1-7 March 2019

Friday, 1 March 2019

• Went to the London Temple with the departing missionaries.  We had pictures in front of the London Temple, lunch in cafeteria, endowment and sealing session.  Loved seeing President and Sister Checkett's waiting for us in the celestial room welcoming us.  Reminds me of when we return home meeting our heavenly parents. It reminds me also of when we will return home to our children and grandchildren.

Saturday, 2 March 2019

• Cleaned the kitchen while Clark did the grocery shopping.  I wiped out all the cupboards, organized, threw out and got rid of extra items.  
• Walked to a charity shop and dropped off a bag of clothes.  Most of the clothes I brought with me from Utah. We also got our walking in.
• Visited Elder & Sister Phillips showed us their place.  We will be staying in it when the our replacements come.
• Found out that our replacements won't come until 12 of March instead of the 9th.  We cannot change anything for our departure or our trip to Paris/Frankfurt.  Might be able to have a few hours when we return on the 25 March.

Sunday, 3 March 2019

• Church in Lea Valley 
• Arranged for someone to be the choirester in Sacrament meeting for the month of March.
• Arranged for the BYU exchange students to do music for Primary during the month of March.
• Dinner for the Bullocks, Ernstroms, and Fawsons.
• wrote in blog
• talked to Emily - Connor is sick and running a fever of 104.  Took him to the doctor and nothing they can do for him.  Has a terrible cough.
• Nice talk with Sister Checketts about the office and the dynamics and the training for Elder & Sister Hartvigsens.  We do love the Ernstrom and will miss them.
• Elder Wallace & I worked for two hours doing updates to the Transfer Board.  

Monday, 4 March 2019

• Went shopping at 8 am to buy food for Departing Missionary Dinner.
• Elder Wallace checked out a flat in
• I worked in the office till 1:30 pm and worked the rest of the day at President & Sister Checkett's home. Sister Checketts and I made Trifle - the best I have made!  Got Sister Cannon (from Arizona) and Elder Andrade (from Portugal) to help peel potatoes and carrots.  Taught Sister Checkett's tips on cooking an oven roast.  
• Elder Wallace and Elder Ernstom took out the luggage to Mecure Hotel and returned in time to help mash potatoes and cut the roasts for dinner.
• Dinner started at 5:30 pm 

  

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• Testimony Mtg went till 9 pm
• Elder Wallace took missionaries to hotel.  We had 11 sister and 1 elder leaving the mission and two couples.  -Phillips and us!
• Sister Ikavesa (from Tonga) stayed the night with us.  Not sure what happened to her companion.  I am her new companion tonight BUT I told Sister Checkett's I won't sleep in the same room with her.  She took a shower and went to bed.  She didn't even say good night.  

Tuesday, 5 March 2019

• Transfers and new arrivals - 134 missionaries were involved with transfers today.  We had 15 new missionaries arrive today.  2 from Provo MTC and 13 from Preston MTC. 
• Transfers days fast pace and exciting and exhausting.  A special devotional was held for at noon with all the missionaries involved with transfers which included 134 disciples of Christ.  Luncheon followed with Subway sandwiches, crisps, oranges, apples, and cookies with bottled water.  
• Spent the rest of the afternoon working on passports and visas and meeting the needs of the missionaries.  

  

  Elder Shin & Elder Connor wanted a pciture
  with me.  How sweet?

• A miracle happened today.  We had planned to take Sister Ikavesa to the airport at 6:30 pm.  Just before that we received a call from the Barcalona Mission.  One of their missionaries were going home to Tahiti when a travel visa wasn't in place and needed to be picked up at Heathrow Terminal 2.  Sister Ikavesa was departing from Heathrow Terminal 2 also.  We dropped of Sister Ikavesa and picked up Elder Chin Ah You.  He was so glad to see us.  We had to shop at Costco for MLC luncheon tomorrow.  He had never been to a Costco and Elder Chin Ah You hadn't eaten for a long time.  I went shopping while Elder Wallace bought two hot dogs and a drink for our new guest.  And when I say guest I mean the Wallace B&B was up and running.    He hadn't slept in two days.  He feel asleep on the way home and we had to wake him up and Elder Wallace took him home, showed him flat and where he would sleep.  I returned to the office to finish working on passports. Elder Wallace returned shortly after  to the office and Elder Chin Ah You went right to sleep.  

  

  Elder Chin Ah You taking him to
  Heathrow Airport. 

Wednesday, 6 March 2019

• First order of the day was to finish shopping for MLC at Tesco.  Life seems so natural in England.  Driving on the opposite side of the road doesn't bother us, Tesco, our favorite grocery shop has our favorite lady that checks us out, the smaller streets and multiple condensed rows and rows of buildings housing the people of England, the blue skies in the morning and the rolling clouds and rain in the afternoon and the line of people outside the museums is yet surprisingly normal.  I will think of England as my second home and I will miss it like miss the Rocky Mountains that surround our home.  
• We woke Elder Chin Ah You and let him know that breakfast was on the table and we were going shopping.  
• Lots of help making Cafe Rio lunch for the missionaries - Elder & Sister Bullock, Sister Baum, Elder & Sister Ernstrom beside my sweet husband.  These are my Helaman Army and angels.  I could not do it with them.  
• Cooking the meat was a challenge.  I was using the instapot and crock pot cooker.  But with prayers and hard work and the help of everyone, we put on a delicious lunch which the missionaries were very appreciative.  They always sing to us 'We'll Bring the World His Truth' and as the song ends sings, Thank you for the food!  I was able to see our guest and talk to him for a few minutes.  Elder Chin Ah You was attending MLC.  
• We worked in the office until 6:30 pm and returned home to feed Elder Chin Ah You left overs from lunch.  He ate two burritos.  
• We took Elder Chin Ah You to the airport and wished him well.  Elder Chin Ah You said that he felt like he had come home staying with us and taking care of him.  He was a pure delight to be around - happy and cheerful and helpful.  
• Arrived home to cleanup and work on blog.  The Lord has blessed us this week with energy and stamina.   The Lord truly does bless his missionaries.  We have felt of the Lord's blessings and protection.  I listened to President Nelson's talk of Oct 2001.  

Thursday, 7 March 2019

• Every day is busy and never ending at the office.  Elder & Sister Severson came into the office today to see what the office staff does.  They will be the new Mission President and wife in Mexico City in July.  They want to get a jump start on knowing what the office staff duties are.  I was in the middle of recording baptisms and was a great time to show them all about the program I use and many other programs and jobs I do.  They invited us out for lunch which we accepted.  We had got a call from Sister Checketts that our dinner plans were off because of a son coming into town today.  The Severson's took us to a Thai restaurant a few blocks away.  We had a wonderful time visiting and talking about their coming mission and how were they preparing.  Elder Severson went on a mission there and is brushing up on his Spanish and Sister Severson is praying in Spanish and learning all the body's names.  
• We got to see Queen Elizabeth from the 3rd floor of our building. Exciting part of the day was all of us crowded up to the windows looking down below watching the Land Rover pull in front of the science museum, went inside for about 20 minutes and came out.  A  young girl curtsied and gave her some flowers.
• Returned back to work and received a call from Sister Checketts saying they can still go out for dinner.  At 5 pm the Ernstroms, Checkett's and we took a taxi to Mayfair.   We went to an Italian Restaurant and had the most delicious and relaxing meal.  Sister Checkett's bought me a pair of pajamas that I had seen on her the day before and loved.  (Put them on as soon as I got home.  Yah!!! new pj's to wear on our trip. I love them!)  The restaurant was a bit noise but the tasty food made up for it.  I had salmon that was out of the world.  Felt bad that I spilled my water glass during dinner all over the table cloth, floor and a bit on President Checketts.  He was very gracious about it all.