Dear Family, Another very busy week. `i've been trying to interview all the Elders and Sisters prior to the next transfer, which is next week, Aug 8th. We have 10 Elders going home and another new 10 arriving. This will make 27 companionships with new elders or sisters invalid in the twelve week training routine. To put that in perspective , we have about 148 missionaries. Take out three for the office, 18 for ~one leaders and 2 for Assistants to the president. That leaves about 60 companionships, so we have nearly one out two companionships are training new arrivals.. ````This makes a young mission. They are fantastic young people. We interviewed four zones this week. One of them included the channel island so we traveled to `poole on Thursday, interview the missionaries on the mainland, stayed overnight then sailed on The Condor Ferry to Jersey, gave a fireside that night (both Sister Millar and I spoke) Val is doing very well. Saturday we sailed from ```Jersey to Geurnsey. Checked into the hotel, found a family for the elders to teach, then went on three teaching appointments with the elders.. We then took them to dinner at nice restaurant at about nine o'clock. `in the midst of all this, one Elder who has had severe depression and some self harm issues needed to be sent home emergently, and a Sister's father had a heart attack with cardiac arrest. Cpr was done quickly but currently he is in an induced coma with mild hypothermia. `it will be another day before we know the outcome. Since being here `i've called Germany more than a dozen times, Russia, India, Denmark, as well as the USA. Thank goodness for good cell phones and email.
We have now driven over 3000 miles. The distances are amazing, lot of it in traffic or on British motorways and round abouts. Today `i've been taking a break reading the weekly letters `(148) plus reports for all the zone leader, district leaders and trainers. Both Sister `Millar and I look at each other and smile realising that we are happy and surprised that we can really keep up the pace. And enjoy it.
B.J. thank you for your email , it is great to here from home. All missionaries love mail``````````!
Cherio for now.
Monday, July 30, 2012
Monday, July 23, 2012
still upright and moving
Dear family and friends, We continue to be very busy. We are trying to interview al 148 missionaries in the mission in two weeks. This is so I can know them all before our first transfers on Aug 8th.. Four weeks ago we had 17 new missionaries arrive, in two more weeks we get another 10. Nearly half of all our companionships have new people who are still being trained. Lots of new blood , that's good because they haven't learned too many bad habits yet and we can train them right.We have now put over 2500 miles on our car since arriving, almost all of it on the correct side of the road.
Things are really gearing up for the Olympics which start this weekend. Several of the venues are in our mission. WE will be trying to get as many people as possible to commit to an email contact. They can be then taught by chat all over the world. We are teaching people from all over the world and in some cases even in countries where missionaries can't go. It is really exciting ,the possibilities!
This weekend we can't move around much in Surrey because of road closures for two days , so we are planning on visiting the channel islands of Jersey and Geurnsey. We will get back to the mission home late Sunday night.
Last Saturday and Sunday we went down to the Cornwall area near Lands End. We attended church there. Valerie ( Sister Millar) has talked several times now and is getting much more comfortable. We are very busy and running around a lot but we have a happy peaceful feeling as we topple into bed each night. I for one will be glad when I can sleep beyond 4:30 or 5:00 AM. I have yet to set an alarm clock or over sleep.The Sun comes up at 4AM and goes down about 10PM.
The Gospel is true and we see miracles every day in the lives of our missionaries.
Forever faithful president and Sister Millar ps will attach a photo of St Micheal's island near Helston towards Lands End.
Things are really gearing up for the Olympics which start this weekend. Several of the venues are in our mission. WE will be trying to get as many people as possible to commit to an email contact. They can be then taught by chat all over the world. We are teaching people from all over the world and in some cases even in countries where missionaries can't go. It is really exciting ,the possibilities!
This weekend we can't move around much in Surrey because of road closures for two days , so we are planning on visiting the channel islands of Jersey and Geurnsey. We will get back to the mission home late Sunday night.
Last Saturday and Sunday we went down to the Cornwall area near Lands End. We attended church there. Valerie ( Sister Millar) has talked several times now and is getting much more comfortable. We are very busy and running around a lot but we have a happy peaceful feeling as we topple into bed each night. I for one will be glad when I can sleep beyond 4:30 or 5:00 AM. I have yet to set an alarm clock or over sleep.The Sun comes up at 4AM and goes down about 10PM.
The Gospel is true and we see miracles every day in the lives of our missionaries.
Forever faithful president and Sister Millar ps will attach a photo of St Micheal's island near Helston towards Lands End.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Staying alive
Tues JULY 17,2012
Another week has gone by. We've now driven 1700 miles. `last week we had the two zone conferences then on Saturday we drove down to the Bristol zone to do personal interviews. This took all day plus it is about 150 miles each way. `on the way home our friendly "Tom-Tom", ( satellite navigation system) took us on some beautiful roads through the Salsibury `plains. `yes, we drove right past Stonehenge. It was beautiful. I had hoped to include a picture, but `i'm still trying to figure out this new computer, it is a little different. The amount of things to process and take care of never seems to slacken but it feels rewarding and we have a peaceful reassurance that we can do this. We love you hope to get better at documenting our journey. `i've got still 100 letters to read. `love to all!
Another week has gone by. We've now driven 1700 miles. `last week we had the two zone conferences then on Saturday we drove down to the Bristol zone to do personal interviews. This took all day plus it is about 150 miles each way. `on the way home our friendly "Tom-Tom", ( satellite navigation system) took us on some beautiful roads through the Salsibury `plains. `yes, we drove right past Stonehenge. It was beautiful. I had hoped to include a picture, but `i'm still trying to figure out this new computer, it is a little different. The amount of things to process and take care of never seems to slacken but it feels rewarding and we have a peaceful reassurance that we can do this. We love you hope to get better at documenting our journey. `i've got still 100 letters to read. `love to all!
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Dear family, Sorry for the long delay. Computer problems, thank goodness for some techy assisants who are helping me get connected. The first 8 days have been some what busy. Sister Millar and I both caught colds, probably on the long flight with enclosed spaces. Slowly feeling better,,Hoping to sleep better.
Since arrival I've driven over 800 miles English style in the worst traffic I have ever seen. We've been out teaching with the missionaries, attended baptisms and have conducted our first multi-zone conference. Did I mention that we were 2 1/2 hours late because I put petrol in the diesel and had to have the tank pumped dry. To give you a flavor for the mission, we have missionaries from 40 different countries. The first baptismal interview I did was for a man from Nepal, who was Hindu,speaks 7 languages,has a PhD in some type of engineering. The baptism we attended was for a young student at Oxford from Uganda. He was baptized by a recent convert from China and one of the missionaries that taught him is a recent Muslim convert from Germany. Talk about going into all the world. All the world has come to us here in London South.
We have two more multi-zone conferences next week, then I need to get all 138 missionaries plus 18 Senior couples interviewed the following week. This will be in preparation for new arrivals (15) with 11 going home on August 8th.. On Aug 10th-11th we fly to Frankfurt,Germany for an area conference with the 15 new mission Presidents in our area. Each monday I receive 138 email letter from my missionaries that need to be read by Wed. Not much spare time but we are loving it. The people are great and loving. We love you all.
Since arrival I've driven over 800 miles English style in the worst traffic I have ever seen. We've been out teaching with the missionaries, attended baptisms and have conducted our first multi-zone conference. Did I mention that we were 2 1/2 hours late because I put petrol in the diesel and had to have the tank pumped dry. To give you a flavor for the mission, we have missionaries from 40 different countries. The first baptismal interview I did was for a man from Nepal, who was Hindu,speaks 7 languages,has a PhD in some type of engineering. The baptism we attended was for a young student at Oxford from Uganda. He was baptized by a recent convert from China and one of the missionaries that taught him is a recent Muslim convert from Germany. Talk about going into all the world. All the world has come to us here in London South.
We have two more multi-zone conferences next week, then I need to get all 138 missionaries plus 18 Senior couples interviewed the following week. This will be in preparation for new arrivals (15) with 11 going home on August 8th.. On Aug 10th-11th we fly to Frankfurt,Germany for an area conference with the 15 new mission Presidents in our area. Each monday I receive 138 email letter from my missionaries that need to be read by Wed. Not much spare time but we are loving it. The people are great and loving. We love you all.
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