WHAT WILL BE SAID OF YOU?

Lovely flowers from Brother and Sister Fell

OFFICE MEETING THOUGHT on Monday

Heleman 5:7 (Heleman to his sons)
Therefore, my sons (and daughters), I would that ye should do that which is good, that it may be said of you and also written, even as it has been said and written of them (their ancestors - Nephi and Lehi)

What will be said of you?  How would you like to be remembered?  By your actions, what do you show is important to you?   Things to think about and DO.

FaDene reminded me of a talk by Linda Burton (General RS President) "Certain Women" which I enjoyed reading today (Sunday)
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2017/04/certain-women?lang=eng

THIS COMING TUESDAY (SEPT 5TH) WILL BE OUR ONE YEAR MARK - How time flies.

My birthday flowers are still beautiful
two weeks later

Mission Tour - August 30, 31 and September 1, 2017

Elder Willmore and I were able to attend one day of the multi-zone conferences for the mission tour with Elder De Feo who is a General Authority Seventy.



The talks were amazing -
A parable of the Bumble Bee by the AP's
Bear "HIS" name of our hearts (our name badges)
We have something wonderful to DECLARE - Pres. Leppard
The art of LISTENING - Sister Leppard
Elder De Feo:
The MANTEL of a missionary - do not make the mantel change to fit you - change you to fit the mantel.
If we do not have a PLAN, Satan will come to us with His Plan.
D & C 84:88 Angels will help

Wonderful conference!

Dinner after the Mission Tour on my birthday

 


Thought I read by President Uchtdorf this week:
"The Lord knows you.  He knows your heart and is pleased with your sacrifice.  He smiles upon you each day.  He will uphold you and prepare the way for you.  He will send His angels before you.  You will feel their presence.  And with the help of heaven, your talents will be multiplied.

I promise you that as you lift those around you, the Lord God, the Creator of the universe, will lift you up.  If you will only believe and incline your heart to our Beloved Father, He will place within you a peace that surpasses understanding.  He will give you joy.  May each of you always remember this."

I bear testimony of this promise - I feel His presence and guidance and the the help of angels in my life and I express gratitude for that blessing.

Chipping Norton - The Cotswolds

Slaughter - The Cotswolds

Chipping Norton with Geoffrey the Hare

Sites we saw on Saturday as we went to get a meter reading from a flat in Banbury.

Sunday Dinner with Elder Willis, Elder Liang and Elder Ashwell.  Tuesday is transfers and we just found out that we are not going to have Elder Liang in the office anymore.  We will miss him.

We appreciate all the hard work they do for us in the office.  Elder Willis has just been assigned as the district leader and he will be amazing.

So grateful for all the emails and cards and calls for my birthday - thank you for making my day special.  Just a note:  I appreciate that Sami describes me as "Young"  Thank you Sami - are trying to brown nose grandma???  Such special notes and emails!

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!