Called to Serve

Cheers from England

Good news ~ we can drive between our flat and the church without using GPS!  We feel like that is a major accomplishment for us … OK, sometimes it’s the little things that keep us going!

We attending our first Zone Meeting on Wednesday with 24 missionaries including us and one other senior couple.  It was a great meeting and lots of fun ~ except as an object lesson I was asked to do 10 pushups!  My heart stopped for a minute when I thought of how embarrassing it was going to be when I couldn’t do that many - yes getting old is taking its toll - I am pleased to report; however, that I did 10 pushups can could have probably done more, but thought is wiser not to push this old body too hard!  These “kids” are literally from all over the world and they are amazing!

Birmingham Zone

We were welcomed into the Ward after the Zone Meeting with Brother Bishop, a new convert, delivered a wonderful fruit basket to us from his family … needless to say, we loved it and its almost all gone already.

Great fruit basket ~ what a great surprise!

We also taught our first Institute class on Tuesday night with over 60 students.  It was so much fun.  We typically hold a 90 minute class, but last night we had just under an hour because we had a Chinese New Year’s dinner immediately following class.  It was so much fun with lots of food - it was a great activity!  We had quite a few investigators and they were so much fun to visit with.  Chris always a missionary invited everyone to church!

Zone Leaders with one of our investigators.

We had a great spread of food for our "hot pot" dinner.

Because we were the oldest we had the honor of presenting the red money envelopes and wishing all a happy and healthy new year.

Chinese tradition has it that the red envelope must be accepted using two hands ~ we had so much fun!

Posing for a shot with one of our helpers (sorry we can't remember her name) and Paul Wilkinson from the Stake Presidency.

Next week we will be teaching Institute again in Birmingham on Wednesday and then again on Thursday in Coventry, which is about 30 miles from our flat.  We have never been there before so we will need to leave plenty early to make sure we make it by seven!

We try to go for a walk everyday and this week and found another amazing church in our neighborhood.  It is called the Edgbaston Old Church, the Parish Church of St. Bartholomew.    Below is a very brief history of this beautiful old church:

In the early 1270s, on the site of the present church, Henry de Edgbaston built a small chapel dedicated to St. Bartholomew.  During the Civil War over here the church was plundered by Roundheads under the command of Colonel ‘Tinker’ Fox.  The lead from the roof was melted down to make bullets, and roof timbers and stones were used to built a barricade.  It is said that horses were stabled in the nave.  The church stood in ruins for more than a decade before permission was granted to the parishioners to undertake a collection to fund its restoration.  The work of rebuilding the church continued throughout the late 1600s.

Must admit we have been a bit homesick this week - really, really missing family and friends!  We pray for you each and every day!

We found this little fair just down the street ~ first American flag we have seen in the UK ~ we miss "Old Glory."

Our first "bangers and mash."

The projected high today 5C, but, according to the forecasters, it will feel like 1C, but we still went for a walk … missing California for sure!