Gratitude Is the Key to Happiness

 Here we are - over a third of June is over. Is there any way to slow down this ride?

We picked up about 15 copies of The Book of Mormon at the Mission Office yesterday to bring back to our sisters.  So we walked the kilometer to their flat this morning to deliver them. It was 70 degrees, 56% humidity and a lovely cool breeze. We enjoyed the walk, and enjoyed standing out in the bright Oxford light with Sister Heder and Sister Jones. 

They both seemed so cheerful and optimistic about their day ahead. As we walked away from them, down the street a ways, we heard them talking and turned to see them approaching a neighbor who was out washing his car. They are so cute! It takes a lot of courage to do that.

We came back to our flat and worked at various and sundry tasks, and then later walked into the town center (about .2 miles from our flat) looking for a little necklace for Kristina who will be leaving Oxford on Monday. She will return to her parents' home on the Isle of Man for a month. She will return the week of July 14, and marry Cameron at the City Hall by a Justice of the Peace (or whatever they are called here). Then she will be gone. They both have found work up north and will move there.

I had hoped to find a little key necklace, our signature icon, to help her remember us with a little statement, "Gratitude is the Key to Happiness." There were none to be found, so we settled on a little eternity symbol - a sideways 8 - because she is a math major. It is just to show her we love her.

Later we made a big batch of salsa and took some to the missionaries. That is kind of fun too. We love to make a batch and then eat it with chips, quesadillas, eggs, whatever. I ironed every shirt SK has - not really, but it felt like it.

Our evening closed with the Saturday night mission call - there will only be two more for Dave and Deb. Their closing remarks were amazing. They shared a recent training they had with the area authorities for Europe. When COVID hit, missionaries from all over the world were sent home - except Europe. Most of the senior couples and many of the young missionaries whose health was compromised were sent to their homelands, but Elder Sabin, spoke with Elder Uchtdorf, telling him that we in Europe could do this, and could find new ways to carry on the mission work.

They were given permission to stay, and what has happened over the last 15 months has been nothing short of a miracle. The England London Mission has been in the forefront of all the innovation.  The young missionaries have been remarkable as they struggled through the very rigid restrictions, and as they have begun experimenting with social media. They have learned how to find people online who are sincerely seeking God.

They have learned how to make amazing videos, excellent short films about what brings them peace, what The Book of Mormon is, finding the truth and so many other topics, and people respond.

It is clear that Dave and Deb love these missionaries with all their hearts and are so very proud of what they accomplished in the last year and a half. They told us last night that they have talked to mission presidents from Italy and Spain who normally have over 200 missionaries, and who now have thirty or even fewer serving. They are still feeling the effects of COVID. As American missionaries have finished their service and returned to their homes in the U.S. - they have not been replaced because of visa issues etc.

Thankfully, or miraculously, in the last few months we have seen a large contingent of young fresh strong U.S. missionaries come into England and it is a wonderful thing to see. Most were originally assigned to England, and have been serving all over the U.S. waiting to be sent out....some up to a year. It is like an infusion of energy - reinforcements. We were down to 130 and I think we are now once again up and nearing 200.

We are proud of all of them. We love the Brits, We love the young people from Australia, Philippines, Portugal, Spain, Germany, China, and on who are giving their hearts to this time and this place and especially to the Lord. We have never seen better-prepared missionaries who know the scriptures and who know the Lord.

It has been quite a ride for us all. I will be forever grateful for this mission.

Comments

melissa said…
What a blessing to have been part of such a mission!! The new president will have big shoes to fill.
June 13, 2021 at 10:47 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