Missionary Journal

England (February Wk1 2009)

Saturday, 31 January 2009
I spent a goodly portion of today trying to figure out how to teach Adam and Eve to the Primary without being able to print in color. The “Friend” magazine had a great handout for Adam and Eve, but it doesn’t print at all well on our black and white laser printer. So I recreated it with graphics that were simpler, and it looked much better in black and white.

Sunday, 01 February 2009
Today is our 2-month anniversary of arriving at the MTC. It seems both longer and shorter than 2 months. It was Fast Sunday and there were no meetings before church. Since I was teaching on Adam and Eve in Primary, I started with a very short introduction to the creation. Using graphics (here is a sample) I’ve had for years showing what was created on each day, I meant to color these and cut them out before class. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any color crayons in the Library. I do now know where they are in the Primary cabinet and I also bought some for myself.

We had a great Fast and Testimony meeting. We also had a proud day for one family. The Godwin’s had two young men (who were ordained a week or so ago); one blessing and one passing the sacrament for the first time. For a small branch with only 40+ in attendance, we had a waiting line all through the meeting to bear testimony. The Spirit was really apparent.

After that meeting was over, I went to teach my Sunday School class. Today’s lesson was on receiving inspiration/revelation. We had a small class today with Dave (our investigator who has been investigating the church for a very long time), Claire Thompson (a real member of the class and also a returned missionary), and the two Elders. During the class one or the other of us bore testimony that Joseph Smith was a prophet, the Book of Mormon was scripture, and revelation is still coming. It was a good class.

After Sunday School, I went to Primary (where I had a wonderful time with the children; I do really love Primary – the children teach me so much) and Walt went to Priesthood where he taught the Elder’s Quorum.

While he was teaching, he felt impressed to ask Dave (yes, the same Dave from my Sunday School class) why he hadn’t been baptized. He said, “No reason really.” So, Walt asked him to commit to baptism. The Elders are going to Dave’s flat on Monday to set a date. Everybody has been walking carefully around asking Dave to be baptized since they scared him months ago when he was pushed. I believe he is ready now. This was so astonishing that the Branch President called Walt this evening to congratulate him on what had happened. Note: When we were at Zone Meeting two days ago, our district reported 3 investigators with no baptism dates committed (and certainly no baptisms scheduled for February). Elder Ellsworth, as District Leader, stated that we would have all 3 investigators committed to baptism by month-end February. I wasn’t sure we would make that at all. And here we are two days later, with really 4 investigators (the Elders weren’t counting Dave since it had been so long) and 2 committed to baptism. Weymouth hasn’t had a baptism (convert or 8-year-old) since 2007, and now we could have two convert baptisms in one month. Really great things seem to be coming to fruition.

This evening we went to Brother Hutchings’ (the Branch Mission Leader) home for dinner (roast turkey, Yorkshire pudding, roasted potatoes, carrots, brussel sprouts, creamed leeks, and apple strudel and a rhubarb roll for dessert) and a missionary correlation meeting. We left there with a fireside for adults scheduled for Tuesday, 10 February, and one for the youth scheduled for Tuesday, 24 February, to present the Iron Rod Invitation (see January Wk4 posting).

Monday, 02 February 2009
“P” Day. I didn’t even leave the flat today. Walt went by himself to dry clothes. I worked on my gospel doctrine lesson and Relief Society. Not much today, but I do have some pictures of the sunrise on the way to the Poole Zone Meeting that Elder Bång took out the open window of the car. I moved his pictures off his camera memory card and onto a flash drive for him. His pictures were much prettier than mine (which were shot through the front windshield).

This is the loveliest.








But I found this one quite nice also.

Tuesday, 03 February, 2009
We were up this morning fairly early as we had District Meeting and had to pick up the Elders at 10:15 am. To our surprise, this is what met us as we looked out the upstairs bedroom window:

Supposedly it hasn’t snowed in Weymouth for 16 or 17 years.

Walt, who normally only sleeps with the sheet over him, took one look at the snow and proceeded to bundle up big time. I’m the only one who sleeps with duvets over me.

District Meeting was excellent as usual. What a teacher Elder Ellsworth is! He pulls together a well-thought-out lesson every week. This was a really great day and I think everyone would benefit from hearing what was said.

Elder Bång started with a 5-minute talk on “Becoming a Great Teacher in the Sight of the Lord.” Since he is from Denmark and English is definitely a second language, he pulled out his dictionary and proceeded to give us some definitions: Teacher – Gives someone a chance to learn. In order to teach a principle and give someone an experience, the teacher has to gain knowledge. Wisdom is knowledge gathered together in increasing quantities. Next was an one-liner: “Members are full-time finders; missionaries are full-time teachers.” In reading D&C 43:15-16, we see:
15 Again I say, hearken ye elders of my church, whom I have appointed: Ye are not sent forth to be taught, but to teach the children of men the things which I have put into your hands by the power of my Spirit;
16 And ye are to be taught from on high. Sanctify yourselves and ye shall be endowed with power, that ye may give even as I have spoken.

Preach My Gospel, Page 175, first sentence reinforces this thought: “You are called to teach the restored gospel to as many people as will receive you.” If you look at this manual, you will notice that from the Purpose [Chapter 1] (“Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.”) through each chapter you are learning about teaching. Chapter 2: How do I Study Effectively and Prepare to Teach?; Chapter 3: What Do I Study and Teach?; Chapter 4: How Do I Recognize and Understand the Spirit?; Chapter 5: What is the Role of the Book of Mormon?; Chapter 6: How Do I Develop Christ-like Attributes?; Chapter 7: How Can I Better Learn My Mission Language?; Chapter 8: How Do I Use Time Wisely?: Chapter 9: How Do I find People to Teach?; Chapter 10: How Can I Improve My Teaching Skills? (Notice that finding comes before improving teaching skills.) Another one-liner: “Teaching is essential to everything we do.”

It seems to be a well-learned concept that members do not do most of the finding. One-liner on finding: “Nothing happens in missionary work until we find.”

The last thought Elder Bång had was a thought he entitled: “The Cooper of Teaching.” He had a small mini-Cooper model. He said to envision ourselves driving the car and picking up investigators. We want to make sure they immediately put on their seat belt because that symbolizes the Spirit, and we know that without the Spirit we cannot teach. Next, we need to keep the car moving or the investigators will get out. We want them where we can teach and have the Spirit readily available. I thought this was a very interesting parable.

Then we went on to discuss “Teaching for Understanding” insights from Preach My Gospel. On Page 182, we read the following statements:
1. “People are better able to believe the message of the Restoration of the gospel when they understand the message.”
2. President James E. Faust: “Study, ponder, and teach from the scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon and the New Testament. Know the truth so well that you can state it clearly.
3. B. H. Roberts: “To be known, the truth must be stated and the clearer and more complete the statement is, the better the opportunity will the Holy Spirit have for testifying to the souls of men that the work is true.” [New Witnesses for God, 3 vols. (1909)].

All these are truths that have been borne to us over and over since we left for the MTC and while in the mission field.

Another statement we need to engrave deeply into our minds: “You cannot convert people beyond your own conversion” (“What I Want My Son to Know before He Leaves on His Mission,” Ensign, May 1996). We tell our investigators to:
1. Read the Book of Mormon and ponder its message concerning Jesus Christ.
2. Pray to God with faith in Jesus Christ to receive a testimony that the Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith is the prophet of the Restoration.
3. Pray sincerely and have real intent, which means that they intend to act on the answer they receive from God.
In order to have our conversion where it needs to be, we should apply this promise regularly to strengthen and renew our own testimony of the Book of Mormon.

President Ezra Taft Benson: “Finally, the Book of Mormon is the keystone of testimony. Just as the arch crumbles if the keystone is removed, so does all the Church stand or fall with the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. The enemies of the Church understand this clearly. This is why they go to such great lengths to try to disprove the Book of Mormon, for if it can be discredited, the Prophet Joseph Smith goes with it. So does our claim to priesthood keys, and revelation, and the restored Church. But in like manner, if the Book of Mormon be true—and millions have now testified that they have the witness of the Spirit that it is indeed true—then one must accept the claims of the Restoration and all that accompanies it” (Ezra Taft Benson, “The Book of Mormon—Keystone of Our Religion,” Ensign, Nov 1986).

One of the Elders told of a sister they taught the first lesson (The Restoration of the Gospel) who, when the first lesson was completed, said: “I believe it; it was like a light to my heart.” (Sounds like “burning of the bosom” to me.) You can’t make a missionary much happier than to say something like that. The Elders said they were just happy and joyful all day after that.

Back on Page 182, we read: “You are commanded to reason with and expound the scriptures when you teach. Expound means to enlarge on and to explain clearly. Expounding the gospel means that you explain the meaning of doctrines and scriptural passages simply and clearly, relying on the Spirit to guide what you say. You use dignified but conversational language to help people understand the doctrinal principle. You ask questions to help them think about the principles and to see if they understand and accept what you have taught.”

Mosiah 8:3 reads, “And he also rehearsed unto them the last words which king Benjamin had taught them, and explained them to the people of king Limhi, so that they might understand all the words which he spake.

In order to make sure people understand what we are expounding to them, we need to:
1. Expound scriptures or principles as simply and clearly as possible.
2. Explain words, phrases, and ideas so that other people understand you better. Sometimes you have to define words others may not understand. Many words that mean special things to members of the Church are defined simply in the Bible Dictionary and True to the Faith.
3. Ask questions like, “Do you know what we mean when we say . . . ?” or “Can you restate what we just talked about in your own words?”

Even Christ used questions to explain principles. In Matthew 16:13-17, we read:
13 ¶ When Jesus came into the coasts of Cæsarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
15 He saith unto them, But whom say aye that I am?
16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

Preach My Gospel has something great to say about asking questions: “Good questions will help you understand interests, concerns, or questions that others have. They can enhance your teaching, invite the Spirit, and help your investigators learn. Poor questions can intimidate, irritate, and offend investigators. They can also cause you to lose control of the teaching situation. Try to ask questions that:
• Are simple and easy to understand.
• Help people think about what you are teaching.
• Help you determine how well the investigator understands what you are teaching.
• Help people apply what they learn.”

Preach My Gospel also says this about bad questions: “Avoid asking questions that:
• Include more than one idea.
• Pertain to doctrines you have not yet taught.
• Do not have a clear purpose.
• Interrogate and pry unnecessarily.

“Asking too many questions, especially in your first visit, gives the impression that you are conducting an “interrogation.” Do not ask investigators to give specific answers about unimportant or obvious details. This will turn a good teaching environment into a game of guessing. When you need a specific answer, it is best to ask a factual question or present the information in some other way. Avoid asking questions that might embarrass someone if they do not know the answers. Questions are most useful when asked after you have taught and testified about a key principle.”

As a conclusion, to “Teach with Understanding” and ask appropriate questions at the right time requires:
1. Being in tune with the Spirit.
2. Listening to those you are teaching.
3. Focusing throughout the teaching.

To teach with understanding isn’t easy, but it is well worth it. I do so testify. And it works!

Since this could be the last District meeting for some of these Elders (transfer day is 12 February), they wanted to take some pictures. Here they are prim and proper missionaries. Left to right are: Elders Sofe, Reimers, Ellsworth, Kuse, Komulainen, Culver, and Bång.

Here they are clowning around (in the same order).

Thursday, 05 February 2009
Today’s appointment was with a sister who has turned to paganism (that’s a rumor; I didn’t hear it from her). She accepted us gracefully and invited us back again. As of this moment we have contacted (one way or another) or visited 73% of the less-active members (approximately 70% of the total members in the branch boundaries). As part of that we think we have at least 3 who have the chance to returning to full fellowship. Not really good numbers, but so far the best we can do.

Friday, 06 February 2009
Today was miserable or beautiful depending on how you took it. When we woke up things were OK and it was raining. A little later it looked like this in our garden. I took this from right inside the back door. You can see it is our little garden, but interesting enough the wind was swirling the snowflakes (great big ones) around and around.

Today was the Relief Society Enrichment Lunch Group, and I was in the kitchen a fair part of the morning making Shepherd’s Pie for my contribution. While the pie was cooking, I took another picture of the garden and it looked like this. You can see the snow is heavier and starting to stick. It was supposed to be 2˚C today but was acting like -2˚C instead.

I kept expecting Sister Chasteauneuf (we meet at her home) to call and cancel. This may only happen once every 10 years of so, but these are hardy souls. At just about noon, I packed up my Shepherd’s Pie and Walt drove me over to her home (about 3 miles away). Needlessly to say, as I got out of the car and carefully went up the walkway, my black coat was coated with big white flakes. We had a great luncheon until about 2:00 pm. I was supposed to go with a visiting teacher to visit a sister Walt and I had both called and gone to her home, but she didn’t answer the phone or the door. Since we did this the first or second week we were here, I’m sure she had absolutely no idea who we were. (I guess I really don’t blame her. Two very decently dressed older people in black coats with name tags. Scary!!) However, some of roads were messes and schools were closed, so my ride home wasn’t coming. She was supposed to bring me home after we finished our visit. I tried calling Walt, but couldn’t get through (the lines were stressed with all the calls). One of the other sisters offered to take me home. Believe it or not, I’m glad I could find it. Not driving doesn’t always make it easy to know where home is. I’m afraid that if I drove here we would be in a world of hurt.

When I got home, here is what I saw. We are up a small hill and my ride was hoping her car would make it up the hill.

Fortunately, she did fine and I got out of the car to walk to house (very, very carefully in my sweet little missionary shoes). I was really glad to be back in the flat without disgracing myself and falling in the snow.

Just in case you are interested, I also took a picture of the garden so you could see what it was like at that time.

I also took this picture of the neighbor kids making a snowman in their front yard.

Not my thing, but they look like they are having a great time. Remember, no snow for at least the last 10 years. That means they’ve probably never seen snow – at least not this much.

Saturday, 07 February 2009
I’ve managed to catch another cold. One of our sisters was sick last week, and Walt chided me for hugging her (he probably was right). Walt is currently out at the pharmacy getting me some cold remedies (since I gave everything we had to Elder Ellsworth when he was sick). I also think I am passing another kidney stone (I seem to be able to pass them and not have too many issues, except mild discomfort). Therefore, I’m feeling yucky and not terrible social. Poor Walt may have to teach my Sunday School class tomorrow. I love it! He is getting such good experiences over here!

Bye for another week. Jackie

Missionary Journal

England (January Wk4 2009)

Saturday, 24 January 2009
Well, I spent most of today redoing my lessons for tomorrow. I will take my laptop to church just in case someone can get the projector to work. My feeling is that the projector is not right in its little computer brain – it doesn’t even look to acquire a signal. Hope we didn’t break it (at least it should be under warranty!).

Oh, I miss all my beloved electronics at home! This really is a sacrifice. I’ve been so incredibly spoiled for so very long!

I don’t feel alone; however, Walt finally decided he needed to do a little preparation for his Gospel Doctrine lesson this evening. He’s over on the couch reading and deciding what he wants to do. He thinks this is a hard lesson to present (poor baby).

We went over the chapel this afternoon and found some pictures (enough so that we both can have a set of what is needed for the same lesson to two very different classes).

Sunday, 25 January 2009
Today was church, obviously. My lessons, both Sunday School and Relief Society, went well. I’m not only teaching the saints, but a non-member as well (he’s been through Gospel Essentials 3 or 4 times and the leadership has decided he’s ready for a little more meat). As you can see, here is my classroom (in the Library).

My Relief Society lesson was The Ministry of Angels by Elder Holland (what a wonderful man!) and I especially like the following quote: “I have spoken here of heavenly help, of angels dispatched to bless us in time of need. But when we speak of those who are instruments in the hand of God, we are reminded that not all angels are from the other side of the veil. Some of them we walk with and talk with—here, now, every day. Some of them reside in our own neighborhoods. Some of them gave birth to us, and in my case, one of them consented to marry me. Indeed heaven never seems closer than when we see the love of God manifested in the kindness and devotion of people so good and so pure that angelic is the only word that comes to mind” (Jeffrey R. Holland, “The Ministry of Angels,” Ensign, Nov 2008). When I read this, there were many Alma Branch folks who came to mind. As a Missionary correlation group (our new Branch Mission Leader, the Elders, and Walt and I) we are focusing on friendshipping and getting the branch members to get more involved with each other.

Walt’s lesson went well as far as I could tell from what he said. I’m glad. I believe this is his first time at teaching Gospel Doctrine.

Tonight we had the Elders over for dinner. Elder Ellsworth wanted to have Mexican food, so we made beef and cheese enchiladas, Spanish rice, and beans and cheese. I would have made chili rellenos casserole, but we can’t seem to find canned chilies anywhere over here.

Monday, 26 January 2009
Today we were supposed to have an appointment with Sister Kim Pooley (who stood us up the last time we had an appointment). She did it again. I didn’t call to confirm (which I usually do) because I was just positive the last time was an aberration and she wouldn’t do it a second time. Oh, well. We all have our free agency.

Other than that, today was “P” day and we washed 4 loads of clothes and towels and dried them. I also worked on my next lessons (Sunday School for next Sunday and Relief Society for February). I came across a phrase that I really liked: “Prayer is the means by which man communicates with God. Revelation is the means by which God communicates with man.”

I had a young man of 20 tell me two weeks ago that he quit the church because he prayed and prayed and never gained a testimony of Joseph Smith or of the Book of Mormon. We told him that the Spirit comes as a very still, small voice (a whisper or feeling or inspiration). I wish I had read this before we went to see his family (who are fairly active); it’s put so well:

Dallin H. Oaks: “This [burning in the bosom] may be one of the most important and misunderstood teachings in all the Doctrine and Covenants. The teachings of the Spirit often come as feelings. That fact is of the utmost importance, yet some misunderstand what it means. I have met persons who told me they have never had a witness from the Holy Ghost because they have never felt their bosom ‘burn within’ them.

“What does a ‘burning in the bosom’ mean? Does it need to be a feeling of caloric heat, like the burning produced by combustion? If that is the meaning, I have never had a burning in the bosom. Surely, the word burning in this scripture signifies a feeling of comfort and serenity. That is the witness many receive. That is the way revelation works.

“Truly, the still, small voice is just that, ‘still’ and ‘small.’

“The language of peace, as spoken by the Lord, embraces a sense of quiet confidence, comfort, and warmth. It is gentle and calm, amiable and sweet; it is temperate and kind; it is orderly and identified by happiness, joy, and feelings of love” (“Teaching and Learning by the Spirit,” Ensign, Mar. 1997).

Tuesday, 27 January 2009
I spent a goodly portion of today making calls to check on sisters we have already seen and making appointments for those we haven’t yet seen. About 4:00 pm Walt started making cream of potato soup. The Elders were coming over for dinner (dinner appointments were scarce again this week) and then we are going together to the Welfare (7:00 pm) and Branch Council (8:00 pm).

Dinner was good and, as usual, the Elders had a spiritual thought for us. They used one of my favorites. Moroni 7:42-17:
42 Wherefore, if a man have faith he must needs have hope; for without faith there cannot be any hope.
43 And again, behold I say unto you that he cannot have faith and hope, save he shall be meek, and lowly of heart.
44 If so, his faith and hope is vain, for none is acceptable before God, save the meek and lowly in heart; and if a man be meek and lowly in heart, and confesses by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ, he must needs have charity; for if he have not charity he is nothing; wherefore he must needs have charity.
45 And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
46 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—
47 But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.

Then they told us that they picked those verses because of the charity we’ve shown them in feeding them and bussing them around. They feel very much at home in our flat. We just adore them (what marvelous young men). They also wanted us to know that things have really picked up since we’ve come; that very little was happening in the branch and now things are moving out. Yes!!

After dinner we went to Welfare and spoke about the missionary work that should be going on in the branch. Interestingly, two brothers spoke about something Walt had said in his Gospel Doctrine class – he obviously had them listening. Good for him!

During Branch Council, it was noted that we need to have the following classes taught very soon:
1. Priesthood Advancement (Walt can handle that.)
2. Temple Preparation (Guess who?)
3. A new class titled “Strengthening the Family.” This is to be taught to everyone (families, singles, etc.). The book was published in 2006, but it isn’t on LDS.org. It contains 9 90-minute lessons and will be taught sometime other than during Sunday meetings. The 9 topics are: (1) Parenting Principles and Practices; (2) Under-standing Child Development; (3) Communicating with Love; (4) Nurturing Children; (5) Fostering Confidence; (6) Overcoming Anger; (7) Resolving Conflict; (8) Teaching Responsible Behavior; and (9) Applying Consequences. (Guess who again?)

I certainly will be busy preparing lessons. Of course, most of you know just how much I “hate” to prepare lessons to teach (whether it was at church or work). Between working with the less-active members and teaching, I expect to be very busy. And I love it!!!

Wednesday, 28 January 2009
I think we’re back at the flat for good this evening (it’s 6:17 pm – most of you should be up in the States). We had a really good day. Our first appointment was with a sister who moved into the branch (Dorchester) some months ago and promptly had foot surgery. She hasn’t been in church because she was told she could only be on her feet 10 minutes an hour until they healed. Unfortunately, after they healed, she didn’t start attending meetings. No visiting teachers have come, no home teachers. I told her we would get that taken care of shortly. We hope to see her in church soon. First thing we need to do is get her a friend in church. That is our mission to see the Weymouth Branch loving the less-actives back to full fellowship.

Our next appointment was at 4:00 pm, so we decided to take some time and see Dorchester since we don’t get out there very often (this was only the 2nd time since we’ve been here). The first thing we saw was this great big, grey edifice. It turns out this is called “The Keep” and is the Dorchester Military Museum. We paid £8 for entrance and it was worth it. All four stories are galleries showing the Dorchester units and where they served. As much as I hate to say this, they were in the US during the Revolutionary War – not on the right side either. Almost everything was behind glass but beautifully displayed and numbered with explanations for every item in each case. Walt was mostly interested in the weapons (guns, etc.).

They had a video in a bunker with this poster on it. I thought it was worth taking a picture of. It says, "Women of Britain Come Into the Factories." No one probably realized the issues this was going to cause when the men returned from the war and found that their wives didn’t want to leave work and give the jobs back.

These are real, honest Nazi flags. The first was Hitler’s National Socialist German Workers' Party and the second was Hitler Youth.

Next, we went up on the roof. For those of you who know me well, you know that is sheer pananoia for me. However, I did manage to take a few pictures of Dorchester so you can see pictures of another English city.


These are just homes that are across the street on both sides of the Keep.

Here is a building that was the barracks for soldiers in WWII. Obviously, this has been well refurbished since the end of the war.

After we finished at the museum, we strolled down the street looking for a place to have a late lunch. We next came upon St. Peter’s. I believe St. Peter’s is Church of England since it also said, “of Peter, Paul, and all the saints.” Internet says: “St Peter's Church stands in the middle of Dorchester in Dorset, near to the Dorset County Museum. There has been a church on this site in England since Norman times, and the current building dates back to 1454. It has incorporated earlier materials and the arch around the door to the church dates from the 11C. The statues of knights in the south chapel also predate the current church, coming from the 14C.” So, very old.

We walked a few blocks further to the High Street.

Then we started back and had lunch at a cute little tea room called the Horse with the Red Umbrella.

Here’s Walt sitting in the Annex at our little table. Lunch was good. Walt had a salad and minced meat with onion pie and I had a brie and bacon sandwich (English bacon like I had has no fat except around the end slightly).

After lunch, we came back to the car and toward home. We stopped at the flat for restroom privileges and then headed toward Portland to see our elderly sister who is living with her daughter that we saw last week. When we met with the Branch Council last night we found out that the Relief Society is working on getting a calling tree set up so that one sister will call every day and someone will visit every week. Plus the Priesthood is working on getting the sacrament out to her weekly. As we were leaving, her daughter Nicki (whom I really like) gave me flowers and a hand-crocheted shawl (“…if I’m going to be living in England, I need a shawl!”). It’s really hard not to cry at times like that. I just sniffled a bit, thanked her, and gave her a great big hug.

As soon as we got home, I called Sister Kagi (Relief Society President) and told her about our first appointment in Dorchester this morning. She said she didn’t know who the sister was. Since Sister Kagi also lives in Dorchester, she will call her and take her to church so she will know where the church is and feel welcome. Next, we’ll get some visiting teachers.

We feel so blessed to be able to help.

Thursday, 29 January 2009
I spent most of today working on lessons for Sunday and calling less-actives for appointments next week since all day Friday will be taken up with the Poole Zone Meeting.

Friday, 30 January 2009
This morning we were out the door and picked up the Elders at 7:10 am for the hour-long drive to Poole for the Zone Conference. I picked up this picture (out the front windshield) as we were driving along the road to Poole.

The first thing we had was 1.5 hours of District Meeting. Since Elder Ellsworth is District Leader he gave the Lesson using “Froto the Investigator.” The lesson (Meeting the Needs of the Investigator with the Scriptures) was inspired by “Peach My Gospel,” pages 177-182. I also picked up a great quote from Elaine Dalton: “The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare.”

Since transfers come up on 12 February, everybody was taking pictures today. No one has any idea where in the London South Mission they might be in two weeks (not even in the same Zone).

The picture below is all the Elders in the Zone with the exception of Elder Bång who was in talking with President.

Next came Zone meeting where we were taught by President Swinton, then Sister Swinton while President met with all the missionaries separately (except he met with Walt and I as a companionship) and each Elder companionship worked with the Zone Leaders on approach, teaching, etc.

The theme for 2009 in the mission is “The Iron Rod Invitation.” One thing that was said really hit a kindred thought in my mind was: “Don’t focus on the Mists of Darkness (issues such as smoking, etc.), focus on the solution (Testimony, Scriptures [Book of Mormon especially], Prophets, Church, Prayer, and Members). When the solution supports the needs of the investigator, the mists often just fade away (they no longer have substance).

Both President and Sister Swinton spoke for about 1.5 to 2 hours each on the Iron Rod; just wonderful presentations. He was an Area President prior to this assignment as Mission President and she, as I’ve said before, has written scripts for Church screen plays. As I think about being a mother and how much I would want to have all my children grasp hard onto the Iron Rod and make it through the mists of darkness to the tree where they can partake of the fruit, it makes what we are doing here of even more importance. We are giving people (sometimes even whole families) the chance to see the way to the tree of life and are putting their hands on the Iron Rod to get them heading in the right direction. How marvelous this opportunity is to help others who are struggling in a world that is in chaos to find the peace of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

After the meeting was over (about 4:00 pm), Walt and I took a walk while Elder Ellsworth was attending a short District/Zone Leader meeting. Since I haven’t seen much of Poole, I walked down the street and around the corner to take a few pictures of houses. Poole is a little more upscale than Weymouth.

Most of the houses we could see within walking distance were single family dwellings – very uncommon for England.

I also took this picture of a brick wall. I don’t know how old this house is, but you can see the moss that is growing. I thought it was bad enough that we had moss growing on Debbie Road before we left. But it is nothing compared to the damp here in England.

After Walt caught up to me, we walked down the other way from the church and found a redwood house. They don’t have wooden houses in the UK. Almost everything is brick, even the yellow house in the center of the picture above is brick covered with plaster or stucco and then painted. In most cases, the walls inside the house are brick covered with plaster or sheetrock type material and then painted. This kind of looks very like home.

I guess I’m done for the week. Miss you all. Jackie