Church Community

Being able to jump right into our church community (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) has been a big help in adjusting to this move. There have been lots of people to meet and activities to participate in, and of course our Sunday meetings each week.

Coming from our Seattle congregation based near the University of Washington we were used to a lot of turnover and things are no different here. While it was graduate students and medical and dental residents there, here it’s our proximity to the Groton Naval Base that feeds the regular inflow and outflow of members. Mingled with our Navy friends are a large base of longtime residents and a growing group of people who have been brought here by Pfizer, Electric Boat, and other career opportunities. It’s been nice to find other families like us as well as those in other stages of life. It’s also neat to be back in a congregation with families of youth.

Not long after we arrived I was asked to serve as the president of the Relief Society, the church’s women’s organization. I work with three other women and our congregation’s bishop to coordinate the care and instruction of the 175 women in our group. I enjoy the “excuse” to make visits to new friends and to work together with other members of the ward leadership.

Chad teaches the 9-11-year-old boys as part of our Sunday meetings and leads the ward’s Webelos Scout program. He has had the most fun so far helping the boys earn their Scientist merit badge. They’ve exploded soda bottles in the snow and done all kinds of funky experiments.