Sunday, July 30, 2017

Now we are both OFFICIAL UK Drivers

Happy Birthday to Brooklyn today - July 30th
They sent us a picture of our sweet granddaughter celebrating her 9th birthday today.
WE LOVE YOU BROOKLYN!


Transfers and Departures - July 25th and 26th
We had 21 Departures on Wednesday morning.  We enjoyed time together Tuesday with a Testimony meeting and outside BBQ.  We had a beautiful evening.
 
Elder Willmore and Sister Funk
BBQ with July Departures
Elder Smith, Sister Sharp, Elder Stephenson,
(Back) Elder Williams, Elder Willis




JULY 26th - ARRIVAL OF TWO SENIOR SISTER MISSIONARIES - 
Sister Gerth from Utah and Sister Taylor from England. 
Sister Gerth and Taylor


Afer a full week we drove to Banbury on Friday so I could take my practical part of my driving test.
Drove through a beautiful countryside of Wroxton and had the nicest examiner.  Drove past thatched roof houses and small villages that were so amazing!   
HE PASSED ME! 





Sunday, July 23, 2017

Growing Roses in June for December

England grows lovely roses
This week I have been planting, pruning, watering, getting prick by thorns and smelling beautiful Roses.
President Monson said, "As you serve, you will build rich, eternal memories.  In the words of the author James Barrie, 'God gave us memories, that we might have June roses in the December of our lives.'  I know of no field which produces more fragrant nor bounteous roses than the mission field to which you have been called."



Monday morning at 6:30 am we got a call from Nichol and Melissa that Jamie was headed to the ER in Rexburg.  They were playing badminton in the dark with neon birdies and Jamie tripped over Ashlee and came down on her knee.  They were afraid that she had torn her ligaments but thankfully she was just bruised and very swollen.  Scott and Eric took good care of her.  Now we have two hurt daughters.

 This past week we have had two extra full-time elders in the office so it has been a full time job keeping them busy.  We also have our service missionary and our full time office elder so I have had four helpers this week.  In my spare time and evenings I have been studying for the driving test - A lot of rules and new techniques I have not learned before.


We held our Addiction Recovery class on Wednesday evening.  I also prepared two luncheons for the missionaries coming into the office for a Trainers Meeting and a Self Reliance workshop they take 6 months before they depart.  President Leppard asked either Elder Veater or Elder Willmore to fly a missionary home to the United States.  Elder Veater went and had two 18 hour flights in three days.
Talk about jet lag - 7 hours time difference plus two flights in three days.

Nichol had surgery on her ankle today and we talked to her about midnight to see how she is doing.  She showed us her x-ray that shows  a big plate and 5 screws in her ankle.  After two weeks of waiting, she can now begin to heal.


Thursday morning we woke up at 5:30 and picked up Elder Veater and a missionary to take them to the Birmingham Airport.  Went in to work after and then in the afternoon I went to take the theory part of the driving test.  I PASSED.  It has been many years since I have had to study and take a TEST.   Now I have the practical part to take next Friday.  The examiners are very tough and not many people pass the first time.

 After my test, we headed to Birmingham to the hospital to visit Leslie Watson, a man in our ward who is going through chemo treatments.
It was fun to get a letter from Ryan from the MTC in Mexico.  He sounds great.


Sisters visiting Elder Willmore for his MONEY
Friday we had missionaries in the office for a Self Reliance class -
The Sister's love to come and visit Elder Willmore - even if it is for his MONEY

Friday night we went the the Tamworth ward game night but only about eight people came.  At least I got some driving practice in so I can prepare for my driving test.





Saturday we shopped for the departure dinner, which will be on Tuesday night.  We have 21 elders and sisters departing this month.  We are having a BBQ after our Testimony meeting.  Saturday night we went to dinner with Sister Veater and President and Sister Leppard to a Indian Restaurant.  A very fun evening.  President Leppard told me the quote from President Monson about growing June roses for December - I really like it.  Especially since my family theme is "Build Memories".

Elder and Sister Willmore and Veater
Elder Smith and Stephenson
Sunday we got up at 5:30 and left for the airport at 6:30a.m. to pick up Elder Veater - the flight was delayed about an hour so we were about a forty minutes late to Sacrament Meeting.  President and Sister Leppard were visiting the Tamworth ward and were the speakers.  I taught Relief Society today
and we had the AP's over for dinner.  We then went to the office for a few hours to check a missionary out and prepare his paperwork for his flight home tomorrow morning.

Sunday, July 16, 2017

It's official - Elder Willmore is a legal UK Driver

Jairon and Eric arm wrestling - much better than leg wrestling
(Family joke)

Love his Smile











HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ERIC TOMORROW - July 17th - he is actually celebrating his birthday with family today at the cabin.  I am afraid Eric has met his match with Jairon in arm wrestling




Sister Leppard, Autamakul, Siri-ek, Pres. Leppard
ARRIVALS on Tuesday - July 11th
We had two new sister missionaries arrive on Tuesday
Welcome to EBM Mission.  Both sister are from Thailand


Wednesday - Conley is now an official UK driver - he passed the practical part of the driving requirements.

Such a relief we are not going to have to walk the last 6 months of our mission!









We also received a "new" car to drive in the mission today










Friday and Saturday our family gathered at "The Cabin".
They shared the memories with us!  WE LOVE THIS BUNCH!
Enjoying "The Deck"
Four wheeling



Cousins in the Tree House/zip line

Watching the "Zip Line"
Slip and Slide


Saturday we traveled to Worcester and walked around the Cathedral and city market

Worcester Cathedral built in the 700s


Sister Koivisto from Finland, Sister Willmore, Sister Prasad from Figi and India, Sister Blumell from Canada
Later that night we were invited by the Blumells to a ward in Stourbridge and joined them for an Indian Dinner cooked by Sister Prasad - one of the sister missionaries that will be leaving the mission next week.  She made several kinds of curries - it was delicious but HOT.  Great fun.









Sunday, July 9, 2017

Changes at the Office

This week we had a change at the office -
Elder Bardsley, one of our Service Missionaries, went home and we now have a full-time missionary serving with us in the office, Elder Willis.  He will be a joy to work with.  He will be a new companion for Elder Ashwell, our other Service Missionary.
Elder Bardsley
Elders Ashwell and Bardsley


Elder Willis 



Saturday - July 8th was our Senior Couples Activity at Gadfield Elm, Castle Frome Church and Benbow Pond.
Standing on the Shoulders of Giants
I loved the presentation by Simon Gibson, who is a friend of President Garner, about the conditions in England at the time the first LDS missionaries came to England.  There were many people in England that were preparing for the gospel to be restored and accepted at the same time as Joseph Smith.  He used the symbol of the 2 pound coin of "Standing on the Shoulders of Giants".  Issac Newton used this phrase when he said," If I have seen further, it is by Standing on the Shoulders of Giants".  Learning from those before us.




I have certainly stood on the "Shoulders of Giants".






Eating lunch at "The Swan" - good food - great company










I loved President Leppard's comments of the analogy of driving a car and the need to look both through the glass in front of you and in the glass showing a view behind us;.  In order to move forward in our lives we also need to look behind us at those who were before us and ahead at what and who comes next.

Stopped to capture the countryside flowers
on our way home from church

(Toad Flax)

Sunday, July 2, 2017

44 Years together as "Companions"

Our wedding day - June 29th, 1973
This week we celebrated our 44th Wedding Anniversary.
I am so grateful we are eternal "companions".


Have we changed much??? - One time one of our grandchildren looked at our wedding picture and asked who grandpa was kissing!  At least one of us has changed. Jairon also asked me many years ago if my special dishes I got for my wedding were as old as the dinosaurs.

Just a note - I was Madi's age - oh my!


Bob and Carol Dowling


We hope that we can celebrate our 60th Anniversary together like Brother and Sister Dowling.  What an amazing couple.

We also hope we can make our back "garden" (not lawn) look like theirs. Ok - I will be realistic about this dream.   It is amazingly beautiful.  Or should I say "lovely".

Eric used to tell us about their back garden when we was serving his mission and visited their home.  We also saw where he signed their guest book.

Brother Dowling feeding his fish in his pond.
They eat the food from his hand

We started teaching our first Addiction Recovery class this week - All I can say about it is it will be a very special and spiritual experience.





The first of our family arrived at the cabin this week and they face timed us - it literally brought tears to Elder Willmore's eyes.  We are so grateful for this special place our family can gather to share memories.

For right now we will just imagine sitting on the deck looking at this breathtaking view.







Not to be mistaken for Harry Potter










Another way to "go on holiday" in England



Canal boats that go throughout England. 












Hanbury Hall Manor House - Built in 1701


The English  people really know how to grow beautiful gardens.