January is off and running...

We're beginning a new year in Manchester and our calendar is filling up!  

   We have met with both Stake Presidents and we are scheduled to speak in 7 Wards in the next 2 1/2 months. President Fletcher is President of the Ashton Stake and President Liptrott is president of the Manchester Stake. President Liptrott is a very dynamic corporate attourney who works for an international company and travels to the U.S. alot.  He is tall, gregarious, fun to be around and a huge Liverpool football fan. President Fletcher feels more British to us. He is a little more reserved but very loving and extremely concerned for the Youth of the Church here in England. President Fletcher is a huge Man U football fan.
  Whenever we go to Costco, which is often, we drive right past the Old Trafford Stadium, where Man U plays.  We have yet to see the Man City Stadium, which is smaller.  We hope to go to a match sometime in the next 17 months.
   We were able to attend the Preston Temple again with our Bishop and then were invited to dinner at the Bishop and Sister Justine Roberts's home. She is an amazing cook and we were treated to the best meal ever.

Jordan Kelly, a young missionary who has been serving in New Zealand, came home early due to health reasons. He has no family and needed a temporary place to stay until he can find a flat. Bishop Roberts is working with him but he is staying with us until he can find housing. He loved his mission, wishes he was still there and is still teaching the gospel to everyone he sees.  He has been helpful to us because he knows Manchester quite well. He went with Elder Pew to the hospital today to see a patient and to give him the General Conference Ensign. He scared Sister Pew to death when he removed the Sim Card from her iphone.  He was convinced that we could get her phone unlocked but alas we could not. So for now, we will be using the FREEBIE phone provided by the mission; a Nokia phone that quit selling in the U.S. about 15 years ago. Jordan knows technology quite well and has been such a help to us. People seem to come into our lives when we need them. (Packets of help along the way)

   We also had a meeting with Bishop Luke Kerr, who is a young Bishop originally from Scotland.  He is Seminaries and Institute Director for the Church in Northwest England. He, like the rest of us, is very excited for the new building to open and wants us to teach classes, greet visitors as they come to the building and provide support to the entire Institute Program.
   We attended our first Zone Meeting and were asked to present a little portion of training on how to let investigators know what to expect when they attend church meetings. We shared Tenley's baptism invitation where Amby explained the service so completely to non-member friends. It is always fun and uplifting to be with the missionaries. Elder Bytheway and Elder Peterson handled the meeting so wonderfully with role playing and needed training and announcements. They announced to the Zone that our new Mission President in July will be President Ulrich from the Willow Creek area in Sandy. Elder Pew enjoyed the tie swap and received a tie from Elder Desir. He gave away his tie from "Johnstown".

We will Miss Elder Peterson

Elder Bytheway doing his training. A great missionary!

Our downstairs neighbors and Sister Missionaries...We will miss them so much. They like to cook, shop and do girl things!

Our Goodbye Dinner and Elder Peterson's favorite meal.... German Pancakes...

4 Elders in our Zone ...Elder Chong, Elder Quaresma, Elder Noad, Elder Chaproniere

(Drawing by Elder Chong)

Elder Pew role playing at Zone Conference. Calling the Bishop to talk to him about an investigator who is coming to church this Sunday.

Dinner at Archies...Goodbye to our friends.