Be of good cheer!
Why are Penguins socially awkward? Because they can't break the ice. 😂 This brought a smile to our faces one year ago as Mont was being treated at the Proton Beam center. Our welcoming crew every morning was Ian Rice and Coulton Kray, who shared fun thoughts like this with us as we entered the facility for treatment. It really helped us to be of good cheer.
Dallin H. Oaks (Oct. 2020) said, "In the final days of His mortal life, Jesus Christ told His Apostles of the persecutions and hardships they would suffer. He concluded with this great assurance: “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). That is the Savior’s message to all of our Heavenly Father’s children. That is the ultimate good news for each of us in our mortal lives."
“You may be facing overwhelming challenges,” Elder Richard G. Scott taught. “Sometimes they are so concentrated, so unrelenting, that you may feel they are beyond your capacity to control. Don’t face the world alone. ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding’ [Proverbs 3:5]. … It was intended that life be a challenge, not so that you would fail, but that you might succeed through overcoming.”
Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.
Institute Class Now in Gateshead Chapel
We began teaching institute this last week at the Gateshead Ward chapel, which is more central for the young adults currently attending institute.
Our lesson was on the Sacrament. One of our favorite quotes from the lesson:
Elder Peter M. Johnson said "There is a spiritual enlightenment associated with the Sacrament -- it is personal, powerful, and it is needed."
We also like this quote from Sister Cheryl A. Esplin, former counselor in the Primary General Presidency, … As a priesthood holder extends his arm to offer us the sacred emblems, it is as if the Savior Himself were extending His arm of mercy, inviting each one of us to partake of the precious gifts of love made available through His atoning sacrifice—gifts of repentance, forgiveness, comfort, and hope. The more we ponder the significance of the sacrament, the more sacred and meaningful it becomes to us. (“The Sacrament—A Renewal for the Soul,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2014, 12, 13–14)
Jesmond Dene
In the English counties of Durham and Northumberland (where we live now) a dene is a steep-sided wooded valley through which a small river runs. Jesmond Dene is a beautiful and old park right by our flat.
We see crocus blooming all around us, a carpet of crocuses or a chorus of croci, beautiful anyway you call it.
We Ascend Together
Thee lift me and I'll lift thee, and we'll ascend together. This quote was credited to John Greenleaf Whittier, an influential American Quaker Poet and ardent advocate of the abolition of slavery in the United States. When we saw this winding set of steps through the dene near our flat we both thought of this quote. As we ascend in our progress towards our heavenly home, our Father will provide the path for us to follow and then we can go together lifting each other all along the way.
Ashington Branch Visit and a New Friend, Jerry
Sunday, February 26, we visited the Ashington Branch of the church and shared our testimonies. We met Jeremy Enofua, a young adult in the Ashington Branch and hit it off instantly. He is from Nigeria and recently graduated from nursing school. He is now working in England. All of his family are members of the church in Nigeria. We will get to know him better in the coming weeks as we try to start a young single adult hub/institute in the Ashington Branch area.
Hot Cross Buns
We finally found hot cross buns. Remember the rhyme, hot cross buns, one a penny, two a penny... These were more expensive than a few pennies-- this package of 4 was about $3.50. But, they are sooooo... good!
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