tomlinlondon: Tenth and Eleventh Weeks

I am including these two weeks together as everything has run together and I may not continue the blog until we are again sent back out to our mission in London.

How quickly life can change and change it has done in the last week, not just for us, but for the whole world. The beginning of last week we were serving in the Temple as usual and making plans for the upcoming Temple closure. Then came Thursday, March 12th and everything was turned upside down. Concern for the coronavirus had been increasing everyday and many of our friends’ travel plans had been altered because of this concern. As I entered the lunchroom that day, Sister Shurtleff was dashing out and hurriedly stated that all Americans had been asked to met with President Irwin upstairs. When they returned they were in tears and told us that President Nelson was asking that they return home immediately due to the virus concerns. They were going back to their apartments to pack. We were in tears too. They left, we finished the shift and Tom and I did a session. Doreen Taylor (a British friend) and I sat beside each other, held hands and cried. The change room was far too quiet and lockers were open and empty. When we got back to the Lodge the Americans began giving us their food and other things they couldn’t take with them. It was a crazy scene. Tom started investigating the situation online and found that the full instruction from Salt Lake was for ALL senior missionaries in the world to return home and young missionaries with health concerns. We were confused but when we had a knock on our door and I opened to find President standing there, I said, “You are sending us home too.” He replied, “Yes”, and stepped inside to give us instructions. Now we started giving food and belongings away to our British friends until......we received instructions that we would be able to return to our same apartments and could leave things in them. Now we started gathering things together again. We were all exhausted. We all met together in the lounge that evening, President came to talk to us and we just visited and tried to digest what had transpired that day. We were told that those who were being released in the next few months would not be coming back but those who were staying longer would be returning. We were all in shock and heartbroken with the turn of events. No one slept well that night.

On Friday we went to serve as usual and some the Americans who had not yet received their travel plans unpacked their Temple clothes and came back to serve with us. It seemed to bring peace to just be there and be with each other. Most Americans received their travel plans that day and most were told they would be going first thing Saturday morning. Packing, cleaning and organizing continued for all of us that day.

Early Saturday morning a bus arrived to take the first and largest group of missionaries to the airport. We all went out to say goodbye. It was now necessary, because of the loss in workers, for the Temple to provide a reduced Saturday schedule and to combine workers from both shifts but the dear brave patrons came despite changes and virus concerns. We received our travel plans that day. Tom had booked a room at the Hever Castle Astor Annex for my birthday on Sunday night and he had asked President if we could stay long enough to do that. Our flight was scheduled for Monday, March 16th at 1:00 PM. Hever was going to be doable. We went home and continued packing, went for one last walk around the beautiful grounds and had Pat and Chris Fitzner for dinner. They were planning on staying until the end of the month as they have renters in their home and, because we all have to be in home isolation for two weeks, they felt they couldn’t stay with their children and jeopardise them. We were worried about them, as well as the Hoares and Davenports, who both have children visiting and are trying to stay long enough to give the children a good trip.

President Jensen asked Tom to speak at our Sacrament meeting on Sunday. The assignment came Saturday evening so there was not much time to prepare. The Shurtleffs left for home early Sunday morning and we had our church meetings in the lounge. Tom did well and there was a lovely spirit felt in our meetings. We finished packing after church and left for our time at Hever Castle. We explored the Castle again and walked around the lovely grounds. We went to a nearby Pub for Sunday Roast, which is what they call Sunday dinner be it beef, chicken, pork or lamb. We were exhausted but did enjoy our lovely Tudor room.

We needed to leave Hever early and they kindly opened the restaurant early just for us, where we sat by a beautiful Tudor fireplace all by ourselves in a lovely Tudor room. We then hurried back to the Temple where we grabbed our packed luggage and dashed outside where everyone sang Happy Birthday to me and I cried as we said goodbye to all. Anatsuis took a van, Brother and Sister Sager, their luggage and our luggage and President and Sister Irwin drove us in their car to Heathrow airport. Anatsuis left first but President Irwin managed to catch up and find them on the motorway. Heathrow Airport was crazy and President said he had never seen it in that state. Everyone is trying to get home as instructed by government leaders throughout the world. Planes are going to stop flying from some countries soon. Irwins and Anatsuis would not leave us until they could see that we were going thru security. Sagers left before us and had to rush. We had enough time to collect ourselves, buy some water and “spend a penny” before boarding for the long journey home. Longest birthday I have ever experienced.

Tom had notified the Northcotts that we would returning. They had gone home to Penticton because the Vancouver Temple had already closed. They were, however, coming back to Vancouver to attend a show which ended up being cancelled due to virus concerns, so they cleaned our home and removed their belongings. We appreciated their understanding and accommodating.

Cindy got our home prepared by stocking it with food and Paul and Cindy met us at the airport. No hugs. We dealt with our own luggage and they got us home and inside. Paul put surgical gloves on to help lift our bags. We were now in a two week home isolation. Slept well that night. We hated to leave England but were glad to be home at this difficult time.

March 16th, 2020 was the longest and strangest Birthday I have ever experienced but Tom made it special with Hever Castle, the kids all messaged me, the workers sang to me as we left and an airport security woman noted my passport and wished me a Happy Birthday.

We are now home and in isolation. We talk to the children and others, go on our walks and have set our home up again although we have not unpacked everything. We do not know how long it will be before this all settles down and we are able to return to our mission but right now we are just trying to listen to and follow the voice of the prophet.