Hello from the UK

Dear friends and family,  What a crazy week we have had, Since going to the Portsmouth Stake Conference last weekend, we have travelled to Bournemouth and back, a 1 1/2 hour trip each way to interview missionaries, To Bristol and back, a 2 1/2 hour trip each way for interviews and last weekend a 3 1/2 hour trip each way to Plymouth for 2 days, to interview missionaries and talk at their 2 day Stake Conference, Yesterday we drove to Reading another 1 1/2 hour drive each way for their zone interviews and in-between 50 mile round trips to the mission office, our millage is now at 11,000 miles. We are bracing ourselves for this weekend, as we are having 4 Sisters and 4 Elders going home, which means a Temple Session early Saturday morning, then they go into London to see the sights, we usually go with them but this weekend is the Maidstone Stake Conference so we won't be able to go this time as we have speaking assignments, but we have begged off the evening Session because we will be having family home evening with the departing missionaries and we always have dinner with them,   Sunday we have to speak at the Maidstone Stake Conference, then President Millar has to do exit interviews with the departing missionaries, after which we will have another meal, which the office Sisters cook, have a Testimony meeting with the missionaries, then an ice cream social.                              
     Well that will take care of the departing missionaries, but then Monday they will leave for home and we will get the new missionaries coming from the Chorley MTC by bus, they should arrive at about 12 noon, We feed them a good lunch then President Millar will have to interview them and assign them to their new trainers, so the Temple Grounds and Visitors Center will be humming with the choice youth of the Church,  We then get the privilege of having our pictures taken with each one in front of the Christus. While the President is doing the interviews I will be helping the office sisters make sack lunches for the new missionaries and their trainers to take with them to their new areas.
  It's making me tired thinking about it, but it really is exciting and we are loving it, Early Tuesday morning we are leaving to go to Madrid Spain for 4 days 3 nights for the European Mission Presidents Conference, We will tell you all about it when we get back.   The trees are all changing and it is beautiful, but the leaves are falling faster than we would like, but we are loving it here,
      God bless, We love you all and miss you, You are always in our prayers, We hope everyone had a wonderful birthday this month.  President and Sister Millar

Sorry

It just dawned on us that it has been two whole weeks since we reported in.  We are alive and well, just a little bit busy.  After enjoying the broadcast of general conference we launched into a bit of a spell.  We had a new couple arrive, then we had a Sister form the Scottish-Ireland mission come to stay for a week so she could attend the temple.  She is from Georgia (former USSR).  She is cute and bubbly and speaks with a Scottish accent mingled with Russian. The next day we sent another senior couple home.  We don't interact very much with the senior couples while they are here.  They work under the direction of the Stake presidents, so we try to fuss over them a little when they arrive and leave.
    It is also time to interview missionaries again. We travel to the various Zones, it does take a bit of time and mileage.  We are now up to 10,200 miles since arriving.  Last weekend we travelled to Portsmouth for Stake Conference. We stayed overnight and interviewed the missionaries, Also had to speak in conference.  This is Sister Millar's favourite thing.. She is getting much better and more comfortable.
     I had a missionary come forward with a belated confession of pre-mission transgression which took up many long distance phone calls and some additional travel.
     This week we travelled down to Poole to interview that Zone on Tuesday.On  Wednesday we sent some missionaries home. Today we travelled to Bristol for a Zone training just getting home in time for a doctors appointment. Oh, on Wednesday we also  had a meeting on the E-mission project we have going.  We presented out work to the area 70 who also is over the public relations for the UK. Some of you receive the weekly email that originates from our mission office. Lots of exciting things going on.
     Tomorrow I will meet with the Assistant to the President to finalise transfers that are coming up on the 29th.  We have 4 Elders and 4 Sisters going home.  Only one sister and 5 elders are coming.  If you do the math it doesn't come out even, which means some creative companionships.
     We will try to do better to keep you up to date.  We love the principle of repentance  and forgiveness .We are happily going crazy and enjoying every minute of it.    Until next time  We send our love and a Happy Birthday to all the October gang.  The Gospel is true and we know it.


,

three months

Sorry, little late again.  Last Wednesday we had Zone Leaders council here at the Mission home.  The house seems a bit full with 20 Elders ( 9 companionships of zone leaders and 2 Assistant to the president).  We feed them a light breakfast: sweet rolls, fruit, yogurt and juice.  Then at lunch time we had pulled pork sandwiches, baked beans, and salad.  Sister Millar had the biggest pot of baked beans I've ever seen, and four pork loin roasts.  There were not many scraps left.  It is like having 20 appetites like Philip, Andrew, and Paul all at once. We love it.  The topic of the conference was on leadership skills and follow-up. I'm putting more responsibilities on the zone leaders and on the District leaders.  It seems dangerous but they need to learn how to be leaders for the rest of their lives.  Some of them are going home to countries where they will be the next generation of Bishops and Stake Presidents.
     We are starting the next round of interviews.  This mean Sister Millar and I travel to a zone and interview 16-18 missionaries that day.  Since the Zones are quite large, we often go to three different chapels.  We have a car, the missionaries are on public transport.  We try to get them back to work as soon as possible.  It is like a school day.  We pack a lunch and eat in the car on the road from one stop to the next.  It does make us smile and it is wonderful to interact with these  beautiful young souls.

 Hever Castle, childhood home of Anne Boleyn

Italian Gardens at Hever Castle, built by the John Jacob Astor  family in1902

One of the two moats around Hever Castle, buildings in the back were for those rebuilding the Castle and grounds.

  Zone leaders council Sept 26, 2012

    Last Saturday was a warm fall day.  Felt like we should have been going to a football game. Sister Millar said "let go to Hever Castle" , the home of Anne Boleyn. I said lets wait until Monday. Then I remembered , you can't trust London weather, so we went.  It was a gorgeous cool day, with the leaves starting to change.  Will attach some photos we took.  We do find a little diversion time, it is not all nose to the grindstone.  We are healthy, happy and well fed. Excitedly awaiting General Conference this weekend.        `love to all   ``President and Sister Millar