TheSecondTimeAroundEngland

Lauren got home yesterday.  She is 15 pounds lighter, and she was slender before she left.  She had quite a trip back, making her way to Chili with other Paraguayan missionaries by chartered bus.  There were several buses all converging on the Chili Airport to fly out to the States with hundreds of missionaries returning home. She arrived in Salt Lake City late Saturday night. She was taken to a hotel where she spent the remainder of the night and flew home to Phoenix yesterday.  She is in isolation now, except she and Erin drove over and we talked out on the driveway for maybe 20 minutes.  She looks good - albeit thin - and she sounds good, but I am certain that she is feeling like she is in a dream. She will finish out her isolation and then most likely be reassigned somewhere in the U.S. SK and I have everything we need here and are profoundly blessed.  I love our walks in the sunshine every day and look forward to them.  But even with all the...

Today is day number 14 of our confinement, and day number 14 since we joined thousands of other travelers in Heathrow Airport and boarded a plane full of people heading to Salt Lake City Airport.  We said goodbye to the rest of the senior missionaries we traveled with and took a plane to Phoenix. In some ways it has been a very long time since that day two weeks ago.  I'll never quite forget the feeling of sitting there in the Phoenix Airport feeling so lost.  We didn't even have a phone to research hotels, which we were thinking about doing. Through all of this is the horrifying idea that we could be spreading a deadly virus to those we love.  I also was shrinking at the thought of being a burden on one of our children and their family.  We had detailed instructions about how to self-isolate..... and isolate means ISOLATE.  But how do you do that in a home with active children and active parents?  How do meals work?....using dishes, touching dishe...

Day eleven of our isolation.  We are tired, but we are well.  We walk at least 2 miles a day - not a lot, but it gets us out in the sunshine and gets us moving for 45 minutes or so.  We go slowly for my sake because of my ankles and legs, even though to SK our pace is a walk in the park - so to speak. We come back in, sometimes visiting with the Holgates who live in the main house upstairs.  We keep our distance as we talk, and there is always plenty to talk about.  They are lovely people who have had some incredible experiences.  They recently got home from serving in Iraq as senior missionaries. We got word today from the Church that all temples will be closed temporarily beginning tonight.  I think we all knew this was coming, but it is a bit sobering.  To be without open temples in our midst is just kind of sad, and leaves me feeling a trifle bereft.  The world is changing. I don't know how soon it will come back to anything we migh...

We are comfortable in this apartment.  It is lovely.  Our daughters have seen to it that we have everything we need...everything.  We read, we play around on the computer, we watch a movie once a day, we eat, we go for 2 mile walks around the deserted temple.  Bored?  Not a bit....just so very grateful to be where we can't pass on this virus. We got a call today from two of the dearest of our YSAs in London.  They, along with all of the other American YSAs are now in the USA and self-isolating in various locations.  Berklee and Kenzie are serving out their solitary confinement together in Kenzie's parents' home in Texas, where they have a family room, separate bedrooms and bathrooms.  They have to rely on Kenzie's parents for food, but I am sure they are being plied with all kinds of food. In the call, they told us they have both tested positive for the coronavirus, they have fevers and coughs, but they aren't really very ill, which is good ne...

I just posted a portion of this on Facebook and decided I would put it on the blog for those of you who don't have Facebook:  (along with a quote from Dave) I am not great at selfies! The sunshine plays down over the gleaming creamy exterior of the Gilbert Temple.   It stands like a rock-solid beacon, imparting peace to my soul. We returned to Gilbert five days ago from our mission in the England London Mission.   We served in Oxford with the Young Single Adults, the Oxford 1 st and 2 nd Wards, the young missionaries assigned to Oxford, and under the inspired and inspiring direction of President Dave and Sister Deb Checketts. This is the 5 th day of our self-isolation, as instructed by our mission leadership.   We were given details about   traveling home, self-isolating and self-care during the two weeks we are to be completely apart from other people.   We had about a day and a half to pack up our apartment, before meeting with othe...

Not much to report.  We have kept ourselves busy in this lovely apartment.  Our sweet friend Kate brought over warm banana bread and fresh-squeezed Arizona orange juice.  They were beyond delicious.  I answered a few emails, and I spent some time talking to my dear friend whose husband recently passed away after waging a long battle. In the afternoon we went for a walk on a deserted road.  The sunshine felt good, and we didn't encounter anyone else, for which we are grateful. Look at this spectacular view of the Gilbert Temple from the house where our apartment is. Spoke on the phone with several very dear friends, and taught the Taylor kids a lesson about the Renaissance in art.  That was fun. We are safe and we are healthy still, and we have a kitchen full of good food.  All is well. Since there is only so much to report on when we are basically sitting in an apartment, I will suspend this blog until the time that we might be called ...

We have spent the day rejoicing and being so grateful for the tender mercies of the Lord.  It is such a beautiful blessing to be in this apartment.  It is a basement apartment and so has windows that look out at a concrete wall yet there are many lights that keep it bright and cheery. We have finished our first 24-hour time period in this place and think we probably will be here much longer than the three weeks.  I thought there  was a little more wiggle room, but people are taking this seriously,   We'll see how it plays out. Today was the 14th day of March - before we would normally think spring.  It is a little bit dark, but it was a beautiful day.  I loved it.  I have to sign off....I have fallen asleep at least 6 times, and have either typed rows of the same kaeys or sentences that made no sense whatsoever. I hope I'll be over the jet lag tomorrow and can send a proper letter, Love, Janis

Before returning home each of the senior couples were given a detailed list of what to do and how to behave to stay well if at all possible.  The mission physician said that the airplane ride home would be a place to possibly pick up the virus.  We were told in no uncertain terms to self-isolate for 2 solid weeks. They said if someone picks us up at the airport, make sure it was only one person.  For the young missionaries especially, they were told to self-isolate in a room and to stay away from everyone.  This makes good sense in theory, but so difficult to do.  Everyone was told to stay completely away from older people, for obvious reasons.  There were several other things. We were so grateful that Derek and Heather were so willing to have us stay with them.  But there were some drawbacks.  We couldn't see how we could be isolated from them without it causing a real burden on the whole family.  And then what would happen after our...

I am writing this evening in a bit of a fog.  We slept (for want of a better word) at Dave and Deb's apartment.  It was well past midnight when I crawled into bed, and we were awakened by the alarm at 4:45 a.m.  We got ready in the dark, walked over to the underground parking in the rain, and traveled through the semi-deserted streets of London to the airport.  Hasty goodbyes were said outside the airport to dear Dave and Deb in a steady downpour.  I pray that they will be well through the coming months. and still be able to do what needs to be done in the England London Mission. It was an incredible experience, the last six months. It took a long time to get through the security lines at Heathrow,  We didn't have a great deal of extra time before boarding the airplane.  Oddly enough, everyone who sat by a window on that flight kept their windowshades down, so that the airplane cabin was darkened nearly the entire time we were in the air. The fli...

There are so many memorable moments in "Fiddler on the Roof" but for some bizarre reason the one that has kept coming back to me today is the scene where the Jews have been expelled from the little community they have called home - Anatevka.  It is a cold bleak day as they bundle up their belongings to be on their way to unknown destinations.  They sing it like a dirge and they are a doleful lot.  It is a sad and trying time in their lives.  But as they sing, hope rises and by the time the song is over, they are moving ahead with faith. Our day started out with a call from Dave.  His opening words, "Brace yourself." I waited for the message.  Salt Lake had arranged for us to fly out on Saturday morning - tomorrow at 9:30 a.m.  We were to be in London to meet with the other departing senior missionaries at 7 this evening, stay with Dave and Deb tonight and then depart at 5:25 in the morning for Heathrow Airport.  We were given a detailed list o...

Throughout the night last night, SK and I talked.  We slept some, talked some, and worried some.  We wondered if Derek and family will be able to get out of the country, and we wondered if we might be asked to self-isolate.  All of our pondering didn't really prepare us for the reality of this morning. We signed up for 18 months.  We wanted to come to England and give our utmost best to serve the Lord.  We had hoped to give back something to that Father who has given us so very much.  Our prayers - lengthy to say the least - have always included the pleas that we could be in good health until the end of our mission, with enough energy and then some to accomplish all we hoped to. At 7 this morning, President Checketts called and said, "Brace yourself."  He went on to tell us that all senior couples were being sent home immediately.  We have until Friday at midnight to get out of Dodge.  We laid there for a little while trying to digest the...

With the unfolding drama on the world's stage of the coronavirus, SK and I speak about it often, whenever we have some time alone.  Invariably one of us will bring up what we have recently heard or read.  I've told many of the young people that some years hence, they may be telling their grandchildren about the great coronavirus pandemic.....or they may not even remember it as it quietly goes away.  Who knows? Today we had 8 young missionaries here for the district meeting.  Two from Brazil and serving in our zone, two from Idaho, two from Utah, one from Arizona and one from Australia.  They will all be in our district now and will meet with us on a weekly basis.  I can't even tell you how much I enjoy sitting with them in their meetings and then around the table at lunch.  It is like being with family. They are each cute in their own way.  Some are more shy than others, but I'm sure they will be less so as they come to know all of us in this ...

Today was all about Harry Potter.  We got up, we ate, we set out for Leavesden England, we arrived and were herded in with about one hundred people (2/3 being children on field trips) to begin our tour.  We were there in the studio where much of the wildly popular  movies were made.  With the first movie, they filmed in Oxford and other sites.  As they realized what a hit they had on their hands, they began to build more and more elaborate sets of their own.  In some instances, they duplicated the interior rooms of Oxford colleges. We entered around 10:30 and left close to 5.  It is not a typical theme park with rides.  The tour took us through fantastic sets, and instructional videos of every sort showing how things were done, such as:  makeup, wigs, special effects, costuming, building the sets, interviewing actors, and a host of other things.  There were 24 stops on the map, which we walked through at our own pace.  For 5 pound...

The weather today has run the gamut of bright and clear and crisp to overcast, damp and clammy, to a steady downpour of rain (rainbow included).  How can any place on earth beat that?  It was a perfect day for sightseeing and Derek, Heather and company did exactly that.  They have filled the two days here just about as full as you possibly can. Derek and SK got up early and traveled to Moulsford, where the Shingleton line lived and died and were buried.  They visited the little church where the family most likely worshipped, and even happened upon a little service - including some lovely singing.  They got back in time to walk over to our friendly neighborhood castle and take the grand tour.  They enjoyed it as much as we did, and got the requisite mug shot at the end.  I didn't get a snapshot, but will copy it here tomorrow for everyone to see.  Derek, like his mother just couldn't not look like he was having a grand time.  He missed the...

Sacrament meetings in both wards were both excellent.  As yet, I have never been a church meeting here in Oxford that wasn't wonderful.  I have never felt that I wasted my time, never wished I were somewhere else doing something else.  The wards are really exceptional. Derek, Heather, Brook, Clint, Ally, Kimball and Andersen joined us for the 1st Ward Sacrament meeting and the second hour as well.  I know they enjoyed it, but we haven't had time to talk much about it.  After meetings were over, we convened at our apartment here for a fast sandwich and chips and cookies.  Three of the cutest YSAs came with the Madsen group on the bus, and were so gracious to lead us from here in a grand tour of the colleges of Oxford.  We went to 5 colleges I think, and we saw so many more as we walked.  I put five miles on my feet! We saw famous Harry Potter sites such as the great dining hall or whatever it is called in Harry Potter.  Here it is called t...