Let the Sunshine In...

     We are now in Month 10 of our mission and we journey on...We continue to teach each week, we spoke at a Sacrament Meeting and a fireside this past couple weeks, Elder Pew does street tracting at the mission president's request when he can find a YSA to go out with him (in past couple weeks, he's been out about 7 or 8 hours), and do what we're asked to do ...August has been quite slow...  Family History is the focus of the Mission at this time.  All the missionaries are being trained on Family Search so they can teach the members and investigators how to build a family tree.

Elder Pew's street tracting found 3 people willing to learn more of the Gospel.  Unfortunately, one will not now return phone calls but we are beginning to teach the other two.  We learned one of them was married and is muslim, though not practicing.  They are from Kurdistan and while they are interested in learning more, they were frank and told us there is no way they could go back home and tell anyone they were Mormons.   There would be trouble.  So we will teach them a bit and take them to church a couple times, then leave them with a Book of Mormon and hopefully some day, things will change in Kurdistan.   

Family History Training

We are helping to train the missionaries on Family History on Saturday Mornings. Sister Hill is a pro and we try to keep up with her and experiment a lot 

Elder Robinson, from St. George discovers his family lines back to EVE..it says birthplace "Garden of Eden" 

 Teaching our "Gospel Paths" Class at Institute

Sister Pew did the Gospel Path Class last week and had a little different technique.  A matching game is going to happen tonight !  And very little scriptures.  We have now completed the 14 week course.  It has taken a goodly effort to build the curriculum but we now have it all on powerpoint slides so next semester when we repeat it, it will be much easier.  We hope we have students this fall.  

Our family always comes up on the screen as we get ready and close our class...lots of questions then come up. (How many children do you have?  Which one is the oldest?  How tall is he? Wow...look how many grandchildren! )

Here's our class last week where we studied the latter day Prophets and YES we did Sing the Song!  We will miss Sister Sun, on the left, who will be going home in a few days !!  The young man in middle first row, the young lady on far left, second row and the young lady in middle second row are investigators.

After Class craziness and cookies! 

Saturday Evening Dinner

We had Elder O'Brien, Elder Hotchkiss and Fern, an investigator, for dinner.  The Elders had begged for Sister Pew to cook them a big meal (they don't get much from the YSA's), and we told them we'd be happy but they needed to bring an investigator and have a lesson afterwards.   They complied.  We had ribs, Salad, Potatoes and Roasted Vegetables...Apple Pie for Dessert.  Thank-You, Costco.  We followed this with lesson on the Restoration. 

The Whitefield Ward, Ashton Stake, Young Women

I was invited to give a lesson to the Whitefield Ward Young Women.  It was great to be with them. I love the Young Women Leaders in this ward - Helen Smith is President, Gayathri and Katie (2 YSA's) are her counselors.  Here we are after church.  I bet you can't tell who are the Young Women and who are the leaders. 

Zone Meeting

This is the Manchester Zone Meeting in the YSA Ward chapel with The Zone Leaders, Elders Hotchkiss and O'Brien on the right and Elder Grant who is quite new and serving in Macclesfield on the left.  Elder Grant is from Salt Lake and East High.  The two sister missionaries mugging for the picture are Sister Morrow and Sister Duggan-Jones.

The Hills trying to look busy during the role plays.  Often, as Senior Missionaries, you are a bit of an outsider so you just play the supporting role.


Elders Nelson (from Logan - former BYU QB Riley's younger brother), Robinson and Durrant doing the role play.

Weekend Date Nights 

Another Weekend Date with two YSA's.  This time Tan and Mauro went with us to Nando's. We love being with these two great young men.  Mauro was baptized last December (on right) and Tan was baptized last May.  They are two of the few new converts that are really working at learning and living the Gospel.  We are proud of them!

We followed up the next week with a Friday Night Date with Hadrian and Michelle...who are actually dating.  Hadrian is long time member and returned missionary (Australia).  Michelle is an investigator, from Manchester and accounting student at Univ of Leeds.   Fun and yummy dinner at Giorgios Italian.

Break-The-Fast Pancake Breakfast

 Our traditional Sunday American Pancake Breakfast brought more YSA to our flat.

Ryan Hoyle was working so Elder Pew had to flip the flap-jacks solo  We guestimated that he made about 125 pancakes.

Lots of Linger Longer and chit chat

Autumn Is Here...

We've had some beautiful weather but fall is definitely in the air.  The temperatures have dropped quite a bit and I am wearing my jumpers, (sweaters) tights and even coats a few times.    

  

Day In Southport    

     Reed had been wanting to play the Royal Birkdale Golf Club (where the British Men's and Women's Open have been played many times and also a Ryder Cup). We felt a little guilty (for about one minute) and we had a wonderful but chilly day in Southport.  The course was very windy and cool but no rain. I wandered around the town and had my hair done at Toni and Guy (a local shop) 

     Southport is a seaside resort town with lots of charm and history.  It is reported that Napoleon Bonaparte lived in exile on Lord Street, the main thoroughfare of Southport between 1846 and 1848, before returning to France to become President and Emperor.  During his reign, he caused much of the medieval centre of Paris to be replaced with broad tree-lined boulevards, covered walkways and arcades, just like Lord Street.  On the strength of this coincidence, it has been suggested that the redevelopment may have been inspired by memories of Southport's Town Centre.  It is now a town with charm and is quite a tourist attraction for those who want to "holiday" without flying out of England.  Southport is located on the Irish Sea Coast and is often referred to as the "Golf Coast" of North West England. 

  

Elder Pew on the Royal Birkdale Course...just before he teed off, in his rain pants which were not needed.  but it was about 20-25 mph winds and cold.

Sister Pew getting her hair done and being served Hot Chocolate and a biscuit..such a nice touch.

Shops on Lord Street in Southport

The Kerr's Baby Blesssing with Chickenpox

We love the Kerr's and they invited us to their baby blessing in their home.  Their two little wee ones, Anastasia (1)  and Sophia (2 months) had the chicken pox so the blessing was held at home.  I told them I related to this when all four of our girls got chicken pox during the summer of 1984.  We were in quarantine the whole summer. Ali was 6 months and Molly was 18 months.  Their babies are the same distance apart.  I was surprised to learn that England doesn't immunize for Chicken Pox

A picture from Luke and Emma's wedding. We love the kilts, Luke.  Notice below....Elder Pew wore a green plaid suit for our wedding in 1973, but no kilt!!. I was wearing some sort of Bohemian hippie dress !! (please excuse the very bad quality picture)

Lovely dessert table for Sophia's Blessing Day

Lyme Park

On a sunny day we took a second trip to Lyme park (This is where one of the Pride and Prejudice was filmed)

 Rose Garden

 The Grand Estate

 Italian Gardens

Back of the home (and Elder Pew) with the great lawn

 The Courtyard

Inside the house was a stage where performances were held. 

 Other Bits and Bobs

If you read our blog a few weeks ago, you know that I did a major car scrape.  This is how they repair the car!  They come to your place and put a tent over it and fix it right there.  I LOVE THIS! (btw...this great idea is coming to the US...a division of AutoGlass )

I can never find a Diet Coke with my name so Mum will have to do

I did find one for my friend Helen.

We had another girl lunch at Home Sweet Home where we were served these cute Lemonade's in little bottles.

And the fun and unusual cakes... They are delicious !!

Thanks to Tunnel Bear, Reed was able to watch the BYU/Texas game...at 12:30 am our time!!! A killer for the next day but a greater fan could never be found. Well, maybe Ryan and Rex.


A Day Out for a Pedicure with Rhianne at Tan's mum's salon... Hanna's Nails

Then breakfast afterward...Eggs Benedict! 

Here in England, there is special butter for spreading on bread and then just regular butter for other things...hmmm

This is such a random sight..so typical...someone just left their shoes on the sidewalk and walked away.  

A surprise Parade last Saturday right outside our window.  Community Unity! 

An old movie theater turned into a Nightclub is hurrying to be fully remodeled to open for "Fresher's Week"  when all students return to Manchester.   It will be hoppin during Freshers Week and most of the students will not know where they are, being so inebriated.

Food...Food and More Food

Munch and Mingle had an unexpected surprise with 30-35 more people than planned on.  Numerous YSA came from a nearby Convention to attend the ward. The Cafe Rio Burritos were a little skimpy on the shredded pork.

 Thank goodness Denise sent me with her "cookbook for crowds" It has been invaluable 

Dozens and Dozens and Dozens of Cookies

We reached our half way mark on our mission so we celebrated a cute little outdoor restaurant called Albert's. It was lovely!

Elder O'Brien, from New Zealand,  had walked right out of his Holy Shoes...so we took him to Clark's to buy a new pair.

With a size 14 shoe, he didn't have a lot of choice but found a nice pair.  Elder Pew introduced him to Shoe Trees...

He put his "old" shoes on display in the store. 

Other News of Interest... 

Here are our 11 Grandchildren at the Ogden Temple Open House...We miss them like CRAZY!