We finally have internet and I can update!

We have been here 11 days and it took the first 5 or 6 to get past the jet lag and start to feel normal.  The plane trip was long and we couldn't sleep at all, so we got here tired.  We went to Sacrament Meeting, then Elder Davis brought us to our flat to rest for a couple of days.

That was a little disconcerting.  Here we were, dropped off in a strange flat in London, no way to communicate and no car.  The only way to go anywhere was on the train, which we were going to have to figure out on Tuesday.  Not a restful situation.  When we did take the train back to the mission office, we got help from friendly people, learned to read the signs and made it okay.  Now we are pros - at least from here to there.  We have been back and forth several times for training, etc. It takes 55 minutes if we don't have to wait more than a couple of minutes for a train.  I'll post later about where the mission home is and it's history.  Very interesting.

Here is the building where we live.  Our front door is down to the right of that van.  That's Elder Syme in P-day attire.

Here is our front door.  The parking garage where we park our car is down that driveway at the back behind the building.

Our front door has frosted glass and I kept wanting to shut the "real door" because there is light coming through all the time. Had to get used to that.

Our flat is quite small.  There is a four foot entry way then you go right into the kitchen. It's small but efficient.  The fridge is really the two doors on the bottom, the freezer is on the left, the fridge is on the right.

On the left of the entry way is a utility closet with the washer/dryer.

To the right is the living room/dining room. It's all one nice "big" room.

The bathroom is small, but adequate.  I had to put up Command hooks to hang our towels behind the doors.

I am fascinated by the tap in the tub.  You can set the temperature on the right and then just leave it. You turn on the water on the left.  I want one of these to take home.

This is our bedroom.

We have another bedroom where our dressers and and the drying racks for laundry are.

Our flat is heated by radiators.  I was skeptical at first but they are very efficient. 

And that's where we live.  It is feeling a little homier as we settle in.  Sometime I would like to decorate a little to make it feel more like "home" but shopping right now has been for necessities. 

It is about 3 blocks from here to the stores, library, and train station.  I have walked more these last 2 weeks than I have in the last several years. I am surprised I can do it, but shouldn't be. The Lord is blessing me and helping me along.

We have had some amazing training and we are excited about sharing the new plans for family history. The work is hastening and the Spirit of Elijah is alive and well,  We just need to spread the word!  

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE FAMILY!

The Big Picture and the Spirit of Elijah

We have had wonderful training the last three days, all about The Big Picture and the Spirit of Elijah.  I am in awe that we have met with some rather high up-the-ladder people in family history with just us and one other couple in training. The other missionary couple was supposed to go to India, spent the last 6 weeks at the MTC waiting for visas, but now have been reassigned to Guam to work in FH support.  They joined  us on Tuesday. 

The four of us had a meeting at the Church Office Building this morning.  It was a video-conference meeting with Steve Rockwood, who is over all Family Search in foreign areas of the world.  What an amazing experience and opportunity!  He explained more of what we will be teaching and why.  The whole approach to family history is changing.  It's wonderful.!  

The Church has created a new booklet for families to use to record family stories. (I sat by the project manager for the booklet's development on Monday.)  They found that many members are intimidated by technology or don't have it available, so these booklets help them begin. Family consultants are to help with or even do the computer work for them.  There is so much being done to help church members get started.  It's so great for families to do it together.  It's a great plan!  I am excited! I have really felt the Spirit so strong this week!  I love the Gospel, the Spirit of Elijah and families!

Our First Week at the MTC

We have finished our first week at the MTC.  We learned a lot about how to be good missionaries and how to teach the gospel.  Most of all we learned that you can make life-long friends in a matter of a few days or even hours.  Mostly we learned that the Lord is always close by and is ready with tender-mercies whenever we need them.

I had often wondered if I would see anyone I knew here, and right away I did.  A member of the MTC presidency stood up to welcome us at orientation, and I whispered to Jerrol “I know him.” He was Richard Roach from my class in high school!  We visited a few minutes after the meeting and he remembered me too.  It was so nice to see a familiar face. Then another senior missionary came up to me, and she was also a fellow student from high school, Maxine Bowen Christensen.  It has been fun all week having her here too.  They are going to Virginia on their mission.  

We were divided into Districts, with four couples in each.  We have 3 couples and 2 sister missionaries in ours.  Elder and Sister Kempf (from Michigan) are going to California.  Elder and Sister Willie (from Lehi) are going to upstate New York.  Sister Calaway and Sister Blazer are both going to New York City and will be companions.  They hit it off immediately and will be great together.  They both come from small towns and are excited to go to the big city.   

We have met some wonderful people here, I have loved talking to them, sharing stories about families and where we are going.  We are the only ones going to England.  One couple are going to Russia, others are going to the Philippines, Honduras, Hawaii, Peru, Guatemala, Kansas, Jamaica, New York; but there are some that are staying home and serving in their own stakes. One of those couples is from here in Provo.  He is 80 years old! 

Elder and Sister Ward from Preston Idaho are one of my favorite couples.  They are a lot older and will be serving from home.  They are so much fun to talk to, very interesting.  She is in poor health so he gets her meals for her and helps her get around.  That’s why they are serving from home.  He owns an auction business, is an auctioneer (for cattle, etc.), but also restores antique trucks, tractors, has restored a covered wagon, built a stage coach from scratch, and a princess coach drawn by horses.  He brought a photo album to show what he has done.  Very impressive!  AND Jerrol found out he served his mission in Canada, in some of the same areas around Vancouver ten years earlier.  They had so much fun talking about their experiences!  I really connected with her and just love her!  I am seriously planning on going to Preston when we get back to visit them.

I met a woman in the rest room who was a volunteer at the MTC.  I could see that she was not from around here and when she began talking I could barely understand her.  I asked her where she was from and she said, “Tonga.”  I was so excited to tell her I had 2 Tongan grandsons and she was excited to hear it!  She asked me what their last name was and when I told her Pouha, she was even more excited, because she said the Pouhas were her cousins.  Then she began telling me all the history of the Tongan people from the time of Zedekiah to Mulek, then to  Hagar.  She was so enthusiastic but I could barely understand her.  I was late to my next class so couldn’t talk to her very long.  She gave me a paper with a picture of the Tongan flag and a scripture message. It was rolled up with “May God bless you on your mission.  Love, Sister Na’ati Talakia from Tonga” written on the outside.  She must be handing those out to missionaries she meets.  What a sweet sister!

What a wonderful week! We are going to Salt Lake on Sunday night for a week's training in Family History.