FIRST TIME AT ST.ANDREW'S UNITED CHURCH IN VERNON BRIDGE

St. Andrews Church-Vernon Bridge

Lynda prepares the musical part of the service while Ann and Sharon discuss the good fun at Saturday's practise.

Today was SMUG's first opportunity to participate in the service at St. Andrew's United Church in Vernon Bridge, PEI, a beautiful country church just outside of Stratford. The service was conducted by the United Church Women, perhaps better known as the UCW. The St. Andrew's organist and choir director, Lynda Sharpe, had asked SMUG some time ago if we would participate in their special summer event. At the time we had our bookings for July and planning to take the month of August off, but in the end we agreed to take on one more summer event.  The group performed the best I have seen and heard them and we were all pleased we had agreed to accommodate Lynda and the UCW.  Maybe the best part was that Lynda accompanied us on the Grand Piano, and can she ever play!!!. I hope we might have more opportunities like this in the near future.. Our thanks once again to Sharon for helping us out when so many are away in the summer months.The raves and reviews following the service were strong and welcome, so much so that I know some left with pretty swelled heads.

The morning service was conducted by Mary's sister Helen MacLeod, assisted by other members of the UCW. The program in lieu of a sermon was a talk and slide show by Adam Drake, a young member of St.Andrew's who is studying in England to become an optometrist. Adam spent time this summer in Africa helping to fit glasses on those less fortunate and also help the physicians restore the sight of the many who might otherwise be going blind; young, as well as the old.