Count Your Many Blessings

2 April 2017

Happy Birthday today to my niece Tina Marie and on April 7 to our daughter-in-law Hilary whom we love so much!  Liz, Roger also share that day and we wish them a wonderful day!  And congratulations, Sharon, on your new granddaughter.  Blessings from heaven!

With many of you and thousands across the world, we are enjoying General Conference this weekend.  Our first session yesterday began at 5 pm, so different than what we are use to.  We will go to the home of a co-worker and enjoy Saturday afternoon session today at 1pm, return to our flat and watch Sunday morning session at 5pm and Sunday afternoon at 9 pm.  I’m grateful that technology allows us to be able to watch it at all!

Thursday was the warmest day since we came to the U.K.,
so we went for a couple mile walk. It was wonderful !

The workload only increases as we gain first-hand knowledge and understanding of the vision of Public Affairs.  It’s a wonderful mission, we only work half days . . . 8 am – 8pm  :-)  and often 6 days a week.  This past week and next week Malcolm is in Salt Lake for Conference and meetings, so it increases our load as far as phone calls and dealing with media questions (fortunately those are mostly directed to Elder Partridge), but we also have more flexibility in our schedule to get things done that are on the list of “when we have time.” 

Monday evening was shared with Elder and Sister Wills, who live in our ward and are serving a stay-at-home History Preservation Mission.  The history preservation part of their mission has been put on hold a bit by Elder Kearon as Jeannie serves as head of costume design and production for the Pageant.  They introduced us to one of their favourite restaurants, “The Orange Tree.”  They even treated us to dinner!  It was so kind of them and we enjoyed ourselves very much.

Have I mentioned our neighbors downstairs, Gordon and Ann?  They are an older couple who keeps watchful care over the complex, particularly our building.  (For anyone in my family, they are like the Gil and Nida of Solihull.  J  )  We don’t have much interaction with Ann, but Gordon sits in his chair during the day by the window, and when he wants to talk to you, he pops out and catches you when you’re coming and going.  You might say he did not attend the school for political correctness.  In no uncertain terms he told me one day what he thought should happen to the terrorist in London, AND all his relatives!  I had to keep telling myself “no political opinions, no political opinions . . .”   The other day when we were coming home from work he met us on the step to tell us that someone was sub-letting the apartment above us for a couple of months.  As only Gordon would say it, he let me know that the person who was moving in was deaf so I should “practice up my sign language skills.”  It was all I could do to refrain from laughing out loud.   Since I’ve only ever seen and never spoken with the couple that live there now, I’m not sure how much I’ll need sign language, but does anyone know of a good on-line course in case Gordon asks me?  LOL   Funny funny Gordon.

We had another travel Friday-Saturday weekend.  By the skin of our teeth, on the last day of March, we were able to attend the Preston Temple on Friday afternoon.  We are feeling the challenges of not having a temple 25 minutes away like we are so used to.  What a beautiful temple!  We both described the inside as “simple elegance”.   I had some heaviness in my heart and mind as I entered.  Wilst inside, I was prompted to “count my many blessings”  . . . and literally “name them one by one.” I won’t name them all, but just a few that came to mind:

·      A nice, comfortable flat to call home for 18 months

·      A condensing dryer

·      A dishwasher

·      We are sleeping ok in just a queen-sized bed

·      Our clothes seem to not need dry cleaning as much as when we are at home

·      We get to interact with the young missionaries (we were told we might not have much contact with them)

·      Good health and strength

·      Technology that allows me to stay connected to those I love

·      Answers to prayers when I need help with projects I am asked to complete

·      A patient companion

 I am so grateful for these tender mercies, and grateful for the prompting to recognize them.

Dinner with the Gibsons

Some of you may have seen our picture on social media of Ron and I having dinner with Colin and Judith Gibson Friday evening.  When we went on our cruise last in January 2016 to South America, we were assigned to eat dinner with three other couples. We didn’t spend time together much other than dinner, but it was fun to come together each evening and share our days.  We did go to some shows together with the Gibson and formed a connection by the end of the 12 days.  We exchanged email addresses before leaving, and communicated via email a couple of times since, but never did we think our paths would cross again.  When we found out we were coming to England for our mission, I dug through old emails to find them and told them we were coming there to live.  And where did they live?  I couldn’t remember.  They live in Manchester, which is about 90 miles from where we are, and about 30 miles from the Preston Temple.  And so it was that we were able to meet up and begin again a budding friendship.  They are delightful people.  We invited them to be our guests at the British Pageant in August, and we have already set a date in our diaries for that.  As I said with the picture, “Another coincidence?  I don’t think so.”  More like another miracle.

Saturday we held our first Spokesperson Training session in Manchester.  It was geared toward answering questions and being interviewed by the media about the upcoming Pageant.  We had nine attendees, and thanks to my awesome companion who is extremely experienced in Power Point presentations and training, we feel it was successful and had positive feedback from those attending.

The discloth project begins in the UK!

This morning we were able to watch the re-run of the show in between conference sessions that Carole Makita did last fall on “The Saints in Europe” which was predominately about when the Mormon Tabernacle Choir toured Europe last year.  When we watched it last fall it was in anticipation of serving in Europe.  As we watched it again today, it had a whole new meaning.  Many of the church people they interviewed work in Public Affairs and I have communicated with or know of them.  It featured members in the Netherlands and Belgium, both of which we will visit on assignment later this month.  And it was fun to see the news about the Paris Temple, which the open house begins next week.  A world in the church we knew nothing about a year ago has opened up to us, and I felt like watching that program opened the door even wider.  The efforts of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir to spread the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ through music and the spoken word is incredible.  I have a whole new perspective on it.  In the words of President Gordon B. Hinckley, “Isn’t it wonderful!”

We have loved conference today, as always.  So many things that have been said I think were meant for just me.  The Lord is answering my prayers at General Conference.  One of my favourite quotes:

“If you feel a little overwhelmed, take that as a good sign.  It indicates that you can sense the magnitude of the trust God placed in you.”  President Henry B. Eyring

Until next week, my friends, may your joy be full and your sorrows be few, and may we all recognize from whom all blessings flow.