Looking Back

Well, our taxes are submitted to the accountant.  Woo hoo!!  That's the advantage of being a young missionary.  You don't have to worry about filing taxes.  It's been an interesting experience to try and do taxes without our files close at hand.  Thanks to our dear friend Cindy for her constant service to us while we serve here.  We could not do this without her. 

We continue to stay very busy.  We love serving in the England London Mission.  Today the mission held its Mission Leadership Council.  It was so fun to see missionaries who were just new to the mission when we came last May now called as leaders in the mission. Such amazing youth we have the privilege to serve with here in London.

For recording purposes we are going to take a look back at some of our experiences since arriving here.  The lovely month of May found us adjusting to mission life.  We love our little flat located halfway between the Hyde Park Chapel Visitor Center and Harrods.  For those of you who do not know, Harrods is one of the largest department stores in the world and probably one of the most expensive as well.  It was an adjustment to be on shift 6 hours a day 6 days a week, which is really closer to 7 or 8 hours depending on the day.  One week we work the 9 am to 3 pm shift and the next week we work the 3 pm to 9 pm shift with Thursday as our pday.  Thats when we get to do laundry, clean the flat, and go exploring.
Laundry is interesting here.  We have a combined washer/dryer in the same machine which basically means the dryer does not dry...hehe.  So we have laundry strung across the kitchen and hope for the best that it will dry in 24 hours.  Never take a clothes dryer for granted again.

Prior to coming on our mission Michael had told me that wherever we were called he would get me a Bosch so I could continue to bake to my hearts content.  He kept that promise!!

 Little did I know how different it would be to bake here in England.  Not only is the humidity so much higher but the ingredients I am so used to having at home are not available here such as shortening, brown sugar, karo syrup, etc etc etc.  The biggest problem of all is the FLOUR.  No matter what I tried to bake it never turned out like it did at home.  Challenge ACCEPTED!!  Thanks to incredible family and friends we received literally suitcases filled with flour, brown sugar, diced green chilis, tortilla shells, shortening and a boatload of other delectable goods.  So very grateful for the goodness of people to bring these to us.  Let the baking begin!!

Just today we took about 15 dozen chocolate chip cookies to the Visitors Center and by the time we left they were pretty much gone.  It is such a treat to hand these missionaries a few home made cookies.  Just love the looks on their faces!  Before our family and friends brought the treasured goods to us we went on several hunts throughout London in search of American baking goods.  Through online research I discovered the flour is different here in the UK due to the protein content so it bakes differently.  They have plain flour, soft flour, strong flour, bread flour, very strong flour, self rising flour....and the list goes on.  We heard about The American Store in Notting Hill.  So one day after shift we grabbed our trolley (the shopping bag on wheels) and headed out across Hyde Park in search of American flour.  And look what we found on the way!!

Our first time through Hyde Park.  So beautiful.  

The Prince Albert Memorial

Royal Albert Hall

 And across the lake, home to beautiful white swans and ducks, lies

Kensington Palace!!

To this day we will often look each other in the eye and say "Pinch me please"  Are we really here?  We made it to the American Food Store where everything was pretty much double or triple the price it is in America.  But familiar was good and we filled our trolley and made our way home ready to bake the next batch of cookies or loaf of bread for those amazing missionaries.

We also experienced our first official wedding at the Hyde Park Chapel.  In England they are required by law to be wed first before going to the Temple.  So this young couple, Svenja and Aaron, made their way down the aisle of the chapel and officially became husband and wife before heading south to the London Temple where they were sealed for time and all eternity.

What a tremendous blessing it is for us to serve here.  We love testifying of Jesus Christ.  We set goals daily as we begin each shift with the sisters as to what we want to accomplish during the shift.  We see miracles every day.