Big Week Coming for Jairon and Kenzie

Jairon and McKenzie's wedding announcement

Congratulations to Jairon and Kenzie - We are so excited for them as they begin this week before their big day on December 2nd.  Friday, Kenzie went to the Rexburg Temple to receive her endowments and then they will be married this Friday in the Rexburg Temple.  We are so happy for them and we will be thinking about them all day on their wedding day - We love them both.  If you could see us, you will probably see Grandma and Grandpa shed a tear or two that day - it will be so hard not to be there for their special day.  WE SEND OUR BLESSING AND LOVE.

Well, Thanksgiving is officially over  - we cooked a Thanksgiving dinner on Saturday and invited Elder and Sister Veater and two elders - Elder Griffin from Ogden and Elder Clayton from Salt Lake, over for dinner.  After dinner they gave us a message and that was our favorite part.   We also had our Senior Thanksgiving Dinner on the 12th so we have definitely celebrated Thanksgiving in England.

Light the World - mormon.org

Our Christmas Tree

With Thanksgiving over- we pulled out the flat's Christmas Decorations that had been left from missionaries before us and had our flat decorated in a half hour.  So simple and I think I quite enjoyed the simplicity of it.  We received a special package in the mail on Thanksgiving day at the office from our children.  They sent us stockings to hang in our flat with something inside for Christmas Day - they were very disobedient children to send a package but I must admit it was wonderful to receive a package from them.  After we put up the decorations and opened our package I sat and listened to Christmas music and got quite emotional thinking about family and the holidays.  Although we will definitely miss family and friends this Christmas Season, we are thrilled to concentrate more on the real meaning of Christmas and Celebrate Christ.
 We watched the video Light the World at the beginning of November with our Mission President and are so excited to start our 25 days of service beginning December 1st.  We invite everyone to join by watching Light the World at mormon.org and then doing 25 days of service.  Each day there is a video clip to watch.  We enjoy the opportunity to watch these young Elders and Sisters give service everyday and they are a wonderful examples to us.  We are getting our office filled with packages coming in for the missionaries.

Our Christmas Package from our family

Our Christmas Stockings

Comings and Goings

The office is staying busy and we are loving every minute of it - even the times when it gets a little (or a lot)  hectic.  We are blessed to serve in the mission office and love the other Senior Couples and President and Sister Leppard. The days and weeks fly by and we can hardly believe it when we look at the clock and it is time to go home.  We even had a little trauma this week and had to visit the local emergency care doctor but everything is good.

Sister Leppard, Sister Richards, Elder Richards, Pres. Leppard

We had a new couple arrive from Rexburg, Idaho on Tuesday - Elder and Sister Richards.  They will be serving in Wales and will be about four hours from the mission office. It is a small world - they are friends with my dad's good friend from Rexburg, Golden Linford.  We had a good time talking to them about some things in common.

Elder and Sister Crump

Last week we had Elder and Sister Crump leave who returned home to West Jordan, Utah just down the street from where Elder Willmore used to work.  They did record preservation for the Family History Department.  Many of the senior couples are returning to Utah so hopefully we will be able to see them again.

Christmas German Market in Birmingham

A week ago on our Pday we went to downtown Birmingham where they were having their German Christmas Market.  We tried a few German foods and it felt very festive.  We tried Bratworst and chocolate covered marshmallows in all kinds of different flavors.

German Christmas Market

Downtown Birmingham Mall Bull

We received this same picture of the Bull at the Bull Ring at the Birmingham Mall when Eric was on his mission.  We remember the picture and it was fun to see what he saw.

Government Building Downtown Birmingham

So many old, beautiful buildings in downtown Birmingham.  Birmingham is where Conley's great great great Grandfather lived.  His old home (or at least where it used to be) is on our list of things to visit on our pdays.

Special Delivery For the Young Elder Willmore

Elder Willmore received a letter at home and Eric and Brandee opened it for him.  It was addressed to Elder Conley Willmore and was from a lady he taught when he was serving his mission in Ohio in 1970-72.  She expressed gratitude for being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints and told how it has blessed her life.  He is anxious to contact her.  We were touched to hear her testimony and love of the gospel.  What a blessing it is to share this wonderful gospel and it's truths to the world.

We are Grateful for....

This week we just want to give GRATITUDE for all our many blessings:
✽For our Heavenly Father and Savior, Jesus Christ - whom we owe everything to  - for the gospel truths and ordinances, for tender mercies and guidance.
✽For five special children who have brought joy and meaning into our lives. We love you dearly and are so grateful we were chosen to be your parents.  
✽For seventeen amazing grandchildren who bring fun, laughter and wonderful memories.
We cherish each of you with your different personalities and talents.  Our Greatest Blessings call us Grandpa and Grandma.
✽For loving, kind and patient parents who have shown unconditional love and sacrificed for us.  We miss those who are gone and express love to Evelyn - she is a blessing in our lives.
✽For our siblings and their families who expand our happiness beyond our immediate family.  We have shared many wonderful times together now and while growing up.  We felt sad to miss Jenaya's wedding this past week.  We love you and miss you.
✽For friends and neighbors who helped raise our children and were special friends with us and our children. You have shared in our happiness and sorrows and have blessed our lives.
✽For our health and strength and the ability to enjoy life in the fullest.  We know life can change in an instant.
✽For the beauty and wonders of nature and this magnificent earth we live in.  Each day we enjoy seeing our Heavenly Father's masterpiece.
✽For trials (yes trials) because we know that is how we are stretched and molded into who we need to become.
✽For our ancestors who have left us a legacy of faith.  We are blessed to see and walk where so many of them lived.  We love and honor them and the heritage they have left us.
✽For our Freedom and the wonderful Land of America.  For those who have sacrificed and continue to sacrifice for this great privilege we enjoy.
✽For one another and forty three years of marriage.  For the great blessing we have to serve a mission together and see the miracles before our eyes.  For angels that are on our right hand and on our left.  (Both those that are living among us on the earth and those we cannot see but feel their influence.)
✽For the comforts of life we enjoy - life is simple right now and we are enjoying our cozy, warm, little flat.

Our  fresh Fall and Christmas Wreath we bought at the German Christmas Market
in Birmingham

WE LOVE YOU ALL AND WISH YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES A HAPPY THANKSGIVING 

"Everything you are learning now is preparing you for something else." (Marjorie Pay Hinckley)

New Carpet in the Office and Flowers

A very special gift

Monday we started the process of getting new carpet in our office.  Elder Cohen and Elder Turner were amazing - when we arrived on Monday we found that they had moved all the computers and had them set up again in the building next to us.  We thought it would be a nightmare to get our work done this week, but it went very smoothly.
Monday evening our doorbell rang and Elder Cohen ad Elder Turner had brought us flowers and a card.  What kind and thoughtful young men they are - We love them!

On Tuesday we went to visit Sister Carol Dowling, a sweet lady in our ward that Eric knew when he served here.  Brother and Sister Dowling always invite the missionaries to their home for dinner.  Sister Dowling had eye surgery which was unsuccessful so she had to have another surgery to correct the damage.  They are a very Christlike couple and their light shines.  They are both in their mid 80's.

Also on Tuesday we were invited to dinner by the family of a young boy in our primary class - Mckye.  His mother has been feeling anxious about him having new primary teachers because he has autism.  We enjoyed time with their family.

Arriving and Departing Senior Couples

Elder & Sister Creer

Elder and Sister Alston

During the past two weeks we have had three senior couples leave the mission.  The Creer's (which we were very grateful that he was able to fly home to Salt Lake and be with his family - he was diagnosed with Leukemia and it was such a miracle that he was finally able to fly home after several delays), the Alston's (from California) and the Michaelis (from Orem, Utah).  It is such a small world - The Michaelis' are good friends with our neighbors - Dale and Grethe Larson.  Larson's son, Aaron, and our son, Scott, were friends. They served in the office next to us doing Self Reliance.   It is always sad to have our new friends leave, but also exciting to have new couples arrive.  Change is good.

Elder & Sister Michaelis

Elder & Sister Blumel

We also received a new couple from Canada this week, The Blumels will taking over the Michaelis' calling.







Thanksgiving Luncheon - November 12, 2016
This week we were busy getting ready for our Thanksgiving Luncheon for the Senior Couples, the flat inspectors, the Assistants to the President, the Office Elders and the Mission Presidency. I was in charge of the event and was so thankful for the experience I received through my life organizing dinners and events.   I love the saying on the front of my journal -
 "Everything you are learning now is preparing you for somethings else." (Marjorie Pay Hinckley).  I also know that we are learning things "now" that we will benefit from in the future.

Thanksgiving Luncheon - November 12, 2016

Elder and Sister Willmore at the
Thanksgiving Luncheon

H'orderves Table

Each morning that Elder Willmore and I wake up we thank our Heavenly Father for the amazing experience we have to serve as missionaries in the England Birmingham Mission.  We cannot even express in words the joy it brings into our lives.  It is something you need to experience in order to understand.

Remarks from President Leppard:  There was a reason that the Angel Moroni visited Joseph Smith four times delivering the same message -  the same reason that we need to repeat over and over the same message to our missionaries - THEY ARE 18 and 19 YEAR OLDS.  He also gave experiences he had in assigning missionaries to areas and companions as he is given instruction by the spirit.  They are placed in the area that certain people are in need of their individual talents.  He gave the example of two missionaries that were put together without the President knowing they knew how to do sign language.  These two missionaries were on a bus and met a man who needed their talents of signing. They taught this man and and he is being baptized today. We see the hand of the Lord each day in our lives.


Poppy Appeal in England



This last few weeks in England has been the Poppy Appeal.  Everyone wears a poppy pin and donates to the veterans of the wars.  In 1915, after the war had ended and many had died, a field of poppy's grew on the battle field.  They are very patriotic and the missionaries take part in the Poppy Appeal to raise funds for the veterans.  On November 11, no matter where you are, everyone has 11 minutes of silence and the church bells ring.  The Sunday closest to the 11th is a day of remembrance.  Today in Sacrament Meeting, we had a service to remember those who have lost their lives for our freedom.  Both in our time and in the scriptures.

"For the Fallen"
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old.
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning.  We will remember them. (written September 1914 by Laurence Binyon)




Flanders' Fields was composed at the battlefront on May 3, 1915 during the second battle of Ypres, Belgium.

From the past:
It was interesting today as we were giving the Tamworth Elders (Elder Langi and Elder Ey) a ride to church, they showed us a report they found in the area book which was filled out by none other than our Elder Eric Willmore from 2015. They thought it was fun to show us the image.  MEMORIES.  We love talking to Eric about things we see and places we have been that he also has been.  Such a blessing to serve where Eric served.  We were very disappointed nine years ago when we were advised not to pick up Elder Willmore from his mission, we now feel like we are touring his mission as we meet people he also knew and areas he served.

Quiet Week - Wonderful!

Happy Birthday to 

Ashlee on November 12th

Elder Willmore and Amber

We received an additional assignment from Elder and Sister Leppard this week while they are away at a Mission President Seminar.  This is Amber and we are house sitting at the Mission Home and taking care of Amber for four days.

Elder Willmore and Amber
at the Mission Home

The office has been rather quite this week because we have not had as many Elders and Sisters visiting since President is gone and there have not been any meetings or interviews at the Mission Office.  It was nice to have a little time to catch up, which we did.  Next Monday we are having new carpet put in the office so is should make up for the quite week this week.

Elder Willmore was worried about missing fall this year, but as you can see we have had a colorful fall with the many trees that are turning brilliant reds and yellows, and then their leaves falling and covering the ground.  We love our walks in them and the picturesque scenery as we drive.

Walk in park at
Stratford-upon-Avon

Wooton Hall Manor House

Stratford-upon-Avon
Home of Anne Hathaway
Wife of Shakespeare
Thatch roof cottage built in the 1500's 

We are grateful Jamie is recovering well after her knee surgery. So glad she could get it done before Jairon and Kenzie's wedding.  Quick recovery wishes Jamie!

"This is the short and the long of it" (William Shakespeare)

Happy Birthday to Nichol on the 6th of November

Born: April 1564, Stratford-upon-Avon

Died: April 23, 1616, Stratford-upon-Avon

Education: King James VI School, Stratford-upon-Avon

Plays:  MacBeth, A Midsummer Nights Dream, Othello, Romeo and Juliet and more

"What 's done is done" (William Shakespeare) 

On Thursday I looked over at Elder Willmore and he was sitting back in his chair.  I said "Elder Willmore, are you done with your work?"   He said "Yes, Sister Willmore, Is there something I can help you with?" This is the first time in six weeks that I have seen Elder Willmore caught up with all the work he has to do.  Of course, it only lasted for a short while - it will never be "Done".

 It has been a great week at the office - we feel like we are finally getting an idea of how things work.  Of course, we acknowledge the amazing help from our Heavenly Father to help us understand and comprehend.  We are very grateful!

We loved President Uchtdorf's talk in General Conference.  He taught,  "It seems to be human nature: as we become more familiar with something, even something miraculous and awe-inspiring, we lose our sense of awe and treat it as commonplace." May we always acknowledge the hand of God in our lives and his tender mercies towards us.

"Blow, blow, thou winter wind! Thou art not so unkind as man's ingratitude" (William Shakespeare)

Elder and Sister Willmore with Elder and Sister Page

"Parting is such sweet sorrow." (William Shakspeare)

Elder and Sister Veater were able to move into their flat which is in our same neighborhood.  Elder and Sister Page left on Friday - they have served for two years and were so much help as we came to them with our many questions????  They live in the mission boundaries and were Service Missionaries but they lived in a flat near us. We will miss them - They served with great love.

"The most effective missionaries always act out of love." (Elder Dallin H. Oaks)

Stratford-upon-Avon

On our Pday this week we went with Elder and Sister Veater to Stratford-upon-Avon - the birthplace and home of William Shakespeare  We went through his old house and walked the cobblestone streets of Stratford-upon-Avon. Then walked by the river full of Swans and ducks.  It was a town that took you back in time and we enjoyed our day out discovering England.  It was so lovely walking in the old shops.  

HERE' HARRIS

This is "Harris".  He has a hat just like Elder Willmore.  He is going to spend the rest of our mission with us - so we hope you will look for him in one of our photos each week. (Here's Harris - not Where's Waldo) We found him in Stratford-Upon-Avon in Edinburgh Mill Shop and brought him home with us. 

Elder Willmore purchased his first Harris Tweed Flat Cap.
Grandpa George Willmore (Elder Willmore's great great grandfather) was a tailor in Birmingham.  They sailed for America in October of 1877 (139 years ago) - perhaps he made hats and suits out of wool like we saw in the old shop. 
Hint: Ok our children, look it up for a great Family Home Evening lesson. (George Willmore (KWVC-WYN) history under memories in familysearch.org)
Quote from George Willmore's history:  Arriving in Ogden, Utah before traveling over the mountain to Logan - "I was approached by an old friend who had immigrated earlier.  He attempted to rationalize keeping some of the commandments arguing that others, even seventies, were doing it.  I answered him 'I don't care a begger, I came here to serve the Lord and I'm going to serve him."
"To be or not to be (Faithful).  That is the question."
(William Shakespeare)

Elder and Sister Willmore in Stratford-upon-Avon

Shakespeare's Home

Inside Shakespeare's home

Elder Willmore with the Swans

BRILLIANT - Fall in England

"True is it that we have seen better days" (William Shakespeare)

Brother and Sister Fell

Sister Fell is my new visiting teacher.  She comes into the office and visits with three of us Sister's.  What an amazing lady.  She is from Germany and she has Seen Better Days in her last years of life.  She grew up at the time of Hitler. 

"The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool" (William Shakespeare)  

She walked 300 miles with her mother trying to get to safety - walking from Berlin to The Baltic Sea.  Her father was part of the White Rose Resistance to Hitler's Regime.  He took truck loads of fourteen year old boys to safety so they would not have to fight in Hitler's army.  He would not follow Hitler - and saved many young men's lives. 

"This above all: to thine own self be true" (William Shakespeare).  

 He had his wife and young girl (Sister Fell) walk so they would not be killed in the war.  A few years later, she was one of the young girls that received candy from the Candy Bomber.  She is hilarious and we talked for two hours and I didn't want to stop.  So full of history and wonderful stories about her life.  She is a flat inspector for the mission and the young missionaries love her.  She is STERN, but loving and they call her "The Gestapo".  

"It's all Good" (Williams Shakespeare - just kidding, that was from Scott Willmore)

Thank you for all the sweet reminders of Scott this week.  It was so fun to wake up to Jamie's video and then Melissa's post on Facebook.  It is wonderful to see remembrances of our dear Scott.  Thank you for your letters and emails.
"All the world 's a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts" (William Shakespeare)
We are so grateful for the part Scott played in our lives.   Scott, "We will cherish our times together and love you forever." 

Door of Letters

Our "Door of letters" - we love them all


"Can one desire to much of a good thing?" (William Shakespeare)

A Dream come true - our visit to Gadfield Elm and Benbow (Hill) Farm

Happy Birthday to Payton on the 26th and Scott W. on the 29th

Mission Conference with Elder Quinton L. Cook
What an amazing week!  We started out the week on Monday with a Mission Conference with Elder Quinton L. Cook.  We traveled to Solihol (about a half hour away from the mission office) and helped make sack lunches for 200 missionaries.  It was fun to meet so many Elders and Sisters that we had not met before and put some faces with the names we are learning.  As Elder Cook entered the chapel, we all stood and he went to the front of the chapel to shake hands with all the missionaries.  As I shook his hand and introduced myself, he remembered the talk about Scott, Leon, Ellen and I and when he went to the pulpit to talk he told the story that he had used in General Conference eight years ago.  It was amazing to me that he remembered the details and he asked all the missionaries to go home and read the talk. It was another tender mercy for an apostle of he Lord to talk about our experience, remind us of Scott and again it was in the month of October which is Scott's birthday and the month of the accident.
 It was a wonderful conference and as he concluded his talk he bore testimony of the Savior - that he knew His face and knew His voice.  We were so touched by the spirit and testimony of an Apostle of Jesus Christ.  What a lovely day!

Arrivals and Departures of Missionaries - Oct 18th and 19th
We did make it through our arrivals and departures and it really wasn't as bad as we had anticipated.
We were lucky that there were only eight missionaries arriving and four departing this month.  It helped to have our first time through this with such a small number of missionaries.  Thank you for all your prayers on our behalf - we know we are being blessed.  We were able to greet a family picking up there son from the mission office - as the mother saw her son and ran and hugged him, I started to cry because I remember the feelings and emotions of seeing our son, future son-in-laws, and grandson returning home from serving their Heavenly Father.

Departures  Elder Henare, Elder Stevens, Sister Pascula, Elder Smith

A Dream Come True - our visit to Gadfield Elm 

Elder and Sister Willmore at the Gadfield Elm Chapel

and Benbow (Hill) Farm

Gadfield Elm Chapel
First LDS Chapel in the church 

Preaching from the pulpit at Gadfield Elm Chapel - just like my great great great Grandfather, Thomas Oakey

Inside the Gadfield Elm Chapel

On Pday this week Elder Willmore and myself, along with three other senior couple missionaries went to Gadfield Elm Chapel and Benbow Farm.  It has always been my dream to visit these places were Wilford Woodruff taught the United Brethren including the Thomas Oakey Family.   Sister Haw met us there.  Sister Haw and her husband are from this part of England and have served at the Gadfield Elm Chapel for about 8 years and have researched the families who were part of the United Brethren.  They have visited Paris, Idaho in America where Thomas and Ann lived after coming to America.

  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."

Sister Willmore and Sister Haw who serves at Gadfiled Elm Chapel

Soon after the United Brethren congregation was baptized, many of them left England and came to Nauvoo.  Thomas and Ann Oakey stayed in England and Thomas was ordained a Branch President.  They remained in England for another 15 years until 1856 when they found out they could come to Utah if they came with the handcart companies and used the perpetual immigration fund.  Thomas and Ann and their 8 children sailed to America.

It was such an amazing experience to see the land they lived on and walk the places they walked.  In November, we are meeting the Haw's again and they are going to show us where Thomas and Ann lived and show us around the area.  Can't wait for that one-one-one experience with them and have them share there knowledge.

I am looking up Thomas' siblings who did not come to America - They stayed in England and I want to find their descendants while I am here - It would be wonderful to meet them.



Faith - The Musical
I am trying to get a copy of the production that was performed in the UK in 2013-14 and then came to the Conference Center in Salt Lake City.  It is a musical about the Oakey Family.  These links tell about the musical but Sister Haws told me she would try to get me a copy of the production.
http://www.lds.org.uk/faith-the-musical
www.lds.org/media-library/video/2011-08-66-faith-the-musical?...

Hill Farm - A working Farm

Benbow (Hill) Farm and Benbow
Pond

Benbow Pond (or should we say Benbow Puddle)

Gate into Benbow Pond

Ken Bryant sent us this corn maze sign and we passed this sign as we walked - Is someone trying to tell us something???

I really did go through a corn maze last year with Caden, Hannah, Jaxon and Alli and 
we did have a hard time getting out (or at least Caden had to show us the way out). I think
I could find my way around this one!