Winter wears on and we are looking forward to spring. Even a few flakes of snow again as the air is getting cold enough to freeze the rain into snow flakes. We are grateful for warm clothes and buildings and places to get out of the wind.
Elder Hawley had "a first" this week. He, Sister Hawley, and the office elders, Elders Johnson and Cardon went in the mission car to Costco in Watford. About a one hour drive through London and into the outskirts to the northwest. What is unusual is that Elder Hawley did the driving. His first in London, and he stayed on the left side of the road most of the time. The traffic in London is very congested and tight. Of course, everything is backward, the steering is on the right, the stop lights are in different positions, and of course one drives on the left side of the road. We had a good time and picked up some things we needed at the office and a few things for ourselves also. The missionaries were the guides and we had a digital navigation device that told us the way. We were gone for over 4 hours. Everything takes a long time here with the congested traffic, narrow roads and many cars, and we got home safe & sound. We dropped the elders off at the church [office] because they had a teaching appointment, and then drove the car to our flat where we were able to park it overnight w/o charge. We unloaded our groceries with pleasure! We will definitely appreciate more fully the conveniences we have at home!
This Saturday we were priviledged to go to the London Temple. We petitioned the area President, Elder Kopischke, for permission for our senior missionaries' family home evening group to travel to Lingfield, and received permission to go + a new policy change. Now we are allowed to go once a quarter as approved by the mission president. The picture shows the group of senior missionaries at about 7:45 a.m. in the Victoria Train Station, located in London near Buckingham Palace, as we were preparing to ride the train to Lingfield. We then took three taxis from the train to the Temple, about a 5-8 minute ride. It was a good weather day and we enjoyed the time with the other missionaries and also our time in the temple.
There is such a good spirit in the temple and we were rejuvenated by the time there. The train ride was about 46 minutes and it was good to visit with the other missionaries as we do not get that opportunity very often. These are all great people with good hearts and dedication to the Lord. Each has a unique story that tells of faith and some hardship and sacrifice to serve their missions. We are so very blessed to be here and be a part of this great work. Two of the couples will be going home at the end of February. They have been serving in the Family History Centre located in the basement of the Hyde Park building.
Sister Hawley is getting all of the letters retyped into the computer that were lost when her computer crashed. [I'm helping, too.] There must be 25 different types of letters and correspondence [plus other types of documents] that she has put back together to address new missionaries coming in, transfers and callings and missionaries going home, and includes letters to bishops and stake presidents and parents informing them of the home- coming dates of their missionaries. This has required many hours of keyboarding and input. It is good that she is so very good at this sort of thing. She has also been very busy inputting the baptismal information and writing the new baptismal letters to the new converts.
The Gospel is so wonderful and fulfilling. The whole notion that we are children of a Heavenly Father who loves us, and that we dwelt with Him prior to coming to this earth, is wonderful. The earth was specifically created so that we could come here and gain a physical body and prove ourselves to see if we will obey and follow the Lord in faith. Through the whisperings of the Holy Ghost God, our Father, shows His willingness to provide for us, and He sent His only begotton Son to save us by taking upon Him our sins, contingent upon our repentance and overcoming death through the resurrection. This demonstrates His great love for us. We are so very blessed to have this knowledge and understanding that motivates us to want to tell this message to everyone so that they might come unto Christ and be blessed through these truths. The temple covenants are just reminders of these truths and help us more fully understand then and gives us great strength to want to live the Gospel and walk in Christ's footsteps.
Our house at 176 East 1950 South in Orem is being sold and the closing looks to be on track for Friday. We sent the documents by FedEx on Thursday. Emails and attachments and PDF files and such. My, we live in a very wonderful time with the technology that we have to communicate and transmit data and files all over the world so easily.
We love you all and very much enjoy our Skyping times with each of our children and all the emails and communications around the world. We hear regularly from missionaries in Tonga, Montevideo, Uruguay, Florida and from temple workers from the Mt. Timpanogos Temple. Thanks to all for keeping in touch. May the Lord bless you all. We are still looking for spring!!!
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