Our Spring update!

What a month is has been- it goes by so fast!  I really dont know how the young missionaries have time to write home each WEEK ! The weeks are such a blurr! 

By the time I write our next update - we will have reached our 1/2 way mark !  I don't know what the ritual is for Sr. Couples to commemorate such an occasion, let me know if you have any ideas! 

Thought you would like to see what our building and chapel look like. We have a good handful of people who join by Zoom so even though we look small in numbers in person, our numbers look better on paper thanks to Zoom. 

our chapel

This is the outside of our building. We get the whole "first floor", which to us Americans, would be the sencond floor.  The left 2/3's is the class room side and remaining 1/3 of the far right side is the chapel side of the building. 

We are losing a couple of our chinese students as they have finished their programs. This is Charlie (that is just his UK name) who really hit it off with Tony. This was his last time at Institute, so of course they needed a picture. He did not get baptized while here but seeds were definately planted! 

 

  

This is David, also a uni student,  who was baptized about a year ago & just ordained to the office of a priest. He did not own any type of church clothes so the ward recently obtained some for him, and so today, on Easter, he was able to pass the sacrament for the first time.  It was touching to watch all the other priesthood help teach him and walk him through the steps of the ordinance. 

                                                       

We have a new friend we are involved in teaching. She had a very, very, tramatic childhood and came into our lesson not being able to look at any one of us in the eyes. She would look down at the ground as she spoke. But as we talked about who our loving Heavenly Father is and ways He was showing love to even her, she gradually began to lift her head and eyes. By the end of our lesson, she was smiling and laughing and recognized how much better she was feeling. 

So this picture below, is the same day as our first lesson with her,  Here she is after dinner & Institute, having more questions answered by the elders and 2 of our YA members!  Alex, on the left, is a long time member and David (as mentioned above).

This is one of our Insitute kids! She lives in the neighboring ward 40 minutes away,  but comes on Wednesday nights for institute. She has now left to serve her mission at the Church Historic sites in Kirtland for 5 months and then she will head to the Seattle Washington State mission. 

Conference weekend report : We were able to host the Young Adults on Saturday at 5pm to watch the Saturday 10am live session and we had about 12 people show up for that event! 

On Sunday morning, the branch offered a 10am viewing of the Saturday 6pm evening broadcast and we had about 13 people show up for that session. 

This picture below is from our Sunday 5pm afternoon session, (your Sunday 10am Session) - so confusing! 

Any way, we had another Sr couple, the Lewis' come up for the weekend. They are in the south end of England in an area called Weymouth, so it took them about 5 hours to drive up to see the Aberystwyth area for the weekend. They go home in Oct, but realized this would be one of their only opportunities to see our neck of the "mission" woods with out any Sunday obligations (they are on the far left). 

Then we have our chinese speaking Elders - Elder Watkins and Elder Dalton, both from Utah. 

Then next to me is our "friend" Nadja, who is the one studying for her PA degree. She came & had dinner & then watched this sessioin of conference with us. She asked how our prophets and apostles get to be voted in! She always has great questions ! 

English fun fact:  who knew that outdoor laundry is a thing! We see these outdoor laundry machines in every village and town. This one is in the parking lot of a gas station! 

Aberystwyth had it's own castle at one point- thus the ruins you see behind us. It is a great location to come and watch the sunset. Have we seen one yet? No....They have picnic tables scattered through out the ruins so we see a lot of families and young adults (uni students)  spending time here. 

Below is our lastest Zone Conference picture -  we represent the 2 Zones located in Wales! 

Finally a tour of our Welsh flat !  I know you have all been dying to see our living conditions!  

This is  the "lounge", in American verbage- the living room! 

from the lounge into our kitchen - yes, we get to enjoy our clothes dryer in the living room! 

Our grand kitchen! Our last kitchen was more like a galley kitchen, so this is a blessing with all the cooking we do!  Our last flat had the kitchen table out in a "conservatory" ( like an added on, attached sunroom)  so we are enjoying having an indoor dinning space! 

We do actually use both fridges- one for us and smaller one is for the YA foods. But we really, really, really miss having a dishwasher!  That white appliance you would think is a dish washer, is actually our clothes washer- in the kitchen! 

When was the last time you saw this lovely shade of blue carpet?   1980's?

We really enjoy having a bigger office which allows both of us to have our own desk & work space.

We celebrated our first mission birthday this month as well! This all the celebration he got as it was a busy day preparing for institute!  He prepared & taught the lesson & I prepared the food. The YA's did give him a rousing edition of Happy Birthday though! 

Cheers until next time !

Lechyd Da ! ( dont ask me how to pronouce that one! ) 

And bless you all for sticking it out through all  these long, catch up emails ! 

Elder & Sis Hanks