission, and Richard Huang from the California Arcadia Mission. Elder Isaiah Shen began his mission to the Hawaii Honolulu Mission this year. We were strengthened by their diligent service and immaculate examples.
Dan Bendall was called to serve in the bishopric in the Strathmore YSA Ward, so he and Debbie moved from our branch. It was sad to see them leave. They served in many capacities, including Sacrament pianist, Branch Temple and Family History Leader, and Elders Quorum counselor.
On March 6, the Montgomery Branch officially moved out of the Washington DC Stake, where we had grown up for the last 30 years, to the Seneca MD Stake. Both President Nathan Sheets and President Darren Arnold attended this historic Sacrament meeting. In addition, President Charles Huang announced that the official name of the branch changed from the Montgomery Chinese Branch to the Montgomery Mandarin Branch.
The Montgomery Branch 30th Anniversary Celebration took place on May 14 and 15. The festivities featured an indoor cultural barbecue picnic, a historic Sacrament Meeting, and a super fireside. This branch reunion was unique which showcased a reunion logo design contest, tee shirts with the winning logo design, and a branch history book. We were so ecstatic to see quite a few former missionaries and members return for the reunion.
Many Branch members had the opportunity to participate, serve, and invite friends to the Washington DC Temple Open House from March to June. In addition, Branch members had the privilege of attending the Washington DC Temple Rededication on August 14 in the Montgomery Village Chapel.
This year five of our beloved branch members passed away: Huayun Zhao, Paul & Celia Feng, George Chang, and Jane Tsai. We mourn their loss but know they are in a better place.
On December 18, President Darren Arnold released Charles Huang, who has served faithfully with his counselors for 8 years, and called a new branch president, Da Zhao, with Wesley Wei and Jason Liu as counselors. President Zhao is the 7th branch president of the Montgomery Branch.

This year we have endured through many trials and struggles, including the effects of the pandemic, moving to a new stake, members moving away, and members passing away. But we truly have been blessed to witness many miracles of the Branch Reunion, the Temple Open House and Rededication, the service of 4 full-time missionaries from our Branch, and a new branch presidency. We are grateful for all these struggles and blessings and for God's help in strengthening us. May we move forward to a greater 2023, and the Lord continue to bless the Montgomery Branch and its members and new leadership.

Ben Tsai

2022-12聖誕晚會 Christmas Party

12/23/2022 No comments

This year's Christmas was most unusual and amazing. Walking into the cultural hall for the first time, the visitor will immediately notice the transformation of the basketball court into a fancy museum, with walls covered with black and about 30 paintings equally spaced around the room, each with its own placard description and its own light. Each painting was created many hundred years ago by a famous painter, which required acquiring proper permissions for reprinting Each painting was carefully selected to relate part of the story of the birth of Jesus Christ. All this in itself was very mind boggling and impressive, but when the program began to share the story of Christ's birth, we were even more astounded beyond expectation. This part of the program was the finale of the evening's celebration and will be related below.

In the middle of the cultural hall, about 20 rows of chairs were arranged for spectators. The night began with a potluck dinner. Since there was no room in the cultural hall, the serving tables were placed in the eastern lobby, with dining tables laid out in the overflow.

Jason Liu and Liz Huffaker organized the event. Jason also served as the emcee. Our new branch president, President Da Zhao, officially welcomed everyone. A narration of the nativity was shared by Jason Liu and Rich Huang, with a specially prepared slideshow playing in the background. They alternately narrated the story of Christ's birth in Bethlehem and in the Americas. Next, the Primary children sang and shared Christmas greetings through a prerecorded video. Then Abbey Zhao presented gifts to Sisters Burdett and Yang. Sister Yang played the ukelele, while Sister Burdett sang. Abbey presented gifts to Elders Frame, Farnsworth, and Cook. The three elders then shared a special message of Jesus Christ.

-Brother Ben Tsai

On December 23rd, 2022 we had our Branch Christmas party. The gym was decorated like a museum, with paintings about the birth of Christ and a great big star hanging from the ceiling. Everyone brought food to share and we had a feast of plenty to celebrate.

After everyone had a chance to eat, we gathered for the Christmas Program. Jiachen Liu and Richard Huang read the narration "Christmas on Two Continents" about the two witnesses in the scriptures we have about the birth of Jesus Christ. A video played in the background with the scenes from the Book of Mormon and Bible. Elizabeth Huffaker and Cayleigh Zhao provided the English narration.

This was followed by an ukelele performance by Sister Yang, a new missionary to the branch.

Gifts were presented to all the missionaries in our branch: Elder Farnsworth, Elder Cook, Elder Frame, Sister Burdett, Sister Yang, and Sister Stubbs.

The elders gave a spiritual message and then we concluded with a narration of the whole story of Jesus's birth.

This was recorded by Sandra Turley and timed to a light show with the paintings of Christ.

In the end, we had many friends gathered together from the ward and the community to celebrate the wonder of Christ's birth.

-Sister Liz Huffaker

2022年12月23日星期五晚上7點，耶穌基督後期聖徒教會蒙哥馬利中文分會在肯特蘭教堂舉辦了一年一度的聖誕晚會。本次聖誕晚會是有新任的趙達幟會長主領。

晚7時許，來參加的弟兄姊妹們陸續到達，大家見到彼此十分歡愉，並送上了溫馨的聖誕祝福。晚會在一片祥和歡欣的氣氛下拉開了帷幕。

7點15分，在分會會長團第二諮理劉佳琛弟兄的主持下晚會正式開始，首先是葛玉涵姐妹做了開會祈禱和祝福了晚餐所用的食物，趙會長代表分會做了歡迎詞。

晚餐的食物美味可口，除了分會訂購了一些食物之外，來參加晚會的弟兄姊妹們也都帶了食物來分享。

在晚餐之後，聖誕晚會的節目正式開始。首先是由劉佳琛弟兄和黃有禾弟兄帶來的「來自兩個大陸的聖誕節」視頻展示。這個節目的主題是關於對於救主耶穌基督降生在聖經和摩爾門經中的紀錄和證言。

接下來是有分會初級會的小朋友製作的聖誕視頻，視頻中小朋友們表演了聖誕歌曲也送上了他們對大家的聖誕祝福。

在初級會的節目之後，分會慈助會會長趙姐妹代表分會給在分會服務的傳教士們送上了驚喜的聖誕禮物。傳教士們在收到禮物後都很開心和感動，並和大家分享了他們對於救主耶穌基督的見證，楊姐妹和布姐妹還表演了烏克麗麗聖誕歌曲。

聖誕晚會的最後，大家欣賞了由肯特蘭分會準備的聖誕燈光秀。

-Liz刘姐妹

2022-12-18 7th Branch President

12/18/2022 No comments

One attending Sacrament Meeting in the Montgomery Branch this day, December 18, might have possessed an inkling that something extraordinary or revolutionary or just different was going to occur today. President Arnold was in attendance, Zoom attendance was up and filled with visitors, and youth from the Kentlands Ward and our Branch filled the stand as if they were preparing to sing for a US presidential inauguration. President Huang issued an official plaque to Richard Huang for successfully completing his 2-year missionary service.

President Huang then turned the time to President Darren Arnold. President Arnold started by stating it was a bittersweet day, with Thanksgiving behind us and Christmas ahead. He expressed gratitude for the eight years of President Huang in his service. Then he released the current branch presidency: Charles Huang, Da Zhao, and Adam Fugal. He quickly sustained the new branch presidency: Da Zhao, Wesley Wei, and Jason Liu. He also released Jason Liu as the 2nd Counselor in the Elders Quorum Presidency and sustained Adam Fugal as the new counselor. Adam Fugal praised President Huang for his selfless service. The Youth sang, "O Come, O Ye Faithful" as a congregational hymn.

President Zhao then shared his testimony, his conversion, and his calling. He related how God had prepared him to received this opportunity for service. After his testimony, he praised the youth for their willingness and example to come sing in the choir today. President Huang expressed his gratitude for everyone's support. He shared his testimony of the Savior's mission for each of us.

So, today Da Chi Zhao will commence his service as the 7th branch president of the Montgomery Mandarin Branch. God is a God of miracles. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day is his church on Earth. And He continues to bless and guide us in this Montgomery Mandarin Branch. May this Branch continue to bless the members of the Branch in both Mandarin Chinese and English, that all may receive the wonderful complete blessings and covenants of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Homecoming Fireside for Richard Huang

12/11/2022 No comments

After serving faithfully for two years in the California Arcadia Mission, Elder Richard Huang shared his mission experiences via a slideshow and Zoom during his Homecoming Fireside.