3 month report!

 Hey All !  

Alot to report from the last 3 months !  

Aug report : we were able to go on a Sr Couple retreat up to the Cotswold area of England. On our way, we were able to stop at Horsely Township, where Tony's ancestors are from.  We have discovered that it is near impossible to just wander a cemetery and find a relative because many of the older grave markers are so unreadable. 

We then met up with another Sr Couple, the Herdts from Las Vegas, to tour Gloucester Cathedral. 

One of the Harry Potter movies had something filmed in this part of the cathedral 

amazing stained glass in the cathedral

Once we arrived in the Evesham area, we drove through Chipping Campden (your typical, quaint, beautiful Cotswold village)  on our way to the Broadway Tower, which was built in 1798.  It went up for sale in 1976 and a man bought it simply because his wife asked him to, haha. They turned it into a summer house. 

Chipping Campden

Broadway Tower

We also saw Stratford upon Avon , the birthplace of William Shakespeare, where we did see his birth home, but the larger home he later lived in, when he became famous, is now gone. 

Birthplace of William Shakespeare 
left to right: The Simmons, The Lewis', The Jensens, the Hanks, The Maxfields, & the Herdts

Statue of William Shakespeare in the village square

September Report : We were able to arrange a trip up to the Preston Temple. It is technically out of our mission boundaries, so we had to ask the mission President permission to go with the branch. 

We had 2 "newish" converts/members going for their first time to the temple, Zac, our most recent convert,(it was his 3rd time since being baptized in June),  a lady who hadn't been in over 14 years, and a YA who is trying to get back into the church after being inactive for almost a year. 

The temple is so far away, when the branch goes, they go for the full day. So because the majority of our group was only doing baptisms, we had plenty of time to enjoy the Distribution center, where they also have a lounge.  While we waited for the "smaller portion" of our branch to do 2 sessions in the temple, the rest of us had snacks and played games in the lounge. 

We have met a young adult in a local restaurant who's nan is a member of our church, but she is not a member. So this YA has been to some of our Sunday services with her nan in another part of the country. So when she saw us come into the restaurant, she asked to wait on us. 

This lead to a great, fun relationship with Sunni and she began to come to our flat for FHE/game night with the elders and a few other young adults. Before she left for theater school on the east side of England, she accepted the invitation to come sing her nans favorite song in Sacrament meeting! She practiced and learned the words to Heavenly Father, are you really there and she did a great job - can you imagine! She is not even a member and is willing to sing in church for us ! She is a sweetheart and we have high hopes for her to spiritually progress in the future! 

our new friend Sunni and our new convert Zac ! 

Elder D Todd Christofferson came and did a mission tour ! So for the first time since we have been here, our whole mission was together for a day, to meet and hear from him and his wife. The highlight of the day was watching all of these sweet missionaries from all over the world, especially countries from within Africa, where this may be a once in a lifetime experience to be in the same room with and then shake hands with an actual Apostle of the Lord. Many of them just had tears streaming down their faces. It was a sweet and tender experience. 

 

the first time as a whole mission for a picture ! 

October report: Institute is in full swing ! On our second week we had a record 33 people show up ! About 1/2 of those were chinese students coming for the first time !  Our member David, (he was baptized a year ago and a student at uni) had invited some friends and a member who now lives back in China, tries to encourage people to come as well. We think the china member is doing her "missionary work" thru kind of a food blog, and gets word out to the Chinese students arriving in Aber about our dinners.

Our mighty member David (left side in the black outfit) next to Elder Grunander, our one and only chinese speaking Elder !

Thus, we hold 2 classes on an institute night- one for all of our  "English speaking" young adults and one for the chinese students, who are often hearing about God for the first time, taught by the chinese speaking missionaries.

The branch also held our first Relief Society activity where our RS President taught us how to roll fondant onto a cake and to make a fondant bear to sit on top ! We had a pretty good showing for our first one ! 

Missionary work: We continue to teach with the young elders when they need us. We teach RS and EQ lessons when needed, and when I am not needed, I end up in primary with 2 very cute, very rambunctious kids (4yrs old and 6 yrs old) from Ghana!  We continue to serve in our callings, with Tony in the branch presidency and I am serving as 2nd counselor in the RS.  

                 

We are about to start a temple prep class with about 10 perspective class members ! And a possible mission prep may be in the works soon as well, for 2 or 3 of our young adults ! 

We recently drove 2 hrs south to our stake building, to attend a special stake Young Adult sacrament meeting, because we had been invited teach the 2nd hour of Sunday School for them! 

Our most recent convert Zac is doing fantastic! He was asked to speak in the adult session of our Stake conference and he outspoke everyone!  He was also set apart as an Elder that Sunday, just 3 1/2 months after being baptized!  He is just so smart!  He is taking the LSAT soon to hopefully attend BYU law school, after he serves a mission. He is hoping to be out serving by next July! 

A van from the university for our "LDSSA group" to travel to Stake Conference! 

our mighty driver Kieron Ellis and young adult Marcela in the front seats !

Our stake conference group ! (David, our chinese member is back there in the right back corner !) 

                   

One of our young adults has brought his non-member girlfriend to institute and she has 100% attendance so far ! So we decided to ask her if she was interested in learning more with the young missionaries and she is now being taught the lessons !  We are so hoping she continues to progress. 

Lastly - we are on the count down!  Just about 3 - 3.5 months left !  Tony will continue to relish in his enjoyment of the Welch weather and I am trying to take in the beauty of the green rolling, sheep covered hills these last few months.  

Thanks for sticking with me until the end ! 

We love you all & are so grateful for all the prayers being sent our way!