Week ending May 27 2012

My thoughts are again on Memorial Weekend and all the past ones.  Memorial Day has always been a big day in my life.  We always went to the cemetery to decorate the graves of loved ones.  Mom and Grandma had flowers from their garden that we would cut and take with us.  Dad would find the cans and we would cover them with aluminum foil or other wrappings.  We would go over the hill to Soda and stop and get wild flowers along the way.  When we got to Soda and had picked Grandma up, we would head to the cemetery. We would clean off the headstones and make them look nice. We would arrange the flowers, and dad would stake them down with coat hanger wire or other wire.  As we went from grave to grave we would hear about that person and why we were putting flowers there.  Memorial Day was always on the 30^th of May.  It was on Grandma Oberg’s birthday.  We always saw lots of relatives and friends there also and it was a great day for visiting with people we hadn’t seen for a while and those we saw all the time.  We would spend most of the morning there.  Although I never met my Grandfather Oberg or my Great Grandparents, I learned about them.  Now how I wish I had asked more questions and got to know them better.  We always decorated their graves, and then over the years added more and more to the list.  Sometimes we would just add a flower or two to a vase that was already there, as the number grew of those we wanted to remember.  There were always more than we had flowers for, but as we walked by their plot memories were shared.

After we finished we would go either to the park or Grandma’s to have a picnic lunch and celebrate Grandma’s birthday.  This was the beginning of summer for me, although many a times it still felt like winter and would even snow on us.

When they changed Memorial Day to the last Monday in the month of May it changed the tone.  Then people would decide which day they wanted to come, Saturday, Sunday, or Monday because it was now a three day weekend and more of a vacation day.  We didn’t see as many people when we went.  It wasn’t Grandma’s birthday most of the time.  Yet it was better because we were able to get more family together as it was a 3 day holiday.  We still remember it as a day to honor our loved ones.  I miss being there this year, but I am still remembering and honoring them here.

This week began with a Standards Night on Sunday evening.  Our Stake President was the speaker and said it was the most difficult talk he had ever prepared.  He did an excellent job with it and hopefully the youth were listening and learning.  He used the song Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes to help illustrate a point.  You may touch between the head and shoulders, and the knees and toes, but avoid touch between the shoulders and knees.  We were spiritually fed that night as youth and adults.

Tuesday we practiced and decorated for our “Falkirk Has Talent Night” to raise money for the youth week temple trip in July.  They do have talent.  Wednesday we had all kinds of talent displayed.  One lady played the spoons clicking them together and hitting different parts of her body…we loved it.  We also had the youth singing, dancing, playing the drums and guitar.  Our Elders even got in the act.  One did a yo-yo demonstration and then they also had a wheelbarrow Jell-O slurping contest.  They supported their upper body up with their arms while another person held up their legs.  Then they slurped Jell-O out of a container to see which one could finish first.  We heard from Barbara who was our MC and then she sang.  She was the one who was recently on the TV program “The Voice” competing to become the Voice for the United Kingdom.  It is like our program, America has Talent.  She didn’t make it all the way to the top but made it a long way.  The night ended with most of the youth dancing to the song Thriller.                                    

My talent was baking Cinnabuns, rice krispie treats, and cookies, and taking them to sell for refreshments.  Cinnabuns were new to them and didn’t sell at first.  I had taken five round cake pans with seven rolls in it.  One man bought one and took it to his car to take home and eat.  He tasted it outside and came in and bought another one, getting down on his knees and bowing to me saying one pan wasn’t enough.  Then the rest went quickly.  I had made 11 pans and baked them at the Mission Home.  So we ate one there, I gave one to the Grahams, our cleaning lady Frances, The Mission President, and the Elders.  One pan got too brown so we kept it and took five to sell. .

Saturday we left at 6:30 to make our run to the west coast to do flat inspections.  We do them once every transfer.  We enjoy it so much because we get to visit with the Elders and our one apartment of Sisters. Then we are off to explore the area.  This time we went to a beautiful area.  Adell and Lee you have to come back and see it.  It is the Culzean Castle and Country Park.  There is something for everyone to see.  The place is advertised this way in the brochure.

“Welcome to Culzean, former home to the powerful Kennedy family and Scottish masterpiece of architect Robert Adam.  Enjoy being outdoors in a family friendly place with stunning views, great walks and over 6,000 years of history”.

The castle reminded me some of the colors and design in Mount Vernon.  Each room the ceiling and fireplace were designed to show what the room was to be used for.  There were grapevines and flowers in the décor of the dining room, women’s head silhouettes in the bedroom, etc.  It was three stories high and the view from many of the windows was of the sea.

There was the magnificent Oval Staircase which can be used today for your wedding if you want to rent the home and wait until after five and the visitors leave to have your wedding.  For children they have hidden Lego people in most of the rooms to entertain the children on their way through.  They call it the Lego Man Hunt and you get a Lego Man sticker at the end of the tour for finding where they are hidden.

Outside there are gardens to explore and miles of paths to walk through, mixed and historic woodland, along a scenic coastline, and through the woodland garden to the Swan Pond which now is only the home of ducks and cranes.  Here there is also a pagoda where the family kept exotic animals and birds.  There is also a playground for the children, picnic tables, and wonderful ice cream.  There is also a section for camping and trailers.  We were there on one of the hottest, sunniest days we have had here.  In fact it was almost too hot and we were seeking the shady areas.  There were many more areas to explore, but time had run out and we had to be on our way back home.  It was a delightful day.  So from 6:30 to 11:00 we were busy doing our job and from 11:00 until 5:00 we went sightseeing.

Now today we get to go into the Office this afternoon and fix dinner for two sets of Missionary couples that arrived yesterday from the England MTC and are staying here over the weekend and then heading out to their 6 month assignment of serving on the Northern Islands of Scotland with reactivation and teaching new people.  They feel it is too harsh of an environment to keep them there year round.  President and Sister Griffiths are away for a Stake Conference and so the Grahams took Saturday dinner and we have Sunday dinner to serve them and visit with them.  The Mission now is giving us a wide variety of experiences and we love it.

Week ending 20 May 2012

I am going to start with the miracles that occurred this week.  One morning Elder Graham was responsible for the devotional.  He turned to the back cover of the May Ensign to the picture of the Garden Tomb. 

 His opening statement was, “What would have happened if the stone had not moved away and the tomb had not opened.”  He then went on to talk about the miracle that had happened that day.  He made the statement that Jesus was either whom He said He was which is “The Son of God”, the one chosen to give His life for all of us so we can have eternal life by taking on all of our sins in the Garden and then being allowed to be crucified on the cross, or He is the biggest best liar that there ever has been.  He has deceived the whole Christian world into believing that.  He said more but that is the part that stuck with me.  That night as I was saying my prayer I was reviewing the day and I was hit with such a powerful witness that Christ is who He says He is and that He died for me personally.  I am so grateful for my testimony of Christ and the Atonement and the part it plays in my own life.    Hope each of you has or will receive your own testimony of the divinity of Christ.

The next thing that happened was told to me by Sister Graham and so I do not have all the details.  Sister Griffiths called her and said that the lady who said she would do dinner for Zone Conference in Ireland had cancelled out.  So she needed Sister Graham to call Subway and order sandwiches. Sister Graham was having difficulty getting through to Subway and so she called the Zone Leader up there and asked him if he would go and order them and see if he could get a deal of some kind for that large of order.  They went there and placed the order instead of calling because he also could not understand over the phone.  As he was leaving the shop, a man stopped him and asked if he was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  He had just moved there and had met the missionaries where he had been living and so he had been looking for the Church and had not found it.  The Elders now have someone to teach because someone cancelled their catering assignment, Sister Graham couldn’t get the order placed over the phone, and they went to Subway in person to place the order.

We were left to mind the office alone most of Thursday and all of Friday.  President and Sister Griffiths and the Assistants were in Ireland for Zone Conference and Elder and Sister Graham went with the released sisters we replaced to sight see and ride an old fashioned steam train in the northern part of Scotland.  So we were left in charge and it was a miracle that for the most part we were able to do ok.  I called Sister Graham once about a reimbursement that an Elder was not sure he had already turned in and been paid for, and Elder Graham was called on an accident to a car bumper and how to handle it.  Also just as we were getting ready to leave Friday afternoon the security system alarm went off and we had to call to find out how to handle that.  So all in all we got lots done and felt good about our efforts on our own with Heavenly Father’s help.

It had been a cold rainy week all week and so it looked like Saturday was going to be the same.  We were ready to just stay home, clean and relax.  But Saturday morning it was cloudy and not raining and it sounded like that would be the case all day.  So about 11:00 we took off to see the palace in Falkland, which is about 40 miles away.  As you can see, it turned out to be a beautiful sunshiny day after all and was warmer then expected.

 The palace was fixed up in the 1500’s by King James.  It was to be their hunting lodge/palace.  Unfortunately it was burned by the forces of Robert Cromwell in the 1600’s and started to fall into ruins. 

The Keeper, or caretakers section had been fixed up in the 1800’s.   It was fully furnished and has a Keeper as a caretaker to this day.  His “apartments” are furnished with both 18^th century and more modern day furnishings mixed together.  It’s really interesting. 

Falkland also has the oldest tennis court in the United Kingdom.  We saw the court where “Royal” Tennis began and is the only Royal Tennis court of its’ kind and age still in existence. Royal tennis is much different than the tennis we see played today.  They actually use the roof over the spectator area to play the ball off of, and they can play with the ball even if it bounces a few times.

The Royal Gardens were also wonderful to wander in.

The next stop of the day was at a Tea Room where we enjoyed Scotch Broth with Soda Bread followed by Strawberry rhubarb tart for Bill and I had Strawberry Meringue with cream and ice cream.  All was delicious.

Today we enjoyed our Sunday at Falkirk.  We were again invited to Sister McFeat’s home next Saturday on our way back from doing flat inspections.  Sister Davies offered to put names on the Temple list for us when she goes to the temple this week and also is making us an afghan in our favorite colors.  She calls it a crocheted blanket.  We are getting better acquainted and love the branch members.  They are making us feel at home there.

This evening we will be attending a Standards Evening for the Youth, youth leaders, and parents.  It is hard to have to stay indoors today because we are again having a beautiful day with lots of sunshine.  It sounds like we may get a week of such weather.  I hope so.

I will be thinking of you and your adventure in Wayan this weekend for Memorial Day.  My how I wish I could be in many spots at once.  I love and appreciate my parents and grandparents so much for the heritage they gave me.  May I be able to do the same for all of you.

The knowledge that I have of My Savior and what He has done for me and all of you and being able to say as Nephi did,  “I, Julia, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father”.  I love the gospel, I love my membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,  I am grateful that I grew up in a home  where the Priesthood was held by my father and my parents loved us and cared for us.  I am glad I grew up in Grays Lake, Idaho, USA and had the freedoms, friends, and education that the church, school, and country provided.  I never realized how blessed I am until I have visit other parts of our world and lived here.  Be grateful for all that you have.  Know that I love you so much and pray for you daily. 

Week ending 13 May 2012

Life sure has changed from our days spent in the archives.  It really does feel like we are on a different mission.  We put in longer more stressful hours and yet we enjoy the work more. 

Devotionals at the archive was picking up the Book of Mormon and take turns reading a verse from where you left off yesterday.  Now we are given a reference or topic and prepare a devotional on that once or twice a week.  The first week it was on axioms and this week talks from General Conference.  More time and inspiration in preparing for devotional is needed now.

We have windows to see out and can see what the weather is like.  It doesn’t mean we get out of doors more often, but we sure do enjoy our windows.

We have lots more to learn and are being given more assignments daily to learn.  We eat lunch with the others when there are transfers, and trainings going on where we help set the table and cook part of the meal while Sister Griffiths is busy in the training and greeting new missionaries.  Of course that means some cooking and cleaning up is added to the assignment.

We see more of the younger missionaries now as they are in and out of the mission home for those trainings and coming and going.  Also the couple missionaries are in for their mail and supplies so we see them.

The days are much longer now and we arrive a little later in the mornings.  We wouldn’t go back to the archives but are anxious for the time we feel more comfortable with our assignment.  We have heard three months and we will feel more comfortable.  By then we will have a new Mission President and will see how much he changes and runs the mission.

I have been working with Sister Graham a lot this last week to learn some of the things she does so I can move into her position possibly when they go home the end of July.  Bill has been given some extra projects from President Griffiths also.

This weekend we left the mission home just before 7:00 Friday night.  So home, dinner, and relax is all we wanted to do.  Saturday, we left the house later than normal and caught a bus into the city center so we could visit Holyrood Palace and see the new collection.  Only thing was Royal Family Members were also visiting this weekend and the Palace was closed to us.  So we walked the area and saw a garden and a museum and then headed over to a store selling suits so Elder Rasmussen could get a new suit that I wanted him to pick out for his birthday.  So we have no new pictures to share.  Oh that is another difference, nylons and dresses and church clothes everyday like all the other missionaries wear.  No more casual pants.

Last Sunday, Elder and Sister Flynn invited us to dinner at their home.  We knew it was a birthday dinner but was a surprise that Mike and Shirley and family and Jimmy and Margaret from the archives were also coming.  It was a pleasant surprise.

The Assistants to the President sang to me on my birthday and gave me an ice cream bar,  We ate altogether with the Connelly’s and the President and Sister Griffiths and other office staff and had birthday cake and ice cream for my birthday.  I got a beautiful white begonia and a pineapple and some tulips.

For Bill’s birthday we also had dinner, only with the Elders that were in for training and also had brownie and ice cream with a candle and singing.  He received two books about Edinburgh history and Scottish cooking.  So we both had wonderful birthdays.

We have had a cold, wet week with lots of rainy days.  Yesterday was nice and today is rainy with gale winds as they call it.  A lot of our trees are losing their blossoms.  It has been so beautiful here with the trees and bushes in bloom as well as more and more flowers.

Today is Mother’s Day in America but not here and so it really doesn’t seem like Mother’s Day.  No mention made of it at church and so only Bill said Happy Mother’s Day.  Of course you have said it to me as I have spoken to you this week.  Thanks so much.

Mother’s Day is a special day for me.  It is my favorite calling and one I will never be released from.  I love being a wife, mother and grandmother.  I am so grateful to my Heavenly Parents for their plan and my opportunity of belonging to a wonderful family with special parents and grandparents.  I hope I can be as great as they were in teaching me.  I hope all the women in my life will feel honored to have this experience.

Week ending May 5, 2012

I missed writing last week.  Life got too busy and I didn’t find the time to do it.  It seems like so long ago that I am not sure I will remember all that happened to make it so busy.  The office is much more demanding of our time and alertness than the archive was.  There is so much to learn and Sister Wallace was in and out all week because of a tooth problem.  She saw six or seven dentists in less than two weeks’ time.  With their health system, you do not have one dentist that you see.  The dentist that is on call or not busy is the one you go to and she had to keep going to the dentist.  She also spoke to a couple of the Elders here who had been dentists at home. 

We went to Galashiels with her on Saturday to take some of her things home.  She was the one that is from Scotland serving a six month mission to replace a sister who went home early.  This was the second time she had filled in.  We offered to help her take some of her things home.  We went and saw Melrose Abbey near her home while we were there.

This week started with Elders and a Sister arriving from Ireland on Monday evening.   We had a farewell dinner for the two office sisters, a senior couple, and a birthday party for Bill and I and a couple of other missionaries with all of the senior couples in this area on Monday night.  The other departing missionaries came in on Tuesday morning to spend their last time in the Mission Home before going home Wednesday morning.  Tuesday night we helped with a farewell dinner for all of the missionaries going home and those parents who had come to pick up their sons.  There were over thirty people in attendance at the meal.  It reminded me of the holidays in Wayan.

Early Wednesday morning the missionaries left and around two in the afternoon the new ones arrived from the MTC in Provo, and yes Adell, I met Elder Brown.  We had a dinner for them Wednesday night and then they went to different places to spend the night.  We had two stay with us.

Thursday was spent getting them trained, interviewed, and set up with their companion.  This involved another lunch.  Most left Thursday night for their areas except those going to Ireland, they left Friday morning before we got to work. 

After transfers the work for us really begins.  We have to set up new address sheets, update the presidents’ boards with pictures, send out letters to bishops and stake presidents informing them of the new missionaries in their area, send letters to the parents of newly arriving missionaries, and the normal stuff we do every day.  So we put in lot of extra hours this week.  It was all worth it.  I felt the spirit guiding me many times with things I needed to do, inspiration on how to do things, etc.  I am feeling a little more comfortable each day.

Saturday began with a phone call from Amy telling me she was in the hospital, her water had broken, and Ava was on her way to being born.  She had called Julie and her family was on their way to Pocatello so Julie could be there for her.  How I wished it could have been me. 

We had plans, thank goodness, to spend the day with another couple, the Hambelton’s from Meridian, to show them the Abbey we had visited for a short time last Saturday and then another Abbey not far from there and then an early dinner afterwards.  That made the day go by faster instead of staying home waiting for news. 

Saturday evening arrived and Ava still had not made her appearance.  It was an anxious time for me with all that was happening so far from me and Bill at a Stake Priesthood meeting.  Finally at 10:00 I headed to bed knowing it would still be a while.  I got a one ring signal on our cell phone to let me know to go on Skype and call--Ava had arrived.  Amy and Ava were doing well.  After Ava had her bath and the pediatrician had been in I got to see her.  She is beautiful.  She is healthy and was sleeping peacefully.  Amy and Khalil were relaxing after their ordeal and waiting for the midnight feeding before they got to go to sleep.  Many prayers were offered and answered and the baby and mom are both doing well.  Amy will fill you in on the details I have left out.

If I had known in April what was going to happen this year, I don’t think I would have chosen to serve a mission at this time.  But I still am glad I am serving.   I know we have been truly blessed.  I can’t wait to meet all these new members of our family and get to know them.  Thanksgiving and Christmas will be wonderful having all together again.  Heavenly Father is truly blessing me. Thanks to all who are stepping in to fill my spot.  Families are fantastic.  I love you all so much.  God is at the helm and is directing our lives if we but listen to the Holy Ghost and follow His plan for us.  I know the Gospel is true and that Jesus Christ gave His life so we can return to Him as families.  I picture our parents saying goodbye to these children as they leave their Heavenly Home to come to us, telling them what a fantastic family they are coming to and that they will be loved and cared for and taught the Gospel here.  I Know Heavenly Father loves them very much and chose the best homes for them to be placed in.  Know that we love you so much and pray for you daily.  Be kind to one another and continue to reach out and support each other. 

Love,

Grandma and Grandpa

Week ending April 22 2012

Last Sunday we had a wonderful evening with Anjali, her son and mother in law. The Lord does guide you in your life and I know now why I didn’t insist that Anjali and her family  come to dinner here but went to her place instead. Her mother in law is a vegetarian in the strictest form.  She does not go out to eat because she is not sure if they would have used eggs or any dairy products in any of their cooking.  We tried many new Indian dishes and loved them all.  We could even understand most of what was spoken.  Her mother in law has been lonely because Anjali is gone all day and most evenings when she goes from work to the hospital.  At home in India her mother in law has many friends and goes out on her own.  Here she will not go places alone except to the nearest grocery store she can walk to.  She has no friends here to visit with and so she kept saying that we must come back at least once a month.  Ravi was moved to another hospital this week where he is getting more services so hopefully he will be able to recover and able to return to his home sooner.  We are glad we have been able to be friends with them.

Monday morning and training began in earnest.  I was glad the spirit was with us that we were able to remember lots of what we learned the previous visit for those three days.  Sister Wallace is having major tooth problems and was in lots of pain and also at different dentists all week and so I was left alone in the office to continue on those things she had taught me.  I did O.K. and was guided by the spirit on more than one occasion to go back and look at something again.  Then I discovered I had left one step of the process out.  Sister Wallace also seemed to come in just when I felt I was at a dead end to get me started again or tell me what to do next.  It was a busy week with lots of new things to learn.  I love some of my jobs and find that answering the phone is one part of the job I find most difficult.  Sometimes it is because I do not know the answers or whom to direct the call to and sometimes it is in not understanding what they are saying. 

Bill has been busy learning how to send letters and packets of information to newly called missionaries, how to prepare going home packets for those leaving, and how to handle travel for the Mission President and his wife and the Assistants between Scotland and Ireland.  He gets to spend a lot more time on the computer which he enjoys.  He’s also spent time with Sister Query going through old files on the computer and deleting them or organizing them in a way that they can more easily be found.  We have both commented on how blessed we have been by the spirit helping us learn these new skills.

Saturday was a rainy forecast and so we decided to do our shopping and then stay home in the morning and prepare for the week.  That was good because it took all morning to do that.  We had a wedding to attend at Falkirk in the afternoon.  The couple had been living together.  They needed to get married so Amanda could be baptized.  Steve is not quite ready for that step.  The Branch members helped with different things like the dress, flowers, luncheon etc. because they couldn’t afford it.  We found out how different weddings here are than back home.  They didn’t play the usual wedding songs but hymns.  They had two speakers talk about the importance of marriage and then another read a love poem.  The Missionary who taught the couple walked Amanda down the aisle since her father wasn’t there.  He also was the wedding planner.  Steve and the two elders were dressed in kilts.  Everyone is invited to the wedding but only some to the reception.  I think we crashed the reception assuming that since we were asked to bring sandwiches that meant we were invited to the reception.  We will know better next time.  I am not sure if all weddings will be exactly like this one or not, but at least we have learned that the custom is all are invited to the wedding but not the reception.

After Sacrament meeting today we received training from a couple from England over the AUF File Project for the United Kingdom.  AUF stands for Address Unknown File, and President Griffiths asked us if we would take that assignment last December.  Today we learned how much more we should be doing with the program.  Hopefully we can get it working well here in this mission now that we are in the office and are in contact with missionaries more often.

After church we stayed for Amanda’s baptism.  It was a nice service.  Amanda was extremely nervous because she does not like water, but everything went great.  Steve is not ready to make that step yet.  Hopefully he will be soon.

It has been a very different week.  We have definitely felt the spirit more in the work we have done this week in helping us remember some of the things we have been taught.  Hopefully this one last week with the sisters will give us the skills necessary to carry on next week when they finish their mission.

Week ending April 15, 2012

Monday, we went back to the area we had lunch on the Hairy Coo tour and got some more statues and some doorstops, thistles, etc. that Lee had seen and we didn’t get enough of because they were out of them. We also had another of those sandwiches we had when Lee and Adell were with us that were so delicious.  Then we went to Doune Castle and got to go in and listen to the audio.  We enjoyed that and know you would have also if they hadn't been closed for the day Adell.  That night we had the missionaries for dinner and set up a regular schedule for them to come every Monday night unless we had to work late at the office.

Tuesday we went back to work but got a call from Sister Griffiths asking if we could act as tour guides for  Elder and Sister Condie from Springville who just had arrived from the states.  They were all tied up in zone and district leaders' training with Elder Carr.  She called about 1:30 and so at 2:00 we left, went home and changed, and took them to the Castle to keep them awake.  From there we rushed home to eat and then on to Falkirk for mutual. 

Wednesday Chris Norton from England was here.  He is directly over our supervisor Mike Mitchell.  He brought me flowers and asked if we were sure we didn't want to change our minds and stay. It has been a great experience but we are ready for a change.  Our final count is:

Volumes Paginated  (that means writing page numbers in the books) 74

Pages Paginated    13,729

Volumes Quality Controlled 1,163

Camera Hours    691 hours

Regular Hours 1,013

Volumes Imaged   957

Number of Images   273,396 images

We have had many neat experiences of knowing something was wrong and needed correcting.  We have handled many books wondering if they had our relatives in them and some day we would see that record again.  These were mostly the Cemetery and Poor House records.  Most of the books we did we felt it would be difficult to find names of specific people in them. 

Over all though I think the enjoyment came from the people we met and worked with.  Brenda who asked me so many questions about the church and yet ended up not being at work the last four months because of extended illness.  She doesn’t take my calls and so that door seems closed at the moment.

Anjali who turned to us when her husband was in a coma from spinal meningitis, he has made slight improvement.  I invited her to dinner tonight, but she insisted we come to her house and so we are going there tonight.  I hope we can keep this friendship going.

Then of course there is Bishop Mitchell and his family.  His youngest son, Zach will be leaving on his mission soon and we will be attending his farewell next Sunday.

Andy is the man who delivered the books to us most of the time.  He is a tease and fun to visit with.  He recommended places to eat that we really enjoy and took Adell and Lee to one of them.  He also is a member of a model train club and they were having a meeting in Troon this weekend with their trains set up.  We were going that direction on Saturday and so we stopped in to see him there and met his wife, son, and daughter in law.  It was great to see their setup and I think really impressed Andy that we would stop and see it. 

We also enjoyed the others that worked there also.  They were all much younger, but we showed interest in their lives and hopefully made a positive impression.  Linda brought treats on Friday and the others went out during their lunch hour to buy us flowers and a picture frame when they realized it was our last day.  Maybe we set an example that one day they will want to learn more about the church.  I hope so.

Friday night we went to Elder and Sister Connelly’s to plan a party for the Griffith’s when they leave in July.  We also turned it into a surprise birthday party for Sisters Flynn and Graham.  I know Sister Flynn was surprised but I think word may have leaked out to Sister Graham.

Saturday was flat inspection day again and then seeing Andy’s trains. 

We had fish and chips at our favorite place in that area and then went to Dundonald Castle on our way home.  Again it was one that had been rebuilt many times but something had stood there well before 2000 BC.

It has been a good week with lots of emotional days and times.  Tomorrow begins, as we say, our second mission of working in the Office and learning a lot of new things.  We are looking forward to the experience.

Week ending April 8, 2012

Two weeks since I wrote and a lot has happened in those two weeks and who knows if I will be able to remember all I should write about.

I am going to skip right to March 29^th, Thursday.  We went to work in the morning and then we went to the airport about 12:30 to pick up Adell and Lee.  Man, it was good to see them finally come through the door.  Until then I couldn’t believe they would actually come. Of course they would have to be one of the last ones to come through.  Of course they blamed it on me for the strange stuff I had them bring me.  They think they had to have their bags inspected closely because of the dish soap, Heinz 57, and protein powder that we desired.

We took them over to the Archives to meet the people we work with and see what we have been doing for seven months. They got to see some of the hardest books Bill has had to digitize.  He has only been getting one done a day.

After work we went to our Pound World and Testco and the shopping began.  They found some things that they wanted right off the bat.

That evening was spent eating, playing games, unpacking and visiting.

Then on Friday I stayed home since Bill only had one book for me to Q.C. and then I would sit and wait forever for the next one.  Bill went in and took the car to be serviced.  It would be finished at 10:00 and so he worked until 10:00.  He came home and we headed into Edinburgh on the bus to visit the castle, and the shops on the Royal Mile.  You will have to ask them their impressions as we have already told you ours.

We ate at a restaurant that we had enjoyed before, but they have changed the menu and way things are done and we were disappointed in the changes. We picked that place because of the story of Bobby the Scottish terrier and his devotion and love of his owner.

Saturday, we again took the bus into the same area to catch the tour on the “Hairy Coo”.  It was an Orange bus that had horns, a fringe on the windshield, and a pink tongue on the bumper to look like a hairy highland cow. 

We had a very entertaining and educational tour /bus driver to show us some of the sights of Scotland and share the history of the country as well.  We stopped at Forth Bridge,

the William Wallace Monument,

the outside of Stirling Castle,

Lake of Menteith,

the lakeside village of Aberfoyle where we ate lunch, and then on to Trossaches National Park ,

Loch Katrina,

and a hotel that had two “Hairy Coos” and a new one just born the night before. 

We finished up at Doune Castle, the backdrop for the movie “Monte Python and the Search for the Holy Grail”. 

Their motto is that you spent more time off the bus than on the bus and they lived up to their motto.  We didn’t get to see each place for long but got to visit lots of places.  Lochs are lakes, coos are cows, and lunch was at a bakery with wonderful sandwiches at a bench outside.  We were having our summer weather these days.  We saw heather but not in bloom, we will go back in August to see that.  We fed the coos bread at one stop and then the next stop we met the oldest highland coo who has been on T.V. and at the grand openings of stores, etc.  He is a celebrity named Hamish.

Sunday, the men went into the Stake Center for Priesthood and Adell and I watched some of the Saturday morning session over the internet until the men came and got us to go in for Saturday afternoon session at the Stake Center.  Lee commented on how not many Stake centers only have 31 parking spots in the parking lot and how small the building is for a Stake Center.

We went to the Mission Home for lunch with the Missionaries in this area between that session and the Sunday Morning Session at 5:00.  They got to see where we will be working and meet all of the missionaries in this area and President and Sister Griffiths.

Monday we got ready and headed on our trip north.  We stopped at Dumferline and hit some stores.  After that stop, we had to turn around and come home to drop off our purchases so we would have room to travel.  Mission cars are not very large.  Then we headed out again after lunch.  We stopped along the way to see the sights and special waterfall called the Hermitage. 

We arrived in Inverness about 7:00 and spent a half hour at least looking for our B&B.  In comments left by guests we knew it was a hard place to find, but when the GPS led us to a church, we knew we were in trouble.  When we finally found it, it was a nice place to stay.  It had two rooms, one with a double bed and the other with two single beds.  We stayed here two nights.  They served us a nice breakfast and Adell and Led learned which breakfast foods they liked best.

Tuesday we woke up to twelve inches of snow on our car.  So Adell and Lee not only got to enjoy the summer weather, but also the winter weather all in four days.  It was the most snow we had experienced over here. 

We waited around to let them clear the roads, changed the direction we had planned on going and took off for a delightful day of exploring the countryside and seashores.  Many a shell and rocks were picked up.  We had a wonderful fish and chip lunch, and the snow disappeared the further we traveled.

Wednesday we then headed to the Isle of Skye with many more stops for shells and rocks and pictures of beautiful scenery.  Time didn’t permit us getting to do all we desired, or stay as long as we would have liked to stay. 

As it was, we didn’t get home until after 11:00.  Thanks to prayer for a safe journey, the roads were not icy and Elder Rasmussen was able to barely miss the one deer we saw.

Thursday, we visited Roslyn Chapel where part of the Da Vinci Code was filmed and take them to our favorite tavern for lunch.  We attended the musical South Pacific with the other missionaries from the office that evening.

Friday was spent at our favorite castle which is Stirling.  Then we went to Falkirk to see the wheel.  We actually saw it in action, moving a barge from one canal to another. 

While we were there we also saw one of the coolest toys—a big ball that you get inside of and roll around in the water. 

We also took them to see the church we attend. Then it was time for the last minute shopping that had to be done including the purchase of another suitcase to handle all they were taking back of my things and their purchases.  Packing was a sad experience because that signaled the end of a wonderful visit for us.  They were able to get all in they had to take home much to my surprise. 

We are so thankful to Zane, Corinne, Colby and Lee for making it so Adell could come.  I wouldn’t have wanted her to come by herself and Zane was so good to share her with us.  Thanks Corinne and Colby for staying with Zane, and Adell for giving up your Spring break, Lee for choosing here to spend your vacation days.  You will never know how much we enjoyed the week.  Who knows if a new Mission President will let us take that much time off if others come over, but we want to invite all who can come to see us.

Now back to work on Tuesday for our last week at the Archives.  Last Friday the Archives was closed for Good Friday and Monday for Easter and so that only leaves four days.  We leave with mixed feelings, sad to leave the people we have worked with and the time I had to study and grow between books, and glad to try a new experience that will be varied and with more light than our dark room.

Today has been a beautiful Sunday with all the talks about the Atonement, and now to watch the Sunday Afternoon session of Conference.  We love you all.  Thanks again for coming Lee and Adell.