Changing Seasons

I'd like to think the seasons are changing in Southern England. We're just not sure which season is coming and which one is going! The heather is blooming and the daffodils and crocuses are thinking about it. We even had a full day of sunshine one day last week! Now it's turned bitter cold and windy. We're ready for a change!

A brief moment of Spring yesterday in London

The view today on the temple grounds

Another thing that is constantly changing is our Visitors' Centre. Lots of comings and goings this month.

Sisters Reneer, Ylisaari and Cardona

First, both Sister Reneer and Sister Ylisaari were transferred to other assignments in the mission. Sister Reneer will likely stay out in the field for the rest of her mission, but we hope to see Sister Ylisaari in the Visitors' Centre again in a few months because her call is to be a VC missionary. Almost all the sisters we've worked with received a specific assignment to this Visitors' Centre when they received their mission call.

The AP's (Assistants to the President) preparing to
drive sisters to their new assignments

Later that same day, Tuesday, March 5th, two new sisters arrived to serve in our Visitors' Centre. Sister Paulsen, who is from Denmark, arrived from the Isle of Wight. Sister Berati, who is from Albania, arrived from her training at the Provo MTC.

Sisters Berati, Cardona and Paulsen

We feel very fortunate to be working with these great sisters, and for the first time since we've been here, there isn't an American among them! The gospel is indeed spreading among every nation, kindred, tongue and people.

L to R:  Sister Phermsin from Finland, Sister Berati from Albania, Sister Cardona
from France, Sister Paulsen from Denmark, and Sister Maughan from England

Sister Horsley capturing a Kodak moment in the VC while
Elders Carpenter and Horsley watch

It's always interesting to see how things come together. The new sisters met their new companion, Sister Cardona, and went home to unpack and get a few groceries. The other sister companionship and the senior couples covered the rest of the shifts that day. By the next morning, everyone was back to work at the VC for their regular shifts and the new sisters were learning their responsibilities. They are already giving tours. I can't say enough about how impressed I am with the caliber of all the young women we have worked with at the Visitors' Centre. If all twenty-somethings were as intelligent and responsible and gracious as our sisters are, the world would be in good hands.

Sister Jones

This weekend, on Saturday, March 9th, Sister Jones returned to the Visitors' Centre for the last couple of days of her mission. When she flies home to Utah this Wednesday, March 13th, she will be the last of the sister missionaries who were here to greet us and train us when we arrived. We hate to see her go. She was an outstanding missionary and taught us so much!

L to R: Elder Kearl, Sisters Berati, Paulson, Cardona and Jones, Sister Kearl

Don, me, Sisters Boman, Woods, Phermsin and Maughan

Sunday afternoon we had dinner with all the VC sister missionaries and the Mission Office missionaries and presented a few momentos to Sister Jones, then on Monday morning, Sister Kearl and I got to be the ones to accompany Sister Jones to London for the day. Because the northern boundaries for the England London South Mission are on the south side of the Thames, each of the departing elders and sisters in the mission get to spend the last Monday of their mission in downtown London seeing the sites. Usually the mission president and his wife are the ones to accompany the departing missionaries. This time they asked Sister Kearl and me to go. Such fun! So very, very COLD!

The Tower Bridge

How quickly the seasons are passing here in England. Rain or snow, cold or sunny, the time is flying and we have much yet to accomplish this year. Missionaries departing and missionaries arriving. We celebrate all that has happened since we've been here, and we're looking forward to an abundant season to come.            ~Pat~