An Olympic Treat!

The Two Zones closest to the Hyde Park Chapel had a real treat on Monday.  Vai Sikahema, a former BYU Football(the American variety) star,  National Football League pro-bowler,and Olympic Sportscaster was here in London covering the Olympics and very graciously accepted an invitation to speak with our missionaries.   

His son, Trey, was a missionary here in our mission, and returned to London with his father.  Trey is currently a teacher at the MTC in Provo and spoke with great enthusiasm to our missionaries and introduced his Dad.  

                                           
                                              

                                   

                                                 

President Sikahema's (he is currently serving in a Stake Presidency in Philadelphia) tender testimony and love for missionary work was an inspiration to all.

 Thank you for sharing the afternoon with us!

$6.66

This post has nothing to do with missionaries.

It has everything to do with breakfast.

I have missed my Cream of Wheat.

Really, really missed.

On Saturday I found this in a speciality grocery store. 

This is not the regular States size box- it is 14 ounces- exactly half the size of the ones on the grocery store shelves in Utah, and it cost me 4.25 pounds- that would be $6.66.

And worth every penny. 

QR codes- we are on the cutting edge!

(Elders Shehee, Ward, Brownlee, Dongan (the mastermind behind it all) Hess and Carder)

For the Olympics our Elders had these great bags made with an enlarged QR (Quick Response)Code on them.  The missionaries love them (many are begging for them- as with everything, it is just a matter of money!) and they do seem to be attention-getters!

An unexpected surprise!

We got an unexpected call to attend a meeting at the London Temple visitors center in the London South mission.  It was so lovely to see the Temple and the Temple grounds.

Elder Barber and Elder Cena ( our Assistants) were asked to attend with us. 

It is always nice when they need to go with us, we love visiting with them, but secretly, I am so thankful that they will drive!  I am sure that I am never going to get used to the London traffic and driving on the opposite side of the road from the one I am accustomed to!

Do you love your companion?

We started interviews last week, at the beginning of each interview President Jordan asked, "Elder, do you love you companion?"  To which, everyone responded, "Yes, I do!"

"Then," President Jordan asks, "will you serve your companion and polish his shoes?"

It has been so wonderful talking to the missionaries  and learning about them and their families as they have served their companion and polished his or her shoes.  

I am awfully glad that my Dad taught me how to polish his shoes (every Saturday night!) so I could guide more than a few through the process!

We have the best missionaries in the church!

Elder Boysyuk trying to hide from the camera- Elders Barber and Strombom are sitting beside him.

Elder Dongen preparing to polish Elder Carder's shoes while Elder Carder is visiting with President Jordan!

I am sitting with Elder Dongen with a blanket over me------freezing.
(This is how I interviewed most of the missionaries- me and a blanket.
This is the coldest July I have ever experienced!)

Our last two Zone meetings!

We first visited the Norwich Zone.

Back Row: Elders Montgomery, Grasser,  Onychuk and Leavitt.

Middle Row: Sister Murphy, Elders Affleck, Young and Lundahl.

Front Row: President Jordan, Elders Polo, Brozzu, Sister Webster, Elders Fisher, Amador and Park. 

We finished with the Ipswich Zone!!!!

Back Row: Elders Siano, Riki, Grove, Campbell, Wilson, Rogers, Strong and Klobcic.

  Middle Row: Elders Thompson, Lawrence, Hlalapi, Wilkinson, Lee, Resolme, Day, Tobia and President Jordan.

Front Row: Sisters Aziz, Herrera, Nilsson and Tsogoo.

WHEW!!!

More of our Zone Meetings

We visited the Romford Zone on July 4th.  

Back row: Elders Lingham, Strombom, Purdy, Hristov, Heath, Mazvomba and President Jordan.

Front Row: Elders Murri, Larsen, Sisters Thorne and Steele, Elders Mosalakae, Boysyuk and Sister Jordan.

The cute sisters couldn't let the American 4th of July Holiday pass without notice, so Sister Thorne (a Canadian and Sister Steele provided treats for the day!

We then travelled to the Canterbury Zone for an afternoon meeting.  They, too, were celebrating the 4th of July with apple pie, ice cream and Cinnamon Rolls--yummy!

Very Back Row: Elders Irving, Mahendran and Helske.

Middle Row: President Jordan, Elders Pollard, Paul, Krebs, Mills and Vitorio.

Front Row: Sister Jordan, Elders Tingey and Brown, Sisters Brown, Ernst, Xu, Vermeer and Hally.

A perfect way to celebrate an American holiday in England!

The Scene of the Crime

I have been having a little trouble figuring out the plumbing in our flat, Saturday night I never could fill the tub for a bath, but on Sunday I finally made some progress and made the water come out of the proper spout.

Monday morning was not to be a hair day, you women know what I mean.  I was just going to fill the tub for a quick bath (remember, I had just conquered this contraption the day before) so I could hurry over to the chapel to meet the St. Albans Zone for a meeting.  I leaned over the tub and turned the water on and that crazy thing on the top turned on and started flipping around all over the place.  I tried to grab it but it was moving around the tub like a snake and by the time I got it under control it had absolutely soaked me, head to toe.  nice.  

My quick morning routine was completely thrown off schedule.

I was late.

Not good.

Fortunately, President Jordan knows me well enough to take one look at my dripping head and walk away...

Smart man.

Amazing Missionaries!

It is wonderful to finally be here in England.  We are still so jet lagged...it is crazy.  We have begun our zone visits and I can't believe how amazing our missionaries are.  They, without exception, have been so warm and kind to us.  We have met half of the zones and have taken photos of them.  I have yet to figure out good places to take the pictures indoors..I will be working on that...but for now, I will post the ones that I have.
  

The Hyde Park Zone

Starting at the back left- Elder and Sister Empey, Elder and Sister Sprouse,  (two of our fabulous Senior  Couples!) Then back row of Elders- Carder, Wolf, Cena, Hess, Ward, Montgomery, Shehee, Barber, Paramalingam,     

and President Jordan.  Second Row- Sisters Galang,  Buckley, Belnap (Watford Zone), Spencer, Tabor, Ritchel (Watford) and Wuthrich (Watford).  Bottom row- Elders Dongen, Fernandes, Larsen, Hlatshwayo, Brownlee, Alarcon, and Wing.

The St. Albans Zone

Back Row- Elders  Flores, Davis, Hansen, Meek, Mansfield, Ostermiller, Bensige, and President Jordan.  Front Row- Elders Burger, Santoro, Sisters Cleveland and Santos, and Elder Heno.

The Watford Zone

Back Row- President Jordan, Elders Shenjere, Yenchik, McCormack,Badger, Fesolai,Bush, and Giusti.  Front Row- Elders Sidamonidze, Crane, Jamieson, Granger, and Baker.

The Northampton Zone

Back Row-Elders Adler, Biesinger, Silva, Turner, Biondi, and Rimmer.  Middle Row- President Jordan, Elders White, Harris, Doudou, Tuiali'i, Sister Mills and Elder Mills. Front Row- Sisters Delgado, Huran, King and Brown.

These dedicated missionaries have already blessed our lives.  
We love them!