Soaring with Soares, Home, Moon over Moroni, BuT, Hogwarts in Session?, Seeking Your Twin, Spring into Action

Elder Soares speaks to Young Adults

“Diligently draw near to our Savior ... and feel the intensity of His love for you,” Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said during a Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults on Sunday, February 18, 2024.  

“Coming unto Jesus Christ gives us a lasting inner peace and a sanctuary in a tumultuous and ever-changing world,” said Elder Soares.  

He and his wife Rosana, along with Elder and Sister Webb of the Seventy addressed questions from young adults.  The questions were grouped into five areas:

• Strengthening our testimony
• Enduring trials
• Following God’s plan for us
• Preparing to enter and worship in the temple
• Focusing our life on Jesus Christ

“The Savior’s arms are wide open, ready to encircle us in His love, even and especially when we feel lost, forsaken, or all alone…  The sacred space between the Savior’s arms is exactly the size and shape of our broken hearts, battered lives, wounded souls and weary minds,” said Elder Soares.

Sister Mary E. Ericksen Returns

We are delighted to welcome home our oldest granddaughter from her mission in the Ogden, Utah mission.  We love her so much and are so pleased with her service.  She had a wonderful mission focused on testifying of Christ to all she served. The Todd and Tiffany Ericksen family is united again under one roof.

Temple Trip

This last week we were able to go to the Preston temple with the young adults in our stake, most of whom have or are attending our institute class.  It was a joyful day especially for Sauria from Chad, who received the Aaronic Priesthood last week and was able to perform baptisms in the temple.  He was so excited about this and looks forward to bringing his family to England and taking them to the temple. He is working with immigration and asylum authorities here to get approval and the finances to bring them to England.  He has a wife and 5 children who have been learning about the Gospel of Jesus Christ from missionaries in Cameroon, which sadly had to come to an end for financial reasons when his family had to return to Chad, where there are no missionaries in their area.  They are all looking forward to coming to England and having Sauria baptize them.   

A dream come true

We had a dream come true this last week -- teaching in Berwick upon Tweed.  The town of Berwick has felt like a special place to us when we first set foot in the town nearly a year ago. Missionaries have never been assigned to this town.  It is the furthest north town in our mission.  We had felt that many were there who would be open to learning of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Since that time a year ago, a flat was finally found in Alnwick to house Elders, which puts the city of Berwick a 36 minute drive from their flat in Alnwick.  Tiny steps brought us to the point of being able to realize more about this impression. They have begun contacting in Berwick and found a sweet lady, Natasha, who wants to learn more.  Because the mission rules require another member to be with them when visiting a single lady, sister Betteridge and I volunteered to help (it is an hour and 15 minute drive from our flat).  We had our first discussion with her this last week.  It was delightful.  She wants to learn more and is now reading the Book of Mormon.  She believes in the Bible but has not attached herself to any church up to this point in her 80 year life.  We will keep you posted on progress here. We are excited to see progress in Berwick.

Hogwarts aka Durham Cathedral

We finally visited the Durham Cathedral just 45 minutes south of where we live.  Elder and Sister  Krzyminski, a senior couple in York joined us.  Durham Cathedral is one of the great buildings of Europe.  Construction started in 1093 and took 40 years to build.  It is dedicated to the Saxon saint Cuthbert, whose body is entombed at one end of the building.  The tour guide said that the last time the tomb was opened was in 1836 to confirm that Cuthbert was still really in there. 

In his lifetime, Cuthbert (635-687) was an influential churchman who was Prior of Melrose and then of Lindisfarne. He was a venerated religious figure, and a successful preacher who was responsible for the spread of Christianity in the North of England.  In 1104 saint Cuthbert's body was moved from Lindissfarne (Holy Island) to Durham.  

Durham was the home of many prince bishops over time who were appointed by the king to defend the north from invasion. 

We looked for Harry Potter amongst the buildings and rooms at the Cathedral but class must have been out while we were there, he was nowhere to be found !

Becoming Twins

On a morning run this last week, we were happy to greet a set of identical twins.  Several times  per week they walk this path, dressed in the exact same outfits each time we see them.  I finally could not resist and asked if I could snap a photo of them, they were delighted for the recognition. 

Their image has teased my mind with the fact that we are the children of God, formed in His divine image and capable of becoming like Him. We know from Hebrews chapter 1 that the Son is in the express image of the Father.  So we seek in our journey through life to model the behavior of the Son by following His teachings and He will lead us to becoming like the Father as we strive to become like Him, the Only Begotten Son of God. 

Elder Dallin H. Oaks has taught: “The Final Judgment is not just an evaluation of a sum total of good and evil acts—what we have done. It is an acknowledgment of the final effect of our acts and thoughts—what we have become.” 

The Promise of Spring

As we walked along the garden path leading to the Preston Temple and looked at the buds on the bushes and flowers, my mind embraced the thought "the promise of spring".  I saw it everywhere in the garden landscape on this chilly February day.  Songs have been sung and poems penned with such a title.  For me my heart melted like the snow with a love of God's creations and gifts.  

Just as we can count on the budding and blossoming of plants and flowers without fail as spring approaches, we can count on the promise of new beginnings in our lives.  This is an opportunity to change and put away past grievances, errors and mistakes and to embrace the gifts of Jesus Christ to us;  giving us an opportunity to repent and be forgiven, to one day receive a perfected body and to ultimately return to live as families with our Heavenly Father again. 

It is the promise that in the darkest times of life, light seeks to shine; in the most despairing moments of our lives, hope strives to pop out. Spring comes and reminds us that there is always the possibility of new life.

Equality, Knife & Fork, Wanna Pauna, Tony the Tiger, Bongo Bingo, Swim at the Panama

 Equal Partnership in Marriage

Within the family, the Lord has entrusted men and women with different but equally significant roles that complement each other.  Prophets have taught that in these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners.  Just as the left and right hands work together, so should we as husbands and wives. Just as a knife and a fork are different, they each play a significant contributing role in a meal, so we should work closely together to teach and feed our families. 

President Jean B. Bingham, former Relief Society General President, said:

“Lucifer knows that if he can damage the unity men and women feel, if he can confuse us about our divine worth and covenant responsibilities, he will succeed in destroying families, which are the essential units of eternity. Satan incites comparison as a tool to create feelings of being superior or inferior, hiding the eternal truth that men’s and women’s innate differences are God given and equally valued. … His goal has been to foster a power struggle rather than a celebration of the unique contributions of men and women that complement one another and contribute to unity.”

Ashington Branch Talks

We gave talks in Ashington Branch today.  We love this branch -- it is located just 15 minutes to the north of our flat.  President Brook Pauna, a young Chiropractor from Australia, is the branch president.  He married a local girl from Ashington, Lyndall Hamilton, which is why he moved here.  They now have 3 young children.  There were about 50 people in attendance today. 

Sauria from Chad who was sustained today to receive the Aaronic Priesthood, was blessed in his ordination to play a significant role in bringing the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ to the people of Chad.   David Redpath ordained him and Elder Betteridge assisted.  It was a very spiritual blessing -- Sauria was so excited at the new service opportunities that will come to him with his responsibilities as a Priest.

Brook Pauna Family

Sister Betteridge's talk was titled, "Best Invite Ever" and spoke on accepting the invitation to come unto Christ and 'Think Celestial' and Elder Betteridge spoke on looking for Christ.

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf said: "When we look at our lives and see a hundred things to do, we feel overwhelmed. When we see one thing—loving and serving God and His children, in a hundred different ways—then we can work on those things with joy."

President Nelson said: "The Lord Jesus Christ lives today.  He can be an active, daily presence in our lives.  He is the solution to our problems, but we must lift our eyes and raise our sights to see Him.  He has said, Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.  Nothing invites the Spirit more than fixing your focus on Jesus Christ... He will lead and guide you in your personal life if you will make time for Him in your life-- each and every day. Jeremiah 29:13 reads: And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart."

Time with Tony

We went out to the best fish and chips place in North Shields (according to Tony, my third cousin).  It is called the Waterfront.  We had a wonderful time together.  We loved the quote on the wall - as you can see in the picture below-- "Life's roughest storms prove the strength of our anchors"

Last District Picture 

We said farewell to Sister Angela Barnard from Oakley Idaho as she was transferred to Bridlington.  We will introduce our new sister in next week's blog.  Sister Moss after two transfers now gets to be a trainer as we receive a new sister from the States.

Bongo Bingo

On Saturday afternoon, we had a Sunderland stake activity called Bongo Bingo.  It was quite fun and crazy.  Both kids and adults loved it !

Best home-made ice cream in the world from Crescent Cafe just down the street

The Panama Swim Club Established 1930

The Rock, 21, District We Are, Sauria, Bathing Club, Resurrection Begins

Obtaining Happiness in Family Life through Jesus Christ

Elder Richard J. Maynes taught, “The joy we experience in this life will be in direct proportion to how well our lives are centered on the teachings, example, and atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ.”

This last week in institute class we discussed "Obtaining Happiness in Family Life through Jesus Christ".  The foundational scripture for the class was Helaman 5:12 and its foundational message to build your life upon the rock of Christ, our Redeemer. 

"And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall."

We love the word foundation! -- This was an unusual class because we selected students from both the North Shields Institute and students from Gateshead Institute to lead the lesson discussion at each location.  Aside from the fact that no one paid attention to the time and the class went long, we found that the discussion leaders did amazing-- in fact they garnered more discussion from the other young adults than we normally do.  Hence, the message here -- get out of the way!  Let the young adults run their own institute.  We were testing this strategy and received clear confirmation that this is the way forward for the Sunderland Stake.  Moving forward, we will select 4 students from the North and 4 from the south and assign them to be discussion leaders for one lesson each month (so no single student bears the responsibility to lead the discussion every week). 

Elder David A Bednar said: “Ordinances and covenants are the building blocks we use to construct our lives upon the foundation of Christ and His Atonement. We are connected securely to and with the Savior as we worthily receive ordinances and enter into covenants, faithfully remember and honor those sacred commitments, and do our best to live in accordance with the obligations we have accepted. And that bond is the source of spiritual strength and stability in all of the seasons of our lives.”

North Shields Institute this last week (record breaking attendance - 21 in all)

Temple Preparation with Grace Cadle and the Sister Missionaries

We have been delighted to share the temple preparation lessons with Grace Cadle and the sister missionaries.  This last week we concluded our lessons with Grace.  She will seek an appointment with the Bishop to discuss the next steps on her path to the temple.  

District Council

Transfers are coming up this week and we are likely to loose at least one of our sister missionaries, but gain another.  We will update you all next week on who goes and who stays.  Sister Barnard has been out for 3 transfers and sister Moss for two transfers.  We serve with them in the North Shields ward.  Back Row: Left to Right - Elder Daniels, Elder Keith, Elder Ward, Elder Suyama... Front Row: Sis Barnard, Sister Moss, Sister and Elder B. 

Sauria is Baptized

Yesterday was a very special day in the Ashington Branch.  A beautiful refugee from Chad was baptized: Sauria Main-Hingam.  He has been working hard to find a job and also working with the local immigration authorities to get his family here from Chad-- he needs to have a job and an apartment.   Hopefully within the coming months he will be able to qualify for this.  His family, who remain in Chad, have all taken the missionary lessons now. When they get here he will be able to baptize them all, 5 children and his wife. This will be an amazing day we are all looking forward to.

He bore his testimony at his baptism and said he has had many hardships and previously been very focused on money and growing his business in Chad, he has left much behind in his move to the UK for political asylum. Despite all this he declared, 'I realize now that the real reason I came to the UK was to find the true gospel of Jesus Christ; it has been worth every sacrifice I have made.  I am so happy!'

 

Bathing Club

Join the Monkseaton Bathing Club and jump into the Table Rocks pool.  This is a natural tidal swimming pool created in the rock formation off Brown's Bay.  It was developed as a bathing pool in 1894 by Mr. W. Scott.  A great way to get a cheap, natural bath.   

Resurrected

This last week we noticed spring flowers are fighting to come forth.  They will not be subdued!  Our grand creator  blesses us every year with the hope of Spring as the Earth resurrects her beautiful flowers.  We love God's grand creations!