Grey Skies Are Gonna Clear Up...Put On a Happy Face !

 Conference Weekend, Oct 4-5, 2014

It was a great General Conference weekend. On Friday, we drove to the Lakes District where we enjoyed beautiful scenery, definitely cool fall weather and a relaxing time wandering (in the car and walking about) We stayed at a small but very lovely hotel called Apple Garth in Windermere. We had breakfast and dinner there and did some sight seeing (see below) in-between.  We watched the Saturday Sessions in our Hotel...reclined.. Perfect!  Reed watched Priesthood on his iPad on Sunday Morning before we drove back to Manchester. On a sad note, as many of you know, BYU lost to USU in Football. Elder Pew had to be coaxed off the roof when he heard the outcome on Saturday morning in England.  I had to remind him that there are more important things for us to worry about...

    On Sunday, the YSA Building showed 8 hours of Conference. (Saturday Afternoon, Priesthood Session, and Both Sunday Sessions)   Many YSA stayed and watched 3 Sessions coming at 10am and leaving at 7:00 pm.   Six stayed on for the last session - stalwarts!   They came in Sunday Dress, brought food to eat and stayed all day.  We came for the Sunday Sessions, which are from 5-7 and 9-11 british time. 

A few of the last conference watchers at 11:00 pm...Garth, Emily, Kieran and Ella

  It was a great conference and  it was wonderful to hear about Christ-like qualities, the sacrament, the Atonement and following the Prophets and Apostles.  We were surprised that so little was said about missionary and family history work - we hear so much about that. We loved the emphasis on the fundamental basics for members - prayer, scriptures, sacrament, Holy Ghost, loving God and our fellow man, helping the poor and needy.    We also enjoyed Elder Bednar's talk to the non-members explaining why we so relentlessly preach the gospel.  

New School Year

      It is a new start.  The Universities have started fall semester and we are seeing new faces and some returning YSA.  Numbers are up a bit at Institute Classes and the YSA Ward. Gospel Path Class is repeating and we are getting 10-12 people each time which is exciting news for us.   Luke Kerr is getting 6-7 people for his breakfast class on the Pearl of Great Price and Sister Pew is getting about the same for her Wednesday lunch and learn class.  Thursday night is activity night and we get between 35 and 40 members to Institute on Thursdays.   

   We have recently been taught by our Mission President both in an All Elder's training and in Zone Training.  Pres Ulrich talked about the Atonement and how it was the Heart and Soul of the Gospel...the most important event since the creation and that it not only forgives of us of our sins but it can empower us to be better people and better missionaries. The Atonement covers us in entirety. He reminded us that what we are doing now is what we were doing in the pre-existence, like missionary work. It is good to remember we were powerful before we came here. At Zone Training he spoke to us about eliminating companion contention and having unity and sincere prayer. 

  We have been given a new assignment to head up a program coming to Manchester from BYU-Idaho called Pathway.  It will give students who cannot afford to or otherwise cannot attend a University the opportunity for a low cost, online university education. The course will prepare students to begin an Associates or Bachelor's degree with BYU Idaho. We will sit in on their once-a-week group meeting and be mentors and otherwise support to them. We are currently doing an online training course to prepare us and will be receiving further training from someone coming from BYU-I in a couple of weeks.  It all begins in January so we hope we are ready and hope we have a number of young people interested.  

   Elder Pew spoke in the Stretford Ward Sacrament Meeting in September and he talked about Christ being the only way back to our Father in Heaven and that we need to trust in him not in ourselves. 

  Below are photo's of many of the new YSA's that have come to Manchester in the past month.

The YSA Ward has a new Relief Society President.  This is Emily Olsen, from West Jordan who has been in Manchester just three weeks and has no place to live. She is sleeping on the couch of someone she just met until her flat is available in November. A BYU grad, she is starting her Masters at the University of Manchester . We have spent quite a bit of time with her and it's been so nice to have her here.  She found us on Facebook and we picked her up when she first got here  and got her to her temporary housing.  She served a mission in Portugal.

This is Ella from London. She was taught and baptized in London and and we met her a few weeks ago when she came to study in Manchester.  She was introduced to the church when she watched Youtube videos of the Shaytard Family.
We had no idea who these crazies from Idaho were, but have since learned.
Incidentally, she was taught and baptized by the two Elders below...who were the same Elders that were miraculously standing at Euston Train Station in London when I made the trek down to see Molly and Family back in June. These Elders happened to find a lost Senior Sister (me) and get her all the way to Earl's Court, her stop. They had baptized Ella just a few days before.  Ella and I put this together after she arrived in Manchester.
We love this story and were amazed at the connection.

Elder Cho and Elder Murdock (as posted in July)

Out to dinner with some of the new YSA's ...(Left is Susie, Anatole, Elder Pew
Emily Olsen, Amy Hickey, Sister Pew and Kieran.) 

Munch and Mingle

YSA's socialized after Sunday meetings on the 4th Sunday of each month at the Munch and Mingle. We assembled a Sandwich Bar with French loaves cut lengthwise and filled with meat and cheese. They selected their favorite and we sliced them a sandwich.  Because it was September, we had many visitors, missionaries and investigators in addition to the members.  We fed 94 YSA, leaders and Missionaries.

It was Katie Magee's birthday and Helen Smith brought a delicious layer cake to celebrate. 

A Day to Remember...or to Forget

    A few weeks ago, on a Monday,  we drove the 45 minute drive to see Hare Hill, a lovely National Trust site and garden in Macclesfield, which is about 30 minutes south of Manchester.  We took Rhianne Hoyle with us and did some research on a great lunch spot.  When we arrived in Macclesfield and found parking (Finding Parking in downtown Macclesfield is a Miracle) we went to the lunch spot but it didn't look great so we opted for a safe and sensible "Pizza Express".  (There are about 100 Pizza Express' in northern England)   After lunch we drove to Hare Hill on a long and windy road and it was CLOSED on MONDAY!  It was then that Elder Pew received a call from his driving instructor telling him that his driving test for the following Monday had been cancelled for no reason. Have we mentioned that this driving test is intense?  He will be taking it the end of October now and has a few more lessons to go.   So we drove all the way to Macclesfield to eat at Pizza Express, learn the driving test was cancelled and then decided to go to the Trafford Centre and get a Millie's Cookie.  Of course we could have done all that in Manchester in about 1/3 the time 

Green hills of Macclesfield. 

But Millie's were out of our favorite...the Toffee Cookie, and so the day to forget comes to an end.

Fall Institute Begins...

Elder Pew teaches Book of Mormon 122 on Thursday Night to about 15-20 students

This is Luke Kerr's Doctrine and Covenants class during the first hour on Thursday Institute.  Sitting in front are Fred and Damian.  It was a crowded classroom.  

Lunch and Learn

   A Wednesday Lunch and Learn class started in September and Julie makes soup and teaches  "The Gospel and the Productive Life" course.  So far, we have made Tortilla, Carrot and Coriander and Loaded Baked Potato Soups. The YSA that are nearby enjoy coming on their lunch hour to learn, eat and enjoy an hour together.  

Carrot and Coriander Soup

The class started small but has now grown to about 9.  Above is Hannah, Kieran, Beth and Ella, the initial students.  

Missionary Meetings and News

Elder Quresma  and his companion at Zone Meeting. Elder Quresma always wants to be transferred to the YSA Ward, and since he speaks Portuguese, we think he should and hope someday it happens.

We have lots of languages to offer the Book of Mormon to investigators. 

Elder Sidhu and Joulia...Sad to see Elder Sidhu's transfer to Rosendale Valley.  It won't be the same without his laugh. 

Outgoing and incoming District Leaders Sidhu and Kunzler

                                     

Sidhu Selfie

Good-bye Dinner at Nando's with YSA and Missionaries

Theses are the four Elders that have moved into the flat just below us.  The Sisters were moved a block away and these four Elders are together. This is shot over the balcony and pictures are:
top: Elder Jin (from Beijing), Elder Lybbert (from Michigan), Elder Kunzler (from Idaho and Elder Harris (from Ogden). 

We had a wonderful lunch on Sept 25 with President and Sister Preston at Boat and Horses Carvery in Oldham.  It was great to see them again. We can still call him President because he will be the new Preston MTC President in January. 

Pancake Break-the-fast

This is Amy (a new convert who also first heard of Mormons by the Shaytard Videos on Youtube ) Beth Morris, Garth and Lucy

This is Leon, not happy about waiting for his pancakes.  

Sophia Berry and her special pancake.

Mario and Kieran, two new YSA's

Emily and Sophia, part of the recently called RS presidency

Suzie and Ann Kristine from Austria.  Susie is from Chorley.  Ann Kristine works at the MTC in Chorley and goes to school in Manchester.

Jay Acanthe giving Chantel a hug. 

Matt Robinson the Ward mission leader washing up after...He gets points for this!

Elder and Sister Pew with Joanna Borges and her mum from Portugal.  (Goodness, has Elder Pew put on weight while in England?   looks like some serious dieting and exercise needs to be in his future.)

Kieran is full and happy! 

The Borges' with Sara Martin and Mario.  All 4 of these people speak Portuguese.  

After the Pancake Breakfast the Women's Broadcast was held at the Stake Center.  Cakes and Sweets were served before and the little cups are of Jello..or Jelly as they call it here. 

Walk In the City

Princess Diana Memorial Garden

We found a statue of Abraham Lincoln right near Princess Diana's garden.  Don't have a clue why it is here - did he free slaves in England also?  nah.  

The Midland Hotel is one of our favorite buildings.  These are wood carvings on the exterior.  

Lunch with Helen Smith

We went to lunch with Helen at  Slattery's at Whitefield. A Chocolate, Sweets and Bakery Heaven ! 

Relief Society Activity

An evening activity at the YSA building where the girls made little angels to put on a table topper for Relief Society.  

Time Away at the Lakes District

Apple Garth Hotel

Vine Covered House shows the change in the leaves here in England.

View across Lake Windermere on a stormy day

This Vintage Bus, The Cumbria Classic Coach, looked like it came right out of the'50's. It carried tourists around the Lake to Hawkshead, where Beatrice Potter's house is.   As you can see, it took up more than it's share of the very narrow lane on a very winding road. 

Charming houses and rock walls everywhere. 

This is Wray Castle which is a fairly new castle and owned by a wealthy surgeon, James Dawson from Liverpool.  He built the castle in 1840 and wanted a home with no leaking and wind damage.   Most of the residents at the time thought it was shameful and ostentatious.   

Wray Castle is very near to Beatrix Potter's Home. 

Ambleside, Lakes District is at the very northern tip of Lake Windemere the largest lake in the district.

100's of Bed and Breakfast Inns in Ambleside and Windemere

Narrow streets of Ambleside

Hilltop Home and garden of Beatrix Potter

Beatrix Potter and her spaniel 

Beatrix and her Peter Rabbit on a lead

 Beatrix at the entry of her home

Sister Pew at the Entry to Hill Top.  The home was lovely, but small.  It had 4 really small bedrooms, a parlor that you could touch all 4 walls with outstretched arms if you turned around, ceilings less than 7 feet high and neither the floors or doors were close to level.  But so so charming. 

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I was kind of dying that Elder Pew picked this super large leaf.  I thought we might be banned from the garden.  he accused me of being an environmentalist and reminded me that the plant can grow more leaves.

The stone home with slate roof.

Fall is here !  photo from Potter's garden.

Bed and Breakfast next door to Potter's home...beautiful begonias still in bloom. 

Garden Gate

In Bowness- on-Windermere, we toured the Blackwell Arts and Crafts House, which was designed by  Baillie Scott  for Sir Edward Holt, a wealthy Manchester Brewer. This was a retreat home built in the Craftsman Style.  It had a beautiful view of the Lake.  It is currently being restored and to fund the restoration they charge 8 pounds each to dumb tourists like us.

View of Lake Windermere in the distance

  Other Bits and Bobs....

This is the Toffee Caramel (say CAR-A-MEL) Sunday from Costco.  You don't find this in Bountiful, Utah.   It is very rich and yummy.

I think the cows in England are much larger than in the US....  and Elder Pew appreciates that I am now an expert on cows 

I love this...a little explanation that the eggs are laid by hens that are free to roam in fresh air.

These charming red mail boxes pop up everywhere and anywhere. Ever wonder what the ER stands for?  It stands for Elizabeth Regina (Regina is Latin for Queen)

We buy several bottles of this a week.  You dilute it to make a juice drink.  I have not yet learned to love it .

Face Timing with our oldest grandchild, Rex.  I had a dream that he grew taller than me by the time I got home. I know I'm fairly short but there is NO Way.. I am worried about this.  We do miss our grand kids !!

Words:   Pig's Ear- Disastrous