I can’t believe it has been a month since our last blog entry. We continue to find ourselves busy and pausing to write an entry seems to take a backseat. We are well and still enjoying our time here in London. The events of yesterday that made worldwide news reminded us of how we often take things for granted. The terrorist attack occurred not far from where we live and work (about 3 miles) and we have visited the area many times. Being here in London at the time of the mayhem made it a lot more personal, but still, we were never concerned for our safety or the safety of our missionaries.

Our work is very enjoyable. We have spent a lot more time this past month working with our sisters and the other two senior couples in using the visitors’ centre more effectively. Our sisters do an amazing job in using our exhibits and teaching the gospel. But we can all always do better. We are impressed with how our sisters seem to be able to start teaching the gospel from the moment they arrive in the VC. We have learned, though, that they have lots of questions about how to handle certain situations which we are now trying to help them with.

We have had some great experiences recently. A young Chinese man came into the VC on February 11^th. He admitted that he didn’t know much of anything about God or religion but wanted to learn. Last Sunday he was baptised. Last weekend the brother of the man from Rancho Cucamonga that we mentioned in our last entry was baptised here in London. And last Monday we received a letter at the VC (we hardly ever get a letter from our guests) which said:

“I came to the Hyde Park Chapel on 4 March 2017 to find out more information on the Book of Mormon and was given a copy.” He indicated that he has read the book and found out for himself that it is true. Then he wrote, “I have decided to become a Mormon. The missionaries are coming to see me on Saturday March 25^th. I will also be attending the Sunday service at 10 am.”

Such experiences make our efforts all worthwhile. We never know who is going to walk through our doors and we never know how lives will be changed by walking through our doors. But often we learn of some of those people and how their lives are changed. We never force anyone to listen to us nor do we ask them to just believe us. We invite them to find out for themselves.  

We also continue to witness the “hastening of the Lord’s work” through our sisters’ online work. They respond to thousands of requests from Mormon.org. This month they will send more than 1,000 referrals to local missionaries. We have learned that hundreds of those who are referred to local missionaries are being taught the gospel. And since the first of this year we have learned of more than 20 of those have been baptised.

We continue to have many interesting people visit the VC. Recently Jimmy Osmond and his wife and daughter stopped by. They were here in England meeting up with Jimmy’s brothers, Jay and Alan, for some performances. Last Sunday and yesterday Elder Carl B. Pratt, emeritus General Authority Seventy, came by before departing for a temple mission to Panama. We also had a great mission tour a couple of weeks ago from Elder Alan T. Phillips of the Seventy. It was great to be with him as he lives here and his family attends church here every week.

Rod’s brother, Carl, and his family came for a visit last week and we were able to do some fun things with them. We showed them around London and visited many of the traditional sites (Big Ben, Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, etc.). Carl arranged for a private tour into the countryside of England. We were able to join them for a trip to Salisbury Cathedral where one of the original copies of the Magna Carta is housed. 

Salisbury Cathedral

We went to the famous Stonehenge and stood among those huge stones that have stood for millennia. And we visited a site we had never heard of before called Avebury. We saw quaint homes and buildings with beautiful thatched roofs and beautiful farms. The real attraction, however, was another stone circle similar to Stonehenge but much larger and much more complete (with many more stones than at Stonehenge). We learned that there are more than 600 of these ancient stone circles in England.

Stonehenge

Avebury

The daffodils and other flowers are beginning to bloom here which makes the parks look incredible. The daffodils just spring up in the grass with no planting or maintenance. They don’t bloom long, but right now they are amazing.