Pondering These Strange Times

 I looked back today to see what we were doing last year at this time.  We were fully into preparing for Thanksgiving.  We were hoping to have twenty or twenty one there, but were astounded when 27 showed up!  Actually it was 25 + SK and me.  

Isn't it amazing how we go about our daily lives fully expecting tomorrow to be as predictable as we make it?  A second can make all the difference.  We have been humbled these last weeks to watch and pray for Ally, our granddaughter and the daughter of Derek and Heather.  She was in a terrible  roll-over accident which resulted in the deaths of two of her friends, wonderful young men.  She was badly bruised, with a concussion and a huge gash on her forehead, but she is alive.  And we are grateful for that, even as we mourn the loss of her friends.

There was that second....when the driver lost control as the car seemed to began to skate as if on ice.  They described it as hydroplaning.

This year has been full of unexpected things.  Who could possibly have foreseen this year?  We came into the mission field in September of 2019 excited to serve in Oxford.  Everything was wonderful, and we quickly came to love everything about this mission.  Then there was the fast exit from the UK, a flight that is a blur, a haven in the form of a basement apartment near the temple, and blessings too many to be enumerated.  

The greatest of those is being able to attend Lia's wedding to Ed in the Brigham City Temple.  Seeing how happy she is has filled our hearts with joy.  We attended her daughter - Eliza's baptism.  What a tender mercy - to be there!  We had sweet times with grandchildren who came by to visit....time we might not have ever had.  We had time in our childrens' homes with their families.  We developed new friendships with the amazing couple who own our basement apartment.

And then, when we had nearly given up hope that the Lord might let us return to England, there was the invitation!  With little time to spare again, we were back here in this familiar flat, surrounded by familiar and beloved Oxford.  

We have served here for almost 3 months....making our mission at this point a 9-month mission.  We are busy, but not with in-person things.  We keep tabs with the young missionaries and our YSAs.  We speak to ward members.  But we are alone in our flat...no one can come in and we cannot visit anyone else's home.  No church.  Total lockdown.  We will hear next Monday what will happen post December 2 (the original date the lockdown would end).

I spoke with a ward member today by phone, Shelley.  She is one of those women who make everything seem better, seem safer, seem more comfortable just by being there.  We talked about how our families our doing and how we are doing.  We both agreed at how very peculiar this lockdown feels.  

She has been phoning ward members to make sure they are doing alright.  She goes to the door of a 96-year old member who lives alone and who is so very lonely.  This lockdown may be keeping her safe from the virus, but the toll otherwise is devastating.  She said there are many who are in much need of just a friendly hello....right in the boundaries of our ward.  

We thought together that this is tailor-made for our YSAs who will have responsibilities much eased by early December and who would be much happier if there were a meaningful way to serve.  There is such a need!

In the meantime, I have been baking cakes.  I know.  What am I thinking?  It sounds almost as bad as Marie Antoinette's "Let them eat cake!"  I was thinking that just a small cake and a note of appreciation might go a long way for a stressed and possibly lonely YSA....finals this week and next.  I made 16 today, gave away four, had SK try one to make sure it is OK, and will make another 10 tomorrow.  We'll see about delivering them!

It's a start!

This is a fairly good-sized piece of cake - about 4 X 5.  SK gave it the seal of approval!

We had a 4-hour zoom mission meeting this morning that was amazing.  It was eye-opening and I took notes furiously.  We will have another one tomorrow morning.  After that, I will prepare our Thanksgiving feat.  We decided that this may be the only Thanksgiving we have ever spent entirely alone....just to the two of us.

Before Derek was born, we ate with other students, and the last year we were in Chicago, SK's brother Robert and his wife Marcia came to spend the weekend with us. It was so fun to have them.  I was a complete novice at cooking anything, much less a Thanksgiving dinner.  They were gracious and kind and I have only happy  memories of that Thanksgiving.

I think once we settle down....after the Zoom meeting....after making our deliveries....we will be grateful for the blessings of this strange year, which will include you who are reading.  

We love you!