Striving, Shocking Discovery, Tia's Baptism, Saint Hilda Delivers, A King

 Striving

We studied and taught institute lessons this week on STRIVING to be a disciple of Christ. Our favorite word in the whole lesson was the word "striving".  Each day, each week we try to follow His path.  We are not perfect, we frequently fall short, but we are granted joy in the journey.  Joy is an emotion that comes out of feeling love from our Heavenly Father.  He receives it when we strive to follow His son, and we receive joy when we make the effort to follow in His footsteps.  Here is a quote from the lesson material we loved:

"As you continue to work toward developing Christlike attributes, regularly review your progress. Don’t compare yourself with others. Rejoice in small successes. Learn from your mistakes. Trust that the Savior will extend help and strength as you strive to become more like Him."

We also loved this quote from President Faust:

“Many think that the price of discipleship is too costly and too burdensome. For some, it involves giving up too much. But the cross is not as heavy as it appears to be. Through obedience we acquire much greater strength to carry it.” 

He knows You

There is great comfort in reflecting on how well our Father in Heaven knows us. He desires to bless us and guide us through this mortal experience.  Our faith in Him and His plan for us can give us the perspective we need to move forward in difficult times.  And, there is no greater feeling than to feel His Love for us!  One of our favorite quotes this last week was from President Dieter F. Uchtdorf:

“The Infinite and Eternal Creator of light and life knows you. He is mindful of you.  Yes, God loves you this very day and always.  He is not waiting to love you until you have overcome your weaknesses and bad habits. He loves you today with a full understanding of your struggles. He is aware that you reach up to Him in heartfelt and hopeful prayer. He knows of the times you have held onto the fading light and believed—even in the midst of growing darkness.  He knows of your sufferings. He knows of your remorse for the times you have fallen short or failed. And still He loves you.   And God knows of your successes; though they may seem small to you, He acknowledges and cherishes each one of them. He loves you for extending yourself to others. He loves you for reaching out and helping others bear their heavy burdens—even when you are struggling with your own.  He knows everything about you. He sees you clearly—He knows you as you really are. And He loves you—today and always!”

Shocking Discovery

The 'shocker' of the week was on Wednesday evening as we were preparing to teach institute in Ashington.  No one had arrived yet and we were just getting the meal set up.  We looked out the window and Heather said, someone just drove up and got out of the car.  Heather said, wow this guy looks just like Loren.  Mont looked out the window and said, oh my gosh, it is Loren!  Heather said and Merlene!  We were completely surprised as Mont's brother and wife Merlene, came to England for a surprise visit, all the way from Tacoma, Washington, USA.  They were on their way to Scotland to enjoy family history time with Merlene's Colquhoun clan (pronounced Cahoon), her maiden name is Cahoon.

Tia's Baptism

Saturday evening we were blessed to attend & help with Tia's baptism.  Tia & her family were found by Elder Lewis in the winter of 2018, she was 10 yrs old at the time.  The Elders made a huge impression on their family and were invited to the mom's birthday party the next day.  One thing led to another and soon the family (Tia, her brother Kobie, and mom Michelle) were all actively attending church and receiving lessons!  

Unfortunately, due to covid and some hold ups the family lost contact with missionaries and the church...but Tia held on to her Book of Mormon.  At 13 she was diagnosed with extreme spinal complications leading to advanced spinal surgery and the loss of her close friends.  She said she was the lowest she had ever been when a tiny voice told her to start reading the Book of Mormon again.  So she did.  She studied and pondered and finally worked up the courage to ask for missionaries again so they could teach her why that little Book always seemed to make her feel better.

In September last year she began to be taught by Sister Missionaries again and started attending church and youth activities on her own - walking  20 minutes to the building despite her medical issues.  In February she was invited to be baptised and it just so happened that her mom had seen Elder Lewis on Facebook say he was planning to take his wife on a tour of England.  A phone call to Utah decided it...Elder Lewis would be in England in May and would baptize the last person he ever taught before returning home 5 years prior.  Pictured below is 10 year old Tia and then 5 years later 15 year old Tia with the sister missionaries after her baptism, a 5 year journey. 

What happened at Saint Hilda's Church in South Shields?

We were pleased to recently learn from Emily (Bateman) Pulham that Mont's great great grandparents, Elizabeth Garnett and George Coulson, were married in South Shields, on August 28th, 1840.  South Shields is a seaside town just 15 minutes from where our flat is.  It has an LDS congregation which is in our Sunderland stake (like a diocese), where we are serving our mission.  Yesterday the four of us Mont & Heather and Loren & Merlene, visited the St. Hilda's Church (Church of England) where this marriage took place.  The church is still in use today, though it was closed when we visited.  St Hilda's church was built in the early 1700's. 

Visiting the Tynemouth Beach with L&M

After visiting St. Hilda's church, we crossed the river Tyne and visited the Tyneside Beach in North Shields with Loren & Merlene.   We are amazed at a very large swimming pool (built for 2000 people) that was built on the beach in the early 1900's and lasted until 1990, when it was closed.  The likes of Laurel and Hardy had visited this spot and performed at the Grand Hotel just off the beach. 

Encircled in His Arms

We had the delightful opportunity to lead the discussion in Sunday School on May 8th and fell in love with the picture of the Savior encircling us in His arms.  We played President Nelson's gratitude video and enjoyed this thought: "Gratitude for my blessings will bring me closer to God and help me feel His love."  

Coronation

The Coronation of King Charles was amazing.  We watched the whole thing and were very touched by the ancient ritual of coronation and the parallels to our ordinances in the temple.   King Charles said "I am here to serve not to be served" --  we were impressed by his commitment to serve his people and the nations of the world.