The 2nd Coming, Watch out for Celery, Walking Football, Keyboard Miracle

The Savior's Second Coming

The institute lesson this week was "Living with Hope as We Prepare for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ." As we observe the signs of the times as recorded in Matthew chapter 1, it is easy to allow fear to enter into our hearts.  But as we focus on the wondrous event it will be and the great promises that will accompany those who are faithful to Him, we begin to see that we can have hope in these days before His return.  One of the most significant signs that His return is near is the Restoration of His Gospel, with Living Apostles and Prophets, as prophesied and the marvelous work of the gathering of Israel from many lands that is to occur before He comes again.  We feel so fortunate to be on the front lines of the gathering and to observe the many miracles in the lives of those who find their way to His restored church.  The announcement of many temples in many lands is such an inspiring event as well.  The restored ordinances of the temple from biblical times is a sign of God's great love for us and His desire for us to return to His presence after our mortal sojourn upon this earth.  Our favorite quote from the lesson this past week was by Elder Ronald A. Rasband, one of the Apostles:

"No matter how much wickedness and chaos fill the earth, we are promised by our daily faithfulness in Jesus Christ the “peace of God, which passeth all understanding” [Philippians 4:7]. And when Christ comes in all power and glory, evil, rebellion, and injustice will end. …
… Yes, we live in perilous times, but as we stay on the covenant path, we need not fear. I bless you that as you do so, you will not be troubled by the times in which we live or the troubles that come your way. … I bless you to believe in the promises of Jesus Christ, that He lives and that He is watching over us, caring for us and standing by us." (“Be Not Troubled,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2018, 19, 21)

No Celery for Me, Thank you

For the institute meal we had made chicken salad sandwiches and as we were teaching, and the class was enjoying the meal, our newest sister missionary from the Philippines started to have an allergic reaction to something she had eaten.  Her airway was shutting down and her tongue was swelling.  Her heart was racing and her breathing was heavily labored and the paramedics had still not arrived after 10 minutes.  By that time these faithful young Elders, missionaries who were also in the class, gave her a Priesthood blessing and within just a few minutes she had returned to normal. When the  Paramedics arrived she was pretty stable and they were wondering why they were dispatched.  They did an ECG on her in the clerk's office and then escorted her to the hospital in an ambulance because there was some concern with the other medical conditions she had. She was so patient with the process and was a bit scared already since she was so new to England. We determined it was probably the celery in the chicken salad sandwich that caused the reaction, since she had never had celery before in her life.  

We counted the miracles in this process;  they had at the last minute decided to attend Institute;  at institute there are Priesthood holders with the ability to give blessings; she was surrounded by many people who could help, getting the ambulance to the right door etc. ;  and most of all, Sister Holbrook her companion was a trained paramedic from before her mission, who totally took charge, dialed 999 (911), interfaced with the triage nurse and the paramedics when they arrived and was completely calm and in charge the whole time.  

We finished the lesson and then went to the ER and helped her wait for 'her turn'.  The medical staff were courteous and professional but it seems the hospitals and the health care system here are a bit overtaxed at times, so we expect wait times.  We miss the luxury we had in our Washington home where we were surrounded by loving family doctors, who took care of us so willingly and expeditiousley.  We got the sister back to her apartment and arrived home at 2:00 AM, a long and exciting day. 

Walking Football

The Sunderland Stake does an annual 'walking' football (soccer) tournament each year.  In walking football you do not run you can only walk.  It levels the playing field somewhat between skill levels. This is difficult because when chasing the ball you WANT to run but you are not supposed to.  It was a great tournament and lots of fun with 6 adult teams and 2 youth teams (younger than 12).  It rained the whole time (and was very cold) from 4:00 pm to the conclusion at 7:30 pm.  No one was deterred by the weather-- these Britts love football!  Elder Betteridge was the event photographer and captured some great shots.  

Transfer Day

This last week was transfer week and we drove our sisters down to Leeds, dropped off our sweet sister Zhang (from China) and picked up a new sister, sister Dorning.  We are entering the longest transfer of the mission this year;  it will be 7.5 weeks as we change from a Tuesday transfer day to a Friday transfer day.  

New Car - Toyota Hybrid

We worked our way up in the queue and received a couple year old Toyota Corolla Hybrid and turned in our Hyundai i30.  This comes with mixed blessings, we gave up a larger car but also received a car with better gas milage.  In the end we are happy with the Corolla and its peppiness from dead stop.  In the Hyundai, you really had to jump on the accelerator sometimes as you entered a roundabout and the Hyundai had always been slow out of the gates. 

Sunday Sermons at the North Shields Congregation

We gave talks this last Sunday in the North Shields ward.  Elder Betteridge talked about Forgiveness, which has been a big part of his life, and Sister Betteridge talked about giving others a break (giving others the benefit of the doubt or assuming the best about one another), which she has a done a lot of in her life from living with Elder Betteridge ;-) -- it was the perfect talk match up.

Keyboard Miracle

We had a wonderful miracle happen with one of our sisters missionaries, Sister Giannini from Italy.  She has wanted so desperately to have a keyboard in her apartment so she could practice for various musical events.   As we were visiting Laura Hansens, one of our young adults, her father Luc Hansens walked into the room. We noticed that he had 3 keyboards in his living room, so we mentioned that we had a Sister missionary who was looking for a keyboard, and did he know of anybody that might want to sell one.  He said, well heck she could have one of his.  We asked how much we could pay him and he said if it was for a missionary it is free-- a small miracle for sister Giannini who was very happy about it!  

Ongoing Restoration, Temple Trip, Music Fireside, In Walks a Duck, Harry Potter's Father

 Ongoing Restoration

This week we taught about the Ongoing Restoration in Ashington and Gateshead Institute classes.  From home-centered gospel learning and 2 hour church meetings to ministering as the Savior would and 132 new temples announced by President Nelson, we are incredibly impressed with what has come to us in the continuing restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  

As we participate in the Gathering of Israel we are not alone in our efforts; He is in our midst and labors with us.  Elder Kim B. Clark of the Seventy said: 

Please remember these words of the Savior: "I am not alone, because the Father is with me" [John 16:32]. So it is with us.  The Lord Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father love us, and They are with us.  Because Jesus looked to His Father and completed the great atoning sacrifice, we can look to Jesus Christ with assurance that He will help us. (Look unto Jesus Christ, Ensign, May 2019)

We often feel the presence of heavenly support in our service.  "And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face.  I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up."  D&C 84:88

North Shields Temple Trip

We were able to ride on the bus to the temple with the North Shields Ward members and accompanied 16 missionaries who had not been to the temple in many months.  They were in humble awe at the new presentation of the Endowment Ordinance.  It was a beautiful day to be at the Preston England Temple. 

Missionary Music Fireside - aka Why I Believe Fireside

 One of our highlights this week was helping 24 Elders/Sisters put on a music fireside, just like the "Why I Believe" firesides in the Tacoma Stake.  Sister Betteridge accompanied many of the numbers on the piano.   It was a beautiful event.  Three new young adult members that we have worked with shared their conversion stories and testimonies and one gave the opening prayer.  Several visitors and friends were also there and felt the evening was very uplifting.  One large family, with several teenagers, said it was one of the most inspiring events they had been to recently.  Mission accomplished!

Alnwick Castle

Just 30 minutes north of us sits the Alnwick Castle in a beautiful setting.  It is owned today by Ralph Percy, the 12th  Duke of Northumberland and has been in his family for over 700 years.  It was built in the 11th Century.  The family lives in the castle during the non-tourist season from October to end of March.  It is the second largest inhabited castle in the UK.  The castle has served as a military outpost, a teaching college, a refuge for evacuees, a film set (Harry Potter) as well as a family home.  Yes, Harry Potter's father, now takes a broom to work and has been seen flying around the castle recently. 

Enjoying a Sandwich in a Cafe and in Walks a Duck

England is a wonderful place for birds!  This was intriguing to us because the duck knew exactly what it was doing;  crossed the street, hoped up on the curb, waddled across the sidewalk and right into the cafe where we were having a sandwich.  The guy at the table next to us bought him lunch. 

Easter, Hard Egg Roll, A Gift, Institute Fur All

 Our Easter Celebration in the UK

We are grateful for this wonderful Holy Week which just concluded with Easter Sunday.  Each day we followed the "Come Follow Me" reading and were delighted when we awoke Easter morning with the same hymn playing through our minds, "He Is Risen."  We hadn't been listening to that hymn in the previous days but feel it was a tender mercy of "in-tune unity" that we experienced.  Elder Christofferson of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles, spoke of being one in Christ last week at general conference.  He said:

"Unity does not require sameness, but it does require harmony... It is only in and through our individual loyalty to and love of Jesus Christ that we can hope to be one-- one within, one at home, one in the church, eventually one in Zion, and above all, one with the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost."

The Newcastle missionaries were asked to sing in church on Easter, 6 of us, which, as many of you know is NOT something Elder Betteridge would volunteer for on any day of the week!  But the zone leaders had agreed and we wanted to be completely supportive, so we did it!  We sang  "I know that My Redeemer Lives", an arrangement by Rachel Mohlman-- it actually incorporated 2 verses from Gordon B. Hinckley's hymn "My Redeemer Lives."  Sister Betteridge accompanied on the piano and sang.

We then went to dinner at the Potts home -- this is the home where our young single adult Rachel lives with her grandmother, Carol.  Carol had just started reading the Book of Mormon on-line and asked for her own hard copy, which we brought with us to dinner.  She feels enlightened as she reads and will continue to read.  We encouraged Rachel to help her grandmother recognize that she also needs to pray to God and ask if it is truly His word to seek a personal witness from Him. 

Easter Egg Roll

We had the first Easter Egg Roll competition on English soil:  Elder Betteridge vs Sister Betteridge.  The competition was fierce and the outcome very close! (Did we just speak of unity? Well, we are working on it.) We didn't see each other naming our eggs but laughed our heads off when Elder Betteridge showed his egg's name:  "Freaky, Fantastic, Fast, Furious, Phenomenal, EGG" and then Sister Betteridge showed her egg's name: "Begin Again, He Is Risen" egg.  Well... Elder Betteridge just needs to get in the spirit of the season more!  So who won?  Yes, He is Risen, won.  This goes to show that the truth always wins!

Special Gift from A Senior Sister

We are always grateful when the members of the congregation want to share their love for the missionaries.  An elderly sister gave us a chocolate bunny tied to a card with a  special message that we share here.  The members here are so grateful for the missionaries and we joy in the expressions of their love for us.  

Lincoln our New Institute Student Lapped it Up This Week

We welcomed this week Lincoln into our Institute class.  He was pleased with the scripture we shared with him from 2 Nephi 26:33

"...and He inviteth all to come unto Him and partake of His goodness; and He denies none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and He remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile."

The Spring Flowers are Beautiful!

These flowers remind us of our beautiful Northwest Washington where we spent 25 glorious years. 

A High Note, Shepherd's Heart, Saint Nicholas, Sunday AM GC Breakfast, Heron's Bloody Pit, Monkey Toe

General Conference & the Tabernacle Choir 

What a wonderful General Conference we just witnessed!  We are both humbled and in awe at the words of inspiration from our President and Prophet Russell M. Nelson, now 98 years old and looking as strong as ever.  We also were incredibly inspired by the counsel from the 12 Apostles and many beloved leaders and the emphasis on our Holy Easter week with encouragement to be more unified and civil as we promote peace in the world.  President Nelson and his counselors with the 12 Apostles are pictured at the Rome temple in front of the statues of the original 12 Apostles.

With 15 new temples announced across the world we make special note of the announcement of the San Jose, CA temple, where Heather's family grew up (the Hardy family).   This also was a special conference for Heather and her siblings, because Cheri Hardy Hancock, Heather's sister, has been singing in the Tabernacle Choir on Temple Square for 21 years.  (Rob Hancock, Cheri's husband had retired from the choir several years ago).  This conference was Cheri's last General Conference performance as a member of the choir.  It was an extra special day for her, when the prophet announced a temple in San Jose.  So we honor Cheri this day with gratitude for her sacrifice as a Tabernacle Choir member and the wonderful legacy she has left the Hardy and Hancock families.  She has a special talent of hitting all the HIGH notes! 

We liked this quote from Elder Vern P. Stanfill in the Sunday afternoon session of conference:

"We must remember that whatever our best but imperfect offering is, the Savior can make it perfect.  No matter how insignificant our efforts may seem, we must never underestimate the Savior's power." 

Institute

The institute lesson this last week was "Finding My Place in the Good Shepherd's Fold".  One of our favorite quotes in the lesson was from Robert D. Hales in 1996:

“We all belong to a community of Saints, we all need each other, and we are all working toward the same goal. Any one of us could isolate ourselves from this ward (congregation) family on the basis of our differences. But we must not shut ourselves out or isolate ourselves from opportunities because of the differences we perceive in ourselves. Instead, let us share our gifts and talents with others, bringing brightness of hope and joy to them, and in so doing lift our own spirits.”

We shared a children's song called A Shepherd's Heart, which Heather and her sister Tara wrote.  Here are the words:

I want to be like Jesus.
I will learn of him each day.
And the scriptures will inspire me,
As I study, search and pray. 
They teach me of the Savior,
How He loved and led the way.  
I’ll learn to serve and do my part to have a shepherd’s heart!

I want to love like Jesus.

I will search for those who stray.

Seek and find the sad and lonely,

Listen well to what they say. 

Bringing hope to those around me, 

Sharing joy and peace today.  

I’ll feed his sheep and then I’ll start to have a shepherd’s heart!

District General Conference Breakfast

We met with our district Sunday morning to watch the Saturday eve session of General Conference.  We served breakfast to them.  It was fun to hear of all the different traditions they all had in their families for General Conference Sunday.  Their traditions included cinnamon rolls, waffles, and pancakes.  Ours was German pancakes.  So we served, french toast casserole, German pancakes,  and American pancakes.  It was such a great spiritual and physical feast.

Newcastle Cathedral 

Newcastle Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of St Nicholas, is a Church of England cathedral in Newcastle.   It is the seat of the Bishop of Newcastle and is the mother church of the Diocese of Newcastle.  

Founded in 1091 during the same period as the nearby castle, the Norman church was destroyed by fire in 1216 and the current building was completed in 1350.  Its tower is noted for its 15th-century lantern spire. Heavily restored in 1777, the building was raised to cathedral status in 1882, when it became known as the Cathedral Church of St Nicholas.  Certainly the good ole Saint Nick called this his home for a time.  

  

William Heron, the Sheriff of Northumberland  - His Bloody Pit

Walk with Rachel and her Grandma

We had a delightful time on a walk through the park behind our flat.  We were walking with Rachel a YSA in our ward and her grandmother, Carol, who listened to General Conference and is now reading the Book of Mormon.  She is praying to learn for herself the truthfulness of this witness of Christ.  We gave Carol  a Priesthood blessing about 2 weeks ago and she found it to be very comforting and helpful in her journey to improved health.  

Monkey Toe

They say a mission really changes you, mostly spiritually.  Elder Betteridge has seen a physical change as well.  His small right toe now looks like a monkey toe, somewhat curled, because he stubbed his little toe on a door frame.  It apparently fractured but he didn't know it, thinking it was just a sprain.  When the swelling wasn't going down, he decided to see the Doc.  The Doc said it will likely not get smaller but stay a bit curled because the fracture has healed already. We will spare you the picture but I hope that further physical changes on our mission are minimal.  Regardless, we are grateful to serve even with a monkey toe!