Zone Conference, meeting the Youth of Crawley Stake and visiting Brighton

This has been a full week starting with a Zone Conference in Reading. Here are some highlights:

ELSM is a world-wide mission. With the new chat program they are teaching all over the globe. There are two Chinese missionaries here teaching a Chinese man in Prague via Skype.

There was a presentation about fire safety. We were shown a video clip of how to use a fire blanket on a grease fire on the stove. I’ve seen fire blankets in some places here but I don’t recall ever seeing one in the United States. President Shamo soberly told of friends of his that barely started their mission in Texas when the stove blew up and killed the wife. He said Heavenly Father only has so many angels to watch over us, so be careful! We almost felt like we were in a game show audience when he announced that all of us would be given a fire blanket and a fire extinguisher at the end of the conference.

President and Sister Shamo talked about the importance of a kneeling prayer as in III Nephi 17:13-15 when the Savior visits the Nephites after his resurrection. He has them all kneel down and after he kneels down he prays to the Father. Verse 17:  And no tongue can speak, neither can there be written by any man, neither can the hearts of men conceive so great and marvelous things as we both saw and heard Jesus speak; and no one can conceive of the joy which filled our souls at the time we heard him pray for us unto the Father.

He wanted to do a demonstration regarding kneeling, so he had two elders come up front. Then he needed some investigators and said, “Parretts come on up here” After we were seated he told the elders to explain prayer to us and to invite us to join them in a kneeling prayer. They forgot a couple of things, so they did it over twice at which time we agreed to kneel with them for prayer.

Wednesday we did some temple work and watched one of the office elders try to find us a place to live in Brighton, online that is. We got a quick lesson on teaching people to read using a method that was new to us. Certainly not the Dick and Jane that we learned in school! The Brighton elders are already teaching reading classes and we may be joining them.

Wednesday evening we were at Crawley Stake Center for the opening social for Institute. There was a brief program with sign-ups for this year’s course of study which is the Pearl of Great Price. There was a young lady who was new and spoke very little English. I speak very little Spanish but tried my best to make her feel welcome. By the time the food came out I saw that there was a young man who was helping her. Just as it should be.

Thursday we drove to Brighton and are very pleased with what we saw. We left our car at the church and rode a few buses just to see the area and get lost a little. But only by riding the wrong bus did we find a big ASDA (Walmart). I took some pictures, some though the bus window, so they aren’t very good.

Downtown Brighton

Brighton will be a fun place to explore once we get settled.

part of downtown again

This interesting building is the Royal Pavilion. "During the early 19th century, when the Royal Pavilion was given its Oriental style, the British East India Company had been established by Britain for almost 200 years. Due to the fact that countries like India and China were so closely associated with the economic well being of Britain, the strong influence of Orientalism, seen in the Royal Pavilion, can be attributed to the trading enterprise British East India Company."

Brighton is surrounded to the north with lovely green hills. I can't wait to explore!

Believe it or not, this alley is the way into the Brighton Ward car park. You go past a recycle place along the way.

The side of the Brighton Ward buildling which is the typical 2 story layout.

P-day 26 September 2011

This morning we went for a lovely urban walk retracing our steps of several weeks ago when we had discovered a new area and a huge grocery store on the way home.

I couldn’t help but take a photo of this business

and took these pictures for my grandson, Matt.

How many potties are there?

We have noticed the men that walk along cleaning up litter along the sidewalks and public areas. Does anybody do that at home?

This charming vine-covered cottage is just down the street from us. I wonder how many years it took to get it all covered.
Remember to click to enlarge the photos.

Boot Sales

Boot sales are usually held on Sundays but we found one that is every Tuesday and Thursday morning. We can usually hit the Tuesday one on our way to District meeting.

The Brits call the trunk of their car a boot and at a boot sale those selling merchandise open their boot or more likely their van and set up tables of their wares. It’s like a flea market/farmers market except that most everything here is new. Bill thinks it’s stolen but I disagree.

We have found a number of good deals here, but my favorite is the baker whose bread and rolls beat anything found in grocery stores. Paying ₤1 for a large sweet pineapple didn’t hurt my feelings either. Bill bought some pruning shears to use for clean up projects.

Bill is trying to find a belt but everything was too large.

Some merchants are there every week. Others come and go.

Bargain hunting is fun!

New Hairdos

One of the trials of moving to a new location is finding a new barber or hairdresser. Which one of us do you think has had a harder time--Bill with his basic short undemanding haircut or Carol who has lots more hair?

Bill’s first haircut was from a young, talkative man who not only cut it too short but afterwards took a skewer looking thing, caught it on fire and used it to burn the hair off his ears. “And he charged too much” according to Bill who was never to return there.

Subsequent haircuts haven’t been much better but at least there were no more fireworks. The last two haircuts have been absolutely too short. The hair on top doesn’t even lay down. This last one was by a black man we’d met on the bus. He is a church member who had spotted our name tags as we boarded the bus and in a loud voice proceeded to bear his testimony to us and anybody else with ears. Although I admired his courage I thought it inappropriate for the setting.

The first hairdresser I went to had moved on so I had to find another. I asked a woman in a charity shop who did her hair. She had unusual calico-colored hair but it was well done. She sent me down the street to a father/daughter combination that has worked out well. (I passed on the multi-colored hair)

However now that we’re leaving this area, we’ll have to start all over in Brighton. Yes, we are moving to Brighton soon and we are very excited about it.

Mission Newsletter August-Sept. 2011

These two stories are so good we had to pass them along. Enjoy!

"I know that the Lord honours missionaries ,whether set-apart or regular member. Once, when prowling around the foyer of the Hyde Park Chapel in London, waiting for a Pizza delivery man to bring food to a meeting, I noticed a young Chinese couple who had wandered into the building.

I welcomed them and found out a little about them. They knew nothing of the Church, but were both medical students, a brother and a sister. They just happened to be passing the building and were intrigued by its design. Their father was a professor of medicine in China and they had 30 minutes spare time. I began to speak to them about the Church, but I was very frustrated because I knew that the Area President was in the building and that he was in a meeting. I so wanted him to be available because I knew he had visited China many times as a surgeon. I had just said to myself, "OK Heavenly Father-over to you", when the Area President suddenly appeared, walking from a meeting upstairs into another meeting in the Chapel. I introduced the couple to him. Imagine their shock when after a few moments he asked, "Is your father by any chance Kim Wo? (Or some such name!)

They were amazed to discover that not only did this tall American know their father but that he had actually performed surgery with him at his University in China! Two Chinese students, in London for the first and only time, intrigued by a building and at the very moment of need the Lord honoured a rather poor member missionary with astonishing help. Their names were taken and a contact made with the Church. I do not know the betting odds on an American surgeon being in a London Church at the very time two Chinese students wander in off the street. I am not a betting man, you will be relieved to know, nor does the Lord believe in chance. :-)

You might suppose that one such miracle was enough for the day. Not so. The pizza delivery man then arrived with 14 large pizzas (well I was bit hungry). I asked him if he knew what building he was in. He had no idea and had never heard the word Mormon. He was from Poland. I felt bold enough to tell him that he might just have walked into the most important building that he had ever walked into in his life. His name was George and his English was poor. I needed help.

It came! So astonishing that if it had not happened to me personally I might have doubted its truth. Just as I was trying to engage him in a Gospel discussion (a quick one because my Pizzas were getting cold) who should appear around the corner but two great Sister Missionaries. I knew one of them, the other had a badge with some impossibly long name on it. I invited them over to speak with George. "Where are you from?", I asked the new Sister. "Warsaw" she replied!

I know that the Lord honours his missionaries, just so long as they try! Missionaries of the London South Mission, keep trying. And you can read that sentence two ways. Work it out" President Julian I Jones
Second Counsellor

Addlestone Miracle-
The plans Elder Shaw and I had set completely fell through (including back-ups), and we had an hour and a half of nothing to do. So we prayed, took our plight to the Lord, and asked him to guide us. We decided to go see a potential investigator on the other side of town. As we walked there, we came to a corner and passed an elderly lady. Thinking she was going the other way (not to mention none of the elderly people in the area were ever interested), we didn't think to stop, but as we kept going we could hear her coughing behind us and struggling with a shopping bag. We didn't get more than ten yards, when the silent promptings of the Spirit (and our conscience) urged us to go back and see if we could help. To our astonishment she accepted, and we hadn't travelled five yards that she, after learning who we were, asked us what we believed happens after this life. We explained the Spirit world and mentioned the three degrees of glory, at the mention of which she became very enthusiastic and interested. "You believe in the three heavens? That's what I've been studying in the Bible!" We learned that she actually lived no where near where we were heading but was looking for a church. At our invitation she quit her very long walk that she was over halfway finished, we sat down on a bench, went over the Plan of Salvation briefly, and set up a return appointment.

However, that is not the beginning of her story. She had been studying the Bible for years, and had attended a few churches, and when she got to our area, she felt the desire to be baptised. Through her current employer (to who’s house she was led to by a vision), she started meeting with the Jehovah Witnesses, and went to their Portuguese sessions they had. However, after 7 and 1/2 months, she could not accept all the things they did not believe that she believed (specifically in modern revelation) and on the very day we found her she had two promptings: 1) that study that day with the Witnesses was her last, and 2) that she needed to find another church-- specifically 'The Church of Jesus Christ'.

Her first Sunday the three of us came early (the brother who drove us had others to pick up), so the chairs weren't set up in the chapel. We showed her a bit of the Restoration video (where Joseph Smith says 'It is not my church, it is His. It is the church of Jesus Christ'). Afterwards she told us that a few months ago she saw, in a dream, a building, which described our building, including a chapel with no chairs, just as she saw it her first visit!

Everything we taught her she already believed (aside from Tea and Coffee, which she readily accepted) and simply needed to know about Joseph Smith. It took no time at all for her to obtain a personal testimony of him, and in every prayer she offers she thanks the Lord for "the prophets".

Needless to say she was baptised, just a few weeks later, on the 20th of August, and confirmed the next day. Her conversion is a culmination of miracles that will not fit in the Seeker, but these are the most prevalent. She is a Seeker, and the miracle of her conversion only heralds the miracles that will obviously make up the rest of her life. Truly, "...God has not ceased to be a God of miracles." (Mormon 9:15) -Elder Conover

A Mission Call for Our Friend

Today we got the awaited phone call from one of the YSAs in our ward. The white envelope had arrived and he hadn't opened it yet. Since he lives near us we hurried over to his place to share in the unveiling.

Does he look excited or what?

A little assitance from Elder Parrett

He let us read over his shoulder--he has been called to the England Leeds Mission!

We are so proud of Michael. He has the courage to get out there and serve the Lord in spite of his health challenges. He joined the church about a year and a half ago. Go get 'em, Michael!

Our Last P-day in London???

Change is in the air, but we don’t know where we are headed next. It’s doubtful that we’ll ever live closer to central London than now, so we decided to have a last hurrah.

Leaving Charing Cross Station we walked past a residence of Herman Melville.

Remember to click on the photos to enlarge them.

It was wonderful to hear Big Ben chime the hour.

Parliament was well-guarded. Our destination was across the street.

Westminster Abbey has been the coronation place since William the Conquerer on Christmas Day, 1066. Queen Elizabeth II was crowned here in 1953. Princess Diana’s funeral was held here in 1997.

We weren't allowed to take photos inside, but click here for their website

Why can't our lawn look like that?

After leaving the Abbey we walked down Parliament Street and discovered Abraham Lincoln!

We saw some tourists posing with this phone booth and thought we'd do it too.

There are war memorials everywhere.

Tourists with the Horse Guards

Approaching Nelson's Monument at Trafalgar Square

An interesting "living wall" sponsored by GE trying to show their green side. Bill wanted to see Piccadilly Circus since we were within walking distance. Off we go...

Bill comes to the elbow of the tallest man, Robert Wadlow, at Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum

Everyone is spiffing up for next year's Olympics.

We were tired of walking so the subway sounded good.

Back at Charing Cross station. Our train was listed but we had to wait for them to post the platform number. In the meantime...

Bill couldn't resist going in Burger King just to smell the hot grease!

The Fox Family of Bath

Our visit last week with my 3rd cousin, Farrell Fox, was a real delight. I've wanted to see the family sites in Bath and meet Farrell ever since we connected on rootsweb several years ago.

This is Victoria Park where the Fox children would have played long ago.

Some early fall color.

Lark Place was built in 1717 of honey-colored Bath stone. It is along the coach route between Bristol and Bath and today that route is still the highway. The Fox family lived in #2.

We weren't able to go inside; the currect residents aren't interested in showing people around.

Few people today know why this street is called Brassmill Lane.

Locksbrook Place where the Fox men used their metal-working skills in making coaches.

The coaches would be driven down here--

past this round corner

The garages used to be stables for the horses with the paddock through the fence on the end.

Next door is the cemetery. The horses that pulled the hearses would come into the same paddock area.

It took Farrell a while to recall where our common ancestor, Mary Foreman Fox was buried.

But he did locate it. Sadly, the cemetery is rather neglected.

As we walked toward the River Avon what did we find?

The Dolphin Inn was built in the 1720s and is the 2nd oldest public house in Bath.

The back side faces the river. The Fox family lived here in the 1840s.

We wanted to eat lunch at the Dolphin but a bunch of cyclists had descended and the wait would have been long. At least we got to see the inside.

From a pedestrian bridge across the River Avon, one can easily see Dutch Island or Brassmill Island which is man-made. Several families from near the German/Dutch border were brought in because of their metal working skills. The Fox family was one of them. The mills are long gone but the island remains.

I had been wondering what the coaches looked like when Farrell pointed out this painting in the pub where we had lunch.

Cousin Farrell whose meticulous research has enabled me to not only extend my family tree back several generations but to enjoy the stories of their lives.