Girdwood

Part of my calling as Secretary in the Stake YW is visiting (and often speaking in) the branches in our stake.  We have the Dutch Harbor branch (which is located way out on the Aleutians).  They have their own building, but we just call in from Anchorage and speak to them over the phone.  Then there's the Bush Branch which covers all Church members in tiny villages in the Western half of Alaska.  All Church members call into Church from their homes.  In Anchorage, we go to the Bush Branch office and speak on the telecom with the Bush Branch president (who also happens to be our dentist).  Everyone in the office has to mouth the hymns so the Bush Branch members can hear the recorded hymns over the telecom, but not us singing.  Then there's Girdwood, which is just 45 minutes south of Anchorage.  High School students are actually brought into Anchorage for high school and are in the same high school boundaries as my children would be in.  The Girdwood branch is small and they share a building with the Catholics.  There's actually a couple from Anchorage in the branch.  The husband is Catholic and the wife is Mormon and the only way they could agree to go to Church together was to attend a Mormon meeting in a Catholic building.  The building gorgeous. It's just perched right there in the midst of all the mountains.  The view from Sacrament meeting is fabulous.  And every 20 minutes or so, there is a Church-shaking BOOM from the cannons being shot for avalanche control.  They are called "Howitzer cannons" but are referred to merely as "Howitzers."  I loved attending the Girdwood branch.  The Church in Alaska is awesome.