WITNESSING STRENGTH OF MEMBERS
Let's start with the media training we conducted in Bristol with the Public Affairs Council for the South West and Wales for twelve people. We appreciate the invitation extended to us by President Crewe and Martin Turvey to train the Stake Public Affairs Directors at their quarterly meeting in Bristol. With a thousand years of history as a port city, Bristol is home to some famous mariners such as Blackbeard, Bartholomew Roberts and Alexander Selkirk. While the first two were infamous pirates, Selkirk is Daniel Defoe's inspiration for Robinson Crusoe. Robert Louis Stevenson met with Selkirk at the docks on the right of the picture below and chronicled the adventures of the marooned sailor to fashion him as Benn Gunn in Treasure Island. While we are clearly not marooned on a small island for five years, we see inspirational characters like Selkirk among the Church members in the United Kingdom.
You cannot imagine how much good people are doing as they engage the RBL (Royal British Legion) to help with the Poppy Appeal to help veterans in the UK. In some areas, the Church is so well organized that the RBL turns to the local members to conduct the entire donation campaign using the organization of the local ward to provide the 'manpower' and more importantly 'women power' to run the drive.
Many of our nearly 270 meetinghouses are used for the NHS Blood Drive campaigns that are conducted regularly to source the units needed for the nation. Over 12000 units were donated in these chapels which produces 36000 units of blood.
As we listened to the enormous good that is being done, we cannot help but think of the Good Samaritan in the New Testament. We witness modern-day Good Samaritans like Jane Somerville of the Plymouth Stake where she is involved in so many causes that promote good will for the Church.
RECORDING MEMBERS' STORIES
Sister Jones has written a number of articles this past month including one for the Church News concerning the BYU London Centre
www.deseretnews.com/article/865611523/Living-and-learning-in-London.html
Other news releases or articles in mormonnewsroom.org.uk stories on the European Women's Meeting with Elder Ballard and Elder Bednar, a Conservation Heritage Magazine piece on the Salisbury and Chesterfield Chapels, the introduction of the European Union Public Affairs Office in Brussels for a news release and a World War I ceremony release for the London Visitor's Centre.
EXPANDING THE WORK
We've been keeping busy painting, putting together furniture, decorating, purchasing items for the Sister's flat. I remember going to IKEA (once) with Brittany and the children... I don't know whether it was for the Swedish meatballs or the 'wander' of several miles of halls of modern furniture. Whatever the case, what we've learned is that every piece of furniture in England has to be put together following the IKEA model.
The Sisters' flat BEFORE
A small sample of the Sisters' flat AFTER
A wee bit of a difference.... Hopefully the Sisters will enjoy some of the touches of home.
SHARING UK CULTURE
On a Bank Holiday weekend we traveled to Angelsey in Wales... where I am reminded that I am proud to be part Welsh! With our good friends, the Jolleys, we stayed at a wonderful B&B in Beaumaris with the Irish Sea just out the front door with the tides making the view ever-changing.
Elder and Sister Jolley along with Elder Jones enjoying themselves on the ocean path in front of our B & B.
Beautiful gardens for late September...
The Welsh coast is magnificent and you can see the tide lines on its rocks.
Cleifiog's gardens are spectacular as is the seaport community.
Elder Jones added colour to an old castle.
Conwy and the waterfront
Sisters Jones and Jolley 'chatting up" strange men in historic castles.
Later in the month we traveled to Preston to meet with the new Interfaith Leader for the National Council of Great Britain. Brother Keith Bishop and his lovely wife, Val, work in the Preston Temple and he is a legend among the Family History consultants in Europe. Brother Bishop was a professional Archivist for the Counties of Durham and Lancashire before becoming the Chief Archivist for the European Commission in Strasbourg. With world-renowned academic credentials, he was the conduit for the doors to be open for the Church to acquire parish records throughout all of Europe.
EXPANDING THE WORK
Joyce at the Preston Temple
REALIZING GROWTH
When I was a missionary some forty years ago, Chorley was a little branch in my district with some 20 members. We recently visited the house where we lived as young missionaries on Platt Lane in Hindley near Wigan. Not much has changed except the outhouse (the small white building behind the gate in the photo) is now a garden shed as plumbing has been installed the small home. Many a cold morning was spent in that 'shed.'
Today just 10 miles away the Church has the Chorley Stake (like a diocese for our friends of other faiths) with 4 congregations, a Temple, Distribution Centre, Missionary Training Centre and housing for people to stay while visiting the area. Sister Jones is in the garden by the Temple (above) with the spire that reaches heavenward over the motorway to Manchester (below). It's hard to realize the growth in just a short period of time as the Church has many prominent locals involved in government, judicial, and commercial ventures.
NOTING MILESTONES
The Church recently applied for membership in the Interfaith Network which is made up of most of the large denominations in the United Kingdom. We were accepted by the required 75% vote this past Monday and it allows us to have continued dialogue on national issues regarding religion. Interestingly enough, until that acceptance was formalized we were not afforded the recognition as anything more than a cult despite our 187,000 members. The Methodist Church has about an equal number of adherents, but the Church of England would not work with us on community outreach or political issues until we were acknowledged by a formal ecumenical "charitable" group. All religions in the UK are charities first and religions second.
MAKING NEW FRIENDS
As we entered the Church Office Building in Solihull we recognized a gentleman who is the father of one of Jameson's good friends from his days as an EFY counselor at BYU. Scott Conlin (in the middle below) travels on occasion in his role for the Church and was meeting with a number of individuals while on business here in England. Upon our recommendation, Scott visited Warwick Castle and Gadfield Elm while in the area. It was interesting to hear how he traced his LDS roots to a great, great, great grandmother that was baptized by Wilford Woodruff in the Benbow Pond in 1841. He hadn't realized how that side of his family had joined the Church until he went to the small chapel at Gadfield and it had his ancestor's story among its historic and genealogical records.
Joyce was called as the Second Councilor in the Primary Presidency... so now she has the opportunity to not only play the piano, but lead in the Sharing Time. She absolutely loves the children and we home teach one of the the primary boy's family (the Williams). Ricky is the cute little guy with the perpetual smile who seeks us out each Sunday.
Ricky and his perpetual smile...
The Williams family with Elder Jones
STRETCHING CAPACITIES
One of the most significant challenges in living in the United Kingdom is getting over driving on the left in very, very tight spaces with traffic coming at you like darts! But guess who is driving???
One of the most significant challenges in living in the United Kingdom is getting over driving on the left in very, very tight spaces with traffic coming at you like darts! But guess who is driving???
Sister Jones now drives and she is somewhat used to the narrow spaces... Although her heartbeat becomes a bit irregular as she is frequently holding her breath to get by the oncoming traffic. She believes that holding her breath and sucking in makes our little Vauxhall Meriva narrower in tight circumstances.
