Celebrations Galore

The past 15 months have been marked by major celebrations here in England.  We arrived in April of 2011 just in time for Prince Andrew and Katherine Middleton's marriage and all the hoopla involved with that.  We were encouraged (along with the missionaries in the MTC)to watch some of the wedding proceedings because this was a cultural event.  We enjoyed a special meal  at the Missionary Training Centre to celebrate the royal wedding.

In the summer of 2011 we noted the 400th anniversary of the translation of the King James Bible.  We are indebted to the many men who sacrificed greatly to bring this book of scripture forth.  As you can imagine there were celebrations throughout England since the translation took place mostly at Hampton Court in London.  We had an impressive outdoor concert and programme on the grounds near the Preston Temple that attracted not only Church members but many from our community.
April of 2012 marked the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic.  Because of its connections with the UK there were events throughout the countries of England, Ireland and Scotland.  We were able to visit the new museum in Southampton, England dedicated to preserve the memory of those whose lives were lost and to the heroes and heroines who faced this tragedy with courage and undaunted trust in God.
In June it was ongoing parties, picnics and pageantry surrounding Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee.  Our Church unit hosted a day of games, music, booths and eating centered around the excitement of the Queen's 50th year of reign.  The Queen is well respected by most Englishmen and has definitely made herself a popular because of her defense of good causes.

Last month we also noted the 100th year since the Pendle Witch Trials which took place in our county of Lancashire.  Elder Hales and I have often driven through the area where the "so labeled witches" resided.  It's one of the loveliest spots with the quaint villages and windy roads flanked by fields of sheep and beautiful green, hilly countryside.  We had visited the Lancaster Castle prison where the "witches" were kept until hung or released in Lancaster Castle.  We had the opportunity to attend a re-enactment of the story based on reliable records.  This took place in nearby Hoghton Tower a holding area for some of the victims before their trial at Lancaster Castle.  This was a tragic time of history stirred by superstition and fueled by unrealistic fear.  As I now contemplate this it's interesting to note that it was just shortly after this that the first Mormon Missionaries landed in Liverpool, preached first in Preston and then moved onto Chatburn and Downham where they had phenomenal success in sharing the Gospel.  Downham and Chatburn were just a few miles from the Pendle area.
Last weekend we traveled to Preston's Avenham Park for the 175th anniversary of the first LDS missionaries preaching in England. It was in this park where the River Ribble flows through that the first baptisms took place.  We picnicked with some of the Loynes family (some dear friends and nearby neighbors) as we,along with about 1000 others, relaxed and listened to a 200 member choir, some speakers and joined in with congregational singing.  The following day, Sunday, our Church meeting followed the theme of "The Family".  This marked one of the most memorable weekends we had living in this great land of England.
The end of this month starts the Summer Olympics which all of you probably know more about than we do!  We will stay up North away from the excitement and crowds and hopefully hear the results of how our great athletes do.  We truly feel a desire to root for all nations as they compete in this physical events.  We've met so many missionaries from around the globe that have shown us the best in their people.  We are truly blest to be serving in this part of the Lord's vineyard and are indebted to those who have served as examples to us.
Cheerio for now,
Elder and Sister Hales
Walt and Maureen

THE MISSIONARY TRAINING CENTRE and BEYOND

Every 3 weeks we welcome in a new group of missionaries from various parts of the world.  Some come totally exhausted from hours of travel and perhaps several plane changes to those who commute from within the country.  They arrive anxious and excited to serve the Lord for 18 months to 2 years sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  We presently have a group of 50+ young Elders and Sisters from all over the world: Chili, South Africa, Czech Republic, identical twins from Malaysia, Germany, Sweden, Italy, France, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Georgia, Ireland, England and the USA.  Our next group will have 6 sets of Senior Missionary couples (about the age of Walt and me) plus nearly 50 young missionaries.  This will mark the largest group we've worked with to date.
All missionaries wear a badge that identifies the name of our Church and the individual's last name. If we were to use full names the badge for the missionary from New Zealand would read: Elder Mare Whakamau Mahara Te Whetu Marama PairamaKararoaRiki!  Instead his badge shows Elder Riki.
The past month has been brim full of new experiences serving the medical/health needs of the missionaries young and not-so-young.  We were saddened by the news that one of our Senior sisters was diagnosed with recurrent cancer.  She and her husband returned home to the USA last week.  Another Senior Elder suffered a cardiac arrest but is now stable after having a defibrillator implanted in his heart. He and his wife are so grateful they can stay and finish their missionary work here in England.
We've seen a large number of orthopaedic problems among the young Elders and Sisters.  Besides the many sprained ankles, there have been tibia fractures, radial head fractures in the elbow, shoulder, wrist and hand problems.  Several have required surgery.  In the past 13 months Elder Hales has become much more knowledgeable on back problems, ingrown toenails, tumors of the ear and mental health issues.  He will be accompanying an Elder back to the USA with a major medical problem in the near future.  Considering we oversee nearly 1000 missionaries we're grateful that most of them have only minor medical concerns during their time of service.  Though we play a background part in sharing the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ we are grateful for our involvement in trying to help the full-time missionaries stay healthy and fully engaged in the work of the Lord.

Stops throughout the United Kingdom

This is Dunnotar Castle in Scotland that we toured with Janet and Bill Smith last September.  As you can see it was built on a high rock outcropping on the coast of the North Sea.  It was a bit of a hike to arrive but very well worth it.  Walt received a phone call from a missionary in England and he was able to conduct some needed business from this prominent historic site.

Speaking of Scotland we recently joined the missionaries and staff at the Missionary Training Centre for a celebration in honor of Scotland's favorite son, Robert Burns...also known as "The Ploughman Poet".   Widely regarded as the National Poet of Scotland, he was also a lyrist.  Below you will see pics from that evening.

This is Chris Pattenden, who is the Bishop of our Church congregation and is employed as the head of the Missionary Training Center. He served his mission 6 years ago in Scotland and is in the full Scottish dress. (He mentioned that it takes about an hour to get every item on and straight!)  He is presenting the one item of food we had all heard so much about HAGGIS.  And just what is haggis you ask?  It's a traditional Scottish dish, and considered the national dish of Scotland as a result of Robert Burns' poem "Address to Haggis of 1787".
It's a kind of savoury pudding (not dessert, more of a wrapped casserole) containing sheep's 'pluck' (heart, liver and lungs) mixed with onions, oatmeal, suet, spices and salt; then combined with a stock and traditionally encased in animal's stomach and simmered for approximately 3 hours.  "Although it's description is not immediately appealing, haggis has an excellent nutty texture and delicious savory flavour" as quoted from Wikipedia.  Actually, it wasn't bad, just something I'd never spend time to prepare even though my heritage is about a 1/4 Scottish.

This picture is priceless because it shows Sister Williams on the left looking at Sister Walker as she tries the haggis...note Sister Walker is storing something in her right cheek pocket!  Then to the right of President Walker is Bishop Pattenden who is making sure President Walker follows through with his bite!

Shall we move on to Wales!

Conwy Castle in North Wales was built in 1283-1289 during King Edward I's 2nd campaign in N. Wales.  It's built on a rock promontory to prevent undermining by the enemy and to guard the entrance to the River Conwy.  The  3 bridges are relatively new structures.  The middle suspension bridge was built by Thomas Telford in 1826.  Telford was born in Scotland in 1757 and raised in poverty by his mother because his father died shortly after Thomas' birth.  He was apprenticed as a stone mason and worked for a time in Scotland but then moved to London after connecting with 2 well respected architects of the time. He became a master bridge builder.  We've seen the Iron Bridge just west of Birmingham in the town named Telford.  He built over 40 bridges in the county of Shropshire alone! (This info is specifically included for our son Luke who is a
civil engineer with the original desire to build bridges!)
TaTa For Now,
Elder & Sister Hales

Missionaries with Maladies!

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Here are the few missionaries who have stayed with us as they recuperate from surgery.  Elder Reynolds (on the left) had wrist surgery and his companion, Elder Palmer is pointing to his tooth that he may loose after being attacked by 2 ruffians.  They are both doing well now!

This is Elder McFadgen who is recovery from foot surgery.  He was given a walking cast (boot) 3 weeks after his surgery.  When he returned to the Dr. for a check up a couple of weeks later, the Dr. was so impressed with his recovery and in awe of the condition of the boot.  It was worn out from all the walking and missionary work!  The Dr. took a picture of it and is using it in an upcoming presentation.

Elder Cline on the far left just had foot surgery also.  He is pictured with 2 of the missionaries who help with various physical chores that the Mission President needs.  They call themselves "The Movers and Shakers" because they help move furniture from one flat to another, they move missionaries that need to be transported to and from the airport (or in this case pick up from our flat) plus they are constantly shaking hands!  One of these Elders is from America, one from Austria and the other from Australia.  They come from all over the world to serve!

We love being around these wonderful, dedicated young missionaries!

The Soggy Blog

The following poem describes what our winter has been like thus far in NW England!

RAIN

IT RAINED AND IT RAINED AND IT RAINED AND IT RAINED.

THE AVERAGE FALL WAS WELL MAINTAINED.

AND WHEN OUR  TRACKS WERE SIMPLY BOGS

IT STARTED RAINING "CATS AND DOGS".

AFTER A DROUGHT OF HALF AN HOUR,

WE HAD A GREAT REFRESHING SHOWER. 

THEN, THE MOST CURIOUS THING OF ALL

A GENTLE RAIN BEGAN TO FALL.

NEXT DAY WAS ALSO FAIRLY DRY

(EXCEPT FOR A DELUGE FROM THE SKY)

WHICH SOAKED  OUR PARTY TO THE SKIN

AND AFTER THAT, THE RAIN SET IN!!

We definitely get lots of moisture but not much in the way of snow. We haven't experienced any freezing weather that's stayed more than a day or two.  Actually, we've been told that the grass stays green all Winter long (if not true we'll let you know when Spring arrives)!

Some of Our New Friends

President and Sister Shamo live in South London where they preside over about 180 missionaries.  Walt and I actually attended Dixie Jr. College in St. George, Utah in the late 60's with President Shamo.  We've become well acquainted with both of them over the past 6 months.  This photo is from one of the garden areas at Hampton Court.  At this location the "hand picked" scriptorians and theologians met 400 years ago to work on a new translation of the Bible which today we know as the King James Version.

Walt and I spend  some of our preparation days with Jim and Janet Williams from the Missionary Training Center (MTC).  We have the opportunity to visit nearby places of interest.  They are great to travel with.  We also interact with them every 3 weeks when we process in new missionaries.Their missionary assignment is to support and serve with President and Sister Walker full time at the MTC.  They have previously served as Mission President and wife over the Denmark Mission.  Jim is a former head of rheumatology at the U. of U. in Salt Lake City.  Walt appreciates having another physician to talk over health concerns of the missionaries.

Our "home away from home" and new surroundings

This is our wonderful abode in Chorley, England.  We live in a little neighborhood that is quiet yet close to the places we frequent.  We often walk to the Temple, the MTC or our Church building---an 8 minute walk.

We are also close to the bus route so we enjoy riding the bus downtown for shopping and to peruse the books at the library.  Because of our advanced age we were able to obtain a free bus pass.  We could actually take the bus "up and down" and "over and across" the nation if we had the desire, need and/or time.

On a short drive we discovered this windmill in an open field.  It seems that we are often surprised to see "little wonders" so close to a residential area.

There are numerous parks throughout the northwest of England.  Not far from this spot is a large park, golf course and buildings that house a little restaurant, craft area and a golf shop.  

Several  months ago we were invited by the Mission President of the Birmingham Mission to join a new group of missionaries for a tour of the Benbow Farm which has great significance in  early Church history in England.  So Walt and I headed off the evening before the tour to stay at a spot nearby so we'd be on time for the morning tour.  I looked up the info on Benbow Farm on a Church website and then hit google maps for driving directions.  Since we were still unfamiliar with the geography of this particular area we were grateful to have the specific directions.  

The next morning we inquired of several people if they had ever been to this spot.  No one seemed to be familiar with it.  While we were following the directions we stopped a mail deliverer and asked her for help.

"Oh, I've been trying to get in their for a long time.  No one unlocks the gate so I can deliver the mail."  Well, that's certainly strange since all the Church historic sites we know of welcome visitors with open arms.  We called President Ogden and apologized for bothering him but we needed assistance if we were going to meet up with the group on time.  After explaining our dilemma (and hearing him share it with his wife and others) we heard a burst of laughter come from the other end of the connection.  "I don't know exactly where you are but it's no where close to our location."  We were able to give him our postal code (zip code in USA) and he determined we were about 2+ hours off course. 

Well, we drove into a little town and inquired if there was anything of interest to see nearby.  "Yes, there is Princess Diana's family home nearby."  The Spencer Estate was amazing.  We enjoyed the grounds and the home so very much that we've visited twice.  This was the country estate for a long line of Spencers.

Diana is buried here on a little patch of land on a small lake to the right of this photo.  Diana's brother, Charles Spencer, inherited this estate called Althorp.  He restored and refurbished it and has it open to the public for 3 months of the year.

Whenever Walt and I tour we are questioned because of the badges we wear that show Elder Hales or Sister Hales.  It's a great opportunity to share our purpose for being in England.  We are grateful for our Savior and the Gospel that He gave us.  We're happy to share it with all we meet.