Nov 25 - Dec 8

Tis the Season to be Jolly!
More importantly, tis the Season to give thanks and remember Christ!

We have tried to remember the meaning of the holidays as we've busily planned, prepared, cooked, and enjoyed the many activities, lights, and festivities centered around Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

Thanksgiving

Institute Dinner

Preparation was huge. We have three ovens but none of them are big enough to hold a large turkey. So,we cooked 6 turkey breasts & 1 small turkey. The preparation for the meal began three days before the big feast. We basically precooked everything and then reheated it in several crockpots. It worked out beautifully and no one went hungry. We served 45 young adults and worked our 'tails' off making everything look and taste just like an American Thanksgiving dinner. Included were homemade pies (8), homemade rolls (60), homemade stuffing, homemade gravy, homemade cranberry sauce, fresh snipped beans, corn, mashed potatoes (30 lbs of peeled potatoes), sweet potatoes (10 lbs), and many delicious pieces of moist turkey. Pete made a jello salad. Unfortunately, their 'jelly' as they call it takes much longer to set. So, we ate it for home evening dessert instead of Thanksgiving dinner. 

Thanksgiving at Barnsley 

A kind ward member invited all the senior missionaries and the mission president and his wife to a traditional Thanksgiving dinner at his small home the following Saturday.  There were 27 of us who attended. The meal was beautifully decorated and made to authenticate an American Thanksgiving. It was delicious and fun to celebrate with the senior missionaries we dearly love. 

Christmas

Home Evening Decorating the Building

The kids had fun putting up trees and decorating the institute building. It was a bit confusing as everyone was putting stuff up everywhere and anywhere. Suprisingly it all turned out lovely. Refreshments and decorating were all mingled together.

 

Christmas at Burton Agnes Hall & Gardens

Marian, our dear friend and secretary at the institute, invited us to visit a stately home in Burton Agnes. She was so excited to take us to the town and lovely mansion that was decorated beautifully for Christmas. Afterwards, we ate fish and chips at a restaurant just outside of York.

Christmas Alpacas Outside the Stately Home

Two Christmas Donkeys

Outside Mobile Pizza Oven

Sitting by the fire in the Main Hall Listening to Christmas Music by Salvation Army

The Manger Scene was Made by Primary School Children

Grassington

We visited my favorite little town in NorthernYorkshire, Grassington. It's a small town and every year near Christmas they put on a Dickins Festival. It was lovely even if it rained and was very cold. We enjoyed watching the locals dance, sing, and dress in Dickens attair. There were also lots of varied booths with food and trinkets. 

 

Scenery on our Drive Home

Elder and Sister Carrier

It's always a treat to have time away from missionary work. We still love the work but also love seeing the beautiful places in England. 

November 10 - 24

The Living Christ, The Testimony of The Apostles

Christmas is fast approaching in England. Beautiful decorations are everywhere and it's all very beautiful!

Aside from all the glitter and shine of Christmas that surrounds us, we  have been challenged to memorize the Living Christ. I've got it all memorized and Elder Carrier is very close. It's been a great experience for us and we've felt the spirit in memorizing this great document about our Savior, Jesus Christ. It's a sacred document about His life & Atonement. One of my favorite lines in the Living Christ Testimony comes from a scripture in the Doctrine & Covenants 110:3-4. It reads:

"I am the first and the last; I am he who liveth, I am he who was slain; I am your advocate with the Father."

I'm grateful to have memorized this document. It's strengthened my testimony as I've repeated over and over each line that teaches of our Savior! I love and adore Him. What He has done for me has even more meaning in my life now. The last words in the testimony of the apostles reads,

"God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son."

I am eternally grateful for the knowledge and understanding I have of a loving Savior. I do indeed thank God for the 'matchless gift of His divine Son.'

More Good-bye's

Elder Engman & Elder Ethington are leaving our district.
Elder Engman has been our zone leader. He is going home to Ghana. His mom and dad are serving as mission presidents in Nigeria. He is a great missionary and we will miss him.
Elder Ethington was transferred to Sheffield. We'll see him again. He was a new missionary and we've watched him grow and learn to speak Farci. He is a fine Elder. We will miss him too.

Elder Engman

Nov 17 - 40th Year Anniversary for US

I'm so grateful for the good man I married. Forty years has passed quickly and we've been blessed in many, many, ways and have survived some trials together too. During those few hard times we became closer. As we look back now we only remember the blessings! 

Below are the ways we celebrated our 40 years together!

The Musical, The King and I. 

There is a wonderful theater in downtown Leeds. Pete was able to buy tickets on the third row of the theater for the show. It was perfect and we sat and enjoyed every minute of the performance. The singing, the orchestra, the scenery---all of it was incredible!

Perfect seats right in the center 3rd row

Dinner with the Office Sisters
They treated us to a very lovely dinner at one of the finer Greek restaurants.

Manchester Piccadilly Square
After the temple on Saturday, November 17th we took a slight detour to downtown Manchester to see the Institute of Religion there and to see downtown Manchester. 

Temple Trip for our Anniversary
After getting permission to leave the mission we spent 4 hours in the Preston temple doing a great service there. 

Anniversary Dinner with some of our favorite YSA
They invited us to a nice restaurant in downtown Leeds. We always have so much fun with these kids. Love, love, them all!
Middle, Jason Mitchell & Meg Clayton (a new blooming romance), Right Ellie Holden & Adam Westwood (been a couple for a while)

Christmas is Leeds

We have enjoyed all the wonderful decorations near us. Below is a picture of the German Christmas Village in Millennia Square in Leeds. It's a short 10 minute walk from the institute. 

In the evening it's usually crowded

Nutcrackers for sale!

A beautiful carousel is right in the middle of the Christmas Village

Pete loves the German brats. They're 20 inches long and quite tasty.

The mission sisters were with us enjoying all the little shops. Fun!! After strolling the German Christmas Village we went to see the movie, "The Aeronauts." 

Donna Nook Grey Seal Colony

Once a year many seals leave the North Sea to have their pups and mate. President & Sister Green told us about this wonderful wildlife phenomena. Thousands had left the sea and were planted on the land. The new born pups made a sound that sounded like they were saying, "momma." We saw baby's nursing and the mom's patting their arms/fins on the pups....very sweet to see. A still born pup was near it's mom and the ranger told us they had tried to remove the carcus but the mom was very agressive and each attempt ended in failure. It was a cold, wet day but we ventured out to see it all before they seals scooted back into the sea. 

The pup on the right was born the morning we were there. They get big quickly. 

Mom & Her Newborn

We dressed warm!

Walk Through the Campus

As we've walked each morning when it isn't raining, we've repeated the Living Christ together. We seem to walk further and notice the cold less when we're walking and memorizing. 

Below is the picture of our favorite part of the Leeds University. In the rear is the Great Hall, a beautiful old, old building on the Campus grounds. The place of gathering is in the front. The students all call it 'the bacon' because the modern art piece looks like bacon to them. 

We're tired of the rain!!! But, we never tire of serving a mission and working with the single adults in the England, Leeds Mission. It's one way we can serve and show love to our Heavenly Father and His beloved Son. We truly are blessed!

"God be thanked for the matchless gift of His Divine Son!"