A Dream come true - our visit to Gadfield Elm and Benbow (Hill) Farm

Happy Birthday to Payton on the 26th and Scott W. on the 29th

Mission Conference with Elder Quinton L. Cook
What an amazing week!  We started out the week on Monday with a Mission Conference with Elder Quinton L. Cook.  We traveled to Solihol (about a half hour away from the mission office) and helped make sack lunches for 200 missionaries.  It was fun to meet so many Elders and Sisters that we had not met before and put some faces with the names we are learning.  As Elder Cook entered the chapel, we all stood and he went to the front of the chapel to shake hands with all the missionaries.  As I shook his hand and introduced myself, he remembered the talk about Scott, Leon, Ellen and I and when he went to the pulpit to talk he told the story that he had used in General Conference eight years ago.  It was amazing to me that he remembered the details and he asked all the missionaries to go home and read the talk. It was another tender mercy for an apostle of he Lord to talk about our experience, remind us of Scott and again it was in the month of October which is Scott's birthday and the month of the accident.
 It was a wonderful conference and as he concluded his talk he bore testimony of the Savior - that he knew His face and knew His voice.  We were so touched by the spirit and testimony of an Apostle of Jesus Christ.  What a lovely day!

Arrivals and Departures of Missionaries - Oct 18th and 19th
We did make it through our arrivals and departures and it really wasn't as bad as we had anticipated.
We were lucky that there were only eight missionaries arriving and four departing this month.  It helped to have our first time through this with such a small number of missionaries.  Thank you for all your prayers on our behalf - we know we are being blessed.  We were able to greet a family picking up there son from the mission office - as the mother saw her son and ran and hugged him, I started to cry because I remember the feelings and emotions of seeing our son, future son-in-laws, and grandson returning home from serving their Heavenly Father.

Departures  Elder Henare, Elder Stevens, Sister Pascula, Elder Smith

A Dream Come True - our visit to Gadfield Elm 

Elder and Sister Willmore at the Gadfield Elm Chapel

and Benbow (Hill) Farm

Gadfield Elm Chapel
First LDS Chapel in the church 

Preaching from the pulpit at Gadfield Elm Chapel - just like my great great great Grandfather, Thomas Oakey

Inside the Gadfield Elm Chapel

On Pday this week Elder Willmore and myself, along with three other senior couple missionaries went to Gadfield Elm Chapel and Benbow Farm.  It has always been my dream to visit these places were Wilford Woodruff taught the United Brethren including the Thomas Oakey Family.   Sister Haw met us there.  Sister Haw and her husband are from this part of England and have served at the Gadfield Elm Chapel for about 8 years and have researched the families who were part of the United Brethren.  They have visited Paris, Idaho in America where Thomas and Ann lived after coming to America.

  Thomas was a preacher with the United Brethren and was baptized by Wilford Woodruff on April 5th 1840 in Leigh in a pond.  (He was not baptized in Benbow Pond).
This account was taken from Wilford Woodruff's journal: (Thomas was one of the preachers and Ann was baptized in this account also.)
"Sunday I met for a prayer meeting in Leigh.  After meeting we went to Brother Daniel Browetts for the purpose of baptizing 10 persons.  Got ready, But before we got ready or closed praying and singing a desperate mob gathered together about 100 in number and the owner of the pond would not let us baptize while their was such a mob present fearing that serious consequence would ensue.

I went in search of water in other places for about an hour with the mob following me and calling out you American where are you going to wash your sheep?  But as I could not find water we had to omit until afternoon.  The mob commenced fighting among themselves and the people sent for constables to clear the ground.  

I went to Norton and preached and then returned to Leigh immediately and the man gave his consent for me to baptize in his pool.  We went immediately to the water and as I commenced to baptize the mob began to gather, but I baptized 9 persons 3 of which were preachers while surrounded by the rabble, but I performed the ordinance without any insult or injury accepting the tongue o slander and throwing a dog into the pool where I was baptizing."

Sister Willmore and Sister Haw who serves at Gadfiled Elm Chapel

Soon after the United Brethren congregation was baptized, many of them left England and came to Nauvoo.  Thomas and Ann Oakey stayed in England and Thomas was ordained a Branch President.  They remained in England for another 15 years until 1856 when they found out they could come to Utah if they came with the handcart companies and used the perpetual immigration fund.  Thomas and Ann and their 8 children sailed to America.

It was such an amazing experience to see the land they lived on and walk the places they walked.  In November, we are meeting the Haw's again and they are going to show us where Thomas and Ann lived and show us around the area.  Can't wait for that one-one-one experience with them and have them share there knowledge.

I am looking up Thomas' siblings who did not come to America - They stayed in England and I want to find their descendants while I am here - It would be wonderful to meet them.



Faith - The Musical
I am trying to get a copy of the production that was performed in the UK in 2013-14 and then came to the Conference Center in Salt Lake City.  It is a musical about the Oakey Family.  These links tell about the musical but Sister Haws told me she would try to get me a copy of the production.
http://www.lds.org.uk/faith-the-musical
www.lds.org/media-library/video/2011-08-66-faith-the-musical?...

Hill Farm - A working Farm

Benbow (Hill) Farm and Benbow
Pond

Benbow Pond (or should we say Benbow Puddle)

Gate into Benbow Pond

Ken Bryant sent us this corn maze sign and we passed this sign as we walked - Is someone trying to tell us something???

I really did go through a corn maze last year with Caden, Hannah, Jaxon and Alli and 
we did have a hard time getting out (or at least Caden had to show us the way out). I think
I could find my way around this one!