Call life a good gift; call the world fair.

The splendor of Autumn

Looks like my blog day has somehow just crept on to the end of the week. At this rate I will soon be back to posting on Mondays!

Good news last week Hanna came back! It was so very good to see her. She is doing great and will be working hard to finish her paper and her degree! So proud of her she bore her testimony in fast and testimony meeting Sunday! Welcome back friend!!

Institute was great!

After our very busy week last week Friday was our break day. We took the train into London in the morning. We took the underground to our hotel, checked in, left our bag and climbed aboard the tube again and headed to the South Bank to the Shakespeare's Globe Theater. We went to see “The Comedy of Errors”. We have never been to the theater before and it was on our bucket list. Friday was a great Fall day and the atmosphere in the outdoor theater was delightful. Pigeons fly around, the breeze blows the sets and costumes and the standing audience heckles and gets heckled back from the actors! We had nice cozy seats up on the back row under the roof with a place to lean our backs.

Shakespeare's  Globe Theater

After the play we walked back across the Thames River on the Millennial Bridge. The late autumn sun made everything look magical; loved the view of St Paul’s Cathedral as we crossed the river. We were hungry but it was a little early. Unintentionally we just kept walking. Somehow we ended up at Covent Garden. We stopped at Porter’s, a favorite restaurant we have visited many times in the past. It was Friday night so without a reservation there was no room at the Inn.  Instead we ended up at Five Guys! OK! A good ole American hamburger and fries really hit the spot!

Millennial Bridge

walking towards St Paul's

Temple Church

We collapsed into bed, exhausted and ready for a much earned rest. At 2:30 AM the fire alarm went off… We staggered around the room finding coats and shoes and wallets and phones and just as we got into the hall the bell stops ringing. It was a false alarm… It took me 2 hours to get back to sleep!

Saturday we woke up to a beautiful day again, bright sunshine poking out between occasional rain clouds . We decided to go visit the Imperial War Museum. Bill, as he always does, successfully worked out which underground line and connections we needed to get there. The building is very impressive. The displays are very interesting and informative. It was Saturday however and very crowded. Mostly I was impressed that most of the visitors were British. Obviously the history on display means a lot to the citizens of the UK. The story is one of much sacrifice and courage. We wore out fairly quickly so did our best to see the highlights and then went outside to sit in the spotty sunshine!

Imperial War Museum

We headed back to Bristol on the 7:30 pm train, in the meantime we found a great Italian Restaurant in South Kensington that took our order on a Samsung tablet. It was a build your own pasta menu!

Sunday meetings were lovely and FHE that evening was very nice. Quite a good group came. The lesson was very good, appropriately on Fasting and the activity had us all in stitches. Fife McKenny brought an original board game. I guess he created it before his mission. He dusted it off and brought it back. I laughed so much. We just watched, I am not sure I could have figured out the rules if I had tried.  At the end from what I could gather either everyone loses or everyone wins. I think they all lost!

FHE hilarity 

Fife and his game

The first of this week was calm, Monday and Tuesday we were busy around the flat and running errands. Both of us got some correspondence caught up on and spent time preparing for the Stake Youth Conference we will be helping with this week end. Wednesday we enjoyed YSA meal.

Thursday we were back in the Bristol Flyer again heading to Poole for Zone Conference. Elder Alder, of the seventy who is a Area Authority, with his wife was the visiting authority. In spite of leaving our place at about 7:20 AM and driving across town to pick up the Downend sisters and with a new route mapped out from Google it still took until nearly 11 to get there. The drive is beautiful but all on back country roads. The traffic in both Bristol and around Bath very congested. Oh well we got there!

The conference was marvelous! Wow! Elder Adler and Sister Adler really carry an amazing spirit with them. Elder Adler gave an inspiring address about repentance and change and being converted not only to the church but to our mission. He told them, us, the Lord has chosen each of us as individual personalities because we are who we are! He wants all of us to be happy. That joy spreads the gospel!

Sister Adler said that she thinks showers are sacred places, at least when you are a mom they are because it is the only place where you can be alone. As a result she has gotten into the routine of receiving revelation when she is in the shower! 

The revelation she shared with us from that morning was about Abraham. This great prophet was asked to make a huge sacrifice, she said that God knew what Abraham would do, but Abraham had to learn himself what he would do. It is like that in many of the callings and duties we are asked to do in this church and mortality. Our Father and his son Jesus Christ already know that we can handle it, we just have to learn that for ourselves. This process builds faith and confidence. 

She also told the missionaries to beware of the mists of darkness from Satan. He wants to stop us. Like Elder Holland she pointed out to hold on to what we know! She quoted Elder Jorg Klebingat, from this past conference, telling us to be really really good at repenting quickly and really really good at forgiving. These are some of the things we can do to thwart the fiery darts of the adversary! And then partake of the Sacrament worthily every week!

It is a little frustrating that I can only relate their words but cannot recreate in print the powerful spirit and love in which these words of council were given! I just must testify again that the Lord really loves his missionaries!

We did not make it to Institute Thursday because we got back too late and were a bit too weary. I did however read the lesson. We were studying some of my very favorite sections. D&C 6,8 and 9. I just want to share with all of you section 6: 22 and 23…

 22 Verily, verily, I say unto you, if you desire a further witness, cast your mind upon the night that you cried unto me in your heart, that you might know concerning the truth of these things.

 23 Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater witness can you have than from God?

So many times in life we are given an answer, we receive a witness and testimony concerning a doctrine, a decision we need help with or a direction to our lives but as we face the challenge of everyday life we become fearful. I love these verses because so many times in my life I have to go back to the very hour when I have felt that confirming feeling and let go of the fear and remember the confirmation! I know you all face the challenges and doldrums of everyday life! Take a moment and in gratitude remember that peace!

I love you all, you become dearer to me every day! Have a good week! Choose the right!

Looking at St Pail's across the river