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!

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! 

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.

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.