AUGUST/SEPTEMBER BLOG:
Well, I started this blog in August and now it is mid-September and I haven’t posted it yet – I’ll have to make some revisions and updates.
I love to start off with funny things we hear “out and about” – also spellings tyre (tire) colour (color) to name a few.
“Fancy that”- “nudging” “lovely” “grumbling” “struggling” (vowels in previous 4 words sound like oo in foot) -“blokes” “threw a panic”- “feeling a bit rough” - “it’s half one (1:30 am/pm)- “chatted”- “took that on board” (not sure what that means) - “a read out”- “moan about” - “lad”- “not many jobs going” – “biting on” means do you need a snack, do you need a biting on before tea – Tea, of course, is dinner; high tea is a special occasion requiring special food – “carry on then” – “are you wanting” - “tele” TV of course - Cold weather prompted a grocery clerk to say “cold weather like November this!! Plasters are band-aids, “mind the step” when you are stepping down from an entry way – no-no-no (always said three times) Alright then or OK then ( I just got caught on this one at Church today – Our Bishop was leaving and said “OK then” I was repeating it to the missionaries several times when I realized our very nice British ward mission leader was standing there listening to me) Thankfully, he laughed at me and told me when he was growing up his father refused to let them say OK – He said that’s American – we say all right then in England!! Another member of the ward was talking to me about her husband and when she said he wears many different heads I realized she meant he wore many different “hats” You gotta love the English!!
One British man in the Sheffield 1 Ward had heart surgery after several attempts to get scheduled for surgery – As he was being taken into surgery the attendant told him he “might wake up on a cold slab” – they tell it like it is here in England!!
OK then – I’ll move on J
Our Slovakians went through very fearful time a few weeks ago!! Oh, how rumors spread like wildfire – not sure where this has come from but it has gone throughout the entire Slovakian community (not just church members) They tell us the British government have been kidnapping Slovakian children – sometimes coming in at night to get them from homes – There has not been one bit of proof of that but they are terrified – many are buying bus tickets back to Slovakia and apparently there is no more room on the buses for the next two months. Apparently the scare has been reported on Slovakian TV (which the Slovaks get here in England) which hasn’t helped matters at all. They are beside themselves keeping the missionaries on the phone all the time, calling the Bishop, wanting answers…one member wants the Bishop to take his children to Germany. So far, no one has left from our group – hopefully this will all calm down before too long. One member sleeps by his front door with a big stick and his father (grandfather of the member’s 6 children) sleeps there too with a big knife.
I guess they are a very suspicious people stemming perhaps from their minority treatment in Slovakia and also being raised in a culture where their parents, grandparents etc. lived under Communist rule. It’s very sad to see them so frantic. School begins in a week and I don’t think they will even let their children out of the house if things don’t get resolved for them. Our Bishop just went to visit them last night and I think they are calming down—we visited with two families today and although they keep their curtains and blinds closed, they seem to be a little less frightened. (I wrote this part a few weeks ago – things have settled down, they are less anxious, and their kids are going to school—all is well!!
We just had transfers again among the missionaries (every six weeks) Elder Balderee who came when we did is going to north England. I’m glad he will get a different experience in England but we will miss him – one of our sisters is also being transferred after being here about 5 months. She has done a great job but I think she is ready for a different experience – the younger missionaries work so closely with the members and the language barriers, their needs and trying to keep them “on track” does put a lot of stress on them – she is actually returning to an area where she started her mission on the east coast by the North Sea. We’ll miss her too. Others in our zone are also transferring but we don’t work as closely with them.
Our Slovak and Czech missionaries will stay – that is so good – they are great. The missionary who has come from the Manchester Mission still has another 6 weeks with us before he returns. Elder Juran (from Czech) just received word that his good friend from his home has been called to the England Leeds Mission and will be his companion when he arrives (about Oct 10). He is ecstatic!! Elder Juran told me one day about his family. They are active in the Church in Czech. His grandfather is very active, loves the Church, but also is a member of the Communist party. That really surprised me, but of course, we don’t have to state our political party when we are baptized!!
In our zone area we now have missionaries from Switzerland, Taiwan, Czech Republic, Slovakian, Australia, Canada, England and from the US (New York, Minnesota, Nevada, California, Utah, Alaska and Idaho) It’s great getting to know so many from all over the world.
Two new missionaries arrived at the last transfer (but not in our zone) – one from Romania and one from France – our mission president was telling us their stories – new converts, leaving a widowed mother, very poor, not speaking very much English—but so willing to be missionaries and wanting to be here.
We’ve run into a couple of problems with how the Slovakians tell their age. When they have a birthday (say they’re 12) the day after their birthday they say they are 13 because they are in their 13th year. We have found that two children were baptized before they were 8 because of that problem.
Our missionaries are so funny – we just heard our zone leaders tell us how they direct their windshield wipers on their car – one of the wipers is facing out so when they push the windshield fluid button to clean off their windows one of the wipers squirts out instead of on the windows. They turn it on every time they pass someone they believe is dressed immodestly. The person gets sprinkled on and looks all around and up to see where it came from – the missionaries have passed by but look in their rearview mirror for the person’s reaction.
Our missionaries who speak Czech/Slovakian have been able to visit with earlier church members who have left and haven’t returned. I think because they can communicate better with them, they are able to resolve some of their concerns (mostly concerns that were caused by miscommunication in the first place) One member Milos Pecha was one of the very first to be baptized after which there was such a rush of Slovakians coming to Church to listen to this new religion. This happened about two years ago – He has gone to the Hallejujah Church on and off again, but he told the missionaries he really wants to come back. One of his concerns was that he thought we worshipped Joseph Smith instead of Christ because Joseph Smith was the subject of many talks at Church when he came. After resolving that, he said he would really like to come back – his main problem, however, is probably pride – thinking the members there would not accept him or ridicule him – they have a real knack for infighting amongst the members mostly because they are family related in some way. Another member also told these same missionaries he would like to come back too – but, again, he needs to swallow some pride. So, it’s not the doctrine that keeps them from returning – it’s their own issues.
The missionaries were very cute on my birthday – it fell on a district meeting morning and transfer week when the missionaries in the zone go out for lunch for the last time with those who will be transferred. When they found out it was my birthday they wanted me to pick where we would go – TGI Fridays it was (I know that is where they all love to go – reminds them of all things America I guess) After lunch they all sang Happy Birthday along with the waiters and waitresses – I shared my free piece of cake with them –
One day Dad/Dave and I were leaving a members home and going toward our car. A little girl (as cute as a button) with her dark curly hair and dark eyes saw me – gave me a big smile and came running to me to give me a big hug. She is the daughter of one of these members who are not coming anymore – she recognizes us from Church and probably our missionary badges. She wanted to know if we were going to go visit her house (which we do on occasion) but they love the missionaries for sure. Driving down the streets of Darnall the members and others who know us always give us a big wave.
We are helping one investigator learn English. He is from the Czech Republic and wants so much to learn it. He lives with his wife and disabled daughter in a bed and breakfast. I believe the owners are paid by the government to house some immigrants who have disabled family members. He is not allowed to have visitors in the bed and breakfast so we first met him at a park near his home. That doesn’t work too well when you have to put out materials that get blown away, so the missionaries asked his landlady if they could meet with him in a reception room in the front of the bed and breakfast and she was willing to let us do that. It makes it much easier.
We were happy to have President and Sister Lindley speaking in our Sacrament meeting a few weeks ago. We had a good attendance; about 50 people. President Lindley was very powerful in his talk using his finger to emphasize his message. At the end he said “This is the Church of Jesus Christ” three times pointing every time he said it. No one could disagree with what and how he said it – very powerful especially to these Slovakians who sit on the fence.
We have had three baptism in the last few weeks – Three women who had a hard time giving up smoking, but are very sweet and humble – They, of course, are family members of some of our baptized members. It reminds me of the history of Joseph Smith I am reading when members started joining the Church at the beginning. It was usually family members who joined at first—this is what happens here and we know how the Church grew from such a small beginning—I know that will happen with the Slovakian community-family here and family still in Slovakia.
We spent two days in the north of England, near the Scottish border, during August. The mission president has a couple’s conference where just the senior couples get together, discuss their missions, and just enjoy each other’s company. President and Sister Lindley shared ideas of how to share our missions with our families—Skype, sending our mission newsletter home, bearing testimony to our children/grandchildren, having a scripture reading program together, and studying Preach My Gospel—all are good ideas. I particularly encourage our family and others to begin if you haven’t already done so, to use Preach My Gospel in lessons, talks, FHE, wherever it could be useful – It is filled with direct, understandable gospel principles and what a help it would be for those in teenage years to have a basic knowledge of it before they set out on their own missions. Our conference was held in Ainwick on the northeast coast of England. It is the home of the Castle where the Harry Potter movies were filmed (the outside of the castle, not the inside) It has a lot of tourists visiting there especially when Harry Potter characters mingle with the people (like Disney characters in Disney World/Land) The tour guide through the castle told of the original Duchess who lived there in the 16th century. She traveled Europe to gather art work for the castle – 10 original paintings among many others are there – the 10 paintings today would sell for 1 billion dollars/pounds they told us. We stayed at a bed and breakfast for one night – very British – owned by a family who made a lot of effort to feed us well and help us enjoy our stay there. On the way home (we live about 4 hours south of this area) we stopped at Hadrian’s Wall and visited a few visitor’s center and ruined forts along the wall – The wall goes about 70 miles (a lot of it has been dismantled over the centuries) from east to west England at the location we were – People walk the distance a lot and stay in bed and breakfasts along the way. Dad/Dave would love a walking partner to do this – any takers?
Dad and I tried our first Indian restaurant a while ago. It wasn’t bad at all although we had no idea what we were eating. I later found out it was probably cooked in Marsala wine (which probably was why it looked bright red) oh well, people tell me the alcohol is always cooked out – anyway, we will go back be on the careful side and maybe I’ll just try some side dishes.
We were able to go on another day tour to Scarborough – a beach city on the North Sea – It was rather cool, cloudy but didn’t rain – It reminded me a bit of Ocean City Maryland although not quite as congested – We opted to walk along the sea, visited a Medieval Castle which has been damaged since 100 AD (the latest damage done in WW1) – and took a city bus to the North Shore away from the carnival like atmosphere of the South Shore – It was a good day and nice to take a break. We were told to have fish and chips when you are near the sea-they are much better there we are told—so that’s what we had—they didn’t taste any different to me, so I guess I’m just not a fish and chip fan here. Now we can say we have seen eastern England.
I have been doing what research and visiting I can do on my family lines and have been concentrating on my family line living in the Bradford area of Yorkshire. I decided to go into my PAF and check out the other family lines that were here in England. Lo and behold I have two more family lines that are right here in the Sheffield area. We visited the cemetery of one village last week where some of my ancestors lived. One ancestor was married in the cathedral in Sheffield because the parish church did not perform marriages—only baptisms and burials. This family line is on my father’s side-my Grandpa Olsen’s grandmother’s family (Hudson); the other family near here is from my mother’s side; my Grandpa Peck’s grandmother’s family (Bircumshaw). We are only 1 ½ hours away from ancestors in Lancashire and Staffordshire. We just have to get the mission president’s permission to visit there because they are out of our mission boudnaries. I’m sure he will give his OK.
It is now turning autumn in England—no leaves turning yet—but the temperatures have dropped about 10 degrees and it is getting windier and more cloudy – We had a beautiful August and first part of September though. Days are getting shorter and they tell us it will be dark by 4:00 pm before too long—that’s early!! And daybreak comes about 8:00 am.
Well, another month or so of the Bond life – We are getting close to our half-way mark – One sister missionary said it well—the days seem really long, but the weeks and months go by quickly!! We think often of everyone and are happy to connect on e-mail and Facebook to keep up with the news—also, I do check in on my news websites—news junkie that I am—I must admit a lot of nasty things going on in the Presidential election—but I’ll keep my comments to myself—I guess missionaries shouldn’t get so worked up over “worldly” matters J It’s hard to not talk about it, but interestingly, not many people in England much care. I guess that makes sense; I had no interest in the British elections either!!
No comments:
Post a Comment