Friday, 15 December, 2017
Weather Report - rainy on and off all day long with lots of dark clouds. Inside was full of cheer and gratefulness to serve the London Mission. Today is the 4th day of dinners for the missionaries and the end of the work week. Mission President and Sister Stevens were so appreciative our service. Elder Wallace did transportation to and from Lingfield Train Station. I was asked to take the London Mission pictures in front of the temple. They thought I did such a great job a few days ago. It is nice to be appreciated. I even got on my knees to take the picture. We were tired and happy that we made it through the week! Sister Nielson and Sister Leavitt drove me home from the mission office. We packed all the supplies for gingerbread houses and drove to the East Grinstead Ward to put 20 gingerbread houses together for Saturdays Ward Christmas Party. The sisters wrapped the cardboard with aluminium foil while I made a special icing frosting with egg whites, icing sugar, and lemon juice. The sisters helped with most of the houses then left me to finish so they could go to the Visitors Centre by 7 pm to do a Garden Tour for a mutual. The interesting thing is there is few flowers right now and it is pitch black outside by 7 pm. The mutual got to walk around the London Temple and enjoy the lights. Elder Wallace came and got me from the church and help me finish the gingerbread houses. Afterwards we went grocery shopping at Sainburys. We haven't gone there for a long time. We bought food for Sunday dinner and a few other things for the week. We bought a frozen Goodfellow Pizza and root beer for dinner. We were going to watch a Hallmark Christmas movie but our internet hasn't been working right.
We forgot that we were going to dinner with the Seamons tonight until we were getting ready for bed. Hope they will forgive us.
Saturday, 16 December, 2017
Working Saturday! We picked up the van at 8 am and loaded a dryer for the sister missionaries in Crawley - Sister Lund and Sister Gates - and metal bed frames for elders in Burgess Hills - Elder Roper and Elder Armstrong. The sister missionaries were so appreciative and excited for the dryer. I told them it was our Christmas present to them. Most of the missionaries have to dry their clothes on drying racks. They asked if we could get rid of an office chair they didn't need. Of course, we can do that. We proceeded to drive to the the zone leaders flat in Burgess Hills. We helped set up their bed frames and helped change the room around. It is a tender mercy how things work out. The elders needed an office chair besides getting rid of a mattress, metal bunk bed frame, chair and a small couch. We came home loaded with more stuff (junk) than we went with. This is part of our job and we get to see a lot of the South of England we wouldn't of seen. I talked Elder Wallace in to taking the furniture to the rubbish instead of waiting for Monday. We are so glad we did because Elder and Sister Warnick are leaving at 8 am on Monday to go home. We returned the van and stopped in at the mission office. To our surprise there was a box from the kids and grand-kids. How wonderful and excited we were even though we told the kids not to send anything because of the expense.
We went shopping to the Crawley County Mall. It was hard to find a parking place. We had to drive all the way to the top of the car park. The County Mall was large and spacious and crowded. You could hear Christmas music and a few Christmas decorations but nothing like the malls at home. We just loved the sights and sounds of Christmas at the mall. People were polite and calm and not fazed by the crowds. I found a cream colored turtle neck shirt, a cheese slicer and a potato slicer. Thank you Clark for the Christmas present.
We talked to Emily about the box and should we wait till Christmas. She said to go and open it. It was a bunch of letters from the family. We will wait to open them Christmas day. Mark and Connie sent a Christmas ornament with pictures on it of the family and Nanette sent a king size flat sheet which we couldn't find here. We were going to have Nanette bring us one when she comes in April. Interesting enough was that I had just washed sheets today. We took off old thin flat sheet and put on the new flat sheet that fit perfect. It is amazing how these small acts of kindness means so much to us. Thank You Family!!!
I spent the an hour making special frosting for the gingerbread houses. I tried to do a double batch of icing (we call it frosting) and it broke my hand mixer. I had to borrow another mixer to finish the job. We had a lovely time at the East Grinstead Ward Christmas Party. All around the room was tables set up for the party, a table for taking pictures, gingerbread houses, balloon making craft, small mince pie eating contest, DJ with lots of Christmas music. The food was in another room behind the cultural hall. I am including lots of pictures of the evening. Leslie Bridgstock has wonderful ideas and her husband, children and anyone she can get helps take these ideas and puts them in motion. I have to say that the gingerbread houses idea was mine. She wanted to do cookies but when I went to IKEA they had the gingerbread houses. The kids and parents loved it. All but one house got decorated. Pictures below.
Weather Report - rainy on and off all day long with lots of dark clouds. Inside was full of cheer and gratefulness to serve the London Mission. Today is the 4th day of dinners for the missionaries and the end of the work week. Mission President and Sister Stevens were so appreciative our service. Elder Wallace did transportation to and from Lingfield Train Station. I was asked to take the London Mission pictures in front of the temple. They thought I did such a great job a few days ago. It is nice to be appreciated. I even got on my knees to take the picture. We were tired and happy that we made it through the week! Sister Nielson and Sister Leavitt drove me home from the mission office. We packed all the supplies for gingerbread houses and drove to the East Grinstead Ward to put 20 gingerbread houses together for Saturdays Ward Christmas Party. The sisters wrapped the cardboard with aluminium foil while I made a special icing frosting with egg whites, icing sugar, and lemon juice. The sisters helped with most of the houses then left me to finish so they could go to the Visitors Centre by 7 pm to do a Garden Tour for a mutual. The interesting thing is there is few flowers right now and it is pitch black outside by 7 pm. The mutual got to walk around the London Temple and enjoy the lights. Elder Wallace came and got me from the church and help me finish the gingerbread houses. Afterwards we went grocery shopping at Sainburys. We haven't gone there for a long time. We bought food for Sunday dinner and a few other things for the week. We bought a frozen Goodfellow Pizza and root beer for dinner. We were going to watch a Hallmark Christmas movie but our internet hasn't been working right.
We forgot that we were going to dinner with the Seamons tonight until we were getting ready for bed. Hope they will forgive us.
Saturday, 16 December, 2017
Working Saturday! We picked up the van at 8 am and loaded a dryer for the sister missionaries in Crawley - Sister Lund and Sister Gates - and metal bed frames for elders in Burgess Hills - Elder Roper and Elder Armstrong. The sister missionaries were so appreciative and excited for the dryer. I told them it was our Christmas present to them. Most of the missionaries have to dry their clothes on drying racks. They asked if we could get rid of an office chair they didn't need. Of course, we can do that. We proceeded to drive to the the zone leaders flat in Burgess Hills. We helped set up their bed frames and helped change the room around. It is a tender mercy how things work out. The elders needed an office chair besides getting rid of a mattress, metal bunk bed frame, chair and a small couch. We came home loaded with more stuff (junk) than we went with. This is part of our job and we get to see a lot of the South of England we wouldn't of seen. I talked Elder Wallace in to taking the furniture to the rubbish instead of waiting for Monday. We are so glad we did because Elder and Sister Warnick are leaving at 8 am on Monday to go home. We returned the van and stopped in at the mission office. To our surprise there was a box from the kids and grand-kids. How wonderful and excited we were even though we told the kids not to send anything because of the expense.
We went shopping to the Crawley County Mall. It was hard to find a parking place. We had to drive all the way to the top of the car park. The County Mall was large and spacious and crowded. You could hear Christmas music and a few Christmas decorations but nothing like the malls at home. We just loved the sights and sounds of Christmas at the mall. People were polite and calm and not fazed by the crowds. I found a cream colored turtle neck shirt, a cheese slicer and a potato slicer. Thank you Clark for the Christmas present.
We talked to Emily about the box and should we wait till Christmas. She said to go and open it. It was a bunch of letters from the family. We will wait to open them Christmas day. Mark and Connie sent a Christmas ornament with pictures on it of the family and Nanette sent a king size flat sheet which we couldn't find here. We were going to have Nanette bring us one when she comes in April. Interesting enough was that I had just washed sheets today. We took off old thin flat sheet and put on the new flat sheet that fit perfect. It is amazing how these small acts of kindness means so much to us. Thank You Family!!!
I spent the an hour making special frosting for the gingerbread houses. I tried to do a double batch of icing (we call it frosting) and it broke my hand mixer. I had to borrow another mixer to finish the job. We had a lovely time at the East Grinstead Ward Christmas Party. All around the room was tables set up for the party, a table for taking pictures, gingerbread houses, balloon making craft, small mince pie eating contest, DJ with lots of Christmas music. The food was in another room behind the cultural hall. I am including lots of pictures of the evening. Leslie Bridgstock has wonderful ideas and her husband, children and anyone she can get helps take these ideas and puts them in motion. I have to say that the gingerbread houses idea was mine. She wanted to do cookies but when I went to IKEA they had the gingerbread houses. The kids and parents loved it. All but one house got decorated. Pictures below.
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| Leslie the Elf and the Clown that helps teach the art of making animals out of balloons. |
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| Leslie and Ellen!. Aren't we cute? Notice that Leslie is the Elf on the Shelve and I am her helper. |
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| Lights and white paper lace flags decorated the hall. |
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| Ready for the gingerbread decorating! |
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| These are the sweet sister on the Ward Christmas Party Committee. Sister Kelly, Emma Neale (she is Leslie daugher, and cuts my hair) and Leslie Bridgstock. |
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| Elder Wallace and David Bridgstock |
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| The winner of the Gingerbread House Contest. |
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| Sister Leavitt, Elder Palmer, Sister Nielson, and Elder Nuenedorf with Gingerbread House. |
How fun! We are sure that you experience in organizing parties is a big help to the ward members! You probably should use a flash on these dark pictures so we can see how good looking you guys are!
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