Happy Birthday this coming week to
Katelyn on August 28th
Brynlee on September 1st.


We love you both!






This week in the office we had missionaries in for Trainers meeting and Mid-trainers meeting. Getting ready for their new missionaries coming September 6th.  We are also preparing for our Mission Tour from a member of the Seventy which will be this coming Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.  A busy week ahead.  What a joy it is to serve in the office.

A TENDER MERCY - I received a phone call on Thursday from Brother Haws who has served at Gadfield Elm Chapel for eight years.  When I first arrived I saw the David Winter Cottage that was made in 2007 to commemorate the 170th Anniversary of the Church in the British Isles.  I have been looking for this cottage and it was a tender mercy to receive the phone call from Brother Haws telling me someone he knew found one in the back of his garage. There were only 1000 Gadfield Elm Cottages made and I am now the proud owner of #211.  I cherish this special cottage because it will always remind me of the sacred feelings I have whenever I visit this special place.  My great great great grandfather, Thomas Oakey, both preached and was taught at this chapel.  It is the 1st LDS Chapel in the world.  Thomas only lived a few miles down the road in Eldersfield.  He stayed in England and preached at this Chapel until the time the Saints sold it to provide money for converts of the church to immigrate to America.








Pday we went for a beautiful drive through Wroxton in the Cotswolds - the pictures will tell the beauty of the ride.  We have been here before but who wouldn't want to keep driving through villages like this.

Special Delivery from my Family

MONDAY August 14th - Picking blackberries with the Dowlings
Followed by a piece of Sister Dowling's pie.  We picked some for Sister Dowling's future pies and took some home to eat - It reminds us of picking blackberries with Melissa's family in Washington.
Delicious!





Special Delivery - On Friday, I received a special gift from my family.  Flowers that I can enjoy before my birthday and a box of chocolates.  They are the best family a Mom could ever wish for.






















Goodbye to Elder and Sister Walk - Aug 17, 2017 - They served as Mission Leadership Support Missionaries and return home to Manti, Utah







We were thinking of Madi this week as she left for Utah Valley University on Thursday - We had fun talking to her on Wednesday before she left - Our love and prayers are with her as she starts this new adventure.




















We also received some pictures of Melissa and Eric's family as they spent a day at Disneyland together.  So glad they could spend time together at this magical place to make memories.











An overnight getaway to Wales
On Friday late afternoon, Elder Willmore and I left to drive to Wales.  We spent the night with Elder and Sister Richards, who are a senior couple serving in Milford Haven (Aberdaugledd).  They were so kind and we enjoyed time with them seeing the sites around Wales.  It was a beautiful sunny day on Saturday - which does not happen very often in Wales.

Friday evening in Swansea by the Atlantic - it was very windy and cold

Lydstep  - Carmarthen Bay

Tenby - Notice the boats in the background are sitting in the mud - the tide is out

Tenby - Elder Willmore Sister Richards, Elder Richards
The Richards are from Island Park, Idaho

Broad Haven on St Brides Bay

Pembrokeshire Hedge - 

Today I used the "Hedge" as an analogy in my talk in Sacrament Meeting - they are on both sides of narrow roads.  These hedges are built by making a pile of rocks and then covering it with dirt and the plants and bushes grow on top. They are on all the country roads in Wales.  They took a lot of hard work and time to build.

Calm Week

A very calm week - We are mostly caught up at the office and have plenty of helpers.  We were even looking for jobs for them to do this week.






HAPPY  9TH ANNIVERSARY TO ERIC AND BRANDEE
Eric and Brandee celebrated their 9th wedding anniversary on Tuesday and headed to California on Friday.  We received a few pictures from Eric today.







DEPARTURE - Elder and Sister Nunn  - a Senior Couple serving from England








Saturday - August 12th - Our P-day, we drove to Stamford to walk around the market town and visited a manor house.  We had a beautiful sunny day.

LDS Church in Stamford - converted from a home

Picking apples at the LDS Church house.  (Yes, we had permission)

Stopped in for tea time - Scone with clotted cream, hot chocolate and a brownie
YUMMY

Market in Stamford

Old Ambulance in Market

Stopped to ask them how fishing was???

Elder and Sister Willmore by the River Welland

Burghley House

Burghley House was built in the sixteenth century and is still owned and lived in by the same family.  Painted murals are on many of the walls and ceilings and it has beautiful paintings and decorations they brought from Italy.  I believe this is the most beautiful manor house we have visited.

An Unexpected Visit - it made our day!

A Very Special Gift From Bob Dowling
This Monday we were invited to Bob and Carol Dowling's home for dinner and they presented us with a very special gift.  Bob has made this picture of  "The Shambles".  It is a street in York.  He made the picture by cutting thin layers of different colored wood and creating a picture with them.  He probably spent 50 hours making this picture.  It will be a treasure for us.  We enjoyed Carol's amazing cooking and her delicious pie.





Arrivals - Tuesday August 1st
We now have five new missionaries in the EBM Mission

Sister Leppard, Sister Magtoto (Philippines) Sister Martynenko (Ukraine)
Sister Mar (Fiji)  Elder Vermeere (Canada) Elder Orr (Oklahoma/USA) President Leppard

Outside our flat

An unexpected visit - it made our day!

Thursday late afternoon I received a message from my cousin, Melinda, saying some of her family were passing through Birmingham - about a half an hour later we gathered at our flat and had a wonderful visit and dinner with them.  We are so grateful they took the time to stop and see us.  Melinda's son, Nathan, and his wife and new little baby live in London.  They will soon be moving back to Utah.

Enjoying a meal together

Holding little Ezra - Such a treat!  I have not held a sweet little baby for a long time.

Tamworth has beautiful flowers everywhere in the town

Tamworth -

Saturday morning we spent a few hours in Tamworth at the markets - in the pouring rain.  A very fun place to walk around.  I love to hear the open street market owners call out to those passing by to buy their goods.  Lots of fresh flowers, fruits, vegetable and meats - along with everything else.

A famous Tamworth pig

Elder Willmore at the market

Sharing Recipes -
President Leppard taught me to make "English Roasted Potatoes" and I taught him how to make "Funeral Potatoes"

Potatoe dinner with Leppards and Veaters at the Mission Home.  Of course, we also had beef, chicken, vegetable, fruit, rolls and yummy Nutella Cheesecake that Sister Leppard made.  I promised Eric I would learn to make the roasted potatoes before I came home.  Now I know!