WELCOME HOME!!

We are so grateful for the warm welcome we have received here.  The Hulets and Elder Gale were good enough to take us to our flat and one of the Assistants to the President lugged our suitcases down our steep steps into our flat.  Then the Hulets met up with us to help us get an oyster card (what is needed to use the tube and the buses here) and take us to the Sainsbury store and introduce us to English grocery shopping.  A new experience indeed.  In order to use a grocery cart you insert a 1 pound coin into a device on the cart and it releases a chain which hooks it onto the next cart.  Quite genius actually.  They should start this in the US.  Maybe fewer carts would "walk away".

When we entered our flat we were greeted by such a sweet surprise.  President and Sister Irwin (Joseph's mission president and his wife) had come from the London Temple where they are serving in the temple presidency and filled our pantry and refrigerator with food leaving a lovely plant and a welcome home greeting card on our little table.  It takes over an hour to get here from the temple.  And lugging a pantry full of food on public transport is not a small task.  These two people continue to bless our lives in countless ways.  Even in the midst of a family tragedy of their own they are out serving and loving.  Such a fine example for us to follow!!  We LOVE the Irwins!!

That evening we stayed up until 2 am unpacking but it felt good.  We were due for our orientation at the Visitors Center the next day so we wanted to have things as much in order as possible so that we could serve with all our heart, might, mind, and strength.  Here are pictures of the flat we now call home.  It a basement flat but it has lots of light and an English garden in the back...wow.  It is just 1/2 mile walk to the Visitors Center in one direction and 1/2 mile walk to Harrods in the other direction.  Those who know me well will understand the value of this location...wink wink.  Welcome to our humble abode!!

The steps down to our flat from Brompton Square.

Note...slippery when wet..

Our living room area

Below is our dining "area.  Straight back is the bedroom door. 

First door to the left is the bathroom.

Second door to the left is the kitchen.

The Bathroom

The Kitchen

Note: at least the frig is a little bigger than an under the counter

like we thought we were getting.  Still significantly smaller than

US refrigerators.  And yes, we have a washer/dryer combo.

The washer works (small loads only)...the dryer part...not so much.

And YES we even get a half size dishwasher!!

The Bedroom

And the crowning glory...our English Garden just outside the 

kitchen doors.

(note...the shower rod across the door that we use to hang dry ALL our clothes

except the sheets...they hang from corner to corner in the kitchen to dry....)

As you can see the pictures here were taken after we moved in and were settled.  We now have pictures of family up on the wall and it is beginning to feel more like home.  We are grateful for such wonderful accommodations so close to the Visitors Center.  The mission office was thinking of moving us further out to try and save money(we live in a VERY expensive part of London) but decided at least for now to allow us the privilege of living close by as we are required to be on shift at the Visitors Center six days a week.  We could not be more grateful.  As we turn down our street to walk home each night this is our view.  We will often break into song "I have often walked down this street before..." from My Fair Lady  because our street looks just like those in the latter scenes.  How blessed are we?  So very very blessed.  We just hope that we can bless others lives for good in our mission here.  

Welcome Home!!