Patient in Afflictions

The last few weeks have been filled with most of the things we normally do, minus us driving.  We have tried to bear it patiently.  We met another woman on the bus who started talking to us.  She told us she was a former member, but because she had a bad experience she quit going.  She acknowledged that even though she wasn't a member now,  her growing up years had really been blessed by her church membership.  She was a nice lady and we encouraged her to consider coming back.  She also told us she rarely rides the bus, but she took it that day to catch a train to Liverpool.  I hope her contact with us will cause her to start thinking about the church again.  The woman we met on the bus a few weeks ago is having us over tomorrow.  We hope we can encourage her to  come back to church as well.
We had a great stake conference on Sunday.  The music from the choir was good and we got to sing "Jerusalem" with the congregation.  I really like that song.
Here are the words:
Jerusalem
And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England's mountains
green?
And was the Holy Lamb of God
On England's pleasant pastures seen?
And did the countenance divine
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among those dark satanic mills?

Bring me my  bow of burning gold!
Brilng me my arrows of desire!
Bring me my spear: o clouds unfold!
Bring me my chariots of fire!
I will not cease from metal fight;
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand
Till we have built Jerusalem
In England's green and pleasant land.

The talks were wonderful and I as well as others I talked to said they felt the comments were a personal message for them.
Today we spent a relaxing afternoon.  Our car has been returned to us now that the mission office van has been taken care of.  The young elders in our district have been appointed our chauffeurs until Elder Whitehead gets his British license.  He has another chance at the test this week.  We asked the elders to take us to Beeston Castle.  We were there in the fall and we loved it.  It was perfect weather and the young elders were very pleased to see their  first castle.  We all had a nice time.  Afterward we found an ice-cream shop a few miles from the castle.  The ice-cream was almost as good as the ice-cream back home and

Last night we took a pleasant walk to an appointment alone the
Manchester ship canal

The castle wall

I liked these little flowers growing out of the wall.

What a view!

England's green and pleasant land.

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Entrance to the castle

This symbolizes how we feel without the car.

We are trying to keep and Eternal perspective.

Our faithful chauffeurs.

this place had a much bigger choice of flavors than any other place we have seen that sells ice-cream.

A Day of Miracles

May 7, 2014
We had a day that we couldn't capture on camera, but it has been one of the most satisfying days of our mission.  This morning we came to terms with the fact that whether we could drive or not, we could make a contribution.  It has been an amazing day.  We started walking to town to renew our weekly bus pass, when a woman on the street stopped us to ask for directions.  We helped her and then we told her who we were and why we were here.  She had planned to catch a bus, but she decided to walk to town with us.  We had a good conversation as we went in to town.  We gave her a mormon.org card with our number and invited her to church.  I'm not sure she is interested right now, but just the fact that she walked all that way with us is a miracle.  Later, a couple on the street stopped us and said they had investigated the church in Hungary.  Again we gave them our number and invited them to church.  We had another Gospel conversation with a man after that.  He said he wasn't interested, but we felt good for trying.  After lunch we visited a member and tryed to visit another sister in the ward.  She wasn't home, but coming back we caught another bus back home.  We couldn't sit together because the bus was too crowded.  I sat down by a woman and she said you are a Latter-day Saint.  I said I was.  She told me she was a member,  but hadn't been to church for about seven years.  Again I invited her to church and gave her our phone number.  Just as we were getting home, a man from our flat came rushing out to catch a bus.  We watched in amazement as the bus driver ignored him and went right past.  He turned his back on us.  He had never been very friendly.  We walked up to him and told him we couldn't believe the bus driver ignored him.  He said he was on the way to get a beer.  We said in good natured way that we could offer him a better pastime than that.  He laughed,  but I said, you know where we are if you need us.  I think he will be more friendly to us from now on.  After dinner,  we were inviting a ward member into our flat when Elder Whitehead ran into a young man that we have tried to share the Gospel with before.  He had a good conversation with him and came back in about five minutes to get a Joseph Smith pamphlet and a Book of Mormon for him.  We don't know what will come of all this, but we know that people were being put in our path right and left and it was no coincidence.  We are so grateful.

Car-less in Warrington

April 29 2014
Last week we started doing what young missionaries do.  We passed the year mark without passing the driving test so we get to rely on our feet, the bus, and the kindness of members.  We continue to pray for a cancellation to come available so Elder Whitehead can take the test sooner.  It has slowed us down a bit and we wish we could do more.  Nothing is all bad.  We are getting more exercise,  we talk to more people because we are out among them.  The weather has been mild and members have been good to help us get where buses cannot take us.  We like to be the ones serving but it is giving members an opportunity to serve us and that will probably bless their lives.
One evening we were talking at the bus stop to a young man about the Gospel.  We noticed a police car pull up to the side of the bus stop.  The young man wasn't very interested, but he was polite and listened.  After about five minutes, he got up and walked off.  About five minutes later we watched as the police led this young man to the car in handcuffs.  I hope he remembered something we said, while he is in jail.  I do think it is good for people to see us out and about.  Sometimes people ask us if we are married.  People are not used to seeing senior missionaries.  We do pray that there will be some wise purpose for our experience.  It isn't dull, I can tell you that.  We have loaned the car to the mission office while we can't use it, because the transmission went out on the office elders van about the same time we lost the use of the car.  At least they are being benefited by it.
Last week we visited Peel Park, a museum in Salford where Elder Whitehead probably has distant cousins.  We also went to Arley Hall and Gardens.  The tulip gardens were at there best,  and the house was really nice.  The ceilings in the home were especially impressive.  I think it is one our favorite home and gardens we have visited.  The Hills, another senior couple came and picked us up.  We had a pleasant time.
Friday night we went to Chorley for a temple convention with the YSA.  We did two sessions in the baptistry, one Friday night and one on Saturday.  We watched Ephraim's Rescue, did a family history activity and finished with a fireside in the Temple President's home.  We stayed in the accomodation center.  It was a very nice place.  The activity went very well and we felt like everyone had a good time.  We work with a lot of good young people.

We dressed up as Victorian citizens at the Peel Park Museum in Salford

We took Flat Stanley to Arley Hall and Gardens

It was the perfect time to see the tulip gardens

We liked the stiped tulips

The Grape Hyacinths are twice as big in England as they are at home.

This was a pretty variety of Grape Hyacinths

More Gardens

Arley Hall had a great tennis court.

Lunch at the YSA convention

YSA

More YSA

Us at the Preston Temple

YSA at Dinner.

YSA

The Preston Temple