Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace Guard

Catherine, Barbara, and Yeoman Warder

Catherine, David, and Barbara at Bond Street Station

River Ribble

Satan House

April/May

April/May Blog 2013

It seems so long since I have written and time is running out…

I’ll share one last British linguistic lesson – I’ve shared so many and hear so many more, I’ll just finish with these:

Ending pronouns at end of sentences e.g.  What a dreadful day this !!

Stroller =  Push chair

Ferris wheel  =  Eye

Listing for accommodations (like a bed and breakfast) that we saw on a building:    “Flats and bed sits”

Freeway stop (disabled cars, etc. )  = Lay-by

Don’t get involved = Don’t muck in it

You look “fetching” today – (Said by an old man to a clerk in a store – she wasn’t too happy J)

Patent = Prounced “pay tent”

Mistakes = Cock ups

Knock on doors = Knock up J

I  need a “sit down” and a “read”  = someone explaining about being tired

I’ll never tire of their way of talking and expressing themselves even though we have to try to figure out what they are saying

There is so much to share with missionary work here.  Some of the highlights the last few months:

… Our Slovakian group was recently made an official branch.  In the several weeks it has been organized, we have seen a different feel at Church and with the members.  The day of the branch organization photographers were there filming (this will be featured on the world wide news broadcast that will run between next October Conference morning and afternoon session on TV).  I will just share a link with you that one of the photographers put a little of it on You Tube.  The link is youtu.be/Rp3woxsdv00 – That seems a little weird so if you are interested and can’t link to it, e-mail me and I will send the link to you.

…Our new branch president is Slovakian – he is already amazing in how he is performing his responsibilities – His 1^st counselor (a British member is basically shadowing him and helping him know what to do but you can sense the mantel he carries has fallen on him – He’s great!!

…A Relief Society President and Primary President have been called who are also Slovakian.  I work with the Primary President.  The language barrier is very apparent but she is doing her best to learn her responsibilities – The children can understand things so much better because she speaks to them in their language – not Slovakian – but gypsy and she has their attention so much better.

…One experience we had in Primary about a month ago – The missionaries are tracting in a densely populated neighborhood at the present.  A week or so after being there the sister missionaries proceeded to walk with 17 Primary age children and a few adults down the streets from where they live to our meeting place (about a 30-45 minute walk)  We did not know they were coming and when 17 Primary children walked in never having been to Church before and speaking only a little English I thought we would die – but….they were so quiet, respectful and sat through Primary and Sunday School with no disturbance at all.  We never know what to expect from week to week

…We had a great time taking some of our youth to do baptisms for the dead about a month ago – our first time to go inside the Preston England Temple.  Next week we will go again to take about 10 adult members – their first trip to the temple.  It is their first step to someday being able to receive their endowments and be sealed to their families.  We are excited to go with them.

We are adding many more missionaries each transfer – by the end of the year our mission will double in size as I believe most missions in the Church will.  Two new sister missionaries right from the MTC are now in our Slovakian branch.  They are great and were very surprised at their first assignments – Instead of lush green countryside with British members, they are in downtown Darnall (gray and dirty) trying to learn Slovakian – but it’s an experience every missionary here should have once.  Our new Elder from West Jordan Utah (been out about 9 months but just transferred here) told me today at Church he is so happy to have this experience even for one transfer if that is all he gets – There’s really no way to explain this experience without having “experienced” it!!  In our district we now have Elders from Czech Republic, Utah and Romania; sisters from Denmark, Arizona, Alabama and Utah.

So many missionaries in our mission are coming from all over Europe as well as the U.S.  Two new Elders came from Russia (the Slovakians can understand Russian somewhat so I won’t be surprised if one of them will be transferred here sometime)

Missionaries from Portugal, Italy, Albania, Kiribati, Brazil, New Zealand, Denmark, Spain to name a few countries have joined us recently.  

To say this is an exciting time to be in the mission field is an understatement.  It’s like “catching the wave” as Elder Nelson described in last General Conference.  The hastening and majesty of the Lord’s work at this time can really not be described.  We have witnessed the miracle that is taking place in this corner of the world and it  has been our privilege and blessing to have been a part of it.

We occasionally go with the Elders and Sisters  to their teaching appointments.  The Slovakians are very Joseph Smith-like at their confusion with so many churches.  They ask the missionaries questions such as:   Do you follow the Pope?  Do you cross yourselves?  How do you baptize?  Do you allow pictures of Jesus in your home?  The last question surprises me.  The main Church in Darnall (who opposes us and is not truthful to their people about us) does not allow any picture of Jesus because it breaks the 2^nd commandment of  having “graven images.”  The Slovakian investigators  do not like any of the above and are quick to find out whether we are like all the other churches.  They are so interested in a new message and want to learn so much – They struggle with their cultural  vs. Gospel ways, the Word of Wisdom,  etc. which prevents many of them to continue their path to baptism, but those that do are so happy to have found what they have been searching for.

The Church began a media blitz in the United Kingdom the last of March coinciding with the play  “The Book of Mormon” in London – Many interviews have been given to local and national press here – advertisements are up in London on buses, in the tube (subway), a new LDS website just for the UK was recently established.  It all seems more positive than negative.  Our Area Presidency has told us that the surge of missionary work in Europe will begin in the United Kingdom.  This is all part of putting a face to the Church in all the media here.

A British Pageant is being produced and performed the last  week of July which will tell the story of the early Church missionaries who came here in the latter 1800’s.  It will be performed  in Preston England on the Temple grounds (or nearby) not sure – It is patterned after the Nauvoo Pageant.  Many members are a part of it and many General Authorities will be here for the performances.

As to our personal time, Dave and I have had a pretty eventful few months.  We visited my ancestors’ home in Willenhall England about 1 ½ hours south of us – I had addresses of where they lived many years ago and was able to find the streets although homes had been torn down in place of warehouses, businesses, etc.  But we saw the town square which hadn’t changed (except for the businesses), the churches and cemeteries where they attended and were buried, and the general feel of the city and its landscape.  My Grandma Peck’s family came from here so we were able to send pictures home to my mom of her great-grandparents and their homeland.

A few weeks ago we were able to have our first visit to London – Catherine and Russell were there.  It was great to be with them and have a whirlwind tour of London and beyond—We took a tour bus throughout the city – saw all the major tourist sites – rode every form of transportation except a plane J and then visited an hour or so away from London Stonehenge, Windsor Castle, and Bath (home of the ancient Roman baths)  Our last day was in Cambridge about an hour from London.  I really enjoyed walking the old cobblestone streets and seeing the many colleges that make up Cambridge University – most were built and housed students as early as the 1400 and 1500’s – probably even earlier than that.  We left the day before Catherine and Russell left.  Catherine stayed for Russell’s last meetings – while sightseeing that last day she was by the Cambridge train station.  Who should pull in with tons of security on a special bus but Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.  The Queen was there to dedicate a hospital – Catherine said she was about 10-20 ft away from them when they got off the bus.  I guess that’s a pretty amazing experience to have when you come to England!!

Last week we had our final senior couples training before we leave. Our mission president arranged for us to have a Church History tour  of the neighborhoods, churches and places the earliest missionaries served when first coming to England – Brigham Young, Heber C Kimball, JohnTaylor,  James Fielding and others when thousands of converts joined the Church and then emigrated to America.  We saw the house where President Hinckley wrote his father and told him he was coming home because he was wasting his time and his father’s money – His father wrote to him and told him to “forget himself and go to work”  The rest of course is history.  One story our tour guide told us that when President Hinckley came back to England to dedicate the Preston Temple he went back to the house to show Sister Hinckley.  He asked the owners if he could come in and show her the bedroom where he had read his father’s letter.  Coming out of the house tears were streaming down his face as he said the decision he made to stay changed the rest of his life.

We then visited the Liverpool docks where the emigrants all left to come to America.  So many of our ancestors left from there and that was quite a moving site to picture what it must have been for them to leave their homelands more than likely never to return.

So, we have had quite the experiences and memories to take home these last few months.  Oh, we also saw the BYU Ballroom Dancers in concert at Sheffield City Center last night – a wonderful production while they are touring Europe.

We are starting to open suitcases and wondering how we will pack everything up again.  It seems very surreal to be doing that.  Many times we wondered if this time would come and here it is nearly upon us.  We may be able to see another child here before we leave if plane ticket prices cooperate. That would be a wonderful finish.

We will appreciate the nice warm weather of the U.S.  Looking at the general weather forecast for the next month or so,  we will be in the 60’s – good for England - but we are looking for some nice hot weather awaiting us.

May your summer months be relaxing, filled with vacation plans with family, holidays to celebrate.  We look forward to seeing many of you in the coming months and enjoying being back in wonderful America!!

Love to you all – Dave and Barbara