Everything is Green !!

First drive into central London for
Mission business.  Above picture
is of a Pub.

Our new District after May transfers.

First YSA marriage !!  Hannah and
Simon Carr with Brother and Sister
Pettman, her parents.



YSA Family Home Evening in Beverly
Meadow for a picnic and softball.

Beautiful tree covered with blue flowers.
Gorgeous.

New Zone after May transfers.  President Jordan calls this
the International Zone.  We have elders and sisters from
Brazil, Italy, Spain, Singapore, Hong Kong, Canada, US,
England and France

Sister Sill with sisters of the Zone. Left
to right Sister Shalvis, Sister Stewart,
Sister Davis, and Sister Greenfield.

Driving to Herne Bay to meet with
a member.



 Stake Institute Recognition Night.
Canterbury Chapel.  We love them
all.  Institute is great !!

Canterbury Stake Sisters Day doing
humanitarian project, baby quilts for
the hospital.

Sisters Stewart and Shalvis and Elder
Tan and Ho.  Elders made English
pancakes as a late mothers day and
early fathers day treat.

President and Sister Jordan getting all
the mission together for pictures on the steps of Royal Albert Hall London.



Special meeting for the entire mission to
meet with Elder Ballard.  Picture taken
to mark the occasion on Royal Albert Hall
steps in London.  A short distance from
Hyde Park Chapel.

President and Sister Jordan had a dinner
for the Senior Couples of the Mission at
the mission home (flat) next door to
Hyde Park Chapel.

Elder Sill by the Wisteria in
Canterbury.

Mission Home Flat set up for dinner.
Enchiladas, rice, beans, salads and lots
of puddings (desserts).

Mission Home flat living room.

View of Canterbury Cathedral from our
flat.

Our neighbors.  These are posh townhomes.

Sister Sill under the Wisteria
her favorite color.

Our flat middle deck top floor.



Lunch of fish and chips.  Needed a coke
today!!

No dandelions just wild
miniature daisies in the grass.



River Stour in Canterbury.



Wisteria across a home in downtown
Canterbury.

Canterbury Tales, a pub in Canterbury.

Street in Canterbury.



Park in Canterbury.

Old church gate leading to
Secret Garden.

The path to Canterbury from
our flat.

Park in Canterbury by the river.



Another view of the river along
the path to Canterbury



Another scene by our flat
of  the Stour River.

Elder Sill by a flowering blue
bush.

We walk along this path
next to the river to Canterbury.



Pudding at the Carvery (spotted dick).

Carvery at the Victoria Hotel in
Canterbury.

Carvery side dishes.

 

Brother and Sister Rogers (Brother
Rogers is the High Council Advisor
to YSA) treated us to the Carvery
at the Victoria Hotel in Canterbury

Lots of things have happened since our last post.   We have moved into our new flat which is situated by the Stour river.   We have a beautiful view of the Cathedral from our flat.  We had to buy all of the furnishings from second hand shops and members donated crockery (dishes and cookware).  We like our furnishings.  There is an abundance of nice antique furniture in England.  The flat is brand new and modern.  The Church will reimburse us for the furnishings which we are extremely thankful for.

We spoke at the adult session of Stake Conference in Gillingham.  Our Stake conference on Sunday was an area broadcast with President Eyring, Elder Scott and Elder Baxter our Area Seventy.  It was broadcast to 56 stakes in the British Isles.  Sister Sill was the key note speaker at the Stake Sisters Day and Elder Sill was her escort.  Another lovely meal.  You know how I like to eat.  The stake also had a sports day which was very competitive in a lot of sports for all age groups and they gave a trophy to the ward that won the most events.

We had a special treat to be invited to the wedding celebration for Hannah and Simon Carr.  Simon was recently baptized and Hannah is a return missionary.  It was a lovely evening with lots of food and dancing.

 Institute is finished for the term and we had a special recognition of those students who completed the New Testament course and graduated from Institute.  After we had a buffet and dance.  We will be teaching Institute this summer in Gillingham on Missionary Preparation.  We are excited.  Our first lesson is on July 4 so we will be celebrating with hot dogs and potato salad.  We also had a fireside/institute class in the Ashford Ward which we will be doing on a monthly basis with the YSA. 

We met with the Chaplain of Kent University.  We also had several of our YSA and a member of the High Council who is a professor at the university meet with the Chaplain.   The Chaplain has agreed to list the Church on the web site and directory so the LDS students will know about our activities.  The students have sent in an application to form a student society on campus called the Latter Day Saints Student Society.  With the Society we will be able to hold activities on campus and notify students of activities at our chapel.  School is over for the term so we will be ready when fall term starts the end of September.  Most of the students are gone for the summer so our FHE is rather small but we will be busy with the summer institute. 

We had a surprise visit from Elder Ballard on Monday June 10.  Elder Ballard was in Stockholm Sweden and was suppose to go to Russia.  He was not able to go so he changed his plans and came to our mission and the London South mission.  It was awesome to see all the missionaries at Hyde Park Chapel to hear Elder Ballard.  Elder Ballard was the key person behind Preach My Gospel so he gave us insight to this wonderful missionary training tool.  No matter how long we have been on our missions,  Elder Ballard asked us to rededicate ourselves to seeking those who are ready for the gospel.  You would never know that he is 85 years old.  He talked for 90 minutes without notes.  He also bore a strong witness of Hyrum Smith, Joseph Smith's older brother.  Elder Ballard is the great, great grandson of Hyrum Smith.

  We  had a special senior couples dinner with President and Sister Jordan at their flat next to Hyde Park Chapel.  It was nice to meet and talked to the other couples in our mission and hear testimonies of those going home after serving 18 months.   

We helped organized the Ward Quiz night which was a lot of fun.  They had 9 subjects with 10 questions for each and the ward divided into teams.  The bonus subject was for us Americans to name the US state capitols.  I was amazed how many of the British know our Capitols.  We will be having a social every month.  The next social will be in July and it will be a scavenger hunt in Canterbury.


Every Thing is Beautiful

 

London Temple

We went to the London Temple on April 26.  It was a beautiful day.  The Temple is south of London in a small village named New Chapel.  It is on 32 acres.  Vorelle as a 10 year old was at the temple dedication in 1958.  She still remembers quite a bit about the dedication and received a strong testimony about President McKay being a prophet. 

Flowers around the London Temple



Western Restaurant.  Inside it everyone
was in Western gear.  You thought
you were in Wyoming
 



          We spent April 27 visiting the Cathedral and shopping with the Allreds a missionary couple from the Mission Home.  It was our first time to the Cathedral.  It is rich with History dating back to  1000 AD.  Lots of tombs of Archbishops and several kings.

 

Cathedral from the Roman Burial Ground

Gillian Andrew's Baptism.  Elders Heath
and Tan

Gillian is a Kent University Student that sought out the Elders on Mormon.org.  She was impressed with her friends that were Mormons and wanted to know more about the Church.  She is a special person and will be a great addition to our YSA group.  She was baptized on Sunday April 27 after our block time.  Lots of the ward stayed for her baptism. 


Friends of Gillian at her baptism

Bishop Pemberton Canterbury Ward

Canterbury Cathedral

Elder Yenchik was transferred.  He goes home the end of May and we thought he would go home from here.  We really love the missionaries. 

We miss Elder Yenchik

Trinity Chapel inside Cathedral

A chapel inside the Cathedral in honor
of those who served in the military

Trinity Chapel inside Cathedral




 Naïve of Cathedral



Quire Section of Cathedral

Elder Heath is our new District Leader.  He is from Birmingham England and goes home the end of May.  We will miss him when he goes home.  Elder Tan started his mission here and we are glad that he will be here through at least another transfer.  Tranfers are every six weeks.

New District Left to Right Elder Wilson,
Jensen, Riedler, Heath, Tan, Lingam
Sister Stewart and Cleveland

Elder Heath and Elder Tan 



Our Doctors Office.  They are called Surgery
in England



Our street New Dover Road

Beautiful gardens everywhere

Stake YSA Fiesta Party.
We served Tacos and Café Rio Pork burritos

 

Elder Heath and Wilson were our
Mariachi Band

 Senors and Senorita?

The Stake YSA Fiesta Night was a success.  We had 40 YSA, 8 missionaries, 2 investigators and 12 adults.  Lots of games and great food.  They loved the Café Rio pork and ranch dressing.  We had the left overs for Monday FHE.

They loved this game.  The person in the
circle needs to name something to get
others to move out of their chairs so the
person can take the open chair.  Whoever
does not find a chair is it.

Vorelle hosted a Sisters day for our Zone.
Left to right Sister Cleveland, Harun,
Greenfield and Stewart.  Sister Cleveland
goes home the end of May.  She has a lot
of enthusiasm for missionary work.  We
will miss her.
 



Marley Vorelle Martinson
on her blessing May 4, 2013.
Same dress Vorelle and Amberly
were blessed in.  Made by Vorelle's
Grandma in England.



  Amberly and Mike had Marley's Blessing at Garrett and Steph's home on May 4, 2013.  We were able to Skype at 11:30 pm our time.  It was really special for our family. 

Blessing was at Garrett and Stephanie's
Home.

Four generations Great Grandma Sill, Amberly,
Marley.  Vorelle on Mission





Country Lane to Sister Holden's Home in Wingham. 

Going to the Holden's Home to teach a
lesson.  Not sure if Sister Sill wanted
to highlight how much gray hair I have
or she is proud of the haircut she gave me.

Canterbury Zone at Zone Conference.

We are teaching Sister Holden's son Paddy who is 12.  The Holden family has been very good to us.  Sister Holden is in the Relief Society Presidency, her husband Phil and their other son Alfred are great people.  Sister Holden and Phil have been in several Harry Potter films.

3 Zones at Zone Conference Hyde Park London May 15, 2013

The theme for conference was understanding the Holy Ghost.  President Jordan is a great teacher and it is great to see the Elders and Sisters teach one another.  The spirit is really strong in these conferences.  We get up early and catch the train to London.  It is 1 1/2 hour train ride.  We arrive in Victoria Station and get the Tube to South Kensington.  Zone meeting start at 10 am and go to 4 pm.  This is our second Zone Conference.  They are held every three months.  We had pizza and salad for lunch.  Then back on the train home at 6:45 pm.  Go to Institute and we are home at 9:45 pm.  A long day but very fulfilling.

Hyde Park Mission Home

Hyde Park Mission Home Golden
Spire.  The Spire is the elevator/stair case
the offices are to the right.  4 levels.

Beautiful May Flowers on Temple
grounds.

Purple tulips on Temple grounds.

  

 Thapa Family at Temple 
grounds. 

We have been teaching the Temple lessons to Brother and Sister Thapa from our ward.  They plan to be sealed next month in June.  Sister Thapa wanted her mother to see the Temple before she returns to India.  Brother Thapa is from Nepal and Sister Thapa is Nepalese but is from India.  Their daughter is Christine.  Sister Thapa was wearing her native dress which was very beautiful.  We had a great day.