News of the Past Week

We have had a good week.  The missionaries are busy with a lot of activity in the office.  Sister Hawley has had many referrals to type up and send out, and a host of baptismal records to enter into the Church System--CDE or Convert Data Entry.  She has also written letters to parents of the incoming missionaries, new district leaders and new zone leaders, new trainer letters, and letters to those who have been baptized in recent weeks.  Even the president commented on the volume of letters going out as he had to sign them all.  Sister Hawley is currently getting ready for the group of new missionaries coming in for September and October, and the corresponding groups of departing missionaries as well.  This past week she has submitted travel info for each of our departing missionaries, and has prepared the materials for those incoming missionaries.  Only one elder is departing mid-August, and there are no new missionaries arriving for the month of August.  Of course there are always "surprises," so we both have adapted a "wait and see" attitude.  

Wednesday morning we took two hours and went with a group downtown [the Little's, 2 friends of theirs, our guide, another YSA friend of the Little's, and the Price's]  to go through the British Parliament buildings at Westminster and Westminster Hall. The word "parliament" comes from the French  word "parler",  which means to speak or to talk.  Our tour guide took us to the House of Lords (more like our Senate) which is a body of over 800 appointed for life.  They can make laws and send it to the House of Commons (like our House of Representatives) which is a body of 649 elected for five years by the people.  These two groups make the laws in Great Britain, which is made up of Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The Prime Minister acts like our president and has a great amount of power. The Prime Minister is not elected but 'invited' by the Queen to be Prime Minister, and who is 'determined' by the leader of the party which got the most votes in the last election. The original room for Parliament was in the converted chapel, where there were benches on opposite sides of the length of the chapel with opposing parties facing each other.  This came about as the first Parliament building was an old cathedral which had the choir seats facing each other on the sides of the hall just before the altar. The members of Parliament sat in the choir seats with each party taking a side of the hall and it has been that way ever since.  The space between the two sides was just far enough apart that the members could stand and debate and swing and thrust their swords, but could not touch or reach the opponents of the other party debating on the other side.  There is a  line painted on the floor of  each side which they can not cross.  They are to "toe the line"! which is where that phrase comes from.   Currently there are separate chambers for each house, but the seats [benches] still remain on opposite sides with members of each party facing each other.  There is a throne as each room's top end, and spectator room around the walls on the 'balcony' floor.  We heard 'Big Ben' chiming on the hour and 1/2 hour.  We went in at 9:00 a.m. and came out right at 11 a.m., so we got first 9 and then11 large 'bongs' from this very famous clock tower.  The Westminster Chimes are played.

[Side note:  just before we left Utah we purchased a beautiful grandfather clock for our entry hallway that plays -- wait for it -- the Westminster Chimes!]

The halls and rooms are so very ornate and filled with large paintings and so much pagentry.  There is little of the modern day in the decor.  There are however, TV cameras and up to date communication systems about. And they have plenty of security and even have their own post office which must stay open until the House of Commons closes for the day or night, which- ever comes first.  Britain is about history and tradition  The queen opens Parliament each year in the House of Lords and walks over to the House of Commons where the ballif strikes the door three times announcing the Queen.  The door is opened and is symbolically closed in her face and then she is let in.  Power to the People!   The House of Lords still is a place of powdered wigs and the like.

We were back at the office by 11:30 and took on the activities of the office and all of the good that happens there.  Zone Leader training is every first Friday of the month and we arrange for the food for lunch, but that is for only about 26 people.  The Church has changed our Zone Conferences from one every 6 weeks to one every quarter.  The mission president now only interviews the missionaries every quarter, instead of every six weeks as before.  This will cut down of some of the work and some of the travel, especially for the Mission President.  Our mission had 30 baptisms last months which is good for the London Area.  So the work progresses.  We feel blessed to be here. 

We continue to help with the Addition Recovery Program on Wednesday nights.  Sister Allred has left to go to California for 6 weeks to help care for her sister who is not expected to live much longer due to cancer.  We are helping Brother Allred for the next while.

London has been so very dry.  The lawns are burning up for lack of water.  This is most unusual as London gets about 2 inches of rain per month for each month of the year as regular as clockwork.  We have not had to use umbrellas for the last three or four months, most unusual.  The weather is about 70 to 75 in the day and 59 to 60 degrees at night.  The humidity has not been too bad this summer.  We are blessed again.  Love to all.  We are still waiting to see if a couple is assigned to replace us and hope and pray that it can be arranged.  Last Fast Sunday we dedicated our fast to several things, among them our prayers included our hope for a replacement couple who are qualified to do the office work and who can also afford to live in London close to the office, AND, who can arrive some time in November so that we can have enough time to train them before we depart ourselves on 7 December.  Sister Hawley has been asked by the Travel departments in both Solihull, England and Salt Lake City, to submit travel info 4 months in advance because of the upcoming November-December holiday season.  And on Monday, tomorrow, she will submit for return travel for ----
ourselves!  We cannot believe how fast the time passes.  This mission has and continues to change us for the better, and we feel extremely blessed in so many different ways.  We were touched, and are so very grateful, for those who fasted with us, and prayed in our behalf.  Thank you so very much, Everyone!

Yesterday we got on the 328 bus and rode it to the end of the line and then returned to our flat.  We saw a part of London to the north that we have never seen.  We also stopped at a farmers market and picked up some fresh corn on the cob, tomatoes and watermelon.  We have not had watermelon for over a year--what a nice treat.  I think I feel fall in the air!  Fresh-picked corn and tomatoes and cold night air!!  More blessings!