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| Love this Picture |
I am sure that I have experienced thus far this season
enough rain for the rest of my life and then some by Arizona standards; but it just
keeps coming out of the sky. Thirteen inches in the past 30 days. The good news is that the moisture keeps milder temperatures
so I am not complaining!
Our week since last post has been fairly normal for a
missionary week. We took a trip to Costco, Georgia came with us, we had a very
long district meeting on Wednesday due to some communication glitches and I
spent a lot of time preparing an institute lesson but none of my class was able
to be there Thursday. We made some very
enjoyable visits to new member young single adults in Bath. The highlight of
the week was the Senior Couple trip to the British Library in London and Kings
Cross Station to visit the famous Harry Potter platform 9 3/4!
The Wed district meeting ended up long because we all got to
the Wells Road chapel, including the zone leaders and the Sisters from Downend
called and they were at the Southmead building. It took a little over an hour
for us to go pick them up. We got back in time for lunch. The district leader
chose to have the whole meeting again so we did not get home until 4 pm and had
to be back to the same building by 5:30. Ya gotta love these kinds of days! We
were able to have a nice visit with Amelia an upcoming YSA from Wells Road Ward
at the dinner. She is really a sweetie!
Our new institute instructor’s wife had a baby last week so
Elder Preece is substituting for a couple of weeks. We had to cover Alma 17 to
29, a lot of great information. These are the chapters with Ammon and the arms,
and King Lamoni and his father and the people of Anti-Lehi-Nephi. Wow! Because
no one in my class was there I did get to go into the other class and enjoy the
discussion there. Activity after was cleaning the building. That is always fun
in Sunday clothes. : )
The week had many ups and downs with Georgia’s family so
that was a little difficult too for all of us, most of all for her. Her family
did meet with the Bishop on Sunday and I have to commend them for that. Not
sure anything was resolved but she has decided to just get on with her life.
She came to FHE last night and even gave part of the lesson.
Elder’s Hagadorn and Lam are being transferred next
Wednesday. The President has decided to move the Chinese speaking Elders out of
Southmead so they will be replaced by English speaking missionaries. Last night
was our last FHE with them and we had a good experience. This week’s District
meeting was here in our flat today. Friday we are hosting a Chinese
New Year’s party so we will send them off in style!
OK now for our very nice trip into London. We caught the
train here in Bristol Temple Meads station at 9 am and arrived in Paddington
around 10:40. We took the underground to Pancras Station and meet the other
couples at Carluccio’s. We had a very nice visit with Elder and Sister Smart
who are Family History missionaries. They have just been given the assignment
to travel throughout the mission training people in Family Search etc.
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| Pancras Station |
After dining we crossed the street to Kings Cross Station to
stand in line at the pretend platform 9 3/4. It was worth it for the picture!
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| Kings Cross Station |
When we left the library we went to Covet Gardens to wander
around the shops and booths. I bought me a fun hat to keep my hair dry when I am
wearing my non raincoat. We wandered out to Leicester square and found the
London ‘Five Guys Hamburgers’ and enjoyed every minute. If we had visited this
establishment soon after we first arrived it would not have been so great, but
after 6 months it was like visiting a piece of home, even though a tad
expensive! Even the toilets had a sign that said "Restrooms"…
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| Covent Gardens |
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| Me in my new hat... |
When we finished dinner it was too close to rush hour to get
back on the Underground so we walked toward Trafalgar Square and happened on
the National Portrait Gallery. I loved it! Portraits from all the way back to
medieval times and up to the present. So many famous people that I have heard
about and read about. I was surprised that I know so many famous British
people. I think it is because I read a lot of English Literature.
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| among the famous ladies... |
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| Sir Paul McCartney |
We then enjoyed Trafalgar at night and headed back to
Paddington to drink hot chocolate and eat a scone while we waited for our
return train!
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| Trafalgar at night |
Sunday was a nice day. Rebecca came to church with Georgia.
Elder Hagadorn and Elder Lam were the Sacrament speakers and they did a very
good job. It is fun to watch them grow and mature. Sunday evening YSA FHE was
at the Downend building. Bishop Daren Evans spoke and conducted the activity.
The attendance was higher than usual and the lesson on faith was very
appropriate. After we played the game Mafia only the bad guys were gadianton robbers and the good guys were prophets the rest were citizens. A great time
was had by all with a lot of laughing, teasing and jeering! I was a gadianton robber...
Monday morning we finally received our Christmas present
from Mikey and Caitie. There were nice surprises including cute valentine hugs
from Miles and Benny!
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| Hugs from Miles and Benny |
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| Mikey and Caitie's surprise Christmas present! |
We sang ‘A Poor Wayfaring Man
of Grief’ for district meeting and verse seven struck me profoundly:
Then in a moment to my view the stranger stated from
disguise. The tokens in his hands I knew; the Savior stood before mine eyes. He
spake, and my poor name he named. “Of me thou hast not been ashamed. These
deeds shall thy memorial be; Fear not, thou didst them unto me.”
John 6: 67 & 68 is also quite profound:
Then said Jesus unto
the twelve, Will you also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom
shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.
The reality of these messages is made even clearer to me as
I become more and more involved in this marvelous work! Cheers!!!
I read every word, wow that was like traveling to England without having to leave home.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the missionary side of this journey also it is eternally more interesting,
Surprisingly the Five guys pic makes us Americans looks like we eat sloppy food.