"Course you can!"

One of the most delightful new phrases we have learned is "course you can." When asking for ice at a restaurant, the waitress will pleasantly respond with this phrase. We believe it can universally apply to lots of things: driving on the left side of the road OR having a yellow light precede the green so you can get a running start OR multiple lane roundabouts where only the aggressive can get off and on the correct exit OR parking on both sides of a two lane street OR car doors that don't open the same direction..."course you can!"

Our little Vauxhall Meriva has an interesting door configuration... built for easy access. But it's a bit confusing as to how the doors can open together, one-at-a-time, front only or back only. The back doors swing open opposite the front... But we've figured out how to load and unload in very confined parking spaces by having a "course you can" attitude.

Parking occurs on both sides of a two-lane road. Every day we travel this little lane to go through the round-about on Stratford Road (yes, it's to Stratford-upon-Avon) to get to the office. Roads have replaced the little lanes where carriages and horses once hauled the commerce to the High Street (Main Street) for market. Now cars line the roads and it takes a bit of maneuvering to get around.

With parking at a premium in the UK as evidenced from our photo above ... We "dodge" cars every morning going to the office..."Course you can!" Here is the real miracle reflecting the graciousness of this lovely country. Round-abouts work, narrow lanes work, parking on the street works because people are generally very, very considerate. It's every-other-one even in "rush hours" because it's the "course you can" attitude of the people.

Let's introduce some other of our favorite expressions. Guess what these expressions mean. (Answers will be at the end of this blog post).

"Gently earwigging..."

"Illuminate, pray tell..."

"Pear-shaped day..."

"Mind the gap..."

"Paper over the cracks..."

Things we love about the United Kingdom

Uniforms for school children and respect of the educational system seems to be paramount values to most English students who have very limited choices without higher education in their future.

Everyone walks to school... come rain or shine the groups of students with their school bags are off to school. "Course you can" walk and not ride everywhere!

We love the train and the convenience of having a station just two blocks from our flat. You can take the train to Birmingham or Stratford for free when you are "elderly people." Course you can...

The Royal Shakespearean Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon is a 30 minute train ride from our local rail station (Shirley). We love the cultural and heritage opportunities that are so accessible. We jumped on the train after office hours yesterday and enjoyed the long summer evening taking in the beauties.

 White Swan on the River Avon

Our forefathers must have been just a bit shorter... McDonalds has super-sized us! By-the-way, there is a McDonalds on every corner in the UK. Where are those Wimpey Bars of my youthful mission days that offered those silver dollar-sized hamburgers? In what may be the exact opposite of culture, 5 Guys Burgers and Fries will be in the Touchwood Mall right across the street from our office in Solihull in a few weeks. England has given us Shakespeare, the Magna Carta, Churchill, Lord Nelson, the BBC, Cadbury Chocolate, Soccer and English Common Law. We (Americans) have given the United Kingdom McDonalds, KFC, Starbucks, Campbells Soup and Heinz Ketchup. Pretty fair exchange, huh?

Joyce, the River Avon and the Stratford Church where Shakespeare is interned. Magnificent Scenery... we love the green landscape.

The gardens of Great Britain are magnificent... This one is in Hyde Park, just a couple of blocks from the chapel on Exhibition Road!

We enjoyed a stroll through Hyde Park with at least 100,000 others on a sun-filled day.

We enjoyed a weekend in London at the BYU Management Society/London LDS Business Forum Conference on Saturday. One cannot describe the talent in the church... Highly educated LDS presenters from Oxford (John Hoffmire), BYU (James Faulconer), Duesche Bank (Sam Norton), OnTrack (CEO Kevin Johnson) as well as Elder Clifford Herbertson (Area Seventy) made it a very informative and instructive day. Sunday brought us to two sacrament meetings at the Hyde Park Chapel that were filled with visitors, children, wonderful talks and a vibrant feel to the church. The Bishops were young returned missionaries about 30 years old (with cute little families) which gives us so much hope for the future of the church in the UK. When President Hinckley dedicated the Preston Temple he promised a resurgence of the growth of the church in England as in the days of the early twelve in the UK. We believe that this growth will be gradual in terms of converts, but astronomical in terms of young, faithful families growing up in the gospel.

We spent time with the London Mission President (David Jordan), Elder Herbertson and the Cardalls (of KSL editorial fame).

  With the Cardalls (Directors of London Visitor's Centre) outside the Hyde Park Chapel on Exhibition Road.

American answers to British phrases

Gently Earwigging means listening to another's conversation.

Illuminate, pray tell means explain your point.

Pear-shaped day means the day isn't going well. 

Mind the gap means watch your step (especially getting on a bus or train).

Paper over the cracks means covering up one's faults.

We are off to a Human Rights Conference in Oxford on Saturday, the 14th. Driving to Southampton to fly to Guernsey for two days on Wednesday, the 18th, where a television station (Channel ITV) wants to follow two missionaries around for a day filming them. Back to London on the 24th for the BYU Centre re-opening with President Worthen and leave on the 26th of June for Scotland for two days where we deliver Spokesperson Training to Stake Presidents and Public Affairs Directors. 

The Respect for those who wear the BLACK BADGE...

This week we were reminded of the blessings of being missionaries as we were discussing our service with several of the English couples in the area. Each of the couples are planning to serve a mission even though they have multiple important callings in the church.
One is a former member of the Stake Presidency, ward mission leader, serves in the temple one week every other month, volunteered at the mission office when the replacement couple was delayed for a couple of months. He wore his "Black Badge" day and night as he was honored to wear it by giving full-time service in the mission office. They have the white church service badges for their temple service, but they are so anxious to get their full-time call to the Preston Temple sometime in the next month. We honestly don't know what the ward will do without them... But the Martins want the honor of wearing those Black Badges. Bless them!

Another couple, the Wills, are simply wonderful! Bright, gregarious, optimistic and well-experienced in the gospel. They were preparing for their mission and had their papers ready to submit when they found a heart condition in Jeanie that was unknown and could have killed her. Perhaps this is the blessing in their mission as they would have never found it had they not been preparing the medical paperwork. Already moved out of their home and living with a son, they have put their whole life on hold to prepare for the mission. Now they have at least another 3 month wait while the socialized medicine system puts her in a "queue" to wait for an aorta operation.

Jeanie and Chris Wills

Our wonderful friends, the Cooks, are planning their mission for 2017 as they have circled that date on their calendar. We wouldn't be surprised if they won't be called as a mission president and wife as they have deep spiritual roots and a wealth of experience. Again... they want to wear the Black Badges even though they are so involved (20 - 30 hours per week) as the National Directors for Public Affairs in the UK.

Martin and Judith Cook

It is truly amazing the respect and admiration these English people (most of whom are converts) have for the missionaries. What a humbling responsibility it is to wear the Black Badge as we serve here in the UK!

The ward celebrated a special event this week as a couple from the ward was married. The chapel was filled to the rafters (really fake ceiling as it's an old converted Methodist church) with extra chairs required. Everyone looked lovely and the civil ceremony (which precedes the temple sealing) was a program that tenderly celebrated the two of them.

Richard's and Tonia's Wedding

After the ceremony at the church, the entire wedding party watches as the photographers take bridal pictures. Then the wedding party goes into the cultural hall for a potluck feast collected for the couple by everyone contributing something. Joyce prepared four dozen savory cheese sticks and three dozen egg salad sandwich rolls. A reception followed the dinner where almost everyone gives money to help the new couple get started. It was a whole afternoon and evening event....

After we purchased our first home in Bountiful  on Center Street above 800 East (just around the corner from Grandma and Grandpa Wrigley), we became wonderful friends with Celia and Dean Jolley. We've vacationed with them, watched their family grow and enjoyed their goodness for more than 35 years. We even toured England and Scotland with them last year before receiving our mission call. We received our call in November and the Jolleys received their Self Reliance Missionary call in February... guess where? We are about 9 miles apart and have been assigned to serve as Member Leadership Support missionaries to the same Sheldon Ward in Birmingham. Is the church a small world or what?

The arrival of the Jolleys

When you count all the long-term friends we have currently serving in England, it's truly an amazing number: the Pecks, the Jolleys, the Taylors and the Pews (below).

Elder and Sister Pew (formerly Julie Johnston as in Gloria and Blair Johnston of Bountiful) serving as YSA missionaries in the beautiful, new Manchester YSA building. More to follow on that new program and building which was recently dedicated by Elder Christofferson. We are helping to facilitate the community opening ceremony with a ribbon cutting ceremony by the Lord Mayor of Manchester City, Susan Cooley.

Walking with past prophets; preparing future leaders

Traveling to Preston and Chorley in Lancashire on Thursday, May 22, to experience the past.

Another sunny day in the north of England... good thing it warmed up to 55 degrees that day!

 The obelisk in Preston's Market and its steps have seen modern day prophets proclaim the gospel from its steps!

 This building off Market Square in Preston dates to Shakespeare's time and its only recent update is two pretty ladies decorating it's exterior!

 Racing to the River Ribble... just like the original converts in 1837.

 A plaque erected celebrating the first Latter-day Saints in Great Britain.

 Our wonderful guides for the history tour... Martin and Judith Cook.

 Sister Jones and Judith Cook on the path to the original baptismal site of the first baptisms in  England on the River Ribble in Preston.

Heber C. Kimball baptized George Watt after he won the race across this bridge to be the first convert baptism in England in 1837. The site is just on the far side of the river past this bridge where nearly 7000 people witnessed the first baptisms. Malcolm Adcock, Assistant Director of Public Affairs for Europe, and Dan reflect on the banks of the River Ribble.

Do you remember the letter President Hinckley received from his father that told him "to forget yourself and go to work?" Here's where he received the letter in Preston while on his mission in 1933. President Hinckley said it changed the course of his life.

 Sister Joyce in Downham.

The Asheton family has owned this estate since the mid-1500s. Lord Clitheroe's family members have been in the House of Commons, House of Lords, Privy Council, and financiers for the Queen. Nearby Pendle Hill is notable as the place George Fox (founder of the Quaker movement) received his vision about a great people being gathered in various places.

 The village of Downham.

 Is Elder Jones happy to be in Downham?

 Downham is lovely... tenants still pay rents to the Lord and Lady with a waiting list to live there.

  See any satellite dishes, telephone wires, modern conveniences? Lord Clitheroe has kept the village and his estate of 3000 acres as it was 150 years ago.

 Brother and Sister Cook explaining the significance of Downham.

 Evidently a most prestigious award... 

 The place of honor... England's Best Loo!

 Walking where prophets walked... and in the rain. 

 Sister Jones in the church cemetery in Downham.

 We believe it was Queen Elizabeth who stated that this was the most beautiful view from a church porch in all of England.

Please meet the most gracious  Lord and Lady Clitheroe at their present home in Downham. Charming, urbane, friendly, witty are terms that can describe these two wonderful individuals! A five minute visit turned into thirty-five minutes as well as a most generous invitation to visit them after they return from a short holiday next week. Lord and Lady Clitheroe have a great deal of respect for the church and its interest in Downham.

Leaving Downham after an expertly guided tour by the Cooks... with the exception of a paved road. It is just like it was in 1838 when Heber C. Kimball baptized nearly 100 people in just one short visit.

 Celebrating Sister Joan Peck's birthday at Truffles in Chorley with  the Reeses, Cooks, Joneses, Malcolm Adcock and Hollie McKee

 Enjoying the spirit of the Preston temple on the grounds just outside the temple.

Manchester with the YSA on Saturday, the 24th of May

 These YSA came from Leeds, Huddersfield, Chester and Manchester to understand how to be effective spokespersons for the church online and in person.

 Malcolm, Hollie, Sister and Elder Jones offer tips on Messaging, Bridging and Responding in appropriate ways.

 A photo of a true English gentleman... Malcolm is always respectful, appropriate and gracious!

Training Young Single Adults to be online social media responders. They are committing themselves to help monitor misconceptions about the church in the UK on social media. Most are returned missionaries... all are amazing!