For life is quick in passing, tis as a single day…

Alma 40: 8 “…all is as one day with God, and time only is measurable unto men.”

Here we are past the middle of August! The summer holiday (vacation) season has been interesting for us. The weather has been great! We loved the visit from family! We have enjoyed some great day excursions of the nearby countryside. Missionary work and Stake YSA work had been a little slow. So many people are distracted and off enjoying the season, very into their own lives. In spite of the slowdown I have been learning and growing. I want to share just a couple of lessons I have learned.

The mission office asked the sister missionaries in the Downend ward to look for a flat in their area for possible adding a set of missionaries to the ward on this next transfer. Time was running out so they enlisted us, the office also asked us to help. I mentioned last post that we have been working on the process. Last Monday we looked at a flat in the morning and had another appointment in the afternoon. In both cases we had to drive clear across town but whatever. As we were talking to the renting agent of the second flat, I got a call from the office that Pres. Millar has decided that a new flat will not be needed at this time. They will not be sending in a new companionship at this time. And so it goes. I am sure this is not the first time that plans have changed at the last minute. I learned not to feel bad for the time and effort expended but to be thankful that we were being obedient and carrying out the assignment we had. We learned a lot and may be called on again for the same task in a different area.

Lesson number two that I want to share is a little more personal. Last week we left the flat early one afternoon in a hurry to check out a flat and then head on to several other responsibilities comprising the remainder of the afternoon and evening. As we were driving I realized that I had left my missionary badge home. We really did not have time to go back and retrieve it. I was feeling bad because of all the missionary type activities we would be involved with the rest of the day, let alone that we were representing the mission as we viewed the apartment.

My mind was racing as I thought about the possibility of maybe an extra one left in the car. I remember seeing only one badge on the dresser, not two, so where was the other? This may sound quite trivial but I always try to ware my badge when we go out in public even on days off. There are many of the mission rules that we do not have to adhere to but I feel like this is a simple one and who knows what conversation it will start. I decided to look in my bag to see if I tucked one of the tags away while we were in London last week and sure enough, in my cosmetic bag was my other name tag! It seemed to me a tender mercy because of my faithful efforts to try and follow a simple rule. It is interesting how little lessons can add great dimension to one’s testimony!

Since I last posted we had a fun Saturday morning breakfast with our friends Georgia and Francine. After the breakfast we all went to Fran’s old flat and loaded up all her boxes and bags and drove around the corner to her new one to drop them off. Many hands, and a bigger car, make light work. It was fun to help her and the amazing part about it all we were able to find a parking spot in front of the old place and one right in front of her new door to facilitate the whole move! Service always brings a good feeling!

Sunday Bill had to teach the Priesthood lesson in our ward and I got to teach about David and Bathsheba to the older Primary class. I had two little 9 year old girls in my class and they were very fun to teach. Bill had a great discussion in Priesthood! In the afternoon we rested, had a good dinner and then enjoyed a great lesson taught by Lorna at FHE.

A recently returned missionary, I mean only home 2 or 3 days, came to our YSA home evening. Fife just returned from his mission in Australia. It is always so fun to bask in the light of a newly returned servant of the Lord. The evening was enjoyable.

Monday was the real estate day, ending in a closed project. We did go to dinner at Franky & Benny's restaurant though to commemorate one year since we arrived in the UK. Our very first evening we ate at a Franky & Benny's establishment in Crawley!

Tuesday we decided would be P-day this week.  We drove out to Glastonbury Abby! Wow does that place have history! It is the center of many Anglo legends. One tale says that Joseph of Aramathea, the great uncle of Jesus Christ, came there and brought the holy grail which was  supposed come from the table at the last supper. The chalice was dropped down a well. Joseph supposedly built the first Christian church on the site where the Abbey later stood. He is also described as thrusting  his staff into the ground and it immediately blossomed into a thorn tree of which there are still descendants on the grounds. The birth place of the Christian church in England so to speak.  

Abby ruins, Tor Hill and thorn tree

Another great legend has root there. In the late 12^th century after the crusades the abbots were trying to raise revenue, they had been praying and the story has it that in a dream they were directed to a certain spot outside the abbey.  After digging  down as deep as the height of 3 men, they found some bones with an inscription that said these were the graves o King Arthur and Lady Guinevere. A miracle!… did bring in more money.

Later the bones were moved to a marble shrine inside the great cathedral. All of this grandeur, huge Church and Abby, was destroyed when Henry the VIII decided to abolish the Catholic Church.  The ruins were fascinating and beautiful. We loved it!

It was market day in Glastonbury which is a kind of New Age center today. We had lunch in a little café and checked out the street booths and shops. It reminded me of a ‘wanna be’ Sedona, Arizona, without any vortexes!

On our return trip we decided to stop by Babington House. Our son-in-law Trevor Nelson’s great great or so, grandmother was born there. It is now a really posh hotel! It really was lovely! We wandered around the grounds and took pictures. When we checked inside about eating at their restaurant we were told it was only for members and hotel guests. I am not sure that they believed our story about an ancestor… The place just oozed with the charm of old upper class society! I think Trevor’s ancestor was the daughter of a servant there.

lane leading up to the mansion

old church on property

Babington House Hotel

Wednesday we went to District meeting and YSA meal as is our routine. As I was sitting in that missionary meeting with those dedicated young people I thought that I would share with those of you who are not familiar with the workings of a mission what a District Meeting is composed of. These meetings as it states in Preach My Gospel are to “teach one another the doctrine of the kingdom.” They are held for 60 to 90 minutes once a week. These 18, 19 and 20 year old young people, share Gospel insights, practice missionary teaching skills and help each other with how to be successful with specific investigators.

I just want to express that the privilege of attending these meetings each week is surely one of the highlights of this whole experience. It is marvelous, almost miraculous to watch these young people teach each other. To watch them grow and be inspired and inspire each other. I just want to testify that a huge part of this hastening of the work is this training of the future parents and leaders of Heavenly Father’s church!! I guess my only plea to all of you is to trust them, they are directed by God.

Glad for all the health of my family and loved ones.  Grateful for all of your prayers!