Planning, Preparing, Partying and (of course) Persevering

London meetings and Greenwich

With the London Public Affairs Council incorporating 11 stakes, we spend a bit of time in this great city. The Public Affairs Hosting Room in the Hyde Park Chapel welcomes community officials, government dignitaries, Interfaith representatives and media opinion leaders. Consequently, we regularly have the opportunity to host wonderful people in London. We've become very comfortable with public transportation and take the high speed train to London arriving in just over an hour from Birmingham International.

While in the city we frequent historic sites... Greenwich was the centre of the naval world and here Joyce is just below the observatory (at the top of the hill) where Greenwich Mean Time is measured.

Dan  stops outside the National Maritime Museum on a recent visit. Greenwich is most easily accessed by boat on the Thames where the 'Oyster Card' will allow you to take any form of public transportation - bus, underground tube, or boat.

Jenny's and Sally's Baptisms

Elders Alldredge and Mthethwa had two baptisms on the Fourth of July - Sally Dunkley and Jenny Ireland. Joyce spoke on the Holy Ghost and we celebrated Dan's birthday with cake for Sally and Jenny. Elder Mthethwa is an outstanding convert from Durban while Elder Alldredge from Farmington has been a great zone leader in the mission. We've enjoyed teaching with them on occasion and always marvel at the strength of testimony in these great missionaries.

Sheldon Ward Party

Being responsible for the Activities Committee, we organized the Ward Barbecue complete with American hamburgers and hotdogs. The English love the meat and most of the fruit, but are not fond of vegetables!

Michael Reynolds-Jones and his wife, Mary, are sweethearts and just dear souls. Dolly, Elaine (our new Relief Society President) and her husband enjoy the food at the barbecue.

The missionaries are always happy to help lend support to any activity.

Sian Davis, Stake Relief Society President, is joined by Sister Stilger (the Bishop's mother) and Anna Stilger (the Bishop's wife). Sister Stilger does not speak any English so it is very difficult for her to live in England.... but she is always sweet. We will take her to dinner while the Bishop and his family are in France and Israel for the month of August. We hope the German to English picture sheet works so we can communicate with her in the Bishop's absence.

Matt and Sarah Amison with their two beautiful children. Matt is a teacher and returned missionary. Sarah is only 22 and a cute mother to her little ones.

We had a "Bouncy Castle" set up for the ward party which seemed to attract the kids from the neighborhood as well as ward children. Daniele Camisani (red ball cap) is the First Counsellor (British spelling) in the Bishopric and a very nice Italian RM. Anna (his wife) is from South America then Italy (where they met) and now England. Her Spanish and Italian are impeccable with her English coming along. The lady in the white blouse and red skirt is Nadia (a Russian friend of the church) who is one of the most generous people we have ever met. We helped put locks on her windows last week and she welcomed us with a High Tea of herbal tea, fruit and pastries. Nadia was educated and held a respected managerial position in Russia only to be limited to cleaning duties in England due to her language barrier.

Fabio Camisani, Eliza Stilger and Susie Camisani play in the Bouncy Castle. Fabio loves for us to come home teaching --- nights that morph into Family Home Evenings where we end up playing games and eating treats.

Lots more food than people... We found that Friday nights are difficult for people to get off work and get to an event due to the traffic. Second lesson learned is that the English do not appreciate watermelon.... Germans, Italians, Ghanians, French love it. But the English didn't touch a slice!

Samuel, Jeremiah and Dolly discuss the games (primarily water gun fights) for the night.

Dan mans the grill... hotdogs and hamburgers. We bought and assembled the 'charcoal' grill prior to donating it to the ward for future outings. We hope they can enjoy it for a few summers to come.

Paul's Choir

We love our new friends in the Sheldon Ward and home teach the Wilkins family. Paul loves to sing and invited us to join their family in an excellent concert by the Canoldir Mens Choir joining with The Phoenix Choir at the new concert hall on the University of Birmingham campus.

The combined choirs sang wonderful medleys from Les Miserables and haunting Requiem numbers.

Canoldir Male Choir which are primarily Welsh singers performed traditional choral numbers as well as an American Trilogy.

The clock tower on the University of Birmingham campus dots the evening sky.

Kew Gardens in London

Magnificent Royal Botanical Gardens in the middle of London.

We thought about Joyce's mother and father when visiting these gardens. They would have absolutely loved the variety as well as the various styles of gardens. Notice the lawn after a week with no rain... amazing how fast the gardens dry out without the daily sprinkling from heaven.

 Vibrant reds dominate one section of Kew.

True English gardens mix with plants and vegetables.

Stunning lavender colors adorn another garden area.

Not far from Kew is Wimbledon... no the All England Lawn Tennis Tournament was not on, but we saw the courts and most importantly, the gift shop! We tried to determine whether we would get up at 4:00 a.m. to join "The Queue" to wait for day tickets, but had an emergency on the first day of The Championship with Sister Banner. We spent the week in Heartlands Hospital with Nyla going through scans and tests to determine the source of her seizure.  I'm sure she would have much rather had us at Wimbledon than at her bedside!

Just outside the gardens is a fresh market located next to the Kew Tube Station.

Cute girl with old guy... with a whopper-sized head!

Purple and white Foxglove dot the landscape.

Colorful Penstemon...

Lakes dot Kew Botanical which seems to go forever with skywalks, bridges, greenhouses, boat docks to the Thames river transport... Just marvelous!

Planning the 2016 NDPA Conference in UK

Each year the National Directors of Public Affairs from twenty-five countries in Europe gather to share successes and learn of new initiatives promoted by the Church. We loved attending these conferences led by a member of the Area Presidency in Germany and Portugal. Next year the conference will be held late in May in England. In the meantime we are making preparations for our office to host the event. Joyce loves planning, preparing and organizing.... she's a 'cruise director' at heart. So we were off checking venues, hotels, cultural options, food, rooms and conference facilities. Obviously, we will help plan this event, but will not be attending.

England has wonderfully charming places tucked away on golf courses, estates, and villages.

Joyce checks the dining room at the Worsley Park Marriott. It's not just the food (my focus), but the ambience, convenience and feeling that counts (according to Joyce)!

Preston Temple Trip

While in the North West we met our friends, Martin and Judith Cook (National Great Britain Public Affairs Directors) at the Preston Temple to enjoy an afternoon session.

We capture a peaceful moment by the  lily pond outside the Preston Temple.

One of our little traditions is to eat at The Italian Orchard when we are in the North West of England. The melon starter along with the spaghetti bolognese and lasagna with béchamel sauce make our mouths water.

Sister Banner Returns Home

Sister Nyla Banner and Sister Susan Russell joined our office in late September of 2014. It has been a delight witnessing Nyla's faith and devotion to the Church as she and Susan have faithfully served in Public Affairs and the Solihull Ward. Three weeks ago, Sister Banner complained of a headache and went home early. The following day she experienced the same pain and thought it might be related to a possible carbon monoxide issue. After a week experiencing the pain, we arranged a visit to a private clinic and the doctor thought it may be an inner ear infection. With medicine in hand, we took her home to rest. Early the following morning we received a phone call from Sister Russell who explained that Nyla had passed out and needed help. We had her call 999 (UK's 911) and rushed to their flat arriving about the same time as the paramedic. She was experiencing a seizure and an ambulance was requested. Dan gave her a blessing and several 'tender mercies' took place over the next couple of days. She slowly regained her ability to move her right side of her body and received excellent care at Heartlands Hospital. But the news is not good as she is suffering from a brain tumor 1"x 2" in the back of her head. David, one of her sons, flew over and she was able to return home to Morgan Utah after about 10 days in the hospital. Joyce's father often spoke of a 'miracle a day' if you just look for them. We can affirm that there are miracles each day and we were privileged to witness several due to Nyla's great faith. Please keep this great lady in your prayers as you pray for all  missionaries throughout the world.

Joyce, Sister Banner, Sister Russell and Dan at the mission office.

Solihull Office Party

Armed with matches, brickettes, tongs, spatula, apron and real American Hotdogs from Costco, we broke out the barbecue grill (again) and threw a summer office party for all our co-workers in Solihull.

Rob shows Shelley how to eat a Costco all-beef hotdog in three bites!

Sister Russell, Pauline, Sue, Craig Nigel, Luke, Shelley, Sister Henley, Anna and Jan enjoying the barbecue.

 Alan Tong helped Dan with the barbecue duties joined by Abbey and Anita (two of our lovely friends who clean the office building each night).

Garnishing the hamburgers...

Another photo with more gathering...

Anna and Sister Russell helped Joyce set up for the lunch.

Dan serves Anita a mouth-watering hotdog from the grill. Everyone made fun of his apron, but he didn't seem to mind!

Have you heard of Hyperdrive?

The Maughans - Friends from Home Visit

As our missionary experiences take us throughout the UK, we were thrilled to share nearby sites of this beautiful land with our wonderful friends from Boise (and now Sunbrook in St. George) who visited us in late May and early June. First stop, Stratford-upon-Avon on a brisk but sunny day.

Outside Shakespeare's childhood home on High Street.

Yes, there truly was a William Shakespeare and he is buried in Trinity Church along the River Avon.

A must for every Churchill fan is Blenheim Palace, the boyhood home of Sir Winston. Even though he was just a house-guest as a cousin to the Duke of Marlborough, Churchill said that the two greatest decisions he made in his life took place here... "the decisions to be born and to be married." Obviously he didn't have much to do with the first, but he dearly loved his wife, Clementine, who accepted his marriage proposal at Blenheim.

Marsha and Joyce outside the palace.

Marsha and DelRay pause in front of the gardens of Blenheim.

The muses at the Sheldonian in Oxford smile and frown at the guided Oxford tourists. We joined a tour to see some of the colleges in the city.

With Tower Bridge in the background, we added a river cruise on the Thames following our tour of the infamous Tower of London.

DelRay - a scholar, athlete, physician, horseman and Idaho boy loves museums in his quest for additional knowledge. While Marsha - art aficionado enjoys design, color and texture. On a rainy day, we were off to the Victoria and Albert Museum.

A second stop took us to the British Museum. Obviously, you can see that museums make DelRay and Dan happy as they observe the Sumerian Cuneiform writings of Mesopotamia among other historic art forms including the famous Rosetta Stone.

Marsha and Joyce are happy for the little things in life like a nice hotel with good beds.

Oops, forgot to say that shopping for fabrics and yarn in London makes Marsha very happy. 

Liberty House is a great department store in London just off Oxford Street in Soho. The girls shopped for fabric as the guys went to see the BBC headquarters after a quick stop on Carnaby Street.

Elder Holland Arrives in the UK

Following the funeral for Elder L. Tom Perry, Elder Holland took an all-night flight to Iceland and on to Edinburgh, Scotland. Barely able to put one foot in front of the other when he landed, Elder Holland came immediately from a short stop at the hotel to Priesthood Leadership and missionary meetings at the Edinburgh Stake Centre. As we greeted him at the gate to the chapel, he remembered us and gently took Dan's head in his large hands and looked him directly in the eyes. Some 28 years ago, Elder Holland was companion to Elder Packer when Dan was called to the stake presidency in Bountiful. Elder Holland's words were "I'm so grateful to see you are serving a mission. I cannot wait to tell President Parker when I get home." He hugged Joyce and told her how proud he was for her to serve as a missionary. Of the thousands and thousands of people he meets, it is incredible to see his memory and ability to warm people's hearts! We felt like we had been embraced by the Lord. Traveling with him for the next week was a spiritual and testimony building highlight for these missionaries. With all Elder Holland does to "hasten the work," we know he is sustained by the Lord.

Elder Holland greeting the Joneses outside the Edinburgh Stake Centre on the first day of his visit.

Edinburgh Castle as seen from Princess Street.

The production crew behind the scenes produced a broadcast sent to the 44 stakes in the United Kingdom and all of the Nordic countries. It's just amazing to see the expertise and technical capabilities of our age. We are privileged to witness the strides the Church is making technologically  to further the work.

As part of his Scotland visit, Elder Holland enjoyed a visit from some of The Singing Children's Choir of Kenya who gathered in the Mission Home.

Elder Holland, Elder Kearon, Elder Teixeira and President Rasmussen pause outside the Solihull chapel prior to the Birmingham Missionary Meeting.

Elder Holland greeting President Rasmussen with those large hands, great smile, and piercing eyes.

Arthur and Paul Brooks have become our friends over the past few months. Arthur (the senior of the two) was a counselor to the stake president in Essex, then followed as the stake president. When he was released as the president, he was called (again) as the counselor to the new stake president. Amazing man! His son Paul served with Brittany in the Toulouse France mission. As a former bishop, Paul now serves as the Executive Secretary to the Area Seventy. Both of these men are personable and committed to the gospel.

With smiles and complete reverence, these great Birmingham missionaries patiently waited more than 1 1/2 hours for the arrival of Elder Holland. After he shook hands with each missionary, Elder Holland commented that they wouldn't need to discuss obedience in his remarks. It was evident to all that they were prepared to hear from an apostle of the Lord. He spoke for over an hour on the  atonement. It was perhaps one of the most instructional and inspirational addresses concerning the Savior's sacrifice we have ever heard.

Observe Oxford's magnificent historic dignity as seen in the gardens of Christ Church College.

Elder Jones, Malcolm Adcock and Lyman Kirkland (Church PA media specialist in Salt Lake City) counsel together inside Christ Church College (part of the University of Oxford system).

Elder Holland visited Oxford where his son, UVU President Matthew Holland, participated in an Abraham Lincoln Scholars lecture with two other eminent scholars. It was fascinating to hear their combined perspectives on Lincoln's leadership, childhood, motivation and religiosity. Each scholar observed our revered President from different perspectives which reflects modern society's attempt to contextualize a person in terms of how they were previously viewed versus how they are perceived today.

The Hyde Park Chapel provides an ark-like venue where missionaries from two missions gathered to hear Elder Holland .

Elder Holland addressed a group in the Churchill Room in the Houses of Parliament. Churchill's bust in the background seems appropriate considering Elder Holland's articulate remarks. Winston would have been proud of someone with such a motivational command of the English language.

The Piano Guys Devotional

Joyce has known Michelle and Jon for a number of years as their children went to junior high school in Bountiful. When she heard The Piano Guys were touring Europe, she contacted Jon to see if they would consider presenting a devotional. What seems like ages ago, the day finally arrived and 600 people jammed into the Hyde Park Chapel to enjoy an evening of testimony and music including "How Great Thou Art" and "Bring Him Home."
With more than 2,000 requests for free tickets, it was impossible to satisfy the demand by the stakes in the London area that clambered for seats at the Sunday night event. See mormonnewsroom.org.uk for the article that Joyce wrote about the evening.

"Mind the Gap" proved to be the theme for the evening as Steven Sharp Nelson set the tone by reminding the audience how we need to pay particular attention to narrowing any spiritual gap we may have between us and the Saviour.

Michelle and Jon Schmidt greet YSAs after the devotional.

Steven and Julie Nelson loved talking to the YSAs about their experiences and their music. President Alan Phillips (to the right) is another outstanding, young stake president who has an extraordinary leadership presence.


Life Returns to Normal

After days on the road and thousands of miles in the car, planes or trains, we have returned to the normal ten-hour days as compared to the frenetic pace of the past 6 weeks. The welcome peanut butter and jam (a delicious French raspberry conserve called 'Bonne Maman') sandwiches are now back on our daily menu. Whatever the assignment or wherever the responsibility, we are numbering our blessings. What a privilege is ours to serve at this time with remarkable people in this beautiful land.