Warrington in the Fall

October 31st

Happy Halloween everyone!  We are about to experience Halloween in England.  Actually I don't think it is quite as big here as it is in America, but people still celebrate it.  We will be with the YSA tonight and then we will celebrate at our ward party on Saturday.  Dad and I will be doing the Pumpkin walk for it, and thinking of all of you back home.
We had our primary program last week.  It went very well, in spite of the challenge on having to sing with CD's because we have no primary pianist.  A few of the older children actually played two of the songs.  One of them only played the top hand, but I have learned since we have been here that even the top hand really makes a difference.
The upcoming baptism has been delayed until December.  The sister missionaries were disappointed about the delay, but the family wanted it that way.  Setbacks are a part of missionary life and we all get to learn to persevere and increase our faith.  Craig is getting better from his sinus infection, but I am encouraging him to rest when he can.  We continue to visit people and we try to give out pass-along cards on our walks.  We give out Books of Mormon when we can.  We pray always for missionary opportunities.

We found a window washer yesterday.  For a very small fee, he washed our windows.   I am grateful for clean windows to see the fall view.

Leaves are falling fast here.  Soon some trees will be bare.

I am grateful for homemade bread.  It is comfort food for us.

The Liverpool Elders and I look on as the YSA play spoons.

They paused to talk to the Eders.

We all enjoyed the game,  Craig and I were out by this time.

Someone asked to adopt their geranium recently.  I was happy to,  because it reminds  me of growing geraniums  in my kitchen during the winter.

Our flat is cozy in cold weather.  We are especially grateful for the heat registers in our bathroom.
We heat our towels on them.  It is great to get dry with a warm towel.

We were both under the weather last P-day, so we spent a quiet day in the flat except for grocery shopping.  I made bread and did a little work around the flat.  In the evening, we went to a YSA FHE in Liverpool  It is held once a month.  Craig and I taught them how to play spoons and they had a good time.  I have included pictures of things I am grateful for while we are here in England,  homemade bread, a warm flat, flowers in bloom that remind me of home and the fall scenes outside our window.

Six months in England

Tomorrow we will have been in England six months.  It seems appropriate to reflect on our time spent here.  Recently I have had two revelations about our work here.  First of all, we often share scriptures from the Book of Mormon with the people we teach.  Sometimes in reading them we realize that some of it may offend people who aren't living up to what they know.  I felt a little concern about that, one night,  as we were leaving to teach.  I am used to being diplomatic and trying to avoid offense.  As I felt these concerns, a voice in my mind said, "These are not your words".  I realized that I was not to worry about it.  The next day I read this thought in the Book of Mormon Institute manual and it was confirmed to me again.
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Nephi declared truth to his disobedient brothers in an effort to help them turn their hearts to God. Those who offend the Spirit through wickedness often take offense when given inspired correction or chastisement. Elder Neal A. Maxwell (1926–2004) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained why we should accept the Lord’s correction even if it is painful: “God is not only there in the mildest expressions of His presence, but also in those seemingly harsh expressions. For example, when truth ‘cutteth … to the very center’ (1 Nephi 16:2), this may signal that spiritual surgery is underway, painfully severing pride from the soul” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1987, 37; or Ensign,Nov. 1987, 31). 

I also realized it isn't kind to let people think that all will be well with them when it won't be.  We are here to warn people.  It isn't always easy, but it is necessary.

The other revelation I received was concerning teaching.  We are always trying to improve as teachers and the institute lessons are so good, but often we feel that we are not very flashy teachers.  We feel inadequate.  This thought came to me.  We are all the Lord has right now.  Who else would serve in this calling and be there every week for these young people?  He can make up the difference for what we lack.

We are often overwhelmed at the suffering of so many people we meet.  The people here seem like they are burdened with health, emotional and relationship trials.  I like what President Eyring said in the Priesthood session of conference.  He spoke of a visit by a Bishop and a young priest to a home where the father was an alcoholic and two little girls answered the door.  After leaving he told the young priest,  “We can’t change the tragedy in their lives yet, but they can feel that the Lord loves them.”  I think that's what we can do for people.

We are learning many things here in England.  Perhaps more than anything is that the Gospel blesses lives.  If only we could help more people see that.  Many people resist the very thing they need most.  The abundant life is really found in giving up so many things people think they can't live without.

Now for the current events.  Hannah a young woman we found while trying to visit her inactive parents has just set a date for baptism.  We are happy for her and we hope her parents hearts will be softened and return to full activity in the church.  
We spent a rainy p-day today catching up on things around the flat.  We did some extra cleaning and laundry and got some groceries.  We also took a nap.  Last week we went to Liverpool and saw the Liverpool Cathedral.  It is a huge building with a great view from the top.  

Liverpool harbor from the top of the cathedral

We said goodbye to Sister King this past week.  She was transferred.
We will miss her.  She was a valiant sister missionary from Australia

The Liverpool cathedral

A Day at the Castle

October 7, 2013

Today was P-day.  Preparation day consists of cleaning the flat, changing the sheets, washing the car, running errands for such things as over-priced light bulbs.  I miss American light bulbs.   After we got our work done, we resisted the temptation to take a nap and went to Costco for an almost American hot dog and of course a few other things.  Then we went to see Beeston castle.  It’s actually the remains of a castle built on top of a rocky crag, so today Craig saw a castle on a crag.  It was a bit of a hike to get to the top, but there was such a lovely view all around and it was so peaceful up there.  There were only a few other people there.  The view of the Cheshire plain just couldn’t be captured on a photo.  It was a pleasant drive on country roads to get there.  We were also lucky to have very mild weather.  It was a nice afternoon.

We made visits in the evening and had family home evening with a young mother whose husband is in the hospital.

A view of the castle from the road leading up to it.

Sister Whitehead overlooking the wall

I liked this farm

Approach to the castle

View from the top.  Can you believe it's October?

We loved this view

Our Liverpool Zone missionaries at a recent zone conference.

Elder Whitehead at the lower gate.

Be Not Weary in Well Doing

"Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back the Lord comforted us... Alma 26:27
Sep 29, 2013

Yesterday, we were feeling rather discouraged.  But this morning we had a woman and a young man come to church we had been working with.  It was especially sweet to see Peter there.  He had been inactive for some time after coming home from his mission early.  He did attend the pageant this summer and on the bus on the way home he told me he felt the spirit again for the first time in a long time and he felt he should try to come back to church.  At first it was only YSA.  We visited him and told him how much the ward needed him and how we hoped he would return.  When he didn’t come to YSA the next week, we worried that we had offended him.  But seeing him here in church this morning is what makes serving a mission worth it.   I am thankful for the way the Lord is blessing the efforts of two weak and simple people.

            We visited with an elderly sister tonight.  She told us a story about when she was young during World War II.   She and her mother were caught in a bombing raid in Liverpool.  They hurried to get into a bomb shelter, but there was a problem.  There were two areas that had openings for only one person.  Ruth was hurried into one of the areas, but Ruth’s mother refused to enter a shelter without her daughter.  No amount of persuasion could get the mother into a shelter without her daughter.  Finally a woman hearing the problem that was occurring volunteered to take Ruth’s place in her area, so Ruth could join her mother in the shelter.   Just after the exchange was made there was a direct hit on the shelter the woman had volunteered to enter.  Everyone in the shelter was killed.  Ruth, said she never forgot this valiant woman who gave her life for her.  She promised herself at the age of 11 that she would always be someone who took care of people.  She started nursing at age 16 and worked at  until she was in her 80’s and her health gave out.

September 30, 2013

We spent the Preparation day cleaning and running errands.  We were frustrated this morning when we discovered we had no hot water to shower with.  Luckily, a repairman was able to come and fix it,  he also replaced the fan in my bathroom.  It smells cleaner in there now.  I had prayed that we could figure out how to get the smell of smoke out of the bathroom.  I am grateful for that blessing.

Friday night the sister in  our ward had a get together at a Carvery.  It is kind of like a Chuck-a-rama back home, but with much fewer choices of food.  We had a good time.  Elder Whitehead and the young elders were invited to dinner at a new converts house.   This kind man stuffed them full of good food.

I love this bouquet of flowers.  A kind lady in our ward invited us
to dinner last week and gave me these flowers as we were leaving.
It was very thoughtful of her.

Dinner at the Carvery.

It was a fun night for all who attended.