Christmas In England Part 1

Christmas was a little different this year as we moved to England December 12, 2017 from Guernsey. Actually I guess you could say we left Guernsey. There could be other words, but those are the ones I will use. We packed PACKED up our car and took the fast ferry to Poole.  Our ferry the day before (Monday) was cancelled so we were able to get on the ferry the next day, but even that one was delayed. With the weather on Guernsey lately I guess it is good we got off at all. We had made arrangements to stay at the Premier Inn across from our flat in Havant (Portsmouth area). We got in late and went right to Institute in Hamble River for the last class of the year. It was good to see a few faces and meet a few people, because it would be weeks before we would see them again. At about 10: 30 p.m. we headed home to bed so we could meet with the Wells the next day. After a day of talking about the home, the ward, the missionaries and YSA in both Portsmouth Stake and Guernsey we ate a nice meal Sister Wells had prepared and after unpacking some of our car we again spent the night in the hotel. The next day was our Mission Christmas Meeting at the London Temple so we had to finish unpacking  the car before we headed off and switched cars with the Wells, so they could load the car before we went to the conference. THAT WAS IT! We were on the mainland and starting over. Conference at the London Temple was wonderful! We had a zone picture on the steps, followed by a session in the temple. What a remember most is first of all seeing all the missionaries in white, listening to them in the temple, knowing that some of them would never live close to a temple and had not gone often before their mission. But the most remarkable, touching  part of all was watching them in the Celestial Room with their heads bowed contemplating, pondering and feeling the spirit. It is my favorite Celestial Room, white, gold with  touches of black. It is stunning and small and I love sitting in it, but it was especially beautiful with the missionaries there with us. We had dinner, a program  with a talk from President Gubler but we had to leave early because we not only wanted to be at FHE in Hamble River, but it was a Christmas party and a potluck so we needed to bring food. I had time to get Brie cheese, puff pastry and cranberry and crackers so that is what I made and it turned out quite good. In fact I made two and that was a smart decision. Again a night late.

On Friday late, the missionaries let us know that that night (in a few hours) was the ward Christmas Party, so smart decision ....  I had made two Brie wheels the night before and had one to take to the party. Dressed in as much red and white as I and Elder Hewlett had we set off.

Father Christmas. Each year it takes him at least nine  month to get his beard that way he wants it. He  is a "brilliant" English Saint Nick.	Some of the ward children waiting for their present from Santa and a chance to sit on his lap.
The Party! Chichester Ward.	Singing "Don't Go Breaking My Heart," a great Christmas talent show song. They were wonderful and say they do something each year. We loved it!

Sunday was our first church meeting and Sacrament Meeting was held, followed by a short break when they set up for a nativity that was amazing. The saints have beautiful voices and the children have even more beautiful voices. The program was amazing and a ward member, Brother Mitchell wrote some of the music. It certainly ushered in the season. Our Bishop, Nathan Bowles, is kind, sensitive and hilarious and the nativity showed all three sides of the Bishop.

Hallelujah: Let Us Sing

"Mother Mary in the stable, May we see you tiny boy? With Joseph there beside you, we share in your joy. Hallelujah: Sing with gladness, Hallelujah: Let us Sing: For the birth of the Savior, to God our praises ring.  ( one verse of an original song from the program)

 

And ring praises they did! It is interesting that some of their Christmas Carols are the same as ours, in fact most of them, but some have different arrangements. It took us a little off guard the first time we heard it, but their versions are beautiful as well.

They built an amazing nativity.	Our bishop announcing the program
The choir for the program. With a little encouragement Steve stepped up that first day and sang in the choir. You can see his bald head back right.

	Our Bishopric The TWO  Magi 

 

Transferred Woodfield House, Havant, Hampshire

After many months of ourselves and many others trying to figure out or change our status on Guernsey we are off the island, as no progress was ever made and we will be assessed social security and income taxes based on our pensions, life insurance, and other interest income. Because we are under sixty-five years the assessment will be more than if we were older. So again, we are off and living in the town of Havant, near Portsmouth. I already miss the missionaries (for some reasons), family prayer, involvement with new investigators and our sweet members, all who are so faithful, besides being small in numbers, and some who are just holding on. When you live with the missionaries you become very involved in their daily ups and downs and when there are so few members you become very involved in the branch and in their lives also. I  feel torn continually!

Havant is a small town only about 5 miles from Portsmouth and we live on the outskirts, actually we live on the edge of Havant and Langstone, on Langstone Road in a two hundred year old home, Woodfield  House, protected from the road by large bushes and trees. We attend church in Chichester, about 11 miles to the east. Our assignment is again multi-faceted. We are still YSA missionaries, helping with institute (every week) and Family Home Evening (twice a month). We teach temple prep to one couple right now and  alternate teaching of the Gospel  Essentials Class. We have to visit different wards in the stake so we will not be in our branch every week. There are obviously many inactive YSA so we will work with wards and with the stake to find them and visit with them. We are also involved in missionary work and  thus the missionaries.  We attend district and zone conferences and meet and teach both members and nonmembers. We also find, help furnish and inspect missionary flats, including those on the Isle o f Wight. I  have been asked to help with Family History by the Stake President, but I have no direction on that yet. The people have been very warm and welcoming. We taught  our first Gospel Essentials class yesterday on the Signs of The Second Coming  and it was beautiful and there was such a strong spirit in the room as the class members introduced themselves and share very personal  experience with the gospel and their own lives. We also baked cookies for the Primary children to thank them for their amazing nativity on Christmas Eve Day. They sang like angels and it really made our Christmas. We were able to introduce ourselves and tell them a little about being missionaries and how they can be missionaries and then we all sang, "I Hope They Call Me On A Mission." After church the Primary President , Sister Toyne came and asked us if we would be willing to do a sharing  time with them and we said, "Yes, absolutely!" no thinking twice on that one.

Our living room is on the left in this photo.



Our IKEA living room	 Our kitchen. Notice my mixer and the containers I had to buy when we got here because the red  ones behind were too small for really baking and there weren't enough for major ingredients. ASDA store (owned by Walmart) provide the other ones. I would like to bring them home. The fridge is behind the door ... not really convenient, but It is a decent size.