Hope for All, Farewell to Natasha, Welcome Chloe, J&E Appear, Hello Dolly, The First Resurrection, Home Again

Feeling Hope for Building an Eternal Family

Our concluding lesson in institute was "Feeling Hope for Building an Eternal Family".  We absolutely love this lesson!  All of us have been and are part of God's Eternal Family.  All of us can have hope that we can build our eternal family, whatever our family circumstances have been.

Elder Yoon Hwan Choi of the Seventy taught about the difference our choices can make for our eternal family:

"All of us are in the middle of an eternal family. Our role can be a turning point at which significant changes can occur in positive or negative ways… There are generations before us and after us depending on us to follow Christ so that we can be an eternal family of God."

Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles testified:

"To children whose family situation is troubled, we say, you yourself are no less for that. Challenges are at times an indication of the Lord’s trust in you. He can help you, directly and through others, to deal with what you face. You can become the generation, perhaps the first in your family, where the divine patterns that God has ordained for families truly take shape and bless all the generations after you."

Elder David A. Bednar also of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:

"With the help of the Lord, you can create an eternal family, even if you did not come from the kind of Latter-day Saint home that sometimes is featured on the covers of the [Church] magazines. Please always remember: it begins with you!

You and I are not trapped in our past experiences. We are not wholly and totally victims of our present circumstances or captives of our environment. The Holy Ghost will teach us all things that we should do, including patterns of family righteousness in which we have not previously participated. It begins with you! And with the Lord’s help, you can do it.

Some of you have had your hearts broken by family members or respected leaders who have not honored sacred marriage covenants. You may ask yourself, “If my parents or other couples I have known were sealed in the temple and their marriages did not succeed, what hope can I have that my marriage will last forever?”

To you who have experienced the heartache of a divorce in your family or felt the agony of violated trust, please remember it begins again with you! One link in the chain of your generations may have been broken, but the other righteous links and what remains of the chain are nonetheless eternally important. You can add strength to your chain and perhaps even help to restore the broken links. That work will be accomplished one by one."

The late M. Russell Ballard, president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said:

"Brothers and sisters, the most important cause of our lifetime is our families. If we will devote ourselves to this cause, we will improve every other aspect of our lives and will become, as a people and as a church, an example and a beacon for all peoples of the earth."

Farewell dear Natasha Zinovieff

Natasha was found by the missionaries who were planting gospel seeds in Berwick upon Tweed.  We were invited to teach her about Jesus Christ with the young Elders.  We have so enjoyed our time testifying and teaching her.  She is in her mid-eighties and has almost completed reading the Book of Mormon.  We will keep in touch with her as she continues her journey to learn of her eternal destiny.

Welcome Chloe Cooper

Chloe had been searching for truth and saw a facebook ad from the church in our area and decided to pursue her impression to investigate further.  She showed up at the Newcastle Chapel one Sunday and began attending church, meeting with the missionaries and learning more about the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.   She loves institute and 9-Square and was baptized the 20th of April just before we left.  (Interestingly, she drives a mini-cooper).  Welcome Chloe!

Jordan and Estefi Visit

We were delighted with a visit from our son Jordan and his wife Estefi.  It was so fun to visit Edinburgh, Scotland and many other family history sites in the area as well as Scarborough, England the home of Jordan's great grandmother Emily Ness.  

The cannon fires from the Edinburgh castle every day at pricesely 1:00 PM, providing Edinburgh residents throughout time a standard time to set their time pieces to.  

Hello Dolly

We were able to visit the first ever cloned animal "Dolly" in the museum of Scotland.  She is quite good looking and enjoyed our visit !

The Morning of the First Resurrection

During our visit to the ruins of the Saint Andrews Cathedral in St. Andrew Scotland we were presented with a thought provoking image of what the morning of the First Resurrection might reveal.

We say farewell to our wonderful Leeds England Mission office Elders.  From Left to right, Elder Bartlett, Elder Oldham, Elder Keisebach and Elder Riggs.

We travel home with two other amazing senior couples (left to right) Diane and Larry Prigmore and Val and Beth Wilding.

Home again into the wonderful arms of our family !

We cannot begin to enumerate the many small miracles we have experienced on our mission and the wonderful dedicated members. Suffice it to say 'by small and simple means, great thing are brought to pass'. We are so very grateful for the privilege we have had to serve the Lord.  We express our deep appreciation to our mission Leaders, President David Clare and His Wife Jayne Clare for their inspiration and guidance while we served and especially thank each one of our children who helped us time and time again with things at home, even moving our belongings and cleaning out our house.  We believe in eternal families; we love each and every member of our family so very much!

Our favorite scripture when we embarked on this mission journey was:

3 Nephi 5:13 

"Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life."

As we conclude this mission our favorite scripture is:

Doctrine and Covenants 68:6

"Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you; and ye shall bear record of me, even Jesus Christ, that I am the Son of the living God, that I was, that I am, and that I am to come."

We so testify that He was, that He lives today and that He will come again, our Savior and Redeemer, even Jesus Christ the Son of the living God.  In His Holy name, we conclude this mission with gratitude for his Great Sacrifice for us and the many tender mercies we have been extended by Him and our dear Heavenly Father.