Every week I think I’m going to be caught up by the end of the week but every week we just get more and more to do. I’m so glad we are busy. The days just fly by but it is incredible just how much work there is to be done every week. This week I was still getting things ready for the missionaries that are leaving on July 10th. I worked on recommendation letters for jobs, travel to the countries other than Canada and US. I got ferries figured out for the missionaries coming in from the islands and started working on the packets they take home with them.
Tuesday was zone conference. I went over to listen to the President’s talk and I was glad I did. He talked about the Apostasy and the Restoration. He said some things that I hadn’t ever thought about before. He talked about how the Apostasy had to happen. It was always part of the plan. After thinking about it I get that and it makes total sense but I had never thought about that before. I spent an hour or two looking up scriptures and reading more about the apostasy this week in the evenings. Here is a tender picture I took at zone conference. I meant to take more but I never got around to it.
Thursday I went to the doctor here so I could get my prescriptions refilled. They wouldn’t give me one of them because they didn’t recognize it. I don’t think I really need it. It’s just a water pill that I think should help with the swelling I get in my ankles but I really don’t think it helps anyway. But I had no problem getting my other two that I know I need. Now I just have to go to a chemist to get them filled. I have a week or so left so maybe this next weekend we will find a place. The doctors office wasn’t too far away from our place but I had never been over that way. It was down in a little area that was really neat with a river running through it and walking paths all over. I snapped a picture of a pretty building that was right across from the doctors office.
Thursday night we went to Zizzi’s for dinner with Brother and Sister Winter from the office. I love going to Zizzi’s. I get the same thing every time and everyone thinks I’m crazy but that’s how I roll. If I find something I like then I’m good to stick to that. I’m not too adventurous when it comes to food.
Friday we got our missionary that should have been here last transfer. He is a sweet Elder from the Philippines. He
arrived at the Preston MTC just like everyone else in his group but he was itching his hand all the time so badly that he broke through the skin. Then playing volleyball he did something to his hand badly enough that he needed medical attention. While getting his hand checked they noticed the other issue and realized he had a very bad infection. It was actually eating away at his tissue and he was put in the hospital. He was there for over two weeks having a surgery before his ordeal was done. So we were really happy to finally get him here. With a crazy wounded hand. He literally has a hole right in the palm of his hand that is all stitched up and another section at the base of his hand where they had to take skin and tissue to put up on his finger where it was hurt. It looks horrible but he is on the mend. I know I don’t sound like I know what I’m talking about but his english isn’t the best and he also can’t remember everything so we couldn’t get a full story out of him. But he is happy and so excited to be here. His companion was so happy to finally have a companion again instead of being traded around from companionship to companionship. It was a great day to see both of them so excited.
Also on Friday the sisters in Galashiels, Sister Ellsworth from St George and Sister Naef from Washington State called asking about a new phone that we had promised them a while ago. I had totally forgotten. Just before they called I was looking through the weeks list of baptisms throughout the mission and saw they were having one in Galashiels. So when they called I thought we could go to the baptism and take them their phone. It’s just 31 miles away so it sounded like a good idea. A few hours later Elder Winter came and said he heard we were planning on going to Galashiels and he was giving the sisters a car so could we take them their car as well? My first thought was no!! Sister Gifford has only driven from the office to home twice and that’s it. She scared me the first time so badly that I’ve not really encouraged her to drive. But she needs to learn and so I decided if she was up for it then we could do it. We would just leave early in the morning before traffic got to hectic and we would be fine. So that’s what we did. We literally drove 30 to 40 miles per hour the entire way there, even when the speed limit was 70 but we made it. The girls were so excited to have a car of their own. Neither have driven in Scotland yet so we took them for a spin to get gas and then to their church. They needed to get the water going in the font, which takes 4 hours to fill, and bake cookies for refreshments.
The church they are in is a small branch and the church is literally the size of a trailer at an elementary school. It is just one hallway. When you walk in there is the Branch President’s office, which doubles as the Primary room for the one Primary member and then a clerks office. Next is the kitchen/library all in one. Then restrooms and then the chapel at the end. There are no classrooms so I think Sunday School is in the chapel and then one of the auxiliaries meet in their for 3rd hour and the other probably meets out in the hall. I’m not sure. I guess they had a small outer trailer but it was severely damaged in a storm so that is gone. The baptismal font was in the back of the chapel. I really should have taken a few pictures. Usually it is covered with floor pieces and just uncovered when needed. The people were great. Everyone turned out for the baptism
and the sweet man getting baptised was having anxiety attacks and I just kept praying that he would be able to settle down and actually go through with his baptism. He didn’t want to change into the white clothes until everyone was in the chapel because he couldn’t calm down. One of the sister missionaries went over to him and whispered to him that she promised him if he would get his white clothes on he would feel peace come over him and he would be alright. It worked. He changed and yes, he got his promise. The spirit was so strong and the sisters sang a beautiful duet. A member gave a talk and Sister Ellsworth gave the other talk.
After the baptism we helped clean up and then we took the sisters to dinner to a great Indian Restaurant. I had Chicken Masala Tandoori. It was good and a bit spicy. We also had Nan bread, both garlic and sweet. It was a great dinner.
Before the baptism we had a few hours so we went sight seeing. We had two places we wanted to see. Abbotsford and Melrose Abbey. Melrose Abbey is a partly ruined monastery. It was built by monks in 1136. It is a really neat looking place. The heart of Robert the Bruce is buried there. We lucked out because when we got there they were having a festival. There were men dressed up like monks and then a whole procession of a court came in and they laid a flower arrangement shaped like a heart on the grave of Robert the Bruce’s heart. They read a proclamation and did a few other things. They ended by everyone singing Psalms 23 which is The Lord is My Shepherd. Unfortunately it was a different tune but it was nice.
Next to Melrose Abbey was a nice looking store with a cafe inside so we stopped to see what they had. They were having a great sale on clothes so we dug through the racks and I ended up buying two new skirts and a couple shirts. They were all on sale for under £10 each.
As we were driving to our next spot, Abbotsford, we passed through a quaint little border town and the speed limit sign was so great!! I had to take a picture.
Abbotsford is the home of Sir Walter Scott. It is a beautiful palace with a nice garden around it. It was built about 200 years ago along the banks of the River Tweed. We had lunch in the cafe there. I had a grilled cheese panini which was dripping with cheese there was so much.
We didn’t have a lot of time so we opted to only walk around the gardens. Maybe someday we will go back and see inside the house. It’s supposed to be really neat. But the gardens were nice and we stepped inside the family chapel as well.
Also, along our drive we drove by a nice looking church and right across the street was this neat looking bridge that seemed to go nowhere with lambs all around it. I had to stop for a picture. As we were pulling out of the church I was busy watching the lambs and looking at the bridge and thinking it reminded me of the Three Billy Goats Gruff and as I looked out the window of the car I was trying to figure out why there was a van coming straight at me. It took me a second to realize I was driving on the wrong side of the road. That’s a first for me. I couldn’t even get my mind wrapped around the fact that I could just move to the left and be where I was supposed to be. It was so crazy. I ended up going over the curb on the right side and off the road. No damage done but it made me realize I still have to think about which side I’m supposed to be driving on. Later that night at the baptism President Donaldson showed up and I said to him I had a confession I needed to make. He looked at me and said is this something I really need to know? I laughed and said no. Then he said don’t tell me. But I did anyway. I told him I drove on the wrong side of the road and how I couldn’t even figure out that I was the one in the wrong. He laughed and said that happened to him in Salt Lake once. He drove all the way down a road on the wrong side with the same feeling that he couldn’t even figure out what side he should be on. So we had a good laugh.
