Summer is coming

Dear Family and friends, So much has happened since we last reported.  We had our largest transfer ever.29 new missionaries arrived on April 17th. There were over 100 missionaries affected with the transfers to accommodate all the new ones.  We had 14 Elders going home.  We took them into London on Monday, to the Temple on Tuesday, had departing interviews followed by a testimony meeting..  On Wednesday the new ones came and we put the departing Elders on the plane for home.
     During the past two weeks we have had two new senior couples arrive;  The Adams, who will be in the office, and the Homs who will be working with the YSA program in the Wandsworth Stake. Our dear office couple, the Kearls, went home to Canada this past week.  This brings lots of mixed emotions. They have been so good to help us get going the past 9 months.

Seeing the Kearl's off at Heathrow airport. what a Bitter-Sweet day.
     It was quite hectic to find 8 new flats for this last transfer.  We will need 12 more by May 29th. We have received instructions to include Sister missionaries in our leadership councils.  This past week we had what used to be called the ZLC (Zone Leaders Council).  It is now referred to as the MLC (Mission Leaders Council).  Sister Millar feeds them a light breakfast and then lunch.  We had 30 people this time.  It takes a Costco run and lots of work.  She did great!!!!! That was on Thursday last week, The weather was gorgeous, we hope that wasn't our summer!!  Friday, President Millar had his eye appointment in London, which takes most of the day, by the time we catch the train at 9am, then a 35 minute ride to Waterloo Station, them 2 tube rides on the underground, to get to the Eye Hospital in East London. then after the appointment we reverse the travel and get home about 3pm.  Saturday we needed to visit some missionaries to talk face to face.  The problem was that they were in Redruth, which is in Cornwall, 250 miles aways.  We drove for 10 hours that day, not counting the time we spent there, because we had to be back to speak in sacrament meeting today in the East Grinstead Ward. Our lives are very busy but we have a peaceful and fulfilled feeling in our hearts.  We know this is the Lord's work and that we do not labor alone.
  The days are getting longer.  It starts getting light at about 5:00 in the morning and the sun goes down about 8:30 and gets dark by 9pm in the evening. We had summer one day this week, it got up to 23C which is 74F. The nights still go down to 6C some mornings, which is 38F.  We have a very busy next two weeks with three multiZone conferences, a national YSA conference that we need to participate in down in Bristol. We will write and tell you about it next time.
We love you all, drop us an e-mail sometime when you have a minute, it's always good to hear from home. We are also off to the London Mission on Tuesday for a Conference in the Hyde Park Chapel, with all of our Senior Couples who are doing YSA assignments. (Young Single Adults) in all of our Stakes, they are doing such a valuable work, We also have 2 Senior Couples doing family history at the National Archives, and they help out in the wards to which they are assigned on Sundays. We also have a few Senior Couples doing Leadership work in the wards and Branches that are smaller, we have 3 Senior couples in the Visitor Center 20 Senior couples altogether and 2 Senior Sisters (office staff).

This is Hyde Park Chapel and Visitors Center, it's also the Mission Office for the London Mission, and it's just down the street from Hyde Park, the Royal Albert Hall, and across the street from the British Museum,      Love to all, President and Sister Millar.

Greetings everyone,
        Well another week has come and gone, We can't believe how quickly time is passing, Last week was General Conference; wasn't it wonderful? We went to the Visitors centre to see each session, it was nicer to do that than watching at home alone, Many of the Temple workers were there as well as the Office and Visitors Centre workers, so it made it a good group, we also had a number of investigators there as well.
        President Millar has finished interviewing each of the missionaries, as he does before each transfer, so we have been very busy with lots of travelling, We are also working on a new program that the Church is starting that will be on line and media related, We are getting instruction from Church media workers in Salt Lake, in person and via skype, At the present time it is just for the London mission and our mission, London South that will be doing it, so we are in the process of making another Zone (Area) that will be computer and media related.
       Next week will be transfers and 14 missionaries going home, (as well as 30 Sisters and Elders coming in), that is going to be a hard day as not only are they most of our great leaders but young men we have come to love very much. They are from all over the world and we will miss them terribly.
      Tuesday we went into London to see a Dermatology Dr, as the President had a small cyst on the bridge of his nose and wanted it checked, so we got to see all the media blitz that the Church has put up on advertising Mormon.org.uk, It is in Charing Cross station, Oxford Circus and Piccadilly Circus.

This is some of Charing Cross Station

 This is advertising the play "The Mormon's are coming" not a very flattering portrayal of the Church

 This is one of the tunnels in the underground

Waiting to go down to the underground at Oxford Circus Station

 underground stations, as well as on 250 buses.
      The weather is starting to gradually warm up, although the trees and flowers are a good month behind schedule, The daffodils still cover the grass wherever we go, they are so beautiful, and there are so many varieties,
       The days are getting longer now, it starts getting light at around 5:30am and doesn't get dark until around 8:00pm. occasionally we have a beautiful sunny day, but mostly they are overcast, and today it's quite rainy, although the weather is getting warmer at long last.
       We will include some pictures, We hope you get them ok. Our love to everyone and the very best wishes to all our birthday family. Love and God Bless, President and Sister Millar. aka Doc and Val.

 Just wanted to share some daffodils with you, sorry they are a little blurry, I took them through the windshield.

Easter cold

Sorry to be slow in posting a new episode in our lives as Mission President. Since we last wrote, we've had transfers.( Ten new missionaries. ), Zone leaders council, and have been trying to get interviews done. Last Thursday week, we drove to Bristol, interviewed missionaries in two different location, then attended a Stake leadership meeting and then drove home. We left at 7:30 AM and got home at 2415 hrs.  That was a long day.  The next morning we did interviews in the Staines Zone which was closer but still took the whole day. Each zone has 16 to 22 missionaries. If each interview is 15 minutes that usually amount to 5 hours of non stop interviews. Some need a little more time to discuss their concerns. It is very rewarding but taxing.  Sister Millar does a lot of sitting talking to the other companion while I'm with the missionary. She often learns more than I do about what is going on. Last week we interviewed in four zones, requiring two overnight stays in hotels. Next week we will finish the last three zones.
     We are trying to make arrangements to receive 30 new missionaries on th 17th of April.  We also have 30 coming May 29th and another  30 on July 10th.  One of biggest problem is finding new flats to house all the new sisters and elders. The Book of Mormon musical opened in London last week and the church is launching a huge media advertising campaign that will drive many interested persons to Mormon.org.UK.  We are trying to gear up for more missionaries to be able to work on line with chat and social media proselyting. These are the things that keep us busy. Oh, we always have a few health challenges: we've had two different missionaries with the chicken pox, one had minor surgery, and colds, flu, etc.