When I travel I always try to go to church on Sundays. I have always found interesting people in all of my travels. It is also fun to see how this global church is so much the same no matter where I travel with some of the small differences. In my latest travels I got to attend church in Andorra. Andorra is a small country in the middle of the Pyrenees. The Andorran Branch was very unique in its own special way. This time I got to experience this with my wife and one of my sons, Dallin, that just got home from his Mission to Denver Colorado.
First the Andorra Branch is not in the country of Andorra but in Spain, specifically in a little town, Lleida. The Branch actually covers all of Andorra and several small towns and villages in the Northern part of Spain. We met the Branch President and his Wife, President and Sister Fower and two young men missionaries (Elders). The missionary couple are from Utah and this is their second mission. Their previous mission was to South Africa. They have been out in this mission for 3 months. They have been called to help revitalize this little branch in the Lord's vineyard. The Branch has about 25-30 active members and would have more coming except for the long distances some people have to travel to come to church.. The Branch used to meet in Andorra but many of the Spanish members did not have passports to get across the border to Andorra each Sunday. So they switched the meeting place to Spain. According to President Fower, the plan is to strengthen this Branch and then get things happening in Andorra as well.
President and Sister Fower are doing great work for this fledgling branch. They actually live in a small farm house that the branch members come and help with gardening and take care of chickens. The Fowers bought the farm to help teach the members to be more self sufficient. You can tell that the members absolutely enjoy working with the Fowers.
Sacrament meeting was great and we could really feel the spirit. Even though we don't speak spanish we could understand most of what was being said. It is great to hear the saints sing the hymns as well. We did our best to sing in spanish and I am sure we helped contribute to this small branches music that day. At the beginning of the meeting, the branch president announced the program and over the pulpit asked Dallin, in Spanish, if he would get up and bare his testimony as one of the talks. For some reason we could understand everything and Dallin agreed. Dallin did a great job.
Overall, another great Sunday in a foreign land. As always the familiarity of Church always brings comfort and new friends.
DWP
