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!!!
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| Smile elder Ho! |
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| Elder Yu and Hanna |
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| Delicious! |
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| 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.
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| 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!!
This is a video of a Sunday drive to church.
We sent you a Thanksgiving car package. It cost us an arm & a leg, so you better make some pie and bring the cranberry sauce on Thursday ;) Haha! And I love the video. It's gorgeous there. I have to be honest, it did freak me out a bit that you were on the wrong side.I kept thinking you were going to crash into the oncoming cars, but they were on the wrong side too. Lol!!
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