It is Hot in England

July 7, 2013

It has been an extra busy time.  Wednesday evening, we spent a pleasant evening with a couple in the ward.  The husband is a member and his wife is not.  They fixed a very nice dinner and their home was so pretty.  The dining room table looked out on a very well kept garden.  Between the table setting the view, it was like something out of Better Homes and Gardens.  We attended YSA in Liverpool on Thursday.  Friday we got to  attend a ward dinner.  The youth had a restaurant for a fundraiser.  It was beautifully done and the cook was a man from Italy who used to be a chef.  Saturday, we attended a primary activity at the stake center in Liverpool.  It was a carnival and races and it was great fun for the children.  We both had some good visits while we were there with other ward members, one whose wife is not active. He usually leaves right after church on Sunday, so we usually wouldn’t have time to get acquainted.  It was good to visit with him.  His daughter is in our primary class.  Today’s fast and testimony was great.  We both bore our testimonies.  We attended a new member fireside Sunday night at the mission home.  It was a good experience to hear how people found the Gospel and decided to be baptized.  The mission home is always full of people during these meetings and many people have to sit outside.  There is a great spirit there.  It has been warm here the last few days.  We miss our air conditioning. 

It’s not scorching like it is in Utah,  but  it is a little uncomfortable. 

July 14, 2013

It has been an intensely busy week.   We haven’t been able to do as many visits because, of preparations for lessons for YSA.  It has also been quite warm, making everyone feel a bit worn out.   We had the elders for dinner two different nights because the two sets could not coordinate their schedules.  We got up Friday morning and prepared to come to the Isle of Man.  It was a hectic morning.  We got off ten minutes late and about 5 minutes into town, I remembered I had forgotten the tickets.  We had a bit of a difficult time finding the zone leaders flat in Liverpool who were going to take us to the dock to catch the ferry for the Isle of Man.  We had the most hair-raising ride to the docks.  What should have been a trip of twenty minutes turned into a drive of over an hour trying frantically to get through traffic and all the roadblocks because of the a triatholon that was being held.

The ferry waited for us but they told us if we didn’t get there in 1 minute they were leaving.   We frantically got on the ferry just before it pulled out.  Our prayers were answered.

We loved the Isle of Man.  It is very pretty and it was cooler than it has been in Warrington.  We stayed at a pretty bed and breakfast.  We met with the YSA Saturday afternoon and evening.  We played games and had pizza and then we played laser tag.  I got shot to pieces.   We attended church the next day.  We like the Isle of Man ward.  I was asked to speak in Sacrament meeting.  We had dinner at a members house that afternoon and then we did a fireside for the YSA in the evening.  I think the activities went well and we strengthened the  YSA on the Isle of Man.  Monday morning Craig and I took a train ride to see more of the island and we took a long walk on the promenade that bordered the ocean.  We had two  had

Craig and I and Elder Falke in front of the mission home after the fireside.

Dunham Massey,  another nice manor home we visited recently.

We ate lunch in a converted stable.  This was our view from the window.

Deer at Dunham Massey.

Walking into the gardens at Dunham Massey.

Craig at Dunham Massey

These lilies grow at least six feet tall.  They grow for seven years and only bloom once at the end of seven years.

A view on the Mannanan as were were leaving Liverpool.

The endless ripple of waves behind the boat made us think of how our choices ripple into eternity.

Our first glimpse of the Isle of Man

Entering the port of the Isle of Man.

A beautiful view from the boat.

The entrance to our Bed and Breakfast.

Sister Whitehead in front of the Bed and Breakfast

Elder Whitehead at our Bed and Breakfast

YSA at the Isle of Man

We visited this farm and thought the old stone barn was interesting

We also liked the farmhouse

We enjoyed a walk on the promenade in the evening

Elder Whitehead in front of the Laxey Wheel, the worlds largest
water wheel, used for mining.

Farewell to the Isle of Man.  We hope can come again someday.

the experience.  As we stood on the rear deck watching waves produced by the ferry, we thought how it reminded us that our actions ripple out across eternity.