Connecting and Learning (Humility) at the MTC

We have had a marvelous week at the MTC with 29 other couples from the western U.S. and Canada whom we have grown to respect and love for their sacrifice and dedication.  These couples have been called to serve in a variety of capacities, principally office specialists, CES Youth Centers, Perpetual Immigration Fund, and Member and Leadership Support, and they will be going to foreign shores from Cyprus, to Panama, New Zealand to Russia.  Some will return to their homes and serve from there as activation missionaries.  Combine these sweet folks with the power of the 2500 plus young elders and sisters preparing to go forth from this place, and then reflect on all those already serving throughout the world and those who will surely be entering the MTC tomorrow to begin their preparation, and it gives one a sense of the awesome volunteerism in the Church and the great good that can be effected around the world by this great Army armed with power and authority from the Lord. 

Our training here is not simply a passive exercise.  We are regularly nudged out of our comfort zone in role playing scenarios wherein we teach actors, playing the part of investigators, concepts we thought we were prepared to teach.  Sometimes the "investigators" throw us curve balls, and sometimes the surprises come from our own companion who monopolizing the teaching, hands off to you when you are least prepared to catch the ball, or heads off in a direction you are not prepared to go.  It has been a humbling experience for me and I realize I have much to learn.  I love the scriptures but have much to learn about using them effectively in teaching situations.  The last day we exchanged with another couple in our larger group but not from our four-couple study group.  We each took turns

King James Celebraton

Yes, it has been more than three months since I have sent any images of our marvelous experience here in England so that now it will require a Herculean effort to catch you up.  As you must now be aware, I am not the one who first thinks of whipping out the camera to document the moment and I am even worse at translating those pixels into images on the computer, but I will try to share a bit today (in honor of Jared's birthday) and do better in future. 

My birthday present last June was being able to participate in a 200-voice choir to celebrate the publication of the King James Bible 400 years ago.  The event was produced on a large field on the Preston Temple site.  Rehearsals were held every Sunday eve for four months.  I was able to attend about half of those practices because of the distances and time involved, but it was always a joy to gather with the saints to sing this beautiful music.  I did feel at one with them.  I decided to sing tenor on any of the pieces which were new to me.  Tenors were needed, and if I were going to learn a new song, I might just as well learn tenor as alto.  I felt I made a difference in that section. 

My favorite was the Mendelssohn "He, Watching Over Israel".  I had never sung it before, and I marveled at how Mendelssohn kept mixing his melody anew.  He could have ended the piece at several points, but I could imagine him getting excited about a new idea and writing in one more glorious swell.  So grateful that he did!  We also sang a beautiful "23rd Psalm" by Crimond and a fun tune which apparently is very popular here, "O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing." 

Here I am with the two lovely young ladies who invited me to make my entrance with them.  We walked down a rather steep hill path to get to the marquee (tent) where the choir was seated.  Although clouds were blowing by much of the afternoon, our prayers were answered and we did not get a drop of rain.  We were dressed in the usual black skirts and white blouses, but I had long underwear top and bottom because we had nearly frozen at rehearsal the night before.  Can you tell I am excited?

Here you can see the setup.  We are under the marquee.  This is about the first third of the field.  The sound equipment was under the little green ramada.  I understand the sound was best on the sidehill which was also day of music and the beautiful words of the King James Bible. 

      

The Weather

We are experiencing "technical difficulties" here as well as "weather difficulties"!


We've had 57 degrees and a steady mist of falling moisture.  It has been raining now for three straight days---all day long.

Only missing the figure and the bonnet . . .

We took the opportunity afforded with the visit of our niece, Melanie Hinton, to visit a place we have been intending to experience ever since we heard it was within our mission boundary.  Does this look familiar, anyone?                                          

Or perhaps this view is better . . .

Yes, we visited Lyme Park, better known to most of us as Pemberley!  Here is a closer view.

The steps which Darcy quickly descends while fastening his cuffs, in order to apprehend Elizabeth before she departs is actually inside the courtyard.  (The house is "hollow" in other words.)  Here we ascend the same stairs.

As I said, I don't quite have the figure ("figger") nor the bonnet for this.

Here is the walk, with steps in the distance, where Darcy and Elizabeth have their first very civil conversation.

We enjoyed the grounds

             and walked up to "The Cage," the hunting lodge on the top of the estate, from which the hunters could survey what was once quite a woods to see where the hunting would be best.  A special breed of dog, the Lyme mastiff was bred here.

Melanie took the opportunity to strike a Wuthering Heights pose

     and a tourist started wailing, "Oh, Heathcliffe!"  It was quite fun. 

It was absolutely delightful to be in this place that was laden with so many  fond literary and cinematic memories.  The house itself was not the one represented in the BBC Pride and Prejudice.  It was a hunting estate of a family by the name of Legh (pronounced Lee).  One room in the house had numberous stained glass panes about 15"x20" depicting the coats of arms of all the families who had married into the Legh family.  The had been taken from the local church (to be replaced by biblical scenes.)  The saying went that "In Cheshire the Leghs are as common as fleas."  From all the portraits living the halls, I would believe it.  The dining room featured the most beautiful silver service ever.  The spaces of the house really were amazing, but our friends say it is nothing compared to the Chatsworth House which we will see sometime before we leave.  That is the Pemberley of the shorter and more recent version of  P &P.

It was a grand day out, and we would love to go again with anyone who will come over to accompany us.
We now know the way!

A Sweet Week

The week of May 2 through 8 began and ended with sweetness.  Monday was a bank holiday, meaning that governmental offices and many businesses were closed .  As happens with some temples in the US, the Preston Temple ran five Monday morning sessions to accommodate patrons who would normally be working that day. 
It was our first time inside this lovely temple, and we relished every moment.  It is a small temple in the sense that there are only fifty seats in the endowment rooms, but the central spaces were spacous and inviting.  And of course the people were wonderful--gracious and kind.  Needless to say, there will be no pictures from inside the temple, here is Blackie who found a comfortable place to wait for us outside.

Here is a proper shot of all three of us and the beautiful Preston Temple which is actually in Chorley.

Thursday we were back to the Temple Complex to attend a Multi-Zone Conference at the Chorley Stake Center.  It was a great one as usual and featured NO role-playing (whew!) and a "Preach My Gospel quotation " chase wherein the missionaries vied to be the first to stand with their finger on the quote.  Elder Hinton and I got to run one of the preliminary rounds and were astounded at how well these young folks knew their way around that manual.  The sister who won our session (one of seven sessions) came in second place overall, surviving a semi-final round of the fifteen prelim winners, a final round of the top eight, and then going into a tie-breaker.  We were very proud of her. 

Friday evening we had tea (dinner) with our office partners and four other missionaries.  We were treated to a southwestern cuisine favorite--chicken enchiladas, good company, and an evening stroll around their pleasant neighborhood. 

And here is the sweet way the week ended (or the next week began.)  A friend, mindful of American Mother's Day, made me these cupcakes.  She chose the outdoors theme because we were spotlighted in the Primary newsletter and it mentioned that we liked hiking and had hiked the Grand Canyon.  The little pink thing is a tent, and you can recognize the hiking boots, the marshmellow roasters, fishing pole and campfire logs.  It was a thoughtful gesture and touched me deeply.  The world is full of goodness.

Which house would you choose?

I enjoyed an evening walk today and decided to snap photos of some of the homes I passed.  I enjoy the way some pretty large and imposing structures are side by side with some quaint and apparently rather old dwellings. Sure would like to get a peek inside some of these cottages some time.  So, which would you choose?Would you live in Holly Tree House with its glorious entrance. . .

Sorry, you can't really see much of the house because of the wall around the grounds. 
Or would you rather live in Rose Cottage just across the street?

Would you rather live in Wood End (literally across the street from where a small but proper wood ends..

or the Red House?

Oops  Got those in reverse order.  Wood End really is a stunner--(choose it!)
                                                                                     How about this beauty with the pretty atrium?

Or there's always the rectory attached to the Snelson Methodist Church built in 1825.

I enjoy looking at the old and new stones in the churchyard cemeteries here, but we won't choose those for our homes just yet. 

Back to my old trouble.  Jim did right this one for me when he downloaded it, but it didn't stay for some reason.  I just have to show you this Lavender Cottage because I love the shape of it!!  It actually deepens at the other end into quite a nice size and has a gorgeous huge yard to the far side.  It's so interesting to see the way homes are placed on property here.  Wood Side (across the street from the aforementioned wood) has a lovely magnolia tree which seems to have been worked on by the wind today.  Magnolias are everywhere--lovely!!

                                                   
(Sorry about those of you in Utah, but your turn is coming.)  Everything thrives here, including dandelions.

These are about two inches in diameter. 

Your last choice will be Holly Cottage which also features a lovely prospect out the front door.

So where do you wish to go to find your next home:  Over Peover, Marthall, Knutsford or Chelford?  The choice is yours, and aren't the options delicious!

For me it will be back to the tulip door that means I am arrived at 4 Dixon Court, Chelford, Cheshire, SK11 9AU.     

Here is our cute St. Helens District of the Liverpool Zone at our training this morning.  Next week brings transfers and Sr. Snell will be heading home.

The Elders are from Armenia, Germany, Australia and USA.  The sisters are both Americans. 

Life gets busier as I have been called into the ward Primary leadership (and music) and, since this week will be our ward conference, we will be visiting less active children with stake leaders.  So I am now requesting simple, effective music teaching/reviewing techniques which you have used or observed along with recipes.
Springtime in England is lovely and so are many of its people.  We have the dearest bishop's counselor in our ward. He always says he is a simple man, but his expressions are eloquent and devout.  He father died three weeks ago which was a sadness, of course.  Then he called me into the bishop's office Sunday morning to entend the Primary call.  After he did that he said, "I had wanted you to meet my mother. . . but she died on Friday."  I was so stunned; I thought he had misspoken.  As the tears came he said that she had  wanted to set her life in order to go to the temple, and he was hoping we would be a help to her in this.  Now they will be doing her work in a year instead.  He also wants us to work with his brother who wants to prepare for the temple in spite of a very anti wife.  In testimony meeting he bore the sweetest testimony that he knew the Lord was mindful of his family and that he only wanted to know how he could assist the Lord in bringing to pass His purposes for the family.  Such faith!  We do feel part of this ward family. 

As a parting shot, here is one of favorite ward families:  The Keith and Carol Bass family.  Little Sol is one of my Primary CTR's.

Olivia, Megan, Grace, Thea, Ella, Sol, and Isaac, with Carol and Keith in the back.  Great folks. 

food for body and soul

We had the wonderful opportunity to head to the Temple Complex in Chorley again last week.  It is a large site which includes the MTC for all European missionaries who will be speaking their own language but are proficient also in English, the Chorley Stake Center, and the Temple with housing for temple patrons.  There is great peace to be found strolling on this place as with all temple grounds.  We still haven't been inside yet, but soon!

So white and beautiful!  And just to the right of this photo there were the most amazing evergreens. . .

                      And here is the Temple AND the evergreens. . . right way around!  (Dad helped.)

                                                                             
        And here is where I am gradually getting more comfortable preparing food for our bodies:

The kitchen might be 12' X10" wall to wall and transitions into dining room and lounge area (living room.)

Our cabinets are deceptive. . .  this

                                                   changes to this.

                              And the "cabinet" just at the left edge of this photo

                                           becomes our fridge and freezer.

                         with Andy's drawing of a zoo prominently displayed to my daily delight.
                    Our sink arrangement is interesting . . .

        and our table features three different chair styles.

  Next week maybe you can have a peek at the bathrooms ;)  Life is great in merry old England, and our Warrington Ward even won the Liverpool Stake roadshow competition!  Remember the days! 

English Strolls

My sis told me I would love walking in England, and she was so right.  The dampish freshness feels so good to me--perhaps it takes me back to my Oregonian childhood.  Truly, who wouldn't enjoy strolling over to this beautiful mansion to post the mail each afternoon? 

                                                  And I can turn around and see this

   

and this.. .

 And all of this is within twenty-five yards of our Mission Office Building which actually looks like this:  a plain old, well not actually OLD--that's the problem--office building.

           It is a pleasant enough place, though obviously without any of the charm of the environs. 

Saturday I took another purposeful walk to see what is beyond the square mile of Chelford houses.  It started when I crossed a simple stile.  I was delighted and recited "I saw a crooked man, who walked a crooked mile.  He found a crooked sixpence (alas, I was not so lucky,) upon a crooked stile ..." for the next fifteen minutes.  

         Sorry, I haven't figured out how to turn my pics yet.  Help, anyone??!!

But isn't the stile cute, and the byway signpost!

Then I headed down a proper lane.

                  I found lots of sheep

                                                             and the cutest little pony

                                                                     and his Mum, I suppose

                She was more friendly or less cautious and I had to back away to get her photograph.                                                                                   Wish you could see her silky tail.

           Then I arrived at Fir Tree Farm where I think I could spend the rest of my life in complete bliss--well, at least the next six months  until it would get cold and farming would take on a completely different flavor.

Sorry about your sore neck right now, but I wanted you to see that this is a three-story farmhouse!      
I sadly waved good-bye to the postman in his little red van and then sadly headed for home.  All good things have an end. 

                                     Farewell beautiful countryside, until next Saturday.  Each week presents a      picture                                lovelier than the one the week before!