NEWS of the WEEK

We've had a week full of blessings: Last weekend a family of four [Norra, her mother, her two sons] were baptized and confirmed members of the Church by Elder Gietz and Elder Monk, our two APs. What a special, spiritual experience it was for such faithful individuals. The youngest boy, Chris, received the Aaronic Priesthood this morning. Elder Gietz has been transferred, to spend his final 6 weeks in the missionfield instead of in the office. He is to be released on the 24th of November. Elder Monk is now senior AP and is training Elder Morley [from Coventry, England] to be the new AP. Sister Hawley has asked him to help her acquire a bit of an English accent! // All of our dinners for missionaries turned out extremely well. At the first and second, Sister Hawley asked the missionaries to share [a] what they are learning about Jesus Christ OR [b] what Jesus Christ is teaching them. A serious question, if ever there was one. Each gave a thoughtful, humble, instructive, inspirational answer. At our couples' FHE each couple shared travel experiences they'd had, and we felt that our view of the world was expanded and enhanced. We enjoyed having everyone over to our flat. // As the week began we knew we'd have to "put on our running shoes" and so we did! There was a lot to do, even for a smaller group of incoming missionaries. The mission president had new areas for the new missionaries, but he also opened 4 new areas around the mission and added companionships to another couple of areas that can handle additional missionaries. There was lots for Elder Hawley to do in the way of finding flats, adjusting finances, and so forth, and more for Sister Hawley to do in the ways of updating records for each area, printing new rosters and phone lists, etc.. One interesting thing: the mobile phones issued to each companionship STAY WITH THE FLAT. They do not move around with each transfer or stay with a specific missionary. The same is true for vehicles. It makes much more sense to attach them to the flat. Only when a flat is closed does the phone number and vehicle number change to match the move. // We received nine new missionaries and said farewell to five missionaries, four at the ends of their missionary service, and one due to health reasons where he needed to receive additional health care at home. He had served 3/4th of his mission and was given an honorable release. Elder Avanesyan is doing well learning English and we love having him in the office. His new companion is Elder Cardon, and both Elder Weibell and Elder Macias have also been transferred out of the office and back into the field. We will receive one more additional elder this coming Tuesday: Elder Boer, from Italy, who has been learning English at the Provo MTC. We look forward to meeting him and getting him started on his missionary service here in England. The photos we've enclosed with this posting are [1] Elder Monk, Elder Morley, and the Patch's during the last of the orientation meeting on Wednesday, the 14th of October; [2] Elder Weibell with his new companion, Elder Sheppard, and the Patch's; [3] Our group of new missionaries with the Patch's; and [4] Elder Gietz & Elder Monk with Norra and her family prior to their baptisms. The Hyde Park Ward came out to support these new members, and the mission came out to welcome our new missionaries. We have three sister missionaries, too. All nine new missionaries are so enthusiastic, and looked so excited and happy to be here! It's one of the very best experiences we have here at the ELM: greeting new missionaries. // This coming week looks to be much quieter -- this will allow Elder Hawley to catch up with paperwork, and Sister Hawley to finish the final batch of letters that will be sent home to the parents along with photos she took with their new trainers. Once that is done, Sister Hawley will be able to look for flats online and save Elder Hawley some time that way. There are two Spanish sister missionaries who need a flat in Bayswater, and a senior sister missionary who is going to need a 1-bedroom flat in the Chelsea area near both the office, the shopping, and a good bus line. We have no zone conferences this month -- they will start during the first week in November. The weather is getting progressively colder. Both E/S Hawley thought they were getting colds, but neither got really ill -- another blessing. // This coming week the president starts his monthly interviews--some missionaries come into the office, and the MP drives to other areas for these interviews. In two weeks we'll have our Hyde Park Stake Conference. // Yesterday Elder/Sister Hawley hopped on a bus and took a scenic ride around the heart of London, traveling along the Thames at some points and seeing places like Westminister Abbey and Cathedral, 10 Downing Street, Victoria Station and Trafalgar Square. It was a relaxing way to see the city, and we know now where we'd like to return. We are grateful to be missionaries, and grateful to see such a multi-cultural and historic city.

NEWS of the WEEK

Many busy days at the office. We have been run ragged and still can't seem to keep up. We continue to get home between 7:30 and 9 PM each day. The weather has stayed quite nice and just a few real rainy days and that helps us get around easier. This week is Transfers' week and so it has been and will be busy. But Sister Hawley has most of her letters out and the preparations for transfers in place. Brother Hawley has found four new flats for the four new proselyting areas that will be set up this next week. In addition he is moving three other sets of missionaries into new flats next week and closing up the old properties. This all requires much time and effort to locate the flats, negotiate the tenancy agreements and get the money transferred and payments made and the vendors approved by Solihull, (near Birmingham) the area financial control for the Church in England. We do not use checks, but electronic transfer of funds, but all the payment must come from Salt Lake through Bank of America to the banks in England. About a 4-5 day process. Some flats needed to be furnished and so we ask first for member help and donations, and then purchase what is needed that remains. The missionaries transfer mostly by train and it is quite a process for them all to move on the Wednesday morning of transfers and be in their new location by 2 PM of that day. The distances are not to great - not more than two hours for any train ride.

There were four baptisms into the Hyde Park Ward yesterday. A mother, grandmother and two teenage sons joined and were confirmed in Sacrament meeting this morning. The spirit of the Lord reaches out to many people to prepare them to hear the gospel. The missionaries and members are the finders to help share the word with those who have been prepared. Looking at the condition of the world, the gospel is so very needed as the the general population lacks direction and are just led in the passions of the world and don't understand who they are, where they are going or what their purpose in life really is. They need the gospel just to get through this life, not to mention preparation for the life to come.

We had five elders to our flat for dinner last night. Sister Hawley prepared a wonderful meal, including the "Murder Party" chicken. One brand new elder, Elder Avanesyan, from Armenia was in the group. He came to the MTC in Preston, but he didn't have enough English skills to understand what was going on in the MTC. He could not get visa to the U.S.A., so he could not be sent to the Provo MTC for language training. Instead he was sent to the mission and we will train him to speak English. Elder Hawley did that 45 years ago and was sent to Germany without any language training. We find he understands more than he speaks, and is making good progress. The Mission President has assigned Sister Urmurshadyan from Georgia in the Urkaine to teach him each day for an hour. She speaks Russian and some Armenian, and he speaks Armenian and some Russian. With the Lords' influence he is learning quite rapidly. He has been here one week. At dinner last night he shared with us one spiritual confirmation he'd received: when he opened his mission call letter, the Spirit told him he would receive the help he needed to learn how to speak English. He is a quiet-spoken, humble, faithful young man. He will be the companion of two office elders for the next 6 weeks, so we will have more time to get to know him better. We hosted the APs and the three office elders for dinner; before we began they prayed with us and shared with us spiritual messaged about the blessings of having the Holy Ghost with us. During dinner we spoke of the baptism they'd just come, and after dinner Sister Hawley asked them to share other spiritual lessons that have been blessings to them so far on their missions. Our senior AP, Elder Gietz, is being transferred this week to serve his final 6 weeks "in the field." He and Elder Monk have set the bar high in their dedicated service. Also being transferred our Elder Macias, who has only been in the office for 6 weeks, and Elder Weibell, who's been trainer and all around go-to-guy for us and so many others. They are all excited to further serve elsewhere, and although we will miss them we know they are meant to share their talents and testimonies with others elsewhere.

On Sunday night we will have the Britannia elders and sisters to dinner. One elder is from Utah, one from Canada, one from Georgia in the Ukraine, and one from Finland. A multi-cultural evening, to be sure. We hope they will bring their own versions of the spiritual highs we felt last night. And on Monday night it is our turn to host the couple missionaries' Family Home Evening. It's Columbus Day in the U.S., and since we are all Americans we thought our theme might come from this -- we have all come to England to explore and discover what England might be like for us. Sister Hawley will prepare her chichen main dish, and each couple coming will bring a bread, salad or dessert that they "would like to discover" in any part of the world they have "explored," or some food or dish that they would find in a country they want to "discover." It should be fun. During the evening we'll share our adventures about each couples' "world travels." And in our flat that comfortably might seat a dozen [which is a relatively large flat for London standards] is going to be warm-and-cosy for [so far] 22 people, some of whom are coming into the city from other areas. The more the merrier! Again we hope for laughter and love and friendship to be shared, all in the spiritual environment we love. We add a new Family History senior missionary couple last Tuesday. Brother and Sister Price are each on a second marriage, having their previous spouses pass away. They are both outgoing and friendly. He was a career Air Force pilot. One of our single senior sisters leaves in 3 weeks, and the "longest-serving" FH couple are to be released on 10 November; we will miss each one, as they have enriched our lives and become good friends.

This week we have 8 new missionaries coming down to us from the Preston MTC, none of which is American. There are three sister missionaries in this group. All are from Europe, England or South America. Next week we will receive an elder from Italy, who did go to the Provo MTC from Preston when it was discovered that he too could not speak English. His photo shows him to be a happy young man, and we look forward to meeting him and having him join us here in the ELM. Sadly, one of our hardworking elders is on his way home after only being able to serve 3/4th of his mission; he has some medical issues that need treatment at home, so Sister Hawley at the MP's request and direction, prepared the necessary paperwork, and we FedEx'd all to the U.S. Friday night. The office elders will drive him to Heathrow on Tuesday afternoon. One thing that we give the missionaries going home is a packet containing a personal letter from the president and all of the saved "presidents' letters," which covers a good record of their mission experiences.

We see how the Lord very quietly and subtly gets his work done. We see His hand in our work as problems arise and we are led to the solutions almost miraculously. We often remark at how well things work out when we have no idea how to proceed, but forge ahead after prayer or merely move ahead with a prayer in our hearts. The Lord is in this work and it is certain He is in charge. We just need to be better at obedience and willing to follow and do what is asked. Here is an example. Elder Hawley moved two elders to a new flat and instructed the elders to clean up the flat and take their possessions out by a certain date and leave the flat clean and ready for new tenants. Later, Elder Hawley received a letter from the angry landlord, because the elders took his instructions literally and cleaned out the flat and took all of the furnishing, and the landlord was accusing them of theft. Well, it was all a misunderstanding, as the elders thought everything belonged to the Mission, but it did not. It was a furnished flat. Elder Hawley called the landlord and explained the situation, but he needed to contact the elders to get some facts clear. It was late in the day and so the landlord agreed to a morning phone call to try and resolve the matter. We made it a matter of prayer that night. When the landlord was contacted the next morning, his dimeanor was softened and he was understanding that ii was an honest mistake. We offered to return the furniture or purchase new and restore what had been taken. He agreed to let the matter go if the Church would just reimburse him for the two beds that were purchased two years ago when the missionaries first moved in, and he agreed to write the rest off under wear- and-tear since these furnishings were old anyway. Instead of 2000 to 3000 pounds, he agreed to just 360 pounds to cover the beds. He wanted to know if we needed any rentals in another city in which he had property. The Lord had changed his heart and he was most friendly towards the Church, which was our primary goal . . . to maintain good public relations. We thanked and do thank the Lord for his help and blessings. The very nasty situation was turned for good because of the Lord's help.

We were assigned to represent the Mission in a building meeting about the master plan for the Hyde Park Chapel building. (It lasted three hours until 10 PM this last Thursday) It is evident that the Church is planning to put its best foot forward for the Summer Olympics to be held in London in 2012. Some renovation planned and and few changes inside, but most of it will not effect the mission offices which are on the top floor (3rd floor by US reasoning and 2nd floor as the British call it) of the building. We have about 1500 square feet to include the office, a small storage room, and the Mission President's office. There are four computer stations and files etc. as you would expect from a standard office. European keyboards and filing systems as one would expect, but it is easy to adapt to these differences. This meeting also discussed the building use and we discussed the issue of how food is eaten in many parts of the building that are carpeted. This gave us the lead in to discuss plans with the Mission President to blend into changes in the atmosphere in the office to make it more of a professional space. The missionaries use the office as a home away from home with food, clothes, sports gear all stored higglety-pigglety, and it is cluttered and messy. The President agreed that this was an opportunity to change direction. So from now on no eating by missionaries in the building except in the kitchen area and the office will be cleaned out from food, clothes and unrelated items. We can now rearrange the furniture and desks and make a clean professional office out of the space. We will be happy to make this change. The young missionaries were receptive to the change also.

Life is full of adversity and surprises. It is not that we will not have problems, but it is how we face them and stay close to the Lord so that we can solve them with His help and direction that makes the difference. He will also comfort us in our trials and give us strength and courage to go through the trial and learn the lessons that mortality has to teach us. "There is no witness until the trial of our faith." We love you all and pray the Lords blessing on our family in all of their circumstances and trials. Alongside this we offer humble thanks for all of the accompaning blessings and helps. How wonderful it is for us to realize that our Savior knows each of us personally, and that He stays nearby throughout all in His complete love for us.

Love, Elder and Sister Hawley

NEWS of the WEEK

The past couple of weeks have been so busy that we haven't had time nor energy [long days!] to add to our blog. Please excuse. However, this coming week is transfers again, plus Sister Hawley is hosting not one, not two, but three dinners at our flat -- two for missionaries being transferred, and one for our couple missionaries' Family Home Evening on Monday night. So, having read a short quote or two from Elder Hawley's brother's wife on their blog that impressed us, we are giving another Sister Hawley credit for this week's entry. See the photo above: Elder Jerry & Sister Marilyn Hawley, currently serving an 18-month CES mission for the LDS Church in Tonga. Here they are in Tongan dress, standing in front of the Tongan LDS Temple there.

"A grandson of ours loves to work with clay. He finds it' not easy to mold and form it into his desired shape, however. It takes practice, practice, practice; and long hours of work and patience. Each of us is like a piece of clay with the potential to be molded and shaped into a beautiful and useful vessel. However, sometimes flaws or errors appear that must be repaired.... [Sometimes] when the clay is placed in the fiery furnace of the potter's kiln it will break or crumble.

We do not reach our full potential until we have been through the fiery heat of the potter's kiln--the trials of our lives. Then as we truly repent and center our lives in Christ, through the power of the Atonement we will come forth from the fire transformed into an eternal being of beauty." [Marilyn Hawley]

NEWS of the WEEK

Elder Hawley had quite a hectic week, with many items "hitting the fan" all at once. Thursday was especially difficult. He sought help from Heavenly Father, and on Friday help was provided in surprising ways that was just what he needed to solve a couple of potentially difficult situations. It was quite humbling to see how close Heaven really is, when we need Heavenly Help.

Last week was full of Zone Conferences: Tuesday in Colchester for Norwich, Ipswich and Romford zones. Wednesday it was in Hyde Park, for the Hyde Park and Canterbury zones, and we left the office "on its own" to attend. On Thursday, the APs and President/Sister Patch were in Milton Keynes [Bletchley] for the zone conference for Northampton, St. Albans, and Watford zones. It is a busy week when there are 3 conferences that benefit all 8 mission zones. Sister Hawley had the "Truth Will Prevail" newsletter ready to go with the APs on Monday -- all copies were printed out, and THEN the toner was empty, thus shutting down our large copy machine/printer. Sister Hawley hurriedly made a last minute format change on the birthdays page, only to realize with some chagrin that she'd forgotten to correct one mistake due to someone interrupting her with another job. Oh, well. "Truth Will Prevail" will be published every other transfer, so she'll have lots of opportunities to "get it completely correct."

There is one benefit for those of us in the office during zone conference week, and that is the quietness of the office itself. The office elders and the office couple can both play catchup, or they can tackle extra tasks, or even get a little bit ahead for next transfers. This was the case for Sister Hawley and the office elders, and a lot was accomplished. By Friday afternoon Sister Hawley had completed her project for Sister Patch [who was delighted with the results], and she also was able to "clear her desk" of those projects that she'd had to push aside in previous weeks. She was also able to get prepared ahead of time for the next incoming missionaries -- 9 elders and sisters, and get things ready for their orientation. This coming week she has time now to prepared the President's end - of - month baptism report and gather the orientation materials for these new missionaries. The ELM has had a couple of small shifts in arriving missionaries -- one who was sent from the Preston MTC to the Provo MTC when it was discovered that he needed to learn to speak English; another who is still at this moment waiting to see if space on any airplane can be procured from Armenia to England; another elder who is coming under a different name [so all records must be adjusted], and a fourth elder who is coming later as a complete surprise. Last we heard he hadn't received an official call but the family was thrilled and his setting apart appointment with his stake president was for Sunday night! The thing that makes this elder unusual, or rather his call unusual, is that he lives in Watford, which is located WITHIN the England London Mission boundaries, so the president will make sure that he is never assigned to his home town. Also interesting will be watching this elder grow in this calling, and watching to see if we can discover why he has been assigned here -- the Lord called him and so the Lord has His plan for him; it is for us to discover why the Lord wants him in his home-town mission. Fascinating!

On Friday we had our bi-monthly administration meeting with the president, and we were able to accomplish a lot and solve several challenges, and make plans for several new companionships and new districts that will be opened by new companionships in 2 weeks. We'll wait now to see which missionaries are placed where. When the changes are given to the APs, Sister Hawley will get online into iMOS and adjust the mission assignments, as well as notify those concerned about these changes; and Elder Hawley is already working on finding new flats in the new areas. When changes occur, and this includes new callings, such as district leader, trainer, zone leader, etc., there are many people to notify, and more letters to write, have signed, and be mailed. Thank goodness for computers that make these types of tasks so much easier than they used to be.

So in one way the week was a difficult and challenging week; in another, we were touched and humbled, and taught anew by a loving Father about His knowledge of us and the blessings He wants to give us so quickly and so readily. And the highlight of the week was our ward temple trip to the London Temple located south of us in Surrey. We left early in the morning from the Hyde Park Chapel and rode in two XL vans. It took our breath away to be there, to see this wonderful ediface and beautiful gardens. We spent the morning inside doing ordinance work. There was such a sweet and sacred feeling there. It was a busy day for the workers there; Sister Hawley learned that many had not yet shown up for their shifts! Oh, was she empathetic -- she had such a desire to put on her ordinance-worker name tag and go to work with them! The temple would be considered, by today's standards, one of the smaller ones. And yet there are many levels, and many flights of stairs, making it available for larger groups so that much work can be accomplished. It was delightful to hear accents from all over the world there. The CR was at the top of a flight of stairs, just like going up to Heaven might be imagined. Just exquisite! The grounds were equally lovely and well manucured, and after a delicious lunch by their world-renowned chef [who also served us huge portions!], we walked around the gardens. It was such a happy and peaceful and blessed place to be.

Because of General Conference next week, it was [for us] Fast Sunday today. We spent a rather quiet Sunday afternoon. We look forward to hearing the words of our prophet and general Church authorities next weekend, which we can see tape-delayed at the chapel, including the General RS Meeting, or which we can listen two via the internet, all except Priesthood Meeting. Our hearts are full, as we have been greatly blessed in this land of our Fathers. May you all be so richly blessed as we have been. We send you our love and remember you in our prayers. Elder and Sister Hawley, Blessings on your heads . . . from London.

NEWS of the WEEK

We again have spent many long days in the office. Sister Hawley completed the mission newsletter called “Truth Will Prevail” at about 9 PM on Friday. Next time it will not take so long to do and there will be fewer new and leaving missionaries to highlight. Pictures and bios on thirty-five plus missionaries took some time. We have settled in. Most days we arrive between 9 and 9:30 at the office and leave most days by 6:30 or 7 PM. This week alone we had 3 late nights, but we accomplished many needful projects. It was a quieter week. President and Sister Patch did a lot of traveling around the mission carrying out interviews, speaking, and visiting. We have not had many vehicle problems, but this week there were three car accidents, no one injured, among the missionaries. Mostly fender benders, but there is still plenty to do to get the accident reports filed and insurance reports ready, as well as console and counsel the missionaries on better driving skills and actions. Elder Hawley was scrambling to find the insurance information and giving the missionaries the right information and procedures to follow. He made several trips seeking flats for missionaries in London and the office is seeking new flats in Cambridge and in Canterbury for new areas to be opened up. We will solicit help from the zone leaders to look at those properties as no one has the time to travel to look at those potential flats. We can find some good prospective properties on the Internet and then give the leads to the ZLs to follow up. Elder Hawley also had a great deal of contact with Frankfort, Germany, Solihull, England, and Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, in solving computer problems and resolving problems with the JPMorgan credit cards the mission office uses for purchasing. These are the cards the missionaries use to get their funds each month. Most of the problems have been ironed out. The seven-hour time difference with Salt Lake means most everything must be done with them after 3 PM here.  The work progresses and 10 new members were baptized this week. London is still busy, with the college students having returned to start classes. The Imperial College, the MIT of England, across the street from the Hyde Park Chapel has about 25,000 students and that makes the housing hard to find and rather pricy right around the Chapel.

Today, Saturday the 20^th, we went via the “tube” (subway) to see Buckingham Palace where the Queen has her work/weekday residence. It is only two subway stops away. During the months of August and September the Queen is away on vacation and parts of the Palace are opened for public viewing at the sum of about 26 pounds per person, or about $40-44. It is a grand place, with over 450 rooms, 76 bathrooms. gold leaf everywhere, and grand ballroom and throne rooms, galleries with glorious paintings, many from the Masters, and sculptures and tapestries. We walked our legs off. The tour lasted over 4 hours. We saw the Royal Mews where the carriages and cars are kept. The special gold gilded horse drawn carriage that is used for all of the coronations was shown also. It weighs over 4 ton with all of the gold leaf covering every inch. It is impressive. We also walked in some of the gardens and land around Buckingham of maybe 100 acres in size. There are people everywhere. It was a busy place. But all of London is full of people and vehicles, and it is a busy, noisy city.  On the way back, we took the bus to Harrod's to see this shopping phenomenom, and it was a Zoo! 

We had a good time. We were tired having walked over 4-5 miles and stood on our feet for many hours viewing the sites. We arrived home by 4 PM. Went grocery shopping and spent the rest of the evening doing laundry.  All the opulence and wealth make one think about the scriptures reflecting on the Pride of the World and the rich “grinding it upon the faces of the poor.” Power and Riches! Deadly poisons to spiritual growth if one is not very careful. This week the AP’s did several work-overs, and even the office elders traded companions for a while. So we got to get to know several other elders in the mission whom we don’t see very often if they don’t have reasons to come into the office. Each one has his/her own special skills and personality; they are friendly, happy, outgoing, enthusiastic, focused and energetic. This coming week there are three days set aside for zone conferences, which are planned by the APs. The APs also have a Monday morning meeting with the President each week to report on the mission. The zone conference for the Hyde Park Zone will be held on Wednesday and we are invited to attend. The newsletters need to be printed on Monday so they can be handed out to all of the missionaries in the mission at zone conference. Sister Hawley will design, edit and print one every other transfer. Some space in the newsletter is reserved for “Departing Words” from those missionaries released and returned home. They either write them before they leave, or they email them to the office from home. They always include their testimonies. It is uplifting and encouraging and inspiring to benefit from what they express and what means most to them from their mission experiences.

NEWS of the WEEK

Compared to Transfers week, this past week has been comparatively quiet. We have worked long hours but have been able to keep up and catch up to all the paperwork, letters, financials & flats. Don has been busy looking for flats for missionaries assigned to the Brittania Ward that also meets in the Hyde Park Chapel. He goes with the president to check the flats personally. President Patch has been interviewing this week: couples assigned to areas outside of Central London + companionships assigned to the Hyde Park area. Because we are now able to do all of the office work, this frees up the office elders to spend several hours proselyting. They have also been busy doing what I call a "clean and sort" -- cleaning the storage area in the basement which 'houses' Books of Mormon in all languages, mission supplies, pass-along cards, office supplies, dvds, etc.; they've also done some tidying up around the office itself, and they have organized cupboard contents and cleaned up the filing cabinets--these are great workers! The AP's have been gone 3 out of the 5 days on 'workovers', where they split up, each taking a new companion from the zone and spending time training and teaching the new comp in his own area. The APs really take their responsibilities seriously--it is sacred to them: it shows in how they speak, and stand, and how they use their time and how they treat those in their charge. They are also thoughtful of others, and this time it was with us that they bestowed a treat: I found a case of A&W root beer on my desk! They knew we couldn't buy it here, and that we like it, and so while they were traveling close to the air force PX they stopped and picked up this gift for us! What a nice surprise--it felt just like Christmas! Elder Monk said it was a thank you for all our hard work!

On Saturday we did the usual: laundry, cleaning the flat, grocery shopping, and then, perhaps surprising even ourselves a bit, set out to see the Tower Bridge and the Tower of London. We took the Tube both ways. We wore ourselves out with walking and climbing flights of stairs, but it was worth it. What a fascinating place with history beginning with the Romans as early as 200 A.D. There were two areas inside the Tower's 18 acres where the early ruins have been excavated.

First we walked over and back across the Tower Bridge, enjoying being outside in the warm weather and admiring the views of the River Thames traffic and the Thames Festival on Potter's Green. The Tower Bridge is a functioning drawbridge that offers quite a view of the Tower of London -- which is not just one single stone tower but a complex of buildings that has a variety of architectural styles within its walls added during its centuries-long development. Its uses and purposes have varied from royal housing to fortress to museum & tourist attraction to current home of the Crown Jewels [at least some of them]. It is most famous for its "invited guests": Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard, and the teenaged "eight-day queen, Lady Jane Grey, who were each be-headed there on the "Green" in front of the Queens' House, now the home of the Governor of the Tower. Contrary to popular myth and legend, and more than a few movies, royalty and the privileged enjoyed the comforts and riches of comfortable apartments. The three queens were no exception. Anne Boleyn's case, she came to the Tower through St. Thomas' Gate for her coronation, and returned 3 years later to stay in the same elegant apartment before being beheaded by a 'specially requested' executioner who used a sword instead of an ax which was supposed to, befitting her station in life, make her death 'easier.' The three queens were buried in the fortress's chapel. Other "invited guests" like William Penn, and Sir Walter Raleigh also 'enjoyed' comfortable housing, and Sir Walter Raleigh stayed there three times for such extended periods that he had his own vegetable garden!

We enjoyed our time there, and think we may return to see the parts of the fortress we didn't have time to see. We even saw a bride, groom, & wedding party after their marriage in the aforementioned chapel, complete with yeomen warders & bagpipist. This coming week promises to be equally varied and full of tasks we do enjoy doing, as well as a few challenges in working with the ever-changing [or being updated] iMOS. Sister Hawley will also create her first mission newsletter, Truth Will Prevail. She'll include the president's message, birthdays and baptism, spiritual thoughts and scriptures, photos & short bio on the new missionaries, and 'parting words' from those missionaries who have completed their missions and returned home. Each day is so busy that the hours fly by. What a wonderful and choice blessing this mission is proving to be! It looks like we will fill up our Saturdays as well: next Saturday we are taking a tour with 2 other couples to see parts of Buckingham Palace, the royal art collection & 19 rooms including the state dining room, and the Royal Mews, which is a functioning stable and garage for horses, royal carriages and motorized vehicles in use today by the current royal family. The following Saturday we will take a day-long bus ride south to Surrey to attend sessions at the London Temple, a dream-come-true for Sister Hawley, and a longed-for experience for both E/S H. We have missed attending the temple each week and look forward especially to attending a temple again and partaking of the Spirit there.

NEWS of the WEEK

Week of Aug 31 to Sep 5, 2009

This is transfer week. We have been and are very busy. Most days we leave the flat by 8:30 AM and get back between 7 and 8 PM. Between walking & bus rides, it takes about 30 minutes to go to/from the office/flat. There is much to do. We received 18 new missionaries from the MTC in Preston and sent 17 missionaries home. The office was bulging from a.m. Tuesday until mid-day Thursday. We were planning on 22 new missionaries, but there were visa problems for two: one elder plus a sister missionary coming from Pakistan. Another elder from Italy was sent on to the Provo MTC until October to learn English and one elder was released and sent home due to significant health issues.

Sister Hawley has been most busy getting out all of the correspondence on these new and departing missionaries. All families are contacted by mail and there are training manuals to prepare for the new missionaries, training manuals to prepare for each new Trainer, District Leader & Zone Leader. She schedules for President Patch all of the interviews for departing and arriving missionaries and also prepared an orientation for the new missionaries. This is on top of all of her normal responsibilites. With this many changes and the last transfer in August, the mission force has changed by almost 25% new faces. This transfer meant that almost every conpanionship was changed and that meant 50 or so letters being sent to coordinate the transfers.

It is fun to see the new elders and one sister missionary, so excited and ready. Eyes wide open with anticipation. The process goes something like this. They arrived on a bus from Preston after a five hour bus ride. They move all of their luggage into the cultural hall. We feed them. Twenty large pizzas were ordered. (making Perfect Pizza's day with an order of over 240 Pounds, or about $400. Yes, they like the missionaries business!) After eating and settling down they were taken up three flights of stairs because the elevator was not working, and put in the Conference room, [really the high council room] where orientations are held. This orientation included finances, getting the JPMorgan debit cards and how to use them, the mission rules and expectations, obtaining reibursement for travel expenses and setting up flats. They were interviewed by the Mission President and the Assistants to the President took over during the interviews and led them through the training book: preparing and what and how to study as there is a prescribed plan for them for the next six weeks. The new traniners were trained the previous day. By three o'clock the new missionaries were taken to the Mezzanine floor and more training by the AP's was given. The new missionaries are seated with a chair between them. The trainers meantime are on another floor with the president getting last minute information and a picture card of the missionary they will train. As the new missionaries finished with training they began to sing "Called To Serve", and as they are singing the Mission President leads the trainers into the room from the back and the trainers seek out their new companions amoung the new elder's and sisters and of course the music and singing soon stops. There are many hugs and excited faces as they meet the new companion with whom they are assigned and whom they have never seen before. It was hard to keep back the tears when you realize this is the Lord's work and these young Sons of Helman and Sister's too are so ready and eager to serve.

The president then gave them a few words. Photos were taken by Sister Hawley and Elder Weibell] on the main floor with trainers, new missionaries, and President/Sister Patch, and then they were off. These photos will now be sent to the parents, along with a handwritten letter by their son/daughter, and accompanied by a letter from the mission president. They collected their luggage and were out of the doors being led and directed by the senior companions to public buses and trains to their various areas of assignment. Some will travel 3-4 hours by bus and/or train to reach their areas.

Interviews then began for the missionaries who were leaving. They had been filtering in from all over the mission. The president and his wife held a farewell dinner for them in their flat and dessert was shared back in the Cultural Hall at about 8 PM. Four parents were there to pick up their missionaries and they came at 8 PM to make that fun transition. The missionaries not with parents were taken to hotel rooms, all previously arranged by Sister Hawley, and went by shuttle the next morning to the Heathrow Airport: some to the USA, some to Germany, Denmark, Wales, and the Netherlands. Those returning within the UK went by bus and train.

It has been difficult to get our regular duties done with the mission office being used as a recreation room and reception or social gathering point. We see much hugging and back slapping and excitement as they interact with each other about the work and renew friendships and past associations as companions. We are tired, happy and exhausted. We seem to blend into the back ground and have been the facilitators of this activity through our preparations. Sister Hawley coordinates all of the travel arrangements and communications with parents well in advance of the departure. We had to trouble-shoot two problems. One missionary going to Rotterdam in the Netherlands was taken to the wrong airport. We got him on a later fight and got him to the London City Airport for him to get his flight home. We needed to call his parents in the Netherlands to let them know of the problem and the change in schedule. It only made him about three hours later in arrival, but to Amsterdam Airport about an one hour drive from Rotterdam. Another set of elders, flying to the States on the first leg of travel together from Heathrow, had different flight times. Sister Hawley made a few phone calls and discovered the problem -- the airline had changed the flight time w/o notifying us -- and the elders were able to make the flight home in time.

Now you know something about transfers. In the future it will be less hectic. We will know more, but the number of missionaries will be much less. The next transfer in mid October will involve only 7 new missionaries and 3-6 going home. We will figure it out this week and begin the notificaiton process. Thank heavens for computers, "Mail Merge" and technology to facilitate all of this correspondence and communication. We receive the travel plans from SLC via email.

We also took receipt of twenty cases of the Book of Mormon in English this week. You might be interested to note that we keep over fifty different language translations of the Book of Mormon in the office for use by the missionaries, as London is so diverse. President Patch invites Elder Hawley to go and look at flats with him. He is concerned about each missionary, and wants each flat to be healthy and comfortable. He takes his responsibility for these missionaries in his care seriously. One of Elder Hawley's responsibilities is management of flats. Mechanics around the zones maintain the vehicles physically, but Elder Hawley maintains the paperwork and the finances for these two areas as well as general mission expenses. We also meet with the office elders and the president twice a month regarding general office and administrative matters. The biggest and most time-consuming job Elder Hawley has is to keep records on financial matters and to pay the bills on time.

Sister Patch has asked us to write up a job description. One of the first things we are going to say is that this is a duet of jobs that needs a good 4-6 weeks of training for each couple who is called to serve in the office. We have had good trainers. The president also wants us to clean up and reorganize the office, and this includes everything from the files to the furniture to the decorating! Never a dull moment in London!