The Back Row Pew: Why Does It Always Rain On Me.....

And the Beat Goes on.... We are busy doing all the things we do...Teaching Institute Classes - Book of Mormon 122, Gospel and the Productive Life and our own self-created Gospel Path class, sending out texts to YSA's and Facebook Notifications - by the hundred's. We (really just Sister Pew) still spend a fair amount of time in the kitchen but we are happy teaching and now we have a new assignment called the Pathway Program from BYU-Idaho (see below).

Fortunately we don't have the same hours as the young missionaries. Often we do not get home from the YSA building until after 10pm, sometimes after 11pm. So we don't get to bed until midnight or later. But we still get our sleep, just the other day, we slept in until 10AM. Lovely! This is definitely not our usual USA time schedule.

Elder Pew is very thankful for a tip that came from Luke Kerr's father, who lives in Scotland. You can purchase a VPN product called TunnelBear that fakes out the internet and makes it appear that your IP address is in the U.S., not in England. Then he can watch ESPN, BYU games, the Golf Channel and catch a few other TV shows. It costs about £7 per month but well worth it. He was loving BYU football this year until the QB got hurt and we learned we cannot defend against anyone that passes the ball. Oh well, basketball season is coming.

Driving Lessons are going well and the test date is near. Elder Pew is concerned but reasonably confident. But it has been hard trying to learn to do things the English way, which at times are the opposite of the American way. For example, before you signal to turn, you look into all the mirrors - we signal then look into mirrors; another example is that if no other car is around, you are not supposed to signal on a turn. And if a pedestrian is walking across the road, illegal or not and you drive up to him, you are not supposed to stop and wave them across - we guess you just run them over, but we always stop. The test is on October 25, we'll see how we do.

Elder Pew explaining Spiritual Gifts during the "Gospel Path Class", from the 7th article of faith

Sister Pew's class on Budgeting...Above is the the summary

BYI- Idaho Pathway Program

We are excited for the challenge to head up the Pathway Program beginning here in Manchester. It will be an opportunity for some members over 18 to get a University Degree, online, at a very low cost. We are going through a training online and getting ready to begin January 5th. This is an inspired program that enables people that could never come to America or Idaho and in some cases never be university educated, to get a college degree or at least some college education. It also includes religion classes (institute) that we will probably also teach.

We attended training and a fireside for 5 hours on Friday night (Oct 17, 2014) from personnel from Idaho to introduce the program. We hope many students will take advantage of this.

Elder Donaldon, Area Seventy, Brother Griffiths and Brother Hayes from BYU Idaho. That's also Elder Rasmussen in background photo bombing us. He's a great missionary and we love him!

Mission Fireside

The Mission Fireside is a tradition here in Manchester where new members tell their conversion story. October 12th, Ella Gooding spoke, told us of her conversion and bore her testimony. It was inspiring to everyone. She is one of our best converts.

YSA's at the Fireside.. From the left back: Mario, Ismael, Elder Pew, Front: Sara Martins, Matt Robinson, Ella, Kieran Jorgensen, Hannah Mee, Susie Hotchkiss, Amanda (from Brazil and not yet a member) and Debra, another non-member thus far.

Elder Johnson taught Ella here in Manchester and then she went home to London and was taught and baptized there. She has been such a blessing to the YSA Ward. After 4 months in the church, she is a counselor in the RS Presidency. We love her!

Elder Lybbert from Michigan and Elder Kunzler from Rexburg who completed his mission and left for home this week.

We love meeting up with Elder Bruder... from Germany via a year at East High as an exchange student. We take his picture every chance we get.

Halloween Is Coming...

Family Home Evening Treats! Ghost Brownies....

And Do-Nut Vampires

Christmas is Coming... Two weeks ago in the Mall

YSA NEW and OLD !

We have some great new YSA's that have moved to Manchester. Below is Susie, Frankie, Amy, Kieran, Mario and Anatole.

Here are some other faithful YSA's ...Beth Morris, Felix, Wongani and Anna Ykhlef

Good Friends, Tan Tran and Rhianne Hoyle

A Trip to Stoke-On-Trent and the Pottery District

Julie made another trip to Stoke-On-Trent to see all the china. Reed said he didn't want to see any more china so Emily Olsen accompanied her. She is the new Relief Society Pres and a Salt Laker...We had a good day.

The Burleigh Pottery Factory

Lots of Blue and White options

Emily Olsen was a great help and multi-tasked to keep in touch with classmates and ward members.

We treated ourselves to Hot Chocolate after shopping...

And Tuna Melt with Crisps...yum !

A Proper English Sunday Dinner with the Saunders

We were invited to Brother and Sister Saunders of the Stretford Ward for dinner two weeks ago. We had a lovely meal of Gamman, mashed potato, roasted potato, Carrots, Peas, and Lemon Drizzle Cake and Ginger Fudge Cake. It was delicious and they are such great company!

Their pretty garden...

Sunday dinner with Sophia Berry, Helen Smith, Avril Saunders, John Saunders and Matt Robinson (and Elder Pew)

Some Mysteries of England...

We are still getting used to the English plugs and how they work. There are little buttons that must be pushed to have power in each socket.

There is also a power switch for the Hob (Stove)

Bathroom Light switches are always outside the bathroom.

There are no outlets in the bathrooms. This has taken some getting used to. How have I not been electrocuted in my lifetime?

There is no central heating but each room has one or two of these little portable heaters that must be turned off and on.

Tan In Training.... He Needs Volunteers and I Obliged

One of our YSA, Tan Tran, has decided to learn the family business. I spent a morning at Hana's Nails while his mum trained him to refine his nail tech skills. I was an eager volunteer.

Dinner out at Red Chile

We had a Friday Night date to Red Chile, a highly recommended chinese restaurant. There were some interesting choices on the menu. (See below)We asked if they had some simple and safe Sweet and Sour Chicken and they said yes ...they just don't put it on the menu.

Semi-Annual Chinese Activity in Liverpool

Twice a year the England Manchester Mission puts on a Chinese Activity. On Saturday October 18th the activity was held in Liverpool. There is a very large Chinese Speaking Community within the mission boundaries and many who refer to themselves as British Chinese. England is also a place where the Chinese send their students to a University, where the schools gladly welcome them and their £15,000 annual tuition. There are approximately 79,000 Chinese studying in the UK. For all you math wizards, that's almost £1.2 billion per year. The activity provided food, games and socializing for about 100 Chinese members and investigators. Senior Couples were asked to prepare food for the event. A local member donated all the food and we were asked to heat it up and bring it to Liverpool.

Packages of Frozen Chinese Food.

Loading Sweet and Sour Chicken, Chicken with Black Bean Sauce and Ham Fried Rice into the back of our little Vauxhall Meriva.

Senior Sister Missionaries...Sister Cordin, Sister Hill, Sister Shaw, Sister Butler, Sister Stevenson and Sister Pew

A few of the Elder Elders...Elder Cordin, Elder Shaw, Elder Pew and Elder Stevenson

Chinese Speaking Elders Curtis and Webb taste the food.

A table of Chinese members with Evangaline from the YSA Ward in the front on the left.

Missionaries for Sunday Dinner

We had a Sunday Dinner with our four Elders who live downstairs from us. Elder Lybbert, Elder Kunzler, Elder Jin and Elder Harris enjoyed Pork Loin, Roasted Vegetables and Potatoes, Green Salad and Brownie Sundaes.

Ashton Chapel 50th Anniversary

On Sunday October 19th we drove to Ashton-Under-Lyne to attend the 50th Anniversary Fireside for the Ashton Stake Centre. The members had a weekend of festivities and this was the culmination event and included a video presentation, speakers and music. It was a great sacrifice for the members to build this building and they spoke of the difficulties they went through to construct it and the gratitude for it. (Do we have Anniversary Celebrations for our buildings in Utah? We should!)

This song is like a National Anthem for England and we stood and sang this song, twice, at the meeting. It is an old English hymn referring to a legend that Jesus, as a youth, came to Britain with Joseph of Arimathaea. It has been sung in the EMM for many years.

Other Bits and Bobs...

Treacle is something I've never cooked or baked with but I may try it. it's sort of like molasses, sweet in a weird way.

I found these Orla Kiely shoes that look like something I had in the '60's. I had to have them.

Tickets to the Sin Party were being passed out on Oxford Road today. You can exchange an "I'm A Mormon" card for a Sin Party Ticket.

This may look like a Paris Patisserie but it is in Manchesta... on Oxford Road

Whenever you go to a National Trust Site, they give you a little souvenir momento.

We buy this cheese at a high price at Costo in the US but it is from a Farm just up the road from here... Very reasonable all year round.

As a little girl, Julie loved the story, Little Black Sambo. When the tigers circled so fast they turned into butter; it was always called GHEE. Well here it is GHEE at Costco.