Worcestershire - A land I love

Happy Anniversary to Melissa and Scott - 
15 Years on Tuesday May 10th.

Sister Leppard, Elder Devoz, Elder Aua, Sister Jampapan, President Leppard

Transfers and Departures
This week we had transfers and departures with three of our missionaries returning home.

This coming week will be arrivals with seven new missionaries coming on Tuesday.  Elder Willmore and I are also going to take a new arriving Sister Missionary to London to the US Embassy.



A Day I Have Been Anxiously Waiting For - Our return to Worcestershire.  I love to go explore this beautiful land of my ancestors.

On Saturday, a beautiful spring day with vibrant green countrysides, we drove to Worcestershire to spend the day with Elder and Sister Haw, who are service missionaries at Gadfield Elm.  I met them last October, but we were waiting for spring to spend the day with them and have them show us around the areas where the Oakeys and Collettes lived. It was an amazing day!  I truly love these ancestors and feel that I know them.  I have a longing to spend time in this beautiful place where they lived and learned about the gospel.  I have no doubt that these ancestors are responsible for our call to serve in the England Birmingham Mission.

Elder and Sister Haw have done so much research and have many records of the Oakey and Collett families.  Even though they are not related to the Oakey's and Collett's, they love them because of all they have learned about them as they have served at Gadfield Elm.  What a blessing they are in my life and I give thanks for all the time they have spent researching and learning about them and sharing this information with me. Elder and Sister Haw have lived in England all of their lives.

Sister Willmore at Gadfield Elm

We started out at Gadfield Elm where Thomas Oakey was the Branch President after he joined the church.  He was taught and baptized by Wilford Woodruff.  Many of the converts who were baptized by Wilford Woodruff left for America in 1840, but the Oakey's stayed until 1856.  They could not afford to come to America until the Perpetual Immigration Fund was put in place by the church.

Pulpit and pews in Gadfield Elm Chapel

We then went a few miles down the road from Gadfield Elm to the village of Eldersfield where the Oakey's lived.  We are not sure where they lived in Eldersfield, he was a labor farmer.  Like many of the Englishman, he labored on the fields and farm of the wealthy landowners.  The Eldersfield Church is still standing and we talked to some very friendly residence that were doing yard work at the church.  They took time to talk to us about the history and showed us inside the church.  The Church belongs to the Church of England.

Eldersfield Church were Thomas Oakey and Sarah Pritchard were married
on December 12, 1801.

This is the place that Thomas Oakey's parents were married.  His parent's were Thomas Oakey and Sarah Pritchard.  They were married on December 12, 1801.  The church was built in the 12th century.
All of Thomas and Sarah's children were christened in this church.  Many of the Oakey family are buried in Eldersfield, but we could not find their headstones.  Many of the headstones are weathered and cannot be read anymore.
Charles Oakey (Thomas and Ann's son) who is my great great grandfather was born in Eldersfield but there is no record of him being christened, I believe it was because Thomas and Ann had left the Church of England and joined the United Brethern.  Ann, Charle's older sister was christened but none of the children after Ann were christened.  Charles was born in Eldersfield on 25 May 1837.

Elizabeth Bromage (Ann Collett's mother) was also born and christened in Eldersfield.  Ann Collett is the wife of Thomas Oakey.

Eldersfield Church

Christening Font

Thomas Oakey's(1813) Christening Font at Eldersfield Church
(His brothers and sisters were also christened here)

Village of Eldersfield

Next we went to see the church in Pendock where Ann Collett was christened.  The church was not open so we walked around the outside.  Many of the churches and cathedrals are not attended anymore so it is very difficult to keep them up and even pay the utilities on them.  So sad that many do not find the need to worship our Heavenly Father.

Pendock Church

Pendock Church

Pendock Church

Pendock

Pendock is where Ann Collett was born and christened.  It is only a few miles from Eldersfield

Gate to Turley Church

Turley Church

Our next stop was TURLEY, where William Collett and Elizabeth Bromage were married. They are Ann Collette's parents.  They were married in this church on 7 October 1805.  Ann's sister, Elizabeth was christened in this church on 22 December 1805.

Sister Willmore, Sister Haw
Elder Haw

We took a lunch break with the Haws at a restaurant near the River Severn.  A little too chilly to eat outside, but warm and cozy inside!

River Severn

Leigh Pond

Next Stop - Probable pond where Thomas and Ann Oakey were baptized in Leigh.  There is a story that Wilford Woodruff tells about the baptisms that day. Mobs tried to stop the baptisms.
  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."

Family of Thomas Oakey (1813) and Ann Collett (1812)
Ann Collett Oakey (1833)
Charles Oakey*** (1837)(Our line) (Grandma Hilda Lewis' grandfather)
Jane Oakey (1839)
Heber Thomas Oakey (1841)
Joseph Lorenzo Oakey (1843) ran away from the Willey Company and stayed in Nebraska
Rhoda Rebecca Oakey (1845) died with the Willey Company
Reuben Hyrum Oakey (1847)
James William Oakey (1849)
Sarah Ann Oakey (1852)
Walter John Oakey (1854) Died 1 month later

Parents of Thomas (Thomas Oakey (1770 chr.) and Sarah Pritchard (1768 chr.)
Parents of Ann Collett (William Collett (1781) and Elizabeth Bromage (1770)  William Collett also joined the church in 1840.  Elizabeth was not baptized before she died in 1841.

Taking time to smell the Bluebells

Happy Birthday to Kenzie Today!  

Wishing Jaxon a fun birthday on May 5th - 7 years old! 

We love you both very much.

Challenge Week Winners Activities Day at the Mission Office - Monday -April 24th
Relay Races, Human Battleship, Tug-O-War, 
Self Defense, Basketball and a BBQ.





We spent Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday at the Mission Home taking care of Amber this week while President and Sister Leppard were at a Mission President Seminar in Germany.  We spent the days in the office and the evenings at the mission home.

Saturday -Pday April 29th 

Ragley Manor House and the Bluebell Fields


Taking time to smell the bluebells!


The Book of Mormon

Today my lesson in Relief Society was on the Power of the Book of Mormon - I want to express my gratitude and testimony of the Book of Mormon.  I have wonderful memories of the year we had a family challenge to read the Book of Mormon.  We had a card as a bookmark with the blessings promised if we read this wonderful book.  Just as a reminder I want to attach that blessing:

"I feel certain that if, in our homes, parents will read from the Book of Mormon prayerfully and regularly, both by themselves and with their children, the spirit of that great book will come to permeate our homes and all who dwell therein.  The spirit of contention will depart.  Parents will counsel their children in greater love and wisdom.  Children will be more responsive and submissive to the counsel of their parents.  Righteousness will increase.  Faith, hope and charity-the pure love of Christ-will abound in our homes and lives, bringing in their wake peace, joy and happiness.
President Marion G. Romney

I love this book and feel so grateful for all those before me who wrote, preserved, translated, published and shared this book so I can know my Savior, Jesus Christ and feel his guidance and love in my life.

Our Mexican Dinner Night for Parents

Charolette and McKye fixing dinner

Zak, McKye, Chase, Marshall, Charolette,
Sister Maughan and Elder Willmore

Mexican Dinner for our Primary Children's Parents
This week on Wednesday was our Faith in God Activity with our primary children.






s
 We have been doing activities about FAMILIES the past three months and planning a dinner for their parents.

Chase and Marshall cutting tomatoes

They were amazing fixing the meal and it was a wonderful evening.  We had a Mexican dinner and a pinata.  Most of the children had not eaten tacos before.

Welcoming their parents

Sad news from home:
On Thursday were received the sad news that Kerry Gilley's wife passed away and also that Brandee's mom is not expected to live.  Brandee's mom has been in the hospital since February.  Our hearts go out to both families and they will be in our thoughts and prayers.


More Arrivals this week:

Elder Matwaychuk and Elder and Sister Vernon arrived.  We have had a full month of arrivals at different times -  Elder Willmore and I picked the Vernon's up from the airport and drove the brand new mission van.  I love the smell of a new car!

Elder and Sister Vernon

Sister Leppard, Elder Matwaychuk, President Leppard

Challenge Winners Activity coming up on Monday

Saturday we spent the day preparing for a Challenge Day on Monday at the office for missionaries who won the Challenge Week.  A day of games and a BBQ.  We also had Amber (the President's Dog) for the afternoon and evening while President and Sister Leppard were away.

Happy Easter

We just want to wish everyone a Happy Easter!

If you have not had a chance to watch the video at lds.org called "FIND PEACE THROUGH THE PRINCE OF PEACE", we encourage you to do so today - Peace is a great gift from our Savior.  Even though he does not take away all our trials, he does give us peace.  There are also eight short video clips about FAITH, GOD'S WORD, COMPASSION, GRATITUDE, PRAYER, FORGIVENESS, REPENTANCE and HOPE.





We are spending our Easter evening with a few Elders that live near us and preparing dinner to enjoy with them. We especially love the message and spirit they leave with us.  Wonderful missionaries!

 How grateful we are for our Savior, that he lives and loves each of us.  We love you all and hope each of you enjoy your Easter Sunday.

After

MY PROJECT
Extra time at the office has been spent organizing Books of Mormon in probably 80 different languages along with pamphlets in that same language.  We are trying to make our storage room look more like a library.  We should finish up this project by the end of this week.

Before

NEW ARRIVALS - We also had two new arrivals this week who arrived from the Provo MTC a few weeks later than our scheduled arrivals.  They were waiting on visas to come through and were very happy to arrive in England.

Elder Gibson- Arrived 11th of April

Elder Lewis - Arrived 12 of April

Elder and Sister Willmore at Kenilworth Castle

This Saturday we visited a few castles (and ruins) that are only 25 minutes from our home.  Kenilworth Castle and Warwick Castle

Elder Willmore at Kenilworth Castle

Warwick Castle

There is SUNSHINE in my soul today

Oh what a beautiful week we have had with plenty of sunshine and very little rain.  It feels wonderful!









  Jairon "22" Today the 9th - his first birthday as a married man.

  Lauren "9" Tuesday the 11th
  Madi "18" Wednesday the 12th-
 Lauren and Madi are celebrating their birthday's on a family vacation.
Wishing each of you a wonderful day


ARRIVALS - April 4th, 2017
On Tuesday we received our new missionaries from both the England and Provo MTC.  They arrived in the morning and left early afternoon.  Another group of missionaries have come and gone - how time flies.




                               

SENIOR COUPLES ACTIVITY
This Wednesday, April 5th, we had a Senior Couple Activity and went to the Berkeley Castle and also to Tyndale Monument.  Berkeley Castle was beautiful, especially outside in the gardens

Berkeley Castle with our Senior Couples of the England Birmingham Mission
and the Mission Presidency

Berkeley Castle

Tyndale Monument

Tyndale Monument was built to honor  William Tyndale (1494-1536) who was the man who translated the Bible into English.  It was illegal to do this and he could not get permission.  He had a burning desire to do so, he did what he was inspired to do and was burned at the stake for it.  He told a priest, "If God spare my life, ere many years pass, I will cause a boy that driveth the plough shall know more of the Scriptures than thou dost."
Tyndale's knowledge of Hebrew, if he had any, was of the most rudimentary nature; and yet he mastered that difficult tongue most so as to produce from the original an admirable translation of the entire Pentateuch, the Books of Joshua, Judges, Ruth, First and Second Kings, First Chronicles, contained in Matthew's Bible of 1537, and of the Book of John, so excellent that those portions of the Authorized King James Version of 1611 constitutes nine-tenths of that translation and very largely that of the English Revised Version of 1885.


Any doubt??? - He was inspired to prepare the way for the Restoration of the Gospel.

At the top of the Tyndale Monument

View from on top of the hill

Sister Blumell, Sister Willmore, Sister Veater

Beautiful English Countryside

Main Room

DOWNTOWN BIRMINGHAM
Back-to-Back Houses

Bedroom - each bed would hold 3-5 people

Back to Back Houses

The Courtyard shared by around 70 people

Saturday, our adventure was to go to downtown Birmingham where we visited the Back to Back Houses.  This is the only one left in Birmingham.  Houses like this are where Elder Willmore's Great Grandfather lived as a young boy - he came to America when he twelve years  old.
When we went on our tour, we found out a man by the name of John Willmore and his two sons, John and Joseph were the first to build the back to back houses.  They were a cheap way to build housing for all the people moving into Birmingham with the industrial revolution.  The courtyard was shared by around 70 people, with two outhouses and one laundry room.  The houses had a small room with a table, a closet to store food, steep stairs that went up to stories with one bedroom on each floor.  Each house usually had about 10 people in them.  Elder Willmore's family had 12 people in their tiny little home.  Sanitation was terrible and living conditions had a lot be desired.  They would bath in the River Rae nearby.

What a great experience to see where our ancestors lived.

Goodbye to Elder Cohen

Hello to Elder Bardsley
On Monday, we welcomed our new office Elder - Elder Bardsley.

Elder Bardsley, Elder Cohen, Elder Ashwell

Our departing missionaries with President and Sister Leppard
March 29, 2017

Transfers and Departures
This week we had transfers and departures on Tuesday and Wednesday.  We said farewell to twenty missionaries (including Elder Bonelo who left last Sunday).  They flew home Wednesday to all parts of the world.  Elder Wagner served in the office with us as an Assistant to the President.  Our testimony meeting and dinner was so much fun with these awesome young missionaries.  They have such strong testimonies and will be great leaders in the church.


On Wednesday we also were able to meet five of the parents of the missionaries who came to the office to pick them up.  Sweet Reunions!

Sister Gjevik with her family from Norway

Transfers were very quiet because we did not have missionaries come into the office - they took trains and buses to their next areas.  This is a first for our mission.



Farewell to Elder Cohen
On Friday we said farewell to our dear Elder Cohen.  Elder Cohen has been in the office since we came and has been such a great help in training and teaching us.  We will truly miss him.

Elder Cohen as the desk

Elder Willmore, Elder Cohen and Sister Willmore
We have spent a lot of time together

Breakfast Conference Sunday with President and Sister Leppard. 
We were invited to have breakfast and watch Conference.  Sister Leppard and I watched Womens Conference while President and Elder Willmore went to Priesthood meeting 10:00-11:30 am