Missionary Journal
England (Wks 1 and 2 March 2009)
Sunday, 01 March 2009
Good day today. Fast and Testimony Meeting was great and my YSA lesson went well. Walt taught the 8-12 year-olds in Primary. He was asked as we walked into Fast and Testimony (no time to prepare anything). His comment as he walked out was, “They’re animals.” Poor baby!
He came into my class to get some pictures for his class and made the comment, “Looks like a Priesthood class.” (I had 7 young men ages 18 to about 25.)
This evening we had Brother and Sister Webb (he’s 1st Counselor in the Branch Presidency) over for dinner. I served baked chicken in a white wine sauce with chives, broccoli, carrots, and corn bread. I made a mess with the corn bread; I put way too much batter in the pan and it spread out and over and onto the bottom of the oven. I’ll bet Walt wants me to clean it up. Yuk! After dinner we tried out the loaner projector and it worked, so my next Relief Society lesson will use the projector. He said they are starting to get a little worried over having to replace us when we leave (of course the last senior missionaries only were here 3 months due to illness that was serious enough they had to return to the US). We’ve only been here about 2-1/2 months. We’re hoping to be in this branch our whole mission, but you never know. Our Mission President is leaving in July and so are the sisters working in the Mission Office. We were trained at the MTC to be office workers, but what we are doing gives us so much more growth.
Monday, 02 March 2009
Today was “P” day and we decided it was time to do some work with pruning the plants in the garden (backyard) and the front of the flat. In the garden we have what is going to a huge, lovely hydrangea (it’s already got small buds on it). We also have fuchsias that look like a bunch of dead sticks. Our neighbor, Betty, told us they needed to be pruned way back. I got on YouTube and found a couple of videos about pruning fuchsias. We did all the pruning necessary in the garden and then went around front. When we started mucking about with the fuchsias there, we found that the soil around the plants was like modeling clay (sticky and with about the same feel as silly putty). We went to Value House (which is also a garden store) and bought some soil conditioner, Miracle Grow, and some primroses to plant to give us a little color. I also had four roses that I bought a week ago (two bushes and two climbing). We tore everything out of the planter on the left side of the flat, took out all the modeling clay we could find and mixed in the soil conditioner. Then we planted the two rose bushes, put back in two fuchsias and filled in with primroses. We put the two climbing roses in the area between Betty’s flat and ours. As we were finishing the rain was starting, so I didn’t take the pictures I meant to. I’ll take some tomorrow.
Tuesday, 03 March 2009
Today was one of those days when nothing went quite right. Our appointments didn’t pan out. I also did some really stupid, klutzy things. It was like Friday the 13th. First I got the “white screen of death” on my laptop (really scary), second, I went over to the couch where Walt had been sitting to pick up the phone (without my glasses) and knocked over a full glass of orange juice that he had sitting on the floor (all over the carpet and couch), then third I broke a glass in the sink. Well, I made Walt clean up the orange juice, I picked up the glass and put it in the garbage, and Walt went to the chapel and used their computer to find a UK number for Dell and they got the laptop running. After Walt came home, the computer still was having trouble, so we called India again and they installed an update on the BIOS which seems to have cleared up the problems (which is good – I have the programs for both this week’s baptisms and my Relief Society and Sunday School lessons in the computer. Stress, but nothing compared to what I used to have at work!!
I didn’t get out to take pictures of the flowers because it was raining. In fact, this evening was a deluge with a nasty high wind. I hope my flowers are still here in th
e morning.
Wednesday, 04 March 2009
First thing this morning we hosted the Elders while they checked out a Church DVD to see if they wanted to play it for an investigator. Then we left to take a skirt to a sister who wants to come back to church. As we were leaving I took pictures of the primroses – poor beaten little things (and they looked so good on Monday). Hopefully they will keep blooming. The roses looked good though (no blooms yet).
This evening we had Brother and Sister Webb (he’s 1st Counselor in the Branch Presidency) over for dinner. I served baked chicken in a white wine sauce with chives, broccoli, carrots, and corn bread. I made a mess with the corn bread; I put way too much batter in the pan and it spread out and over and onto the bottom of the oven. I’ll bet Walt wants me to clean it up. Yuk! After dinner we tried out the loaner projector and it worked, so my next Relief Society lesson will use the projector. He said they are starting to get a little worried over having to replace us when we leave (of course the last senior missionaries only were here 3 months due to illness that was serious enough they had to return to the US). We’ve only been here about 2-1/2 months. We’re hoping to be in this branch our whole mission, but you never know. Our Mission President is leaving in July and so are the sisters working in the Mission Office. We were trained at the MTC to be office workers, but what we are doing gives us so much more growth.
Monday, 02 March 2009
Today was “P” day and we decided it was time to do some work with pruning the plants in the garden (backyard) and the front of the flat. In the garden we have what is going to a huge, lovely hydrangea (it’s already got small buds on it). We also have fuchsias that look like a bunch of dead sticks. Our neighbor, Betty, told us they needed to be pruned way back. I got on YouTube and found a couple of videos about pruning fuchsias. We did all the pruning necessary in the garden and then went around front. When we started mucking about with the fuchsias there, we found that the soil around the plants was like modeling clay (sticky and with about the same feel as silly putty). We went to Value House (which is also a garden store) and bought some soil conditioner, Miracle Grow, and some primroses to plant to give us a little color. I also had four roses that I bought a week ago (two bushes and two climbing). We tore everything out of the planter on the left side of the flat, took out all the modeling clay we could find and mixed in the soil conditioner. Then we planted the two rose bushes, put back in two fuchsias and filled in with primroses. We put the two climbing roses in the area between Betty’s flat and ours. As we were finishing the rain was starting, so I didn’t take the pictures I meant to. I’ll take some tomorrow.
Tuesday, 03 March 2009
Today was one of those days when nothing went quite right. Our appointments didn’t pan out. I also did some really stupid, klutzy things. It was like Friday the 13th. First I got the “white screen of death” on my laptop (really scary), second, I went over to the couch where Walt had been sitting to pick up the phone (without my glasses) and knocked over a full glass of orange juice that he had sitting on the floor (all over the carpet and couch), then third I broke a glass in the sink. Well, I made Walt clean up the orange juice, I picked up the glass and put it in the garbage, and Walt went to the chapel and used their computer to find a UK number for Dell and they got the laptop running. After Walt came home, the computer still was having trouble, so we called India again and they installed an update on the BIOS which seems to have cleared up the problems (which is good – I have the programs for both this week’s baptisms and my Relief Society and Sunday School lessons in the computer. Stress, but nothing compared to what I used to have at work!!
I didn’t get out to take pictures of the flowers because it was raining. In fact, this evening was a deluge with a nasty high wind. I hope my flowers are still here in th
e morning.Wednesday, 04 March 2009
First thing this morning we hosted the Elders while they checked out a Church DVD to see if they wanted to play it for an investigator. Then we left to take a skirt to a sister who wants to come back to church. As we were leaving I took pictures of the primroses – poor beaten little things (and they looked so good on Monday). Hopefully they will keep blooming. The roses looked good though (no blooms yet).
I finished preparing my YSA class for this Sunday – the Organization of the Church and worked on my Relief Society lesson (Finding Joy in the Journey).
Tomorrow is Zone Meeting in Poole (we leave at 7:00 am and return after 5:00 pm. Then we have Missionary Correlation Meeting and dinner at 6:30.
Thursday, 05 March 2009
Today was Zone Meeting, which usually starts at 10:30 or so in the morning. We were watching the weather and knew it was supposed to snow AGAIN. They keep telling me it doesn’t snow in Weymouth. I really don’t believe them. Nevertheless, as we left the flat, I took a picture of my newly planted primroses. Poor things – they are doomed - must be my black thumb again.
Thursday, 05 March 2009
Today was Zone Meeting, which usually starts at 10:30 or so in the morning. We were watching the weather and knew it was supposed to snow AGAIN. They keep telling me it doesn’t snow in Weymouth. I really don’t believe them. Nevertheless, as we left the flat, I took a picture of my newly planted primroses. Poor things – they are doomed - must be my black thumb again.
We started out early and picked up the Elders. There are only two ways out of Weymouth to go to Poole (which is east pretty much along the coast). You can either go the coast route (which is shorter but takes longer because of the size of the roads) or over Dorchester Road which is the long way around but takes less time because so much of the driving is done on a motor way (4-lane road). We waited almost until 9:00 am in a queue at the first roundabout on the way to the Dorchester Road before turning around. The Elders decided to take the 10:00 am train to Poole and then walk the couple of miles to the chapel. NOTE: I wasn’t too thrilled about walking that distance in the snow. We dropped the Elders off and went back to Dorchester Road and tried again. We actually got a few miles further this time before Walt finally turned around to try the coast route. By that time we had been told that Zone Meeting wouldn’t start until noon. Unfortunately, there was an accident on the coast route and so we turned around again. 
At about 10:45 we got word (on the radio) that the Dorchester Road route was open but slow going around the hairpin turn you have to traverse to get out of Weymouth.
Fortunately, we made it and as you can see, they weather got better as we moved farther east. By the time we got to Poole and the chapel, the roads there were in pretty decent condition and the church parking lot was just water and melting snow. The sky was beautiful and blue and the pastures and fields were a lovely, clean white.
The topic for Zone Meeting was a talk prepared by President Ezra Taft Benson and read by President Gordon B. Hinckley (who was 1st Counselor at the time) entitled “Beware of Pride.” The portion of the talk that I liked the best was 3 paragraphs that President Swinton titled “A Damning Sin”:
“Pride is a damning sin in the true sense of that word. It limits or stops progression. The proud are not easily taught. They won’t change their minds to accept truths, because to do so implies they have been wrong.
“Pride adversely affects all our relationships—our relationship with God and His servants, between husband and wife, parent and child, employer and employee, teacher and student, and all mankind. Our degree of pride determines how we treat our God and our brothers and sisters. Christ wants to lift us to where He is. Do we desire to do the same for others?
“Pride fades our feelings of sonship to God and brotherhood to man. It separates and divides us by “ranks,” according to our “riches” and our “chances for learning.” Unity is impossible for a proud people, and unless we are one we are not the Lord’s.
The supporting scripture for these words that I liked best was:
Moses 7:18 - And the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them.
I often think of Enoch and his city being translated and imagine how wonderful it would be if the world was like that city where everybody loved and cared about everybody else and there was no contention because we all had the same goals.
Sister Swinton had something she had to do, so she did not come to Zone Meeting. Instead the 1st Counselor in the Mission Presidency, President Irwin, came. He did a couple of fun things that had a correlation with the topic. President Irwin asked how much effort we need to put into missionary work to have good results. Walt said 100% and I said 110%. (Delight would say, “Yes, she is an over achiever.”) Then we discussed what we needed to be really good missionaries. The first idea was Hard Work (which was exactly what President Irwin was looking for). So he lined up the ABCs and put the numbers 1-26 below them, with A=1 and Z=26. He put the words “Hard Work” on the board and assigned the appropriate numbers to each letter in the two words. Unfortunately, Hard Work only adds up to 98%. Meaning we fall just a little short of 100%. He then asked what else we needed. Some of the ideas from the elders were Focus, Courage, Desire, etc. President Irwin said we could call that “Attitude.” Assigning the appropriate numbers to Attitude gave us 100%. Therefore, if we hard work and have the right attitude we get what is needed to be successful missionaries. However, to keep the sisters happy, he asked what might be needed to give us the right attitude. We finally got it down to the “Love of God.” And you know it; putting the words “Love of God” on the board and assigning appropriate numbers to the letters, you get 101% (not quite the 110% I wanted, but better than 100%).
The second exercise was one I’ve never seen before:
+ = a good action
- = a bad action
0 = no action
Therefore:
A + for a - = godliness (translation: A good action for a bad action = godliness)
A + for a 0 = kindliness (translation: A good action for a no action = kindliness)
A + for a + = friendliness (translation: A good action for a good action = friendliness)
A 0 for a - = cowardliness (translation: A no action for a bad action = cowardliness)
A 0 for a 0 = lifelessness (translation: A no action for a no action = lifelessness)
A 0 for a + = thoughtlessness (translation: A no action for a good action = thoughtlessness)
A – for a - = childishness (translation: A bad action for a bad action = childishness)
A – of a 0 = meanness (translation: A bad action for a no action = meanness)
A – for a + = devilishness (translation: A bad action for a good action = devilishness)
Matthew 16:17-22
17 ¶ Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover?
18 And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover at thy house with my disciples.
19 And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them; and they made ready the passover.
20 Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve.
21 And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.
22 And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I?
“Pride is a damning sin in the true sense of that word. It limits or stops progression. The proud are not easily taught. They won’t change their minds to accept truths, because to do so implies they have been wrong.
“Pride adversely affects all our relationships—our relationship with God and His servants, between husband and wife, parent and child, employer and employee, teacher and student, and all mankind. Our degree of pride determines how we treat our God and our brothers and sisters. Christ wants to lift us to where He is. Do we desire to do the same for others?
“Pride fades our feelings of sonship to God and brotherhood to man. It separates and divides us by “ranks,” according to our “riches” and our “chances for learning.” Unity is impossible for a proud people, and unless we are one we are not the Lord’s.
The supporting scripture for these words that I liked best was:
Moses 7:18 - And the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them.
I often think of Enoch and his city being translated and imagine how wonderful it would be if the world was like that city where everybody loved and cared about everybody else and there was no contention because we all had the same goals.
Sister Swinton had something she had to do, so she did not come to Zone Meeting. Instead the 1st Counselor in the Mission Presidency, President Irwin, came. He did a couple of fun things that had a correlation with the topic. President Irwin asked how much effort we need to put into missionary work to have good results. Walt said 100% and I said 110%. (Delight would say, “Yes, she is an over achiever.”) Then we discussed what we needed to be really good missionaries. The first idea was Hard Work (which was exactly what President Irwin was looking for). So he lined up the ABCs and put the numbers 1-26 below them, with A=1 and Z=26. He put the words “Hard Work” on the board and assigned the appropriate numbers to each letter in the two words. Unfortunately, Hard Work only adds up to 98%. Meaning we fall just a little short of 100%. He then asked what else we needed. Some of the ideas from the elders were Focus, Courage, Desire, etc. President Irwin said we could call that “Attitude.” Assigning the appropriate numbers to Attitude gave us 100%. Therefore, if we hard work and have the right attitude we get what is needed to be successful missionaries. However, to keep the sisters happy, he asked what might be needed to give us the right attitude. We finally got it down to the “Love of God.” And you know it; putting the words “Love of God” on the board and assigning appropriate numbers to the letters, you get 101% (not quite the 110% I wanted, but better than 100%).
The second exercise was one I’ve never seen before:
+ = a good action
- = a bad action
0 = no action
Therefore:
A + for a - = godliness (translation: A good action for a bad action = godliness)
A + for a 0 = kindliness (translation: A good action for a no action = kindliness)
A + for a + = friendliness (translation: A good action for a good action = friendliness)
A 0 for a - = cowardliness (translation: A no action for a bad action = cowardliness)
A 0 for a 0 = lifelessness (translation: A no action for a no action = lifelessness)
A 0 for a + = thoughtlessness (translation: A no action for a good action = thoughtlessness)
A – for a - = childishness (translation: A bad action for a bad action = childishness)
A – of a 0 = meanness (translation: A bad action for a no action = meanness)
A – for a + = devilishness (translation: A bad action for a good action = devilishness)
Matthew 16:17-22
17 ¶ Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover?
18 And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover at thy house with my disciples.
19 And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them; and they made ready the passover.
20 Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve.
21 And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.
22 And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I?
Then the focus of the exercise: Master is it I? How do I behave? Hopefully, we are in the top three (A + for any action given to us.)
It was a good meeting!!
Fortunately, the drive home was no problem as the snow was gone on the roads with just a little still on the sides of the road and where there was lots of shade.
We (the Elders and Walt and I) had dinner with Brother Hutchings, the Branch Missionary Leader, and talked over the baptisms we were expecting to have this weekend. Unfortunately, it looks like we will only have one baptism since Jaymie Godwin wants to have his dad there and it doesn’t look like he can make it this weekend. However, we still have one (Dave Smith) and we are happy.
Saturday, 07 March 2009
Worked on my YSA lesson and got the programs for the Dave’s baptism printed.
Sunday, 08 March 2009
My lesson went well and I helped in Primary the 3rd hour. At 1:30 we had the baptism of David James Smith (the first baptism in the Weymouth Branch since 2007). We held the main portion of the baptism in the chapel and this is Dave (in front) and Brother Levi (2nd Counselor in the Branch Presidency in back) coming out of the chapel and heading down the hall to the font. It was a very nice baptismal service and Dave looked so very happy. He has been attending the Branch for about 4 years and seeing seriously a young woman (Katie MacKay who is our organist and a counselor in Primary). He is a nice young man who has been coming to my Gospel Doctrine class this year.
Fortunately all is not lost. Jaymie is being baptized next Sunday after church. Our third baptism for this month has moved out to Easter. I’ll talk about that later.
Monday, 09 March 2009
Today was “P” day and we did laundry (every week) and I worked on a presentation of the History of Relief Society that I will be giving this Friday (the 13th) at the Relief Society Birthday Party. I first presented this at the Stake a couple of years ago at the Young Women Transition to Relief Society and then again at a San Lorenzo Valley Enrichment meeting when Debbie Hencke was still ward Relief Society President.
The facts in this document are wonderful. Do you know that in 1918 at the close of World War I, the Relief Society sold 205,518 bushels ($412,000) of their wheat storage to the U.S. Government? Then in 1956, the Relief Society Building was dedicated; built entirely by member donations ($500,000). And in 1978, the Relief Society transferred 266,291 bushels of wheat and nearly 2 million dollars in assets to the First Presidency for use in the Welfare program. These were awesome women. I vaguely remember what $2 million was worth in 1978 (a whole bunch of 2009 dollars).
We went out to dry our clothes and while we were there I received a telephone call from a sister who was in tears (a good friend that she had fought cancer with died and she found out today). I spoke with her for quite a while and when we went over to ASDA I bought some white tulips and we took them to her. I promised I would go with her tomorrow after District Meeting to see her friend’s body for closure. I’m glad I can be here for her.
Tuesday, 10 March 2009
This morning was District Meeting in Poole. Since it’s only a couple of weeks before transfers, we took pictures. Left to right we have Elder and Sister Reimers (Weymouth), Elder Kuse and Elder Harding (Yeovil), and Elder Ellsworth and Elder Crockett (Weymouth).
It was a good meeting!!
Fortunately, the drive home was no problem as the snow was gone on the roads with just a little still on the sides of the road and where there was lots of shade.
We (the Elders and Walt and I) had dinner with Brother Hutchings, the Branch Missionary Leader, and talked over the baptisms we were expecting to have this weekend. Unfortunately, it looks like we will only have one baptism since Jaymie Godwin wants to have his dad there and it doesn’t look like he can make it this weekend. However, we still have one (Dave Smith) and we are happy.
Saturday, 07 March 2009
Worked on my YSA lesson and got the programs for the Dave’s baptism printed.
Sunday, 08 March 2009
My lesson went well and I helped in Primary the 3rd hour. At 1:30 we had the baptism of David James Smith (the first baptism in the Weymouth Branch since 2007). We held the main portion of the baptism in the chapel and this is Dave (in front) and Brother Levi (2nd Counselor in the Branch Presidency in back) coming out of the chapel and heading down the hall to the font. It was a very nice baptismal service and Dave looked so very happy. He has been attending the Branch for about 4 years and seeing seriously a young woman (Katie MacKay who is our organist and a counselor in Primary). He is a nice young man who has been coming to my Gospel Doctrine class this year.
Fortunately all is not lost. Jaymie is being baptized next Sunday after church. Our third baptism for this month has moved out to Easter. I’ll talk about that later.
Monday, 09 March 2009
Today was “P” day and we did laundry (every week) and I worked on a presentation of the History of Relief Society that I will be giving this Friday (the 13th) at the Relief Society Birthday Party. I first presented this at the Stake a couple of years ago at the Young Women Transition to Relief Society and then again at a San Lorenzo Valley Enrichment meeting when Debbie Hencke was still ward Relief Society President.
The facts in this document are wonderful. Do you know that in 1918 at the close of World War I, the Relief Society sold 205,518 bushels ($412,000) of their wheat storage to the U.S. Government? Then in 1956, the Relief Society Building was dedicated; built entirely by member donations ($500,000). And in 1978, the Relief Society transferred 266,291 bushels of wheat and nearly 2 million dollars in assets to the First Presidency for use in the Welfare program. These were awesome women. I vaguely remember what $2 million was worth in 1978 (a whole bunch of 2009 dollars).
We went out to dry our clothes and while we were there I received a telephone call from a sister who was in tears (a good friend that she had fought cancer with died and she found out today). I spoke with her for quite a while and when we went over to ASDA I bought some white tulips and we took them to her. I promised I would go with her tomorrow after District Meeting to see her friend’s body for closure. I’m glad I can be here for her.
Tuesday, 10 March 2009
This morning was District Meeting in Poole. Since it’s only a couple of weeks before transfers, we took pictures. Left to right we have Elder and Sister Reimers (Weymouth), Elder Kuse and Elder Harding (Yeovil), and Elder Ellsworth and Elder Crockett (Weymouth).
In this picture the elders were clowning around; they aren’t always serious except when they are working – then they always are very focused and serious about doing the Lord’s work.
Left to Right: Elder Harding, Elder Kuse, Elder Ellsworth, and Elder Crockett.
After the meeting was over we took Elders Kuse and Crockett (they were going on splits for the day and evening) back to Elders Kuse’s and Harding’s flat to do a flat review. We have a two-page checklist for checking the flats and cars. It wasn’t too bad, but it seems all the flats have a mould problem (sure enough they did (all the window sills). I guess that’s what you get in such a damp climate. Walt bought himself a long-handled brush that he uses on the tiles at the sink and in the shower and it seems to keep the mould down pretty good (it’s a wonder what a little thick bleach can do).
We had Brother and Sister Walker over for dinner this evening. I really am enjoying having people over. Although, I really am spoiled with my dining room table and chairs and a dining room in California compared to our kitchen here. The one thing good about this flat is that it cleans quickly because there is so little to clean. As you can see, the table when you set it up for 4 leaves me on the end where I can get into the refrigerator (behind the blue kitchen towel), put things into the sink, or with one step get something out of the oven. The white appliance isn’t a dishwasher; it’s a clothes washer (without a dryer as you’ve been told before).
Left to Right: Elder Harding, Elder Kuse, Elder Ellsworth, and Elder Crockett.
After the meeting was over we took Elders Kuse and Crockett (they were going on splits for the day and evening) back to Elders Kuse’s and Harding’s flat to do a flat review. We have a two-page checklist for checking the flats and cars. It wasn’t too bad, but it seems all the flats have a mould problem (sure enough they did (all the window sills). I guess that’s what you get in such a damp climate. Walt bought himself a long-handled brush that he uses on the tiles at the sink and in the shower and it seems to keep the mould down pretty good (it’s a wonder what a little thick bleach can do).
We had Brother and Sister Walker over for dinner this evening. I really am enjoying having people over. Although, I really am spoiled with my dining room table and chairs and a dining room in California compared to our kitchen here. The one thing good about this flat is that it cleans quickly because there is so little to clean. As you can see, the table when you set it up for 4 leaves me on the end where I can get into the refrigerator (behind the blue kitchen towel), put things into the sink, or with one step get something out of the oven. The white appliance isn’t a dishwasher; it’s a clothes washer (without a dryer as you’ve been told before). 
Now you can see the other end of the kitchen. It works.
Wednesday, 11 March 2009
Today I tried my hand at making jam tarts. They are really just shortbread cookies either rolled and cut out or rolled in a ball and mashed in the center so you can put preserves or lemon curd in the depression before you cook them. I bought a wood rolling pin that makes a really good depression in the dough. Walt ate all the slightly burned cookies and I took the remainder (a whole plate) over to the Enrichment Potluck Luncheon. There were only five of us, but two were less actives (wonderful!) We ate and talked and laughed until after 2:00 pm.
At 4:30 we had the Elders over for dinner (we can only feed them once a week and I usually take whatever day they don’t have other appointments). Elder Ellsworth really loves my chili and cornbread; so that is what I made along with brownies and custard for dessert. Everybody pours custard over most every dessert and it is wonderful (you buy it in the stores). They ate so much; we just about had to roll them out the door when they left (see the two elders on the couch). They really were good (just clowning around – they know exactly how long they can stay at a dinner appointment); they each gave us a spiritual thought right after I gave them one (I read a story out of the Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, Chapter 7 that I call “Stu-boy that I am planning to use for my Gospel Doctrine lesson Sunday on “The Field is White Already to Harvest). I have always been of the opinion that ole Parley was the greatest missionary in the Church.
Today I tried my hand at making jam tarts. They are really just shortbread cookies either rolled and cut out or rolled in a ball and mashed in the center so you can put preserves or lemon curd in the depression before you cook them. I bought a wood rolling pin that makes a really good depression in the dough. Walt ate all the slightly burned cookies and I took the remainder (a whole plate) over to the Enrichment Potluck Luncheon. There were only five of us, but two were less actives (wonderful!) We ate and talked and laughed until after 2:00 pm.
At 4:30 we had the Elders over for dinner (we can only feed them once a week and I usually take whatever day they don’t have other appointments). Elder Ellsworth really loves my chili and cornbread; so that is what I made along with brownies and custard for dessert. Everybody pours custard over most every dessert and it is wonderful (you buy it in the stores). They ate so much; we just about had to roll them out the door when they left (see the two elders on the couch). They really were good (just clowning around – they know exactly how long they can stay at a dinner appointment); they each gave us a spiritual thought right after I gave them one (I read a story out of the Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, Chapter 7 that I call “Stu-boy that I am planning to use for my Gospel Doctrine lesson Sunday on “The Field is White Already to Harvest). I have always been of the opinion that ole Parley was the greatest missionary in the Church.Thursday, 12 March 2009
Today we decided to visit all the members on Portland Island (with the exception of the Webs and Walkers, who were here for dinner one each of the last two Sundays). That gave us 10 visits for today. When we were at the top of the hill overlooking Portland and then Weymouth (way in the distance), we took this picture.
We met and visited with many of the members and I (as usual) took quite a few pictures of flowers. It seems no matter where you look at the time of the year, there are daffodils, narcissus, or primroses.
I did see my first cluster of shamrocks growing in and around a fence. I guess I expected I would see more here as they are supposed to be from Ireland which is not too awfully far away. We came home about 5:00 pm, had dinner, and left for the Poole Stake Center to attend Stake Auxiliary Training (Walt is Sunday School President). We got home a little after 10:00 and passed out.
Friday, 13 March 2009
Today seemed to be a really good day (not very Friday the 13th like). Our vision for the day was to visit all 7 of the members out in the Bridport area. Our first visit was with a sister in Portsham. As you can see, she doesn’t have much of a front yard. In fact, I was more than a little worried about getting to see her. We missed her on the way into Bridport, but caught her on the way back.
Today seemed to be a really good day (not very Friday the 13th like). Our vision for the day was to visit all 7 of the members out in the Bridport area. Our first visit was with a sister in Portsham. As you can see, she doesn’t have much of a front yard. In fact, I was more than a little worried about getting to see her. We missed her on the way into Bridport, but caught her on the way back.
As we drove along the very, very beautiful coastline of South Western England, I couldn’t pass up taking more pictures. That is the ocean you see meeting the sky where the fields come down to a point in the middle of the picture. 
This next picture shows more fields and a circular copse of trees on top of the hills.
Then again, almost everywhere you look as you get out of the mountains you see daffodils. This is the River Brede and all the lighter spots are clumps of daffidils..jpg)
The next sister we went to see lived at Whitehaven in Southover, Burton Bradstock, which is a little village a few miles short of Bridport. No house number, just the name. When we were there we encountered the BIGGEST bumble bee (honey bee?) I’ve ever seen. For those of you who don’t know, I am allergic to bee stings and have a healthy aversion to bees. This bee was close to as big around as my thumb. You can see his little butt there in the picture. You poor people reading this blog; you get everything I want to remember.
From Burton Bradstock we headed to Beaminster to meet the Brookes family. Walt decided he wanted to take some back roads (and that was exactly what we got). I took this picture out the windshield so you could see the road. It was one lane and the hedgerows weren’t quite scraping the car on both sides as we went along. Unfortunately we met more than one or two cars and the Royal Mail. Fortunately, Walt is getting pretty good with our little blue stick shift and backing up. We met with Sister Brookes and realized we don’t have the foggiest idea why they are in Weymouth Branch. They are 10 miles from Yeovil (which has a ward) and 30 miles from Weymouth. Her husband called while we were there and she told him the “elder missionary couple” was visiting. I know we are the “senior missionary couple” but I don’t know if we’re that old to deserve the designation elder (for those who don’t know, Walt will be 65 on 31 March – I guess elder describes him [not me]).We spent so much time navigating small one-lane roads that we didn’t get to 3 families. Oh, well, there’s always tomorrow.
This evening was the Relief Society Birthday Party. Walt and I got there at 6:30 pm so I could make sure my computer worked with the projector (we had to change video card drivers due to the issues with the laptop). Sure enough it didn’t, so Walt had to run back to the flat and find another driver that would work but wouldn’t crash the laptop. I can’t wait until his laptop gets here and this can go off to Dell to fix it. 
The food was wonderful – a baked potato bar (although the English call them “jacket potatoes”). As toppings we had Coronation Chicken (which is a light curry chicken dish), Spaghetti Bolognaise (sauce only no noodles), and Ratatouille (very good). No sour cream or bacon or chives. Dessert was homemade hazelnut cheesecake, chocolate cake with raspberries and hazelnuts, rhubarb crumble (like a crisp) with warm custard, and some other things. After we had stuffed ourselves, I did my presentation on the History of Relief Society, we had a prayer, cleaned up, and left for home.
It is now very late for an “elder” missionary. Good night.
Saturday, 14 March 2009
We were up and out this morning to go and support the Primary Activity for this month. Our Primary President combines Activity Days and th
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e Quarterly Primary Activity all into one.Just so I remember, from left to right starting in the back are: Nathan Walker, Daniel Dadds, Esther Kagi, Cody Levi, Lizzie Whitthread, Luke Dadds, Rosina Whitthread; front left to right: Orson Drinkwater, Elliott Rowbotham, and Mia Levi. The sister sitting in the top left corner behind the children is Sister Bev Webb who is the Enrichment Counselor in Relief Society and wife of the First Counselor in the Branch Presidency.
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This is Sister Ros Rowbotham our Primary President.
For this activity, we broke into older and younger groups. Sister Rowbotham took the older group, and Sister Webb and Angelina Whitthread (who is 12) helped me with the younger children. First we did homemade Crunch Bars (using a big bar of Nestlé’s Milk Chocolate for each child melted in the microwave with as much Rice Krispies as we could mix in, then put them in muffin cups (each child made 6) in muffin tins and let them cool in the refrigerator while we went on to other things. Next, we played a bean-bag game that was fun for everyone (including the adults). Then we made Mother’s Day cards. “Mothering” Day is next Sunday (just a little short of the States). When that was done we put the cards and some chocolates into a lovely pink gift bags, covered the Crunch Bar muffins with cling wrap and put those in the gift bag also. It turned out to be a fun time and used just the right amount of time we had for the activity. Sister Rowbotham is a very organized person and had everything thought out just right. The older children made Family Home Evening (FHE) packets so that they could do several FHEs with their families. Not only that, but the Primary has scheduled to do a FHE at the Branch for everybody in the next couple of weeks.
By the time that activity was over, Walter was not feeling good (he had been at the chapel doing “clerk-type” things). So we headed home and I postponed the sister who was coming for dinner that evening. Hopefully, he will feel well enough to make it to church tomorrow.
The Elders came over to finalize the program for tomorrow’s baptism (a 12-year-old who has been waiting a long time to get baptized). I updated and printed 25 copies of the program and gave them to the Elders just in case we didn’t get to church (by that time I had a headache also) and got one of the Elders to agree to teach my Gospel Doctrine class if needed.
Sunday, 15 March 2009
Fortunately, after a pretty good sleep last night, I was feeling fine this morning. However, I can’t say the same about Walt. Whatever he has seems to be in his chest and, you know men, he doesn’t want to go to the doctor. He did take us (me and the Elders) to church.
For this activity, we broke into older and younger groups. Sister Rowbotham took the older group, and Sister Webb and Angelina Whitthread (who is 12) helped me with the younger children. First we did homemade Crunch Bars (using a big bar of Nestlé’s Milk Chocolate for each child melted in the microwave with as much Rice Krispies as we could mix in, then put them in muffin cups (each child made 6) in muffin tins and let them cool in the refrigerator while we went on to other things. Next, we played a bean-bag game that was fun for everyone (including the adults). Then we made Mother’s Day cards. “Mothering” Day is next Sunday (just a little short of the States). When that was done we put the cards and some chocolates into a lovely pink gift bags, covered the Crunch Bar muffins with cling wrap and put those in the gift bag also. It turned out to be a fun time and used just the right amount of time we had for the activity. Sister Rowbotham is a very organized person and had everything thought out just right. The older children made Family Home Evening (FHE) packets so that they could do several FHEs with their families. Not only that, but the Primary has scheduled to do a FHE at the Branch for everybody in the next couple of weeks.
By the time that activity was over, Walter was not feeling good (he had been at the chapel doing “clerk-type” things). So we headed home and I postponed the sister who was coming for dinner that evening. Hopefully, he will feel well enough to make it to church tomorrow.
The Elders came over to finalize the program for tomorrow’s baptism (a 12-year-old who has been waiting a long time to get baptized). I updated and printed 25 copies of the program and gave them to the Elders just in case we didn’t get to church (by that time I had a headache also) and got one of the Elders to agree to teach my Gospel Doctrine class if needed.
Sunday, 15 March 2009
Fortunately, after a pretty good sleep last night, I was feeling fine this morning. However, I can’t say the same about Walt. Whatever he has seems to be in his chest and, you know men, he doesn’t want to go to the doctor. He did take us (me and the Elders) to church.
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My YSA Gospel Doctrine lesson went fine. If the class gets any bigger I’m going to have to move out of the Library into the Relief Society room. There is no one in there during the middle hour. Unfortunately, the Library is nicely heated and the other is so much larger that the heaters can’t keep up with the size. If you can’t read the little square sign, it says: “I ©the England London South Mission!”
I was in Primary the last hour and witnessed Sister Rowbotham not very happy. It seems that based on the success I’m having with my YSA Gospel Doctrine class, Relief Society decided to have a class for all the YSA sisters. I don’t have the YSA sisters that work in Primary in my Gospel Doctrine class so there’s no issue, but today they (the Primary second counselor and pianist and the Nursery leader) were in Relief Society the last hour. Unfortunately, the people the Relief Society President asked to substitute didn’t show. Primary was very interesting! No music or Nursery the last hour.
At 1:30 we started the Baptism of Jaymie Scott John Godwin. He was being baptized by one of his older brothers (Tom). You can see them here coming out of the chapel and on the way to the font. Tom did a great job, getting through the baptism the first time with the words being said loud enough and clear. Tom was only ordained a Priest since we’ve been here.I also postponed the dinner appointment we had tonight. Walt felt well enough to pick us up from the chapel after the baptism, but certainly not well enough to inflict him and whatever germs he has on any innocent person.
Love and miss you all. Jackie
Love and miss you all. Jackie
