Joyful week

sorry I am obsessed with this changing river, this is the fullest yet

Most absorbing and current on my mind as I write this week is the Stake Conference weekend that we just experienced. I have been very keenly touched by the spirit of the Holy Ghost! I feel like over my life time I have been blessed with many experience that have been richly filled with the sweet feelings that come from the presence of the Holy Ghost and  outpourings from that same spirit.

One of the Stake Presidency members spoke in the Saturday night meeting about the language of the spirit and spiritual things. He spoke about how it is very different from secular language. Many times in our lives we are called upon to translate spiritual messages into secular language while trying to communicate with others spiritual experiences; so now as I try to share with you feelings from a powerfully spiritual weekend it will be hard to do that translation.

The Bristol Stake received a new Stake Presidency Sunday. Just like at home in Scottsdale, AZ, when this same event happened we had a member of the Second Quorum of the Seventy and an area Seventy come to accomplish that task, on errand from the Twelve. Elder Dyches was the General Authority a member of the 2^nd Quorum of the Seventy and Elder Donaldson the area authority. At the Saturday night meeting as I am sure is the case in all Stakes throughout the world, the theme was on the Hastening the Work of Salvation. Elder Donaldson had a white board in front and as he was reading to us parables found in Luke 15 he invited the members to come up when so impressed and write on the boards the initials of someone who they could fellowship or invite during the month of invitation. It was a great exercise and when he was finished both sides of the white board were covered with initials.

The next part of the meeting is the part that had such a profound spiritual effect on me personally. Elder Dyches as part of his talk asked all of the full time missionaries in the room to come up to the front and stand facing the congregation. OK, the first jolt was to realize that I was part of that army! Then as we stood and looked out at the faces of our Stake, and Ward members he asked two Elders, Elder Cluff from Missouri and Elder Marot just 4 weeks out on his mission from France, to teach the first discussion to the congregation from the pulpit. This was not pre-arranged! As these ‘glowing’ elders sweetly taught the message of God’s love for all and importance of the family and message of the restoration the spirit was tangible! As Elder Cluff used Joseph Smith's own words one by one each of the missionaries was filled with the spirit. It was almost electric and tears filled our eyes and love quickened our hearts!

Then our mission President was asked to come up and comment. He could hardly talk but did confirm to all present that these young people come prepared and ready to teach their friends, those same friends whose initials are on the white board! Message delivered, message received!

Sunday was tender as such an event always is. We have been so blessed to have had this short time to work with the outgoing Presidency. They are truly high caliber servants of God! We feel very thrilled also that the new Stake President was formerly the bishop whose ward we visited last week and at whose home we had such a pleasant meal and gathering! It is hard for me to believe it but I do feel like I belong to the Bristol Stake. I was not expecting to feel that way but because of our journeys around the Stake, I know so many people, ward leaders and members and young adults from every ward.

Next wonderful thing about Sunday’s meeting was that Georgia came. She was able to meet some of the YSA and enjoy the encouraging messages from the speakers. I was smiling all day!!! Georgia was surprised to find out she was famous because of this blog!

Next on my mind is Elder Flament! He is from the Taunton Ward and serving a mission in Sierra Leone! Scott and Robin first asked if we knew of him a couple of weeks ago and since then we met his Dad at a ward council meeting and met his mom this week end. They are so thrilled to hear anything about him. The Kanzlers have been able to share with him greetings from his parents though us and it has all been a very tender thing! Missionaries are a wonderful breed!!!

I have been writing down random events from this past week that I want to share, they may not necessarily be shared in chronological order!

On Thursday this past week we needed to run a quick errand which included picking up a new iron because the current one was all gummed up and spewing dark water. We went into this shop that you would not believe. It was sort of a hardware store. I do not think there was one spot in the whole place that was not crammed full of merchandise. You could find anything there I am sure. Wish I had taken a picture but I think it would have been a bit rude. They did have an iron! Now Elder Preece could go home and iron his white shirt!

Wednesday we had a long day in Taunton. We had to be out there for an assignment so we also made some appointments with YSA for the afternoon. That evening we were also scheduled to go with the Taunton ward leadership for a ‘reach out’ evening to call on members. We were very hopeful, by the time the day ended though we had not seen a single active or less active member! The two scheduled appointments were not home and none of the folks on our ‘reach-out’ list were around either. We were able to meet the Bishop Tutton’s son Luke, who has just recently turned 18 though and he was delightful.  We did spend the evening driving around with Will the YSA rep and got acquainted with him. I was a little discouraged on the way home and Bill was very direct; we had not wasted the day! We were obedient and we left messages that said we cared. We were doing the Lords work and it was not a waste, especially because of the fine young men we spent time with. I like that! I am not going to get discouraged again!

Friday morning the Elders had their Chinese District meeting in our living room... who would have thought

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rbEaPyiCoo

Friday we had an appointment to visit a young man in Weston S Mare. His mother set up the appointment so we were hoping he would actually be there. We are doing much better following ‘Sally’s’ (sat-nav) directions but somehow we accidentally turned the wrong way on a one way street. Several pedestrians were pointing at us, one even knocked on the window. Bill quickly realized the error of his ways and we were able to safely back out…Whew!

The visit was a good one. He was a young man who needs direction and he was so receptive to our concern and to the message from the spirit that we tried to convey. He wants to come back to church and he was happy we would end the visit with a prayer. When we left him we stopped by the sisters flat because they have a broken falling down curtain that we have been asked to replace. The goal is to provide privacy and keep them safe. They are so cute, they asked if we could by Christmas ones, of course that is not practical.

It was still fairly early in the afternoon when we were finished with our appointments so we drove over to the beach to gaze at the ocean. At 3:30 in the afternoon the sun was already going down. The clouds were beautiful and the scene was serene! Grateful as always for this beautiful place!

On the way home we decided to go to the mall to pick up a couple of things that we needed and have our Friday night date night meal. The food court is great there. We ate at Café Rouge and drove home happy, ready to just chill for the evening. One of the things we purchased at the mall was new, warm PJ’s. We got home, parked the car and put on our new pajamas to chill. “Ring Ring”, it was the missionaries they had just talked to our friend Georgia and wondered if they could come to our house for a lesson. Sure! Boy did we change fast… We had a wonderful discussion and visited with her late into the evening.

A very fun side note, last time she was here she saw or family reunion pictures with the grand-kids all in their “Preeces’ pieces” shirts. She really got a kick out of that. When she went home that night she googled Reeses Pieces because she had never had them before. She purchased some on E-Bay and brought them to us for a gift! We love it! This act of kindness will be long remembered! A highlight of this mission!

SMILE

Hanna had a wonderful opportunity this week end. She was able to attend a Chinese YSA Convention in Newcastle. She went with another female student member from Hong Kong, one of our YSA. I think Hanna was glad for the opportunity, and it was a good experience for her to associate with so many with same or similar backgrounds as she.

Chinese YSA Convention

Zone Conference as I mentioned last week is on Thanksgiving Day. We are excited about that. I am supposed to take a couple of pies, we will be stopping by Costco… I tried to bake my famous apple pie for a trial run….best laid plans. I learned that you do not use margarine and self-rising flour! It turned out to be ‘apple cobbler’ instead. The crust was just like a biscuit so if you ate it covered in milk it still tasted good. Next time I will use lard and regular flour then it will probably turn out. How about pie for Christmas!

Everyone have a very Happy Thanksgiving!!

Want to share a thought from my friend Georgia. She said she likes to find just one word to describe each Christian denomination like ‘Worship’, or ‘Sacrifice’ etc. and she kindly said the word she would use to describe our Church is ‘Love’!

Good Week! Happy moments! Inspiring moments! Two messages from conference: “The tomb is truly empty!” “This is my beloved Son, hear Him” and a statement from Dallin H Oaks: ‘Man cannot earn his own salvation, we must point him to Christ.’

Feeling grateful in the UK

The week was very busy and good! We helped with the transferring of missionaries on Wednesday by driving 2 sisters into Stains (almost to London near Heathrow) and then 2 elders back to Trowbridge and then back to Bristol to the YSA dinner at Wells road chapel, about 250 miles. The drive back through the countryside of this great land was just breath taking. The afternoon autumn sun was low in the sky and the hill sides were full of patchwork farm lands. The trees were bright in many fall colors. The route took us right past Stonehenge, the highway passes next to it. The feeling and thought that I had as I was gazing at the beauty was how much I will miss all of this when I leave. I was madly taking pictures in my mind!!!

Thursday it was nice to slow down a little… we spent time preparing our Institute lesson and getting things accomplished around the house. Bill taught the regular Institute class because Brother Beal the regular CES teacher had to be somewhere else. It is a wonderful thing to be studying and preparing lessons from the Book of Mormon while we serve as missionaries! What a wonderful book it is! As Joseph Smith said it “is the keystone of our religion. Take away the Book of Mormon and the revelations, and where is our religion? We have none.” He taught that the Book of Mormon holds our religion together!

Friday we and the Elders taught Georgia again in our flat. That is always a good experience. It is quite a testimony building experience when trying to help someone understand the truthfulness of the teachings of this Church.

Saturday we visited a sweet university student who comes to our ward. She has just been a member of the church since the last of August. She nannies for a family in the states, in Colorado, every summer. The family had joined the church in April so when she got there this summer she too began to investigate. She was baptized the day before she came back home. She is from Salisbury and is in her first year here at Bristol University. Her dorm is just around the corner from us. She is just so pleasant and friendly.

We went shopping in the afternoon and picked up the artificial Christmas tree that we ordered from Tesco mail order. It was a great deal, only 15 pounds. Then when we got it home I could not get it off of my mind. I kept thinking since we do not really have Thanksgiving I may as well assemble it and decorate it now. So I did! : )

Saturday evening Hanna asked if she could come over and cook a thank you dinner for us. The Elders and Georgia came too. We had a very nice and friendly evening enjoying each other’s company, it was kind of nice to just socialize. It was also very delicious!!!

Smile elder Ho!

Elder Yu and Hanna

Delicious!

Elder Hagadorn and Georgia

Saturday was also SKYPE day! We talked to 3 of our kids and my brother Dan which always lifts our spirits and makes us smile!

Sunday we had been invited to the Weston-Super-Mare second ward to their ward council meeting. We got up bright and early the meeting started at 8:45 am. We were very well received. We now have a list of several YSA members of their ward to contact and visit. We stayed for the whole block of meetings. The Bishop invited us over for dinner afterwards and we just had a wonderful time! It was very fun! A few other families from their ward came too and we visited and laughed and thoroughly enjoyed the day! Bishop Byrom’s daughter is the secretary for the Stake YSA Presidency. We have always been so impressed with her and after meeting her family we know why she is such a delightful person!

Sunday evening we had YSA Home Evening. After the lesson I played Cranium with the gang. Bill just watched. It was fun, only it is a UK game so I did not know what some of the questions were talking about

 

Monday, P-Day, we went shopping, I got me some Wellies. We then went to a movie and after to a ‘Mexican’ restaurant. Our waitress was Russian serving us Mexican food in Bristol England. We just had to smile. The food was not too bad, we were surprised.

My Wellies

Happy Thanksgiving to you all! My neighbor in AZ said that we were Pilgrims in reverse. We do still get a feast because we have a special Zone Conference on Thanksgiving Day and the good people who are providing the meal are planning to cook one up for us. I think it is going to have a British flare to it.

Even though we do not have an official ‘Turkey Day’ to sit around a table filled with family and express or fondest feelings of gratitude, we are perhaps aware more than ever of our bounteous blessings! Every day there seems to be some small miracle happen to us, the missionaries or investigators and yes even our family back home. I cannot express how wonderful it is to be on the Lords errand and begin to catch a glimpse of the magnitude of this work here in the latter days! Sometimes the feelings are overpowering and sometimes just quiet little moments, tender mercies.

Thank you to our beautiful family for supporting us and praying for us. I know that in some ways it is a sacrifice to not be able to be physically together, but oh how we feel your spirit and prayers! Thank you to Jacob and Stella at this time for understanding why we can’t be present at your baptisms. We are with you in spirit and so very proud of you!

Keep swimming all of you!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMsmuYcmtWs

This is a video of a Sunday drive to church.

Good days in rain and shine!

Monday Nov 4

Monday was a good day. We spent the morning polishing and posting last week’s blog and then off to adventures. We decided to take the bus to go visit Temple Church down in the city center. We first walked down to the shops at Clifton and had lunch in a tiny little café called the Marmalade. We had read that it was a good place for lunch and indeed it was. The sandwiches were delicious. Then we got back on the bus to the church. This church is a late medieval building that was badly bombed during the 2^nd World War. It has been left in this gutted state as a memorial to those citizens in Bristol who were killed by the bombing between 1940 and 1944. It is quite a sobering memorial. I am sure we have no idea what that was like to be attacked on their own shores! The building was originally built as a Knights Templar building in 1200 something, but had been rebuilt in the 16^th century and then destroyed in the 20^th century!

Temple Church

We had FHE again with Georgia and Rebecca. We enjoy them so much. They are very intelligent young women. They continue to be interested, we will see. They did say that they loved coming because when they left our home every time they feel like they want to be better people. That is a good thing don’t you think?

Tuesday Nov 12

 OK things are really behind, here it is Tuesday of the next week and I never finished writing about last week. I am going to have to summarize.

We had a very good week, busy with two trips to Taunton, one was to address their ward council and present to them our desire to help them reach out to their Young Single Adults. The meeting went very well and we are invited back to accompany them on a ward ‘reach out’ next Wednesday and to come speak in a Sacrament Meeting in December.  Wednesday we had a good District meeting, last before transfers so it was good-by to some. Thursday we got some odd jobs accomplished and prepared our Institute lesson. After class there was a YSA bonfire and fireworks for Guy Fawkes day! It was cold but fun. We got a little smoky!

bonfire night

Friday was a great day! We went to Oxford for a Senior Couple outing. Of the 41 senior missionaries in our mission 36 attended including the President and his wife. Elder Sorenson who is YSA Missionary in Oxford gave us a great historical presentation about Oxford and then we all donned our rain coats and took our bumbershoots and headed out into the pouring rain for a walking tour of the city. With all of those black coats and umbrellas we looked like a funeral procession! Part of the outing was an inside tour of Christ Church College. Wow! The Bishop from one of the Oxford’s Wards works as head of security there so we got a behind the scenes tour. It was great! I kept expecting Inspector Lewis or Sargent Hathaway to pop out any minute. We got to go into the High Library which has one of the oldest and most prestigious collections of books and manuscripts in the world. The culminating event was High Tea in the dining hall which is the Harry Potter dining hall. (The movie set was made to look just like it anyway) We sat at high table and had hot chocolate and scones with clotted cream! We felt like Dumbledore or McGonagall  should be sitting with us. We traversed a marble stair case that was in the first Harry Potter movie, so fun

We had a wonderful adventure but also got soaking! It was the coldest day since we have been here and very wet. I will get used to it, I will get used to it!

Is there a funeral somewhere?

Part of the original city wall of Oxford

Look like Hogwarts stairs?

The door in the wall that inspired Alice in Wonderland stories

High Library

Dining Hall Christ Church College 

Now for the highlight of the week! Hanna Hung was baptized on Saturday! It was a very sweet event. We were unable to announce it to the Ward because she decided after church on Sunday last week but still many came to support her. She was just beaming! When she came out of the water and I wrapped a towel around her she kept saying “that was so quick”. I told her to get dressed and come sit and feel the spirit and listen to the rest of the program.

 There were of course refreshments after and everyone spent time visiting and welcoming her. My brownies were a hit. Boy am I glad they sell Ghirardelli Triple Chocolate Brownie Mix at Costco!! We took her out to dinner afterwards, just the three of us and we had a delightful time!

Sunday morning was a glorious sunny autumn day! Hanna said that was a good sign! The confirmation was lovely and sweet and exactly right. She came down off of the stand just beaming. She told me she had been scared for some reason before the ordinance but the wonderful warm feeling that came over her made her feel so good and so right! I am sure that some of you saw the pictures she posted of the event. I am so happy that we will be here as she finishes up this school year. We are happy to be here to give her support and encouragement.

What a wonderful privilege it has been to be a little part of this miraculous conversion process. It is a real joy to be with this sweet daughter of God as she has taken such a courageous step! She not only converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints but to Christianity! Thank you all for your prayers in her behalf. Especially to our little grandchildren who have so faithfully included her in their prayers!

Yesterday, Monday again, we ran to the mall and did laundry and had FHE again with Georgia and Rebecca. I decided to actually give a lesson out of the Family Home Evening manual. We had an enjoyable evening. Then today we went out to Taunton again and then made many calls to try to visit YSA but were unable to visit any today. We did schedule 2 visits for next week and had quite an adventure trying to find a young lady that was new in the area. We were in this awesome little town. The houses did not have numbers on them just names. We were looking for Chapel Cottage. We never did find it. Oh well it was an adventure!

our last district meeting

Tomorrow is Transfer Day so we get to drive all over the country again, probably 4 hours plus in the car. Two of our favorite missionaries are being transferred out of our district. I kind of feel like I did when I sent my own kids away on their missions as these sweet dedicated young soldiers of God’s Army leave for their next experience. Just in case you did not already believe this, The Lord knows exactly what he is doing by sending these bright, fresh, strong, faithful, hopeful young men and women out to carry his gospel to the inhabitants of the world! Oh my own sons and daughters! Dedicate your child-rearing to preparing my wonderful grandchildren to carry forth this work and bring to pass the purposes of God! I bare my testimony of the divine nature of my assignment! I am so thankful to be a part of the ‘hastening of the work of salvation!’

Speak no Evil, Hear no Evil, See no Evil

The UK is a happy place for grass!

Clifton gorge and Suspension Bridge

The gorge looking towards the port

Sunday last week: Busy morning, lazy afternoon staying out of the storm.

 As each week comes and goes we feel more and more as we belong. There really is the same feeling towards our ward here as there is at home. We met a new YSA sister who is a brand new convert of 3 months, we are excited to have her. In our little Gospel Essentials class were several investigators who really are sincerely investigating the truthfulness of this gospel. Georgia, the University student who has met at our house a few times, told the Elders that she was not coming but showed up anyway! So happy to see how she is so drawn to the message of the gospel.

Monday: After the storm, lots and lots of rain.

The storm warnings were quite unsettling. The wind and rain were very noisy during the night so when morning came I could not wait to go out to see if there was any damage. Nowhere around our neighborhood or on the Downs or over the Clifton gorge could I see any damage. As I was walking though I met a lady from Canada who was out for exactly the same reason. She said she was not sure that the Brits really understood ‘bad weather’. Right after we passed each other the sky opened up and dumped buckets and buckets. I was soaked. According to the news there were a lot of trees down, railroads closed and even a couple of deaths from caved in houses and auto accidents. Nature did make itself heard and gave the nation a pretty strong demonstration of its power.

soggy morning

Tuesday: visiting day in town and in Bath.

We did flat inspections for the sisters in Downend and Bath. In between we visited a ward member and after were able to call on the daughter of the bishop of the Bath Ward who is a Young Single Adult. What a cutie. (Fun thing about Bishop Kitsell, he served his mission in Escondido at the same time we were living in Vista. Bishop Nelson and Judy do you remember a missionary from England? It would have been in 1982.)

Wednesday: District meeting, trip to Taunton, lots of traffic on the way to YSA dinner, great discussion with Hanna after.

That pretty well sums it up! We need to drive out to Taunton every week for a while so we can assist someone with a weekly SKYPE call. Taunton is about 46 miles away, an hour in the car. It is a lovely ride though because we go through the countryside! We have really been enjoyed visiting with Sister Cowley from Mesa AZ and Sister McKay (she says McKai) from Scotland. Beautiful daughters of Heavenly Father. I learn a lot from them. When I asked Sister Cowley what it was like being a trainer and she said, “I have learned so much, mostly I have learned that IT isn't about me…” I love that, if all of us can serve with the understanding that this is God’s work not ours, how much more effective we would all be!

We got back in time for a little breather before we headed off to YSA dinner. Good thing too because we hit the worst traffic threading our way through Bristol City Center that it took an hour to get there. We took a different route because we were warned that there was a big Rugby match going on that would slow down our normal drive. The match was between the US and Cook Islands. US won!

Frustrated though we were in arriving late, the evening ended in a very sweet discussion with the Elders, ourselves and Hanna. She is seriously praying about baptism. She wants to make a decision this weekend. We discussed the questions and concerns. She seemed satisfied with the answers and said herself that most of what God asks of us is for our good. Elder Preece told her to go home and tell God how she feels, that she wants to be baptized, and ask Him if that is the right thing to do. Thanks to all of you who have been praying for her too.

Thursday: Clean house, study lesson attend YSA Institute and Halloween party, talk to grand kids on SKYPE.

 Halloween! Not such a big deal here though we did hear some kids around the neighborhood at dusk. We live behind a locked front door so no one came here.

 Institute was great. We are becoming more and more attached to our class. The lesson was from 2 Nephi so lots of Isaiah. We ended up with a great discussion and commitment to read through it even when we do not understand it all.

Activity after classes: Halloween games. They hid ‘sweets’ in all kinds of gooey stuff that each participants had to thrust their hands into to fish them out. They bobbed for apples and ate doughnuts off a string. They also showed the movie “Hocus Pocus”. All had a good time.

We got home in time to catch some of the grand kids on SKYPE as they were getting ready to trick or treat!  Grandma was trying hard not to be homesick! This is the first Halloween of my little Nelson grand kids life celebrating without us… I will live, loved all the pictures sent the next day!

Friday: …..takes the cake! Literally!

The ward Karaoke /Cake auction was in the evening. I decided that I ought to do my part and bring a cake for the auction. The event a fund raiser to raise money for the Youth. Well easier said than done… Spent most of the day accomplishing this feat. We went to the market to buy a disposable pan and get cream cheese for the frosting, came home and began mixing etc. I have made this cake before here so I was pretty optimistic. While it was cooling I sent a message my daughters for a cream cheese frosting recipe that did not require butter since I used the last bit in the cake itself. After a little trouble with adding too much liquid and needing to pour and pour frosting sugar in the bowl, it turned out pretty good if I say so myself. I decided to turn the cake out to frost the whole thing since I now have enough frosting for several cakes and when I did it was apparent that the whole center of the cake was still runny, I could have stirred it with a spoon… Decided that our contribution to the ward would be bidding on and purchasing cakes instead!

Hanna came to the auction as did another Chinese investigator with our Elders. The activity was so very well attended and there were lots of cakes and goodies to bid on. We bought a cake and tried to buy several others, but were out bid. Hanna really got into it and bought two cheese cakes herself. It was a very fun night!

Bishopric's karaoke

our prize, sponge strawberry jam cake

                  “Now we know that we must also Witness faith in           Jesus’word,

                   Be baptized to show obedience, as was Jesus Christ, our Lord. “

Saturday was Baptism day, two baptisms. One in the Wells Road Ward at 11 AM in our ward the Bristol 2^nd Ward at 4 PM. A very good day for our district!

The first Baptism was of a sister who the missionaries have been working with since we first got here. Good day! She was very ready and looking forward to the ordinance. There is always a sweet spirit at a baptism that is unique to the occasion. This was no different. It was a sweet moment and a moving experience for us as we watched Elder Mansfield perform the ordinance. He had a stroke some time ago and does not really have the use of one of his arms and one side of his body but was still able to stand in that font and hold on to Yvonne and raise his arm to the square to  perfectly immerse her in the water and bring her back up clean. Gave me a catch in my throat and tear in my eye. The Elders and Sisters in our District are so important to us, feels like they are our own! Sweet moments, powerful blessings!

Baptism # 2 was also a very sweet experience. The convert has been attending for a very long time, in fact he is engaged to be married to our Bishop’s mother-in-law. It was a big family affair with brothers sisters sons daughters and grandchildren participating. Again, you cannot beat the wonderful feeling that exists at a baptism. Hanna came and afterwards she texted the Elders that she is ready to be baptized. As she was listening to the talks she felt a strong warm feeling that this is the right thing to do!!!

Sunday, Happy happy busy day!

The sun was shining, a beautiful autumn morning. I wish I could adequately describe it, on the way to church it was as though we had driven into a calendar of fall pictures, each page lovelier than the last!

 Fast Sunday today had two purposes, one requested by the Stake President to fast for many in our Stake who are ill and need support and blessings. The Mission are all fasting for at least 34 or more baptisms per month between now and the end of the year. Good purposes good motivation to humbly petition the Lord. All meetings were nice, Fast and testimony, Gospel Essentials and Relief Society. In the latter meeting a sweet lesson was taught by the RS President who just lost her twin sister. It was very powerful.

The missionaries were thrilled because a lady just walked into the church from off the street. She was looking for a church to go to. SMILE…

To break our fast we had the Elders and Hanna over for dinner. We had gammon (ham), and jacket potatoes (baked potatoes) with soured cream, courgettes (zucchini), homemade apple sauce and with roles and honey. Fast Sunday is the best day to feed company because everyone is so hungry it all tastes good!

After dinner Elder Hagadorn had arranged for a SKYPE meeting with a Chinese girl he had taught and baptized when he was in Oxford. She is now in Glasgow Scotland attending a university there. Her circumstance are very similar to Hanna. They had a 45 minute conversation in our living room! Elder Yu translated for us. How awesome is modern technology!

Talking to Maggie on SKYPE

Now here is the best news of the week!! WE THEN PLANNED HANNA’S BAPTISM!!! It will be next Saturday! She asked Elder Hagadorn to baptize her and Elder Preece to confirm her a member of the church on Sunday. I will be speaking about the gift of the Holy Ghost. Jakey, this is the same gift you will be receiving soon! It makes me happy to think about it. Since I will not be able to be there for your confirmation I will be thinking about you when Grandpa is performing that ordinance for Hanna!!

When we asked Hanna how she felt since she has decided to be baptized she said “I just can’t stop smiling!” please can you all keep her in your prayers this week? Sometimes the week before a big step like this can be challenging because the adversary will attempt put obstacles in the way.

Love you all! Feel your faith and prayers in our behalf!! This Church is so true!!