Departures and Grand Experiences

Our YSA wanted to have another Family Home Evening Monday and we jumped at the chance to do so. Our numbers are very small but that did not prevent us from having a really good FHE. Luc taught, starting with the Miracle of Forgiveness and continued with a discussion on overcoming the natural man. I really liked the quote he shared on the importance of never giving up on ourselves by Michael Jordan: "I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I've been trusted to throw the game-winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life, and that's why I succeed."

We will miss President and Sister Moffat ever so much but know we will be happy to have President and Sister Ogden come to lead us. It will be interesting to watch what changes will be made. The Ogdens are very lucky to have two great AP's, Elder Bearnson and Elder Brower, help them get a good start. President Moffat will be teaching an Institute class when he returns home which will make him very happy. Sister Moffat will be pulling her family back together, assuring them that they really don't love the missionaries more than them, which their probably believe, considering how much the Moffats love the England Birmingham Mission missionaries.

On Tuesday David Beale asked us to meet with him at Chepstow Castle. What a joy that turned out to be. David wants us to assimilate as much Welsh and English culture as we can while we are here. He is always looking for new places for us to visit and ways to do so. We had a good meeting with him and then toured the Castle which was fascinating. Most of the castles in Wales were built in the 1200's while the Anasazi were building or vacating their dwellings in the southwest part of the United States. The weather was perfect all day and we loved our lunch on the patio of the Afon Gwy pub overlooking the Wye River.

We then drove about seven miles to Tintern Abbey and went through the ruins there. It is surprisingly intact and grand, but missing the roof which allows the grass to grow inside, everywhere. It was beautiful and almost overwhelming. It was very large and much more intricate than I would have thought. Truly a lovely place to visit and a perfect day to sit outside and eat an ice cream cone.

James Snookes led the discussion of Henry B. Eyring's talk on Adversity at Institute in Roath Park Tuesday. He really brought out some thought-provoking ideas leading us to the conclusion that adversity in our lives can be a blessing if we respond to it well for it will refine and sanctify us we if respond to it properly. It will help us become what God wants us to be. James concluded, "This principle really strengthens my love for Heavenly Father."

While James was teaching, some rough, young guys walked by and started mocking James, and all of us. Without missing a beat James said, only loud enough for us to hear, "Ahh, the great and spacious building. Anyone want to join them?" We love James. Jess even came from Reading to be with us. Simon left for Seattle to coach football (soccer) this summer. He will certainly be missed.

Because Elder and Sister Owen are finishing their mission this week and they will not be replaced, we will now be inspecting nine additional flats for a total of 18 missionary flats from Swindon, England to Aberystwyth, Wales. We are now the only senior missionaries in all of South Wales.

Too Much Fun

The lessons this week by Luc on "hope" at FHE and by Simon on "covenants" at Institute on the Beach were so well done. I am always impressed at how well these young people teach. Of course these two are returned missionaries and that never hurts.

We had such a good time at the beach in Swansea. It was beautiful and the weather was great, but Elder Cable thinks he is as young as our YSA and tried to play Ultimate Frisbee with them but tumbled into the rocks and has a horribly looking (but not deep) wound on his forehead from the encounter. He just tried to have too much fun.

The sandcastle competition was great. We had great fun watching all of these young people work so hard for a long time to build the best tower to set their little rock on, and then fortifications to protect the tower. When the tide came in we watched with bated breath to see whose rock would stay above the tide the longest. The ones who won were the ones with the most experience and with the Captain Moroni approach. It was fun.

I have enjoyed the opportunity to do a little Family Search Indexing and was thrilled to find out that I can now use the Church's New Family Search and Family Tree. It is amazing to see the things they have on there and it will be fun when I have the opportunity to analyze and hopefully add to and, if necessary, change information right on-line. It is a great concept and brilliantly done. It will be so nice when all the bugs are worked out in Family Tree and it is out of the beta-testing.

We ended up at the Caerphilly District Meeting instead of our district meeting due to a communication glitch. It was great to meet with them and they were very kind to us. The spirit was present and we learned some very helpful things. Then Friday we went to Swindon to check one flat. It is fun to see the Elders even if it is just for a few minutes. Saturday we went to Cardiff and signed a new one-year lease for the Richards Terrace flat. I like that flat because it has wonderful lace curtains and you can hear the birds sing all the time as it is next to an aviary.

We are excited about Zone Conference on Monday but saddened by the thought that it will be the last one for President Richard and Sister Amy Moffat. They have been magnificent.

Changes, Transfers, Graduations and a Baptism

ROATH PARK RECREATION FIELD

Our students are going home for the summer and we will miss them, but at least some will still be around. Even in a week when you don't think much is happening, when you look back over the week, there have been quite a few memorable experiences. We all had fun at FHE playing "How's Yours?" a game my granddaughter, Melissa, told me about. Tuesday at Institute Luc led the discussion of Sister Lifferth's Conference talk on Respect and Reverence then they had great participation in playing Rounders. After that the men played Rugby while we ate goodies and talked. The weather was perfect even though the forecast was for rain. It was beautiful at Roath Park and so good to be outside.

Transfers brought many changes this time, as it is the last transfer day for President and Sister Moffat. I don't even like to think of them going home.

Seminary graduation was very nice. Of the eight graduates, six students have also been attending Institute: Melissa Dearden, Lydia James, Johnathan McColgan, Michael Parry, Laura Sutton and Michael Wilkinson. Michael Parry conducted and I haven't heard anyone do a finer job. He was amazing. He will be a great asset and a strong leader in the Church here in Wales. After the graduation they had ballroom dance lessons. They all participated and had a wonderful time. The treats by our Relief Society were beautiful and well received.

President Dearden's talk at Seminary Graduation was excellent, as usual. His points were (1) Learn what you need to learn; (2) Do what you should do; and (3) Be what you should be. One of the things he said when emphasizing that we must do what we should do is: "When you have trials and tribulations do not stop doing the things that will help you the most. Don't stop reading the scriptures, praying, attending Church, keeping the commandments. Don't stop. If you are drowning, don't stop swimming." He concluded by saying Seminary (and by extension, Institute) is a part of all three things. "We are to learn, do and become. The gospel of Jesus Christ is not about attendance. It is about perfection."

Edward Bruce's baptism was nice and he was happy. Everything worked out in spite of some early cliches. It was a nice evening. We enjoyed meeting the new missionaries in our area.

Flat Stanley

This week our granddaughter, Paige, who is eight years old sent us a Flat Stanley and asked us to take photos of him in his travels and send them back to her to share with her school class.  He had a great time with our Institute students, going to Family Home Evening, and playing frisbee at Roath Park.  He also enjoyed the Institute lesson given by Luc Rasmussen at Castle Coch, but only watched them play "wide games" and it is a good thing because the YSAs sustained quite a number of injuries.  Thank goodness none of them were serious.  

On Wednesday we went to Caerphilly to teach with the Elders but the investigator was not home when we arrived, she broke the appointment and Elder Ezard was especially upset because he hated to have us come all that way and not be able to teach with them. We said, "It is just a part of missionary work."  

Elder Stevenson serves in Pontypridd but was on splits this day. He joined the Church a year or two ago after being stopped on the street by the missionaries who came up to him and said, "We are Momons and you probably think we believe in polygamy, well we don't." That was a unique approach but it peaked his interest and he listened, learned and was baptized. He then met and became engaged to a life-long member and still decided to come on a mission. He is still engaged and he is still a great missionary. However, he seldom uses the approach that caused him to listen.  

Thursday we taught Peter with Elder Wood and Elder Gerber and it was a great privilege to be there. An experience like we had that evening is impossible to convey properly but it had a tremendous impact on all of us. I have seldom had such a deeply moving experience.  

We had such a good time at Nando's and love that our YSA thought enough of us to invite us to spend the evening there with them.  The "Student House Seven" photo was taken at the Bristol Convention.  Pictured are Luc Rasmussen, Jess Witts, Nancy Hole, Dai Hole, James Snookes, Sean Chen Chen and Paul Pratt.  Sean has gone back to China and we miss him terribly.