the people we are meeting inside and outside the temple. There is no way that any of these experiences are coincidences. We know that God lives and that He is directing this work.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ brings much joy, hope and meaning to our lives and to the lives
of those we meet. Our mission has been an amazing blessing to us. We are especially
grateful to be able to serve here in the London Temple. It has touched our hearts forever.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ brings much joy, hope and meaning to our lives and to the lives
of those we meet. Our mission has been an amazing blessing to us. We are especially
grateful to be able to serve here in the London Temple. It has touched our hearts forever.
We are going to start the post this time from Monday, October 14 and move backyards.
We spent the weekend in London. We decided to walk down
Victoria Street to the riverbank. We noticed a TV in a pub we passed by that
Queen Elizabeth was opening Parliament. And we were only a few blocks from there.
When we got to Westminster Abbey the bells began to ring. They rang as the Queen's procession headed back to Buckingham Palace. The bells rung for at least 30 minutes and perhaps longer.
We saw her gold topped carriage go by, the same one we saw on our Mews tour this summer.
This photo of Queen Elizabeth we got off the internet because we were not that close
and could not get the phone out fast enough to get a picture.
But it is the same carriage we saw. The Queen likes this one because it is more
comfortable to ride in and it has a heater!
The crown gets its own guarded carriage.
There goes another carriage.
There were hundreds of horses....
bands...
and thousands of marching military troops...
This was so cool to witness! Because of all the road closures and security we could not get
across the street to go down by the riverbank, so we walked around a bit more
across the street to go down by the riverbank, so we walked around a bit more
until the rain got to be too much and we headed for the mall.
We walked and walked around the mall and had a nice dinner before heading back.
On Sunday we had a nice breakfast buffet and headed to the Hyde Park Chapel
to attend the Brittania Ward. It is the YSA ward.
It was lovely to see so many people that we know because they come to the temple.
First off Bro Davey, and his brothers, until Sunday he was the Elders Quorum President.
He was released along with his counselor David. We also know David and his fiance Hannah from experiences in the temple and on the temple grounds. *story to follow*
We have met the Davey brothers on two occasions when we served in the baptistery.
They often come with new converts and the missionaries.
They have made Matt an honorary Davey brother.
We also saw two cute sister missionaries that we saw on Sunday that we had worked with in
the baptistery when they brought a new convert.
They were so happy to see us as they said, "we were afraid we would never see you again"!
Also, of course we saw Helen Chen. She is an ordinance worker and a member of the Brittania Ward.
This picture was taken in the Victoria train station On October 4th as they began a Ward
trip to the temple to do baptisms. We were working in the baptistery that night.
The picture includes the missionaries and their new convert.
He was baptized just 2 weeks earlier. He is a police officer in London and the sister missionaries visited with him on the street and after a few months of lessons was baptized. He was so happy to be in the temple. He has not told his family he has joined the church as he had previously been a Muslim and know the family will not be accepting. It made me think of the scripture in Matthew 19:26
And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
The sister missionaries were very excited as they got to be witnesses to the baptisms!
On another Saturday the Brittania Ward came to do baptisms and there were 3 sets of elders with 3 new converts they brought. We love to see the new members come to the temple.
They are so happy to be there and happy to perform these ordinances for their family members.
Back to the story of David and Hannah. (Sunday Hannah was made the Stake YW President!) We had a fun moment on Sunday, September 22 as we went for a walk around the temple. It had been a little drizzly but we could see a couple sitting under one of the big trees with a blanket and umbrella. As we got closer we could see it was David. He had been in the temple a couple of days before. Matt had worked with him and he had come to the temple to receive an answer to his prayers about marrying. He received that answer while performing sealings. Turns out, out on the grounds on Sunday, he earlier asked Hannah to marry him. He explained that was why he was in the temple that week and why he was so emotional. They were giddy as they shared this exciting time with us and we got to take some pictures for them. They are such a cute couple.
After church we walked up the street and stopped in a great German restaurant.
Then we walked to Hyde Park and sat on a bench for a while.
It wasn't long before a young man in a white shirt and tie walked up and said,
'Don't I know you?' He had been a missionary in London, was recently released and had come
back with his parents. We had seen him in the temple when he was still on his mission.
While we were talking to him, we saw 2 sisters walking behind him that we had met in the
temple on Saturday night at the sealing of their brother.
We had been the bride and groom guide for the sealing.
back with his parents. We had seen him in the temple when he was still on his mission.
While we were talking to him, we saw 2 sisters walking behind him that we had met in the
temple on Saturday night at the sealing of their brother.
We had been the bride and groom guide for the sealing.
Two small decisions...what time to go to church and what bench to sit on in the park.
We were directed to be where we were so we could visit with each of these people...12 separate people that we could visit with and share a message of love.
We had a very special sabbath day.
After leaving the park we hopped on a bus to ride back to the hotel.
The traffic is so bad! We got diverted down Sloane Street which was fun
as we passed all the shops...we are going to go back there for a stroll.
Since General Conference sessions here are on at 5PM and 9PM, with the woman's session
at 1AM (we watched Sunday) the temple is open on
Saturday morning for 4 sessions. The two shifts worked together.
After working we had a potluck meal and sat together to watch conference.
After working we had a potluck meal and sat together to watch conference.
We watched conference in the welcome center.
We loved President Nelson's comments about the temple.
"The crowning jewel of the Restoration is the holy temple. Its sacred ordinances and covenants are pivotal to preparing a people who are ready to welcome the Savior at His Second Coming."
We loved President Nelson's comments about the temple.
"The crowning jewel of the Restoration is the holy temple. Its sacred ordinances and covenants are pivotal to preparing a people who are ready to welcome the Savior at His Second Coming."
We are getting some fall colours in the trees, the groundskeepers are constantly working to keep the leaves off the ground...it is a full time job. We have had a little bit of everything in terms of the
the weather. We had lots of rain as we have gotten hit with the remnants of two hurricanes,
Dorian and Lorenzo. But we have also had beautiful sunny days.
Dorian and Lorenzo. But we have also had beautiful sunny days.
And on some days both rain and sunshine just 5 minutes apart.
After our long six long week shutdown, the temple was very busy on the first Saturday we were open. It was the busiest we have ever seen it since coming here. There were 4 coaches in the
car park. There were families and children playing in the grounds. Mums and dads were
taking turns with the children outside while they took turns going inside the temple. It was a
day we will always remember with fondness as we think how tired we were and the sound
of the children gleefully playing out in the grounds.
On the next Monday we went to the National Gallery.
It is an amazing art museum at Trafalgar Square.
That is the great English hero Lord Admiral Horatio Nelson at the top of the monument.
He died at the Battle of Trafalgar.
It is nice to have summer over with, there are a lot less crowds everywhere.
The museum has beautiful Vincent van Gogh paintings.
We were so excited to see his famous Sunflowers.
Loved this one called A Wheatfield, with Cypresses, up close and in person the brush strokes
and colors are beautiful. A photo does not show how blue the blues are.
This is Long Grass with Butterflies
Farms near Auvers
Two Crabs
A whole wall of Van Gogh paintings!! We sat for quite a while admiring.
There are several Degas, loved this one Ballet Dancers.
This is The Skiff by Renoir.
And this remarkable Leonardo da Vinci The Virgin of the Rocks
depicts the Virgin Mary, Christ, and John the Baptist.
And in true London fashion the building that houses all these paintings is just as beautiful as the art.
Just to the left of the museum is a beautiful church, St Marin-in-the-Fields.
It was built in the early 1700's.
The inside is beautiful and the stained glass window is very unique.
The window was part of a renewal of the entire church and installed in 2008.
The church also has a beautiful pipe organ.
Classic phone booths in front of Charting Cross Station.
We are still loving our view out the window. It changes everyday...rain, sun, rainbows
and then one night it got really foggy over the temple. You could hardly see the angel Moroni.
