TheSecondTimeAroundEngland

 Another blustery day on this March 12th.  It is absolutely beautiful.  The skies have been dramatic and threatening.  The trees have bowed gracefully in the wind, and people out walking have their collars done to the top, shoulders hunched.  We took a very short walk today to a nearby college to collect mail for one of our young adults who went home in the spring of 2020 and hasn't been back since.  He is a doctoral student and is able to everything at this point from home in Texas. Every college has an office just inside the large doors into the campus quad.  It is manned by a faithful porter who screens anyone entering, and who keeps almost everyone out who has no business being there.   He thinks he will be back next year perhaps just to finish up, even though it isn't necessary.  That is true of several people we had grown to love.  They went home and just haven't come back, although they are still technically students here - just s...

 Yes, indeed.  SK and I were walking today and talking about the Lewis episode we watched where they walked past the brewery.  We were wondering how old the apartments are.  When we got home, SK began researching and found that there are some flats in the complex which are rented out on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.  There is also one on the fourth floor for sale.... for 675,000 pounds!  But if you are interested in looking at the pictures that accompany them, you'll enjoy these: https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/VacationRentalReview-g186361-d15106144-Historic_Lion_Brewery_Apartment-Oxford_Oxfordshire_England.html The apartment is similar in size to ours, but has wooden floors and sleek modern furniture, and this one has old carpeting and furniture that started out second hand.  It is still lovely, and as you can see, is close to everything in Oxford! https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/73063333#/ We walked less than two miles today and covered fami...

 Have I mentioned that we start every day with a prayer with all the missionaries in our zone?  Twelve of us together on a Messenger Video Chat.  They pray earnestly for help in finding people who are looking for God in their lives.  I love these young people!  It is a sweet way to start the day. Please forgive me for all the pictures today.  We walked about 2 1/2 miles and I just couldn't quit snapping pictures!  So many beautiful old buildings and so many lovely richly green fields with stately trees.  Of course the pictures don't do any of the areas justice, but I have to try. Can you see SK in the doorway? SK spent a good portion of this day trying to get some insurance matters resolved.  It is all very difficult to conduct any kind of business when you are not in the country.  It is compounded by the fact that our phones (with mission sim cards) cannot call long distance - never mind the outrageous cost - but they are not set to cal...

 The wind has been blustering all around Oxford today.  I hear it now as I type. In District Council this morning, Elder Bricknell wished us goodbye, since this will be the last missionary meeting that he will attend before his release next Tuesday morning.  We will probably see him a few more times on Zoom.  He spoke of each of the other 9 of us, sharing a memory.   He remembered when SK went to pick him up in London to bring him back to Oxford to serve out the last 6 weeks of his mission.  He thinks SK is funny.  Imagine that. He remembered "all the cookies and food that we took him."  He recalled a couple of things we had said during his time serving with us.  Then he did the same with everyone else.  I thought it was such a gentle and kind way to bid farewell. After our meeting, he and his companion drove to the London Temple.  Yes, it is finally open for all ordinances, but the hours and number of ordinances are limited....

Britain's leaders are still encouraging a great deal of caution, but the numbers of COVID cases are looking better and better and it looks like the restrictions may be relaxing sooner than later (It may be just wishful thinking, but everyone seems to feel the same way.)  Our zone leaders were in Oxford today.  They live about an hour away, but they drove up to do some training with the Oxford Elders.  We've known them for a few months now, and adore them....Elders Preston and Hinkson.  They brought some banana nut bread, which they made.  SK is quick to point out that it is banana bread because they didn't put nuts in.  It is pretty good.   They delivered it to us, and we stood in the parking lot for awhile visiting - as usual.  I enjoy them.  I enjoy their humor, their openness and their joy.  We asked if they had plans for lunch.  Since they didn't, we ordered pizza, picked it up and delivered it to the church, where they met...

 It's an old Danish saying that SK is fond of quoting.  I have quoted it also.  "To meet and to part is the way of life."  It is a bittersweet expression of something we never quite master.  Those few words contain a lifetime of emotions.   This evening we had a special family home evening for the senior couples in the mission.  There are only about 12 couples now including Dave and Deb.  The purpose of the evening was to say goodbye to two very incredible couples.  We each shared a favorite memory of these missionaries.  Another couple went home just a month ago.   The couple who went home last month and one of the couples who is leaving tomorrow morning have been mainstays of this mission.  When so many of us went home to the states nearly a year ago (March 14), the Hartvigsens and the Heningers stayed.  The mission simply could not have functioned without them.  They were given special permission to stay....

 Fast and Testimony Meeting and Sunday School were on Zoom 0- as they have been for months, and will most likely continue to be through March.  Four weeks from today is General Conference.  I so look forward to that and love to hear every talk.   I have mentioned before that Sunday School is taught by a professor of philosophy at Oxford.  He is a master teacher, and presents himself as nearly opposite to what you would expect.  The same is true for our bishop, a professor in the college of business - who has been lured away from England to head up the  department at Utah State.  They are both quiet and soft-spoken, who listen carefully to every person and then respond thoughtfully with understanding. Mark, who has written a book about Alma for BYU, taught today about repentance.  He first gave an overview of the first few families to fully support Joseph Smith in his work translating the plates and in establishing a church.  Somethi...