Sixth week

We have had a busy week at the Temple as the “Single Adults” had a Temple week and conference. They would attend the Temple during the day and have firesides and activities in the evenings. We were asked to participate at a fireside on Thursday evening with the Shurtleffs and the Sharlands. We were all discussing Temples. The Shurtleffs have been a Temple President and Matron too and the Sharlands are from New Zealand and they discussed their Temple there. I told about the coming of our Temple and Tom talked about Temple miracles. Sandy Beck came to play the piano. We hope it went well. We probably all spoke too long because we are somewhat enthusiastic. It was fun and nice to be with them.

Farewell to Carol and Clive Sharland

We had our Family Home Evening on Wednesday evening with our B shift in the common room. We were all to tell about our special songs. It was really fun as we had everything from “Great Balls of Fire” to Hymns, to Brother Evans, who sings in a Welsh Man’s choir, singing to us, to George Playter serenading us with “Autumn Leaves”. Everyone sang along and had such fun. We did “O My Father” and I told how the Hurd family had come into the church, here in England, in the early days, as a result of hearing the missionaries on the street singing “O My Father”. We also did “Sweet Caroline” and they loved singing that one. Fun.

 Storm Dennis hit on the weekend, and as we had no directive to remain here for church, we drove with the Muellers to Tunbridge Wells. We probably should not have gone. The motorway (freeway) was closed and we had to take another route to get there. The Bishop announced that we were just going to have sacrament meeting and get everyone home. Tom and Elder Mueller taught the young man, in the ward, his Temple prep lesson and Jan Mueller and I taught MaryAnn a Temple prep lesson. This was my first time meeting MaryAnn. She is very sweet but I can see that her life has not been easy. We drove her home and then started making our way home. We traveled the back way and went thru flooded areas and encountered a tree which had fallen right across one road. We were rerouted a number of times by the “satnav” and yes, finally made it home. It was an adventure.

We had invited David and Deborah Davenport for dinner Sunday evening and when Tom messaged them to come up anytime (they live below us), they phoned back that, while driving back from singing to the seniors, they and Grames had decided to drive thru a very flooded portion of road for FUN! Their car stalled part way thru. They had, had to push it out in knee deep water and were waiting for a tow truck. Please remember that these are not young missionaries but grandparents, senior Temple missionaries and David is a medical doctor. This are what responsible missionaries do for FUN! They finally all made it home and both couples came for dinner. It was interesting dinner conversation to say the least.

On Monday, Chris Fitzner drove a group of us, in the Temple van, to Blue Water, where there is a very large mall and we all had a good shop, ate and went to a movie. Ours was not a good movie - “The Life of David Copperfield”. Don’t bother going.

It has been a good week full of interesting people and situations but sadly we all had to say farewell to the Sharlands, who have concluded their mission, and are making their way back to New Zealand. They have been our trainers and we have appreciated them and enjoyed their friendship.