One of the highlights of this year was our first Deaf Branch Conference!  Deaf members came from all over the United Stated to join us for this.  We hope to make it a tradition! 

Friday Afternoon, September 18 - Red Cliffs Deaf Branch Conference began with registration, social time, delicious dinner and a good lecture at the Snow Canyon Seminary Building.  Our dear friend, Ronald Burdett was the keynote speaker. He did a superb job explaining about the Plan of Salvation. Some of us went to Tuacahn to see "Annie." It was a cute play! The weather was perfect! Others who didn't go there went in different ways to do their own choices.

Saturday morning, September 19 - We visited the Jacob Hamblin Home in Santa Clara. The weather was perfect!  Sister Georgia Slobe, Brother Christensen and Brother Dave Perkins replaced the hearing full time missionaries to do the explanations in ASL so we could understand better. They did very well! Then we had two Native Americans do dances for us. Some of us participated in the dances! Then we went back to the Snow Canyon Seminary Building for lunch and a short social time.

Then we visited the St. George Tabernacle in St. George. Sisters Betty Jones and Joyanne Burdett replaced the hearing full time missionaries to do the explanations in ASL. They did very well! Some of us went on a tour in the tabernacle. Others rested on the bench and socialized. President Jensen took pictures of us standing at the pulpit that President Brigham Young stood and gave talks. Then we had one hour free time to do what we wanted to do!

We had a delicious dinner at the Dixie Seminary building behind Dixie High School. Then some of us went to the St. George Temple for the 6:40PM deaf session. About 50 attended. It was very spiritual!  Some members who don't have Temple Recommends went to the Visitors' Center for tours.

Sunday, September 20 - we attended church at the Red Cliffs 7th Deaf Branch. Many conference visitors were there and stayed after church to visit with friends before they headed home. It was a WONDERFUL weekend for us! Lets do it again in the near future! God bless you always! :)


Liz Perkins