Lovelies .... We Arrived!

We have been in  the United  Kingdom since May 19, 2017, but because of moving and lack of adequate internet service I haven't been able to get this blog up and running, but it all changes today and I will fill in the event holes.

As I said we arrived in England (Gatwick  Airport May 19, 2017) and were met by President Gubler, Sister Gubler and Elder Record. Luggage and all were transported to the mission office, which is on the grounds  of the London  Temple, in New Chapel where we met with President and Sister Gubler and were asked to serve on the Island of Guernsey. We were a little shocked and felt a little like we were voted off one island and voted on another. We knew NOTHING about Guernsey and the original call said that we were going to serve as YSA missionaries, although we knew that could entail member support and younger missionary support as well. We were told there were two YSA members on the Island (actually there were three at the time). A couple were nearly ready to leave and the branch needed a Branch President. I would be dishonest to say we weren't very, very surprised but we were called to serve and ultimately willing to do so. We have never not accepted an assignment willingly, so this would not be any different. How can anyone complain about any mission assignment ... on an island, running water, transportation etc. etc. etc. UPDATE: The people here are beautiful as is the island .... it is an honor to serve these sweet people and we consider them all YSA, some are just a bit older YSA that others.

My mind went to something I wrote in my journal when we were at the MTC. I do not even know who said it, " If you try to call the shots you will get what you want when you could have had so much more - What does he want for you." Elder Bednar, and the previous quote may have been an Elder Bednar quote also,  has said that you are not called to a place, you are called to Serve and serve we will. One of the last mornings in the MTC President and Sister Martino, the MTC President and his wife,  came and sat with us and we talked about our call. I told her that I felt a little selfish going to England to serve when obviously there are so many needs in the world and she told me, "to pray to know why you have been called where yo have been called."

Our flat in East Grinsted. Third floor, but second
the way they number floors here.

The next weekend a Senior Zone Conference had been scheduled in South London so President Gubler told us to go on vacation for a few days, and we took him  up on  that offer. Before leaving we moved into a new flat in East Grinsted, which is only about 10 minutes from the temple
. The town was delightful and our first night we found a wonderful fish and chips " Take Away" not take out.



Elder Hewlett, Elder Josh Howe (to my left), me and Elder
Howe's companion. He is currently serving in Epsom

We also attended Stake Conference Saturday night and Sunday in the Crawley Stake and Surprise! Surprise! when we pulled into the stake parking I saw a familiar face, Elder Josh Howe, who was one of my students at Woods Cross and a grandson of Gary and Sharon Howe, dear friends of ours from the Foothill Stake, and actually Steve's Teacher's Quorum advisor when he was a young man. He was just getting out of his car. Sharon had told me he was serving in this mission and when we arrived I saw his name and picture on the board. Small, small church world! Come to find out when we arrived in Guernsey he was a companion to one of the missionaries here and an MTC companion to one of the others.