TheSecondTimeAroundEngland

There was frost on the ground and on the flowers and trees this morning.  It was a beautiful sight.  The sunlight illuminated a magnificent clear blue sky and lit up a million sparkling ice crystals spread throughout the landscape. We dressed and walked just around the corner to the temple from temple housing.  We weren't sure that the YSAs would make it at the time they agreed to be in that beautiful place.  They would have to be up early enough to get ready and walk to the meeting place for a ride to the temple.  That meant walking in the dark and the cold. We entered the temple and went to change.  As I came out of the dressing room, there was a line at the clothing rental....our YSAs!  Looking a little tired and quiet, they were yet so happy to be there.  They divided up and each went to do different ordinances.  We met up again around 11 a.m.  Everyone was glowing.  We trooped outside where it was still very cold, but also ...

This day began with glorious sunlight and clear blue skies.  The contrast of the brilliant light on the buildings outside with the shadows was magnificent. We ran a couple loads of laundry.  The tablecloths took up one load.  I polished up the countertops and stovetop.  Funny how even with such a small kitchen, it takes a fair amount of work to bring it up to its best after a night like last night. Several YSAs got in and cleaned, and I was grateful.  Then SK worked at scrubbing all the pots and pans.  So this morning, it took awhile to clean and shine all surfaces, and to put away ALL the dishes, pots and pans, and bring the little living room back. After lunch we got cleaned up and left for the temple, an hour and 40-minute drive according to GPS.  Nearly four hours later we arrived.  I can’t imagine how anyone makes it in under two hours!  But it was a pleasant drive and all I had to do was sit and relax...yes, it was nice.  It w...

Several weeks ago, we had a planning meeting with the two YSA reps, cute young people who both lead very busy lives, and still manage to handle the planning and execution of all things related to the Oxford YSAs.  They are both British, so we were a little surprised when they noted that on Thanksgiving Day we would have "Thanksgiving."  A feast. They asked if I would cook a turkey, I said I would be happy to. They asked if they could hold the feast here, and we answered, "Of Course." In the intervening weeks, we have kept busy planning and preparing meals and attending to meetings etc.  Thanksgiving kind of crept up on us.  This week in particular has been very full.  We served a meal Monday evening, traveled to inspect apartments on Tuesday,  fed a meal to the missionaries on Wednesday, fixed refreshments for Wednesday evening Institute, and the feast tonight.  We will leave tomorrow for the temple, and stay overnight in the temple housing, then...

I have to remind myself to take more pictures. Today alone, the young missionaries were here for our district meeting and lunch, and then returned with a young non-member woman for Institute.  I know how  much it meant to me to get news of Derek and Lia when they were on their missions, and the kindest calls or letters were from members just complimenting us on our child/missionary.  If those calls or letters had been accompanied by a picture, it would have been truly exciting for us. I can sincerely compliment these young people.  Elder Hill, our district leader conducts the meetings with an earnest solemnity.  He always has an agenda which he follows.  He takes us through teaching principles, reports for the week from each companionship and then an inspirational thought.  The other three missionaries participate with proper respect for what they are doing.  The more I get to know Elder Tshendabo (from the Congo), the more I admire him and his ...

Paperwork!  I didn't realize that there would be as much as there is, but I am so grateful that we are not the mission couple.  They are drowning in paper work and details. We left early this morning to go to Reading to inspect missionary apartments.  Four young elders, all of whom were delightful.  One flat that was beautifully clean and tidy and the other - not so much.  I wonder a little bit if it has anything to do with the flat itself.  This was our second go round with inspecting these same apartments, and one of the elders who is in the very clean apartment was transferred from the other less-than-happy flat.  The clean one is well-lit, has beautiful wood floors, white tiled bathroom and streamlined cabinets in the kitchen.  It just looks like it would not take a lot of effort to keep it clean.  The other is older, has less storage space in the kitchen, and the floors and cabinets are dark and worn.  Perhaps it isn't as fun to...

Spaghetti, green salad, garlic bread and Turtle Cookies was the menu today.  Even though there were breaks between preparing, that was my day. We had a good group here, including four missionaries and one sweet young Iranian woman who the elders brought.  She was quiet but the enthusiasm of all of the young people was contagious and I saw her giggling several times.  She looked like she genuinely enjoyed it. One of the young men gave a beautiful message prompted by a quote from Elder Uchtdorf'.  He read a lengthy quote, which ended with:   This is a paradox of man: compared to God, man is nothing; yet we are everything to God.  He then  asked a question which prompted some very insightful answers.  He asked what kind of difference it makes to know that we are everything to God.  I loved listening to the answers. There was a fun and funny activity that everyone seemed to enjoy, then all of a sudden, it was time to go, and over a p...

It's been a sweet day.  I enjoy going to both wards.  I am used to attending for three hours, and this is about the same.  We attend the one hour for the 2nd Ward at 9, and then both hours at 10:30 of the 1st Ward.  Today it was Relief Society in the second hour, and one of YSAs taught.  She is very busy trying to complete her degree.  She has three very intense weeks ahead, and then she'll be done. Another of our very sweet young women spoke in Sacrament Meeting.  I am deeply impressed with how open they are in speaking to the ward.  They speak about their disappointments and struggles and how they have come to a sense of peace.  They have gone through very difficult things and they have flailed about.  But the bottom line is they come back to the Lord.  In one way or another, they have said the same thing:  "I may not understand everything, but I know I am better off if I place my faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ." ...

It rained throughout the day,  It's raining now.  Will I grow wearing of it?  I doubt it. We took a small shopping trip to find tomato sauce.  I had wanted to fix a creamy tomato pasta.  But I could only find some tomato passata from Italy, and the ingredients say tomatoes and water.  I brought it home, fixed the pasta and tried it out on SK.  His comment:  too tomato-ee.  Yup, it tasted like I had made it from tomato paste.  I watered it down, and then it tasted like watered down tomato paste.  I may have to drop back and punt......whatever that means. Laundry and laundry and laundry and Saturday cleaning.  It's all good.  But the day was way too short, and I don't mean daylight.  Our day is practically gone.  We'll participate in the weekly conference call with the mission president, then a conference call with our little Oxford district missionaries, then bed. The one thing I am happy about today is taki...

We figured out that if we travel a couple hundred miles to inspect mission apartments that are about 45 minutes away from each other, we just might be able to also plan a sight-seeing visit sometimes during the day.  Today, we visited the two flats that are farthest away from Oxford.  As it turned out, we visited them later in the day and had the morning free. As you can see from the pictures, it was a beautiful Jane Eyre type of day, cool (in the 40's), dramatic dark sky, light breeze, intermittent light showers.  This all made it seem like a perfect day to visit a castle built in the 1100s.  Farnham Castle is truly ancient, and has quite a history to go along with the many years of its existence. As we wandered through the grounds (the inside was closed because there was a wedding there tonight and they were preparing for it - wouldn't that be a fun place for a wedding and reception?), I couldn't help but wonder if the knights who defended this place ever fe...

It seems surprising, but there is a fair amount of so-called paperwork to do with this calling.  Nothing overwhelming, but if I don't keep current, it does get to be a lot at once. We submit receipts to the mission for all expenses incurred while helping out the younger missionaries and for travel when we inspect missionary apartments.  We submit receipts to the stake for all expenses incurred while making food or traveling for the YSAs.  And we incur a fair amount of expenses just living here that we put in the "Madsen Expense folder." I organized those today and got all receipts in their proper folders.  The Seminaries and Institute Coordinator requested a roll of all YSAs attending since the term began 5 weeks ago.  And since I haven't set up a spread sheet in many years, I just did one on paper, and then transferred it to an email.  It's a good thing I have been jotting down the names of those who were here each night.  Otherwise that would hav...

Our district meeting lasted nearly three hours this morning....and in all fairness, I must say that lunch took at least an hour.  It is just fun to sit around the table with SK and those four young missionaries.  I often have to remind myself that they are 19 and 20 years old.  They seem so much older than that! By the time lunch had been served and cleared up, the meeting took another hour and some, and then by the time all was said and done, it was three hours. After they left, I had time to start on refreshments for Institute.  Don't ask me why, but for some strange reason, I thought cucumber sandwiches would be light and easy and tasty.  I have been in the habit of making the richest desserts I can think of, and it seems like a bit of a disservice to these hard-working students.  Hence, the cucumber sandwiches. I was putting the finishing touches on them when a very handsome young man came.  He was early by 20 minutes.....something that never...

Getting up while it is yet dark and cold is not my idea of a fun time.  But once on the road, it became a lovely adventure.  We shut and locked our door at 7:30 a.m, and as we drove through the city, we saw students and workers resolutely marching their way to wherever, enshrouded in blacks, grays, dark blues and dark browns, bundled against the cold, their breaths coming in small puffs of air. We left Oxford, passing beautiful fields covered with a light dusting of frost.  Pale gray mists hovered over the landscape.  Fluffy black-legged sheep dotted the hillsides. We traveled to Basingstoke, through Jane Austen country.  We passed a sign that noted the little town of Heading, adding that it was the birthplace of that great author.  Apparently the whole county lays claim to Jane and her novels.  There are tours you can take to see the sites of supposed subjects of her books.  There are castles and estates, parks and pubs.  I think in anothe...

We have gone through the mission application process twice now.  Both times we were surprised at how detailed they were.  Both times we were hoping against hope that we would receive the calls we so ardently wished for, and both times so pleasantly and excitedly surprised that we did.  And both times, we were humbled to be called to work with Young Single Adults. We have been in England now nearly two months, and we are still looking at each other on a regular basis and saying, "We're in ENGLAND!"  We thank the Lord in every prayer for this sweet sweet blessing, and for the marvelous blessing of serving with all of the dear young people, YSAs as well as missionaries. Did you sense a "However" coming?  Here it is:  There was nowhere on any of the papers that asked if we are able and willing to cook meals for fairly large groups.  Nowhere were we asked about our organizational ability to plan, shop, prepare, and serve.  And nowhere did it even a...

I awakened this morning feeling tired and thought seriously about staying in bed with the covers over my head...for maybe 5 minutes.  I really didn't want to be social today.  But I really can't stand to think of missing any of the church meetings.  They are all spiritually and intellectually stimulating, and all come from a strong foundation of faith.  So I crawled out of the warm down comforter, got dressed and went off to church with SK and the young sister missionaries. Oxford Second Ward this morning held its annual ward conference.  What a treat!  We heard from our Bishop and from our Stake President.  They are both such good men and both incredible speakers.  I've written before about Bishop Bateman's talks.  They touch my heart. Today he spoke about being intentional about keeping covenants.  He told about a painting he saw in Israel - Magdala.  It is a very large mural and shows a woman on the ground reaching out. ...

We began our day with the sister missionaries and their investigator Francisco who will be baptized soon.  They came over to watch "The Restoration" with him.  It was made 15 or possibly 20 years ago, and is excellent.  I enjoyed it once again. After they left, I began some Saturday cleaning, and lo and behold, look what I found: 7 feet tall!!!!  There are at least two different sets of decorations, so after we get light bulb replacements for the many burned out lights, I'll decorate it. I'm certain that Christmas is in full-swing in the states.  Well, Thanksgiving is not a thing in England, so by this time of year, Christmas is THE thing.  Blenheim Castle (birthplace and burial place of Sir Winston Churchill) opened its famous Christmas Outdoor Market today.....as have many other cities and townships.  It is time to start celebrating. You may wonder how the tree was hidden.  Well, it was scrunched up in a box and tucked away in the...