Branch Temple Activity

Since the first successful temple activity in May, the new branch presidency organized a Mandarin temple session.  About 25 adults attended the session, which was predecessed by a brief prayer meeting in the organ waiting room.  President Huang conducted the prayer meeting.  The group posed for photos outside the temple after the session.

The children of the patrons engaged in activities at the nearby stake center, where Brother and Sister Tsai and Brother Shen watched over the children.  They also prepared for the branch dinner afterwards.

We enjoyed food from Taipei Cafe and Costco.  Also joining us were our friends from the Twin Lakes Branch.

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2014-11 Relief Society Hotpot

On a cool November evening, about 30 Relief Society sisters took occasion to gather for a delicious hotpot dinner. The activity was the brainchild of Sister Alexis Chang. She introduced the activity and also taught one of the two classes tonight. Brother Da Zhao representing the branch presidency gave a few words of welcome. After the sisters enjoyed a delicious hot meal, they were able to attend two classes. Sister Chang taught the class of how to use the iPad to serve in the church and to learn the gospel. Sister Chen Mama taught the sisters how to make sweet rice cake. All in all, the activity was a success and a great opportunity to meet old and new sisters.

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A Musical Tribute to the Memory of Sidney and Mary Foulger

Tonight was a once in a lifetime opportunity to pay tribute to two remarkable friends and pioneers of our Montgomery Chinese Branch. Past branch president Patrick Shen orchestrated the planning and execution of the musical concert to remember Sid and Mary Foulger, our second branch president and the longest serving and oldest Young Women's President in our branch and just maybe throughout the whole church. After Elder Eyring's welcome, Sister Liu, our sister missionary from Mainland China, offered the invocation. Eva Yang, our branch's first missionary, emceed tonight's event.

Representing the Foulger family, President Bryant Foulger spoke and described his parents as part of the greatest generation which ever lived on this earth. He felt proud to be a son of Sid and Mary Foulger. One of the personal anecdotes he shared was about his mother serving as Young Women's President during a youth car wash at the Potomac Chapel to raise money for Girl's Camp. He drove up to get his car washed, and there his mother was washing cars and ready to wash his car. What a marvelous example of dedication! He also reminisced on his experiences with his father taking him to deliver turkeys to ward members before Thanksgiving when his father served as bishop of the Chevy Chase Ward.

Fanya Lin, who graduated from Weber State University and now is a graduate student at The Julliard School, favored us with four favorite musical pieces of the Foulgers, including Brother Foulger's beloved Debussy's "Clair de Lune." Brad Mortensen, Vice President of University Advancement at Weber State University, delivered his remarks and thanked the Foulgers for their generosity in establishing the Sid and Mary Foulger School of Music at Weber State University, where Brother Foulger attended college. Then Shi-Hwa Wang and Yu-Jane Wang, professors at Weber State University, played in perfect harmony the violin and piano, respectively. They performed four numbers, including a selection from "Fiddler on the Roof."

We then viewed a video clip about the Foulger Music Festival. Allison Eldredge, director of the Foulger Music Festival, introduced this festival. She shared her remembrances of the Foulgers as loving people who enjoyed good music. Many times when they visited the Foulgers, they would be invited to play their favorite songs in their home. At Brother Foulger's request, her mother taught Brother Foulger how to play "Clair de Lune." Thereafter, he could be found playing his favorite song on a piano after concerts and in his home. Allison and her mother, Yoshie Akimoto, played two Russian pieces that Brother Foulger really loved.

At the conclusion, all five performers came out for a standing ovation. They five cute girls delivered flowers to each performer, to Elder and Sister Eyring, to Brad Mortensen, and to Eva Yang.

Thanks to Patrick Shen for a lot of work in organizing this event and to Eva Yang for emceeing the concert. Those who attended were treated to a special tribute to two wonderful friends.

Sid and Mary Foulger loved music. They loved giving. They loved their family. They loved the branch. They loved all people. We love them and thank them for their legacy, love, and wonderful example. Thank you, Sid and Mary.

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New Branch Presidency

On this auspicious day, our stake president, President Harrison, visited our branch along with his counselor, President Holmstead and high councilor Kent Mikkelsen. President Harrison was the only scheduled speaker. He stood up and using Mandarin first explained the Confucian saying: 修身齊家治國平天下, which means cultivate oneself, put family in order, govern the state, and pacify the world. He then encouraged us to prepare ourselves and to "press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men, ... feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end." (2 Nephi 31:20) He also taught us to prepare our families and to "talk of Christ, ... rejoice in Christ, ... preach of Christ, ... prophesy of Christ, and ... write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins." (2 Nephi 25:26) After his short sermon, President Harrison released the current branch presidency: Patrick Shen as president, James Mu as first counselor, David Chang as second counselor, Matt Ward as executive secretary, and Greg Ly as clerk. He expressed his sincere appreciation for the presidency. Then he sustained the new branch presidency: Charles Huang as president, Da Zhao as first counselor, Thomas Jeng as second counselor, Jameson Fox as executive secretary, and Greg Ly as clerk. The following persons, according to President Harrison's request, spoke in this order: David Chang, Meili Shen, Patrick Shen, Thomas Jeng, Da Zhao, Sarah Huang, and Charles Huang. What an amazing meeting! We thank President Shen for his extraordinary service during these past four years, along with his counselors, past and present: Tommy Jones, Haoming Guo, James Mu, and David Chang. We are also grateful for his executive secretaries, David Chang and Matt Ward, and clerks, Charles Huang and Greg Ly. We now look forward to sustaining and supporting the sixth branch president of the Montgomery Chinese Branch, President Huang, and his new presidency. May the Lord continue to bless this Chinese Branch, that it may be means of salvation for many Chinese speaking people in this area and throughout the world.

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Relief Society Scallion Cakes

At the home of President Shen, ten Relief Society sisters gathered on a Saturday morning to make scallion cakes. Sister Tian provided practical hands-on instructions on kneading the dough and filling it with the right ingredients. Within an hour, the kitchen air was permeated with a most delicious smell of chives. It was probably the first time when a sick Relief Society president was able to view the activity from home using Skype. Thanks, Sister Tian and Sister Shen, for the wonderful and delicious activity.

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