Choice Experiences

 After our morning call with our zone, Angie came for the afternoon. She has had both shots and she leads a very insular life, so we feel pretty safe having her here. Unlike all we hear about in America, we are still doing a lot of social distancing. We have been outside with small groups and we have been in church spread out in the chapel wearing masks. Angie has been here once inside, and another young man, our math genius who just received his doctorate from Oxford came one night for dinner.

Other than that, we really have been very careful. It has now been two weeks since our second dose.  We are hearing now that those who have had the Astra-Zeneca/Oxford vaccine will probably need a booster shot on a yearly basis. I really don't care in the slightest. I'm just grateful to feel that we are protected. Even if we were to get it now, it is virtually guaranteed that we would have a mild case which would not require hospitalization.

She came for lunch, then a game of SkullKing - we love that game! And then we watched the Fighting Preacher. It was a lovely afternoon.

We talked briefly to Ally and Travis - our young newlywed (granddaughter) couple. They are so cute.  They showed us around their apartment, which looked awesome. Their reception is this evening at Derek's and Heather's home. They've redone the floors and all kinds of other things in anticipation of this evening's festivities. I think that is marvelous.  

For our mission Zoom call, Dave, Deb and all the young missionaries who serve regularly in the Mission Office started out with a song, a prayer and then a video. It was so fun. The missionaries have actually hit the 1,000 mark. That is baptisms and helping prepare individuals to go to the temple. It is an amazing achievement.



Many of the twelve stake presidents in the mission recorded a 2 to 5 minute video congratulating them and expressing their love and respect for them and what they have done. Several expressed their admiration and amazement  at how during this time of lockdowns, they have been able to accomplish so much. We saw pictures of many of the people who were baptized, along with their missionaries.  And many outside the temple. Listening to the stake presidents brought the tears. This past year has been amazing. I ought to list all of the setbacks, and the amazing ways the missionaries have stepped forward to serve.

They have been tireless in their enthusiasm to help people, to share the message of Jesus Christ and His love for each one, and their desire to help people go to the temple. When Dave announced that our numbers had topped 1,000 (I think that might be since the lockdown last March of 2020), although they were all muted, we could see everyone cheering. Dave also said that we have 77 companionships in the mission, and there are enough baptisms scheduled for May that it would be one per companionship - which is unheard of.

It is not about the numbers - but it actually IS about the numbers since it is a way to assess the work going on in the England London Mission. What I love about these numbers is that it is the tip of the iceberg, as far as the work that is going on. For each baptism, there are countless hours spent by the missionaries, teaching, helping to get them to church and encouraging them. Dave has said over and over again, that we must get them fully incorporated into the ward, and keep them coming so that they can fully enjoy the blessings of the gospel in their lives.

It has been such a challenge with COVID, but these young people are truly dedicated.  

In our prayers tonight, we once again thanked our Father in Heaven for the privilege and blessing of being here in this beautiful country, but also of being able to work so closely with these amazing young people and with Dave and Deb.

It has changed our lives forever, and has been a magnificent experience....one I wouldn't trade for anything.  


Comments

melissa said…
How great shall be your joy, right?! It kind of makes up for all the craziness, I’d say!!
May 9, 2021 at 9:38 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Master Teacher

In the 1st Ward today, an 11-year-old boy gave a talk that was one of he best sacrament meeting talks I have ever heard.  He got up to speak and his head just barely cleared the podium.  He is small and has a shock of dark hair topping a cute slightly freckled face. It will be several years yet before his voice deepens.  He had his written talk, and he read most of it, but he was familiar enough with it that he looked up often and it seemed as if he was speaking from his heart. He began with a quote from Nephi in 2 Nephi 25:29, where Nephi prophesies about the future and then tells us how to worship the Savior. How? this boy asked us. He went on to answer his own question.  Nephi says "with all our might."  The boy then asked how that is done. He cited the story of the converts in the Congo who threw all of their idols into a massive waterfall where they were unrecoverable.  The boy said that when we worship the Savior with all our might, that mea...
Read more

Going Home

  Fifteen missionaries are returning to their homes this week.  For this Saturday night zoom conference broadcast, each bore their testimony from their flats with their companions by their sides.  SK and I teared up many times as we listened to humble, sweet and strong testimonies.  It is easy to see the difference as they get close to their release date.  It they have been faithful, there is a maturity and a sweetness that is unexplainable. Here is a smattering of what was said: There is no growth in the comfort zone.  I am about to go home to my comfort zone...but it struck me that my old comfort zone is no longer comfortable for me.  I want to be in a growth zone. The early apostles did not succeed, but they knew we would. One elder quoted Dave's poem "If."  "If you can meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two impostors just the same...Hold on...even through the hardest times."  "How can I accomplish these things?  Jesus Chr...
Read more

Shark!

Image
We left our flat way too early for my taste this morning, heading out to go south to Farnborough.  Forty-eight miles, supposedly an hour and twenty minute drive.  We got into some heavy stop and go traffic and it was closer to 2 hours before we got there. We inspected the two young sisters' flat, which was beautifully clean and organized.  They are cute sisters.  They had been in London yesterday for zone conference and excitedly shared all they had heard and been taught.  They had their notes out and were very cute to repeat some great messages from President Checketts.  I hardly ever talk to him when he isn't dealing with numerous issues in the mission and in the middle of at least one or two crises, and planning the next gathering....all at the same time.  It must be that he and Deb are in a constant state of stress.  But he has cleared the half-way mark.  I wonder if he knows how highly he is esteemed by these young missionaries, who ...
Read more