This was a very busy and exciting month.  We attended our third and last Mission President's Seminar.  This year it was in Copenhagen, Denmark.  Neither of us had ever been there before, and enjoyed an opportunity to see this beautiful city.  Most of all, we enjoyed being instructed by our Area Presidency, as well as  Elder David A. Bednar and his sweet wife.  What a special experience!  A few days after the Seminar, the Bednars, along with Elder Kopischke and Elder Donaldson and their wives, came to speak to our Missionaries, as well as the members in our Mission.

These are pictures I took in Copenhagen.  The one above was taken from a boat while we were on a cruise around the harbor.  The one below was taken from the window of a restaurant we ate in one night. 

NEW ELDERS

Elder Griffith from Utah, and  Elder Hudec from the Czech Republic arrived from the Provo MTC just in time for Elder Bednar's visit to Birmingham.  Elder Hudec was in Provo learning English, and Elder Griffith was learning Chinese....we have a new Chinese speaker in our Mission!  We're so excited, especially since Elders Guo, Leung, Wang, and Luu have left!

 We were fortunate to receive a new couple to serve as missionaries in the EBM...the Pinkerton's from Oregon.  They are serving in Stroud.  We know they'll be a great blessing to our mission!

Time to say goodbye to one of our two Finnish missionary...Elder Andersson...

...and our little girl from Sri Lanka with the big heart...and a big name,

Sister Kottambagahagedara

Elder Morgan from Utah also came to us in August as a Chinese speaker.  He was trained by Elder Luu.

SEPTEMBER TRANSFERS

....we sent home four of our leaders in the mission.  They will be missed!

Elder Magpantay (Germany)...our A.P., Elder Cyron (Germany...known as 'the machine'), Elder Duke (Arkansas), and Elder Luu (Washington).  What an amazing group of Elders!

The missionaries love seeing each other at  transfers...Elder Clarke-Wills, Magpantay, Setu, Steed, Mathews, and Fairbourne.

AND....last but not least...our GREENIES.  Elder Anim (France), Elder Diloyan (Armenia), Elder Rowe (Utah), Elder Kerr (Utah), Elder Peck (Utah), Elder Destribois (France), Elder Patch (Utah), Elder Tapia (Colorado), Elder Clarke (from the Lichfield Stake in our mission...he's just here temporarily waiting for his Visa for Australia), Elder Quilter (North Wales), Sister Wheatley (Utah), and Sister Benson (New Mexico).

We're thrilled to have them.....and already seeing great things from them.  Its exciting!!!!

TRANSFERS AUGUST 3, 2011

Our wonderful missionaries who went home this month:  Left to right (after Pres. Ogden):  Elder Schmidt (Germany), Elder Pedersen (St.George, Utah), Elder Stein (Germany), Elder Wangsgard (Ogden, Utah), Elder Anderson (Grace, Idaho), Elder Breuer (Germany), Elder Mower (West Jordan, Utah), Elder Brokatzky ( Germany), Elder Marks (Texas), Elder Shrubb (England), Sis. Nadsady (Scotland).

Gathering in the office their last day here.  AP Magpantay, Sister Nadsady, Elder Breuer. 

 At the Mission Home for the departing testimony fireside...

A dozen out...a dozen in...."Greenie Power"

Elder Lee (Singapore), Elder Harper (West Jordan, UT.), Elder Barton (Modesto, CA.), Elder Choi (S.L.C. and Korea), Elder Bell (Holladay, Utah), Elder Greene (Orlando, FL.), Elder Edwards (West Jordan, UT.), Elder Rainey (Knoxville, TN.), Elder Frary (Virginia and Germany), Elder Brewer (Springville, UT.), Elder Muir (Pleasant Grove, UT.), Sister Brooks (Lancashire, England)

On the Rameumptom...

Another FAMILY PORTRAIT...

Elder Cadwallader (2nd from right) trained Elder Jaquish (far right) and Elder Siegel (tall guy).

Elder Siegel is now training Elder Harper, so Elder Harper is Elder Cadwallader's grandson, and Elder Jaquish's nephew....get it????

I took this shot of Elder Howe and Elder Beus...Elder Howe asked me to put it on the blog, and since he's my 'home boy', how could I say no??!!!

GADFIELD ELM

FINALLY...the long awaited time for our Church History Zone Conferences arrived...

The missionaries of the Cardiff/Merthyr Zone, Cheltenham Zone, and Lichfield Zone...

The Missionaries of the Nottingham/Leicester Zone, and the Birmingham/Coventry Zone...

 The wonderful, dedicated and beautiful Sister missionaries of the EBM...

(I don't know if Elders Setu and Tonga are trying to get in the picture...or out!)

And our Senior couples...such a vital and important part of our mission!

 The Tufts

 The Skiles and the Henry's

 The Johnson's

 Our four tallest missionaries...I think they are all above 6'7"...

(We had to put Elder Guo in the picture to give it some perspective.)

 Besides Gadfield Elm, we climbed the mountain at British Camp...the Elders made sure Sister Mee didn't get to hang out at the bottom!

President Ogden was quite in demand for pictures as we visited Benbow Farm and Pond.

...here he is with Sister Kottambagahagadera and Sister Rose. 

It was a very exciting day!!!

This past six weeks has been an exciting time.....

Two new little grandsons have 

joined our family.

Cooper Roy Adcock was born to Megan and Chris on May 15th

in Irvine, California.

He was a big baby,

weighing in at 9 lb. 9 oz.

Jett Dayley Cameron was born

 to Alisa and David on

 June 5th.  He was much smaller than his cousin...

6 lb. 3 oz.

Both little boys are reported to be very sweet and contented babies.



This transfer, we sent home what I fondly refer to as our 'first borns'.  This was the group that came to serve in the England Birmingham Mission at the same time that we did.  (Well, with the exception of Elder Leung in the middle...he started when we did, but spent a few months in the MTC learning English.)

From left to right they are:  Elder Smith (Wyoming), Elder Schreiner (Utah), Elder Leung (Hong Kong), Elder Stokes (Texas), and Elder Marston (England).

I feel like we grew up together!  We love each of them and will miss them so much.

Our wonderful new group of missionaries. 

From left to right:  Elder Van Kerckhoven (a Belgian...Our first!), Elder Ockey (Utah), Elder Lewis (Utah),

Elder Lyman (Utah), and Sister Matapo (England and Zimbabwe).

Standing with them on the Rameumptom are two missionaries who came to our mission mid transfer...

Elder Hopkinson from Leeds, England, and Elder Blackwood from Reading, England.

Also coming in mid transfer were Elder and Sister Johnson from northern Arizona.  They are serving as the leaders of the Center for Young Adults in the Lichfield Stake.  The YSA is such a marvelous program, and we're so excited to have these wonderful people to oversee it!

And my sister, Christine, came to visit us...so fun!!!  We had a great time and she loved England.  Here we found our perfect hangout...if you can't read the sign, it says "Scholar's Lounge".  It was in the beautiful Lower Slaughter.

McGARVEY AND SPENCE

Last month, we had the wonderful experience of attending the wedding of two of our former missionaries in the  Preston England Temple...

Elder Spence

and

Sister McGarvey

Now to be known as

Mr. and Mrs.

Bridger Spence

He is from Utah, and she is from Scotland...

He looked very handsome in the

traditional Scottish kilt...

what a guy!

And she, of course, was an incredibly beautiful bride.

What a choice experience to witness their sealing.

An exciting month, with special visitors...Elder Patrick Kearon and his wife, Jennifer.  Elder Kearon presided at our Zone Conferences this quarter.  He and Sister Kearon gave powerful, inspiring messages to us and to our missionaries. 

I wasn't smart enough to have a picture taken with us and the Kearons, but here they are with two of our Sisters...Sister Clark and Sister Hedemark.  Sister Clark and Sister Kearon discovered that they are related.

This was taken at the Zone Conference down in Cardiff.  Elder and Sister Crandall will be leaving us in a few short weeks.  They have accomplished much in their 18 months here...we'll sure miss them. 

With them are missionaries who were serving in the district with them...Elders Taylor, Brokatsky, Durfee, Sister Nadsady, Sister Perera, Elder Siegel, and Elder Mansfield.

May Transfers

These Elders arrived the transfer before we did, so I say we 'adopted' them as newborns.  A few of this group had to leave last transfer due to expiring Visas.  The Sisters, of course, came 18 months ago.  They are:

Elder Smith from London, Elder Rapana from Australia, Elder Jensen from Utah, Elder Love from Utah, Sister Morgan from Blackwood, Wales, and Sister Nemec from Croatia (she was just baptized herself 3 years ago!)

GREENIE POWER!!!!

It's been three transfers since we got any greenies...we're so excited to have this amazing group.

They are:  (L. to R. front row)  Mucke (Germany), Kunz (Idaho), Cloward (Utah), Sims (Utah), Dalton (Utah), Whitehead (Utah), Sister Baker (Washington, Russia, China...etc.), Sister Stucki (California), Sister Filichia (Arizona)

(L. to R. back row:)  Cole (Arizona), Wilkey (England), Callen (Idaho), Hutchings (Utah), Rogers (Texas), Johnson (Utah)

This is Elder Querubin (r.) with his trainer, Elder Dahl.  Elder Querubin came to us last week...he was held up because of his Visa.   We're so excited to finally get him here!

A FEW RANDOM SHOTS FROM TRANSFER DAY...

This is what we call a "Family Group" shot.  Elder Luu trained Elder Clark (far left) Elder Roberts (center) and Elder MacGill (far right)....so they are referred to as his sons.  Now Elder Clark is training Elder Kunz, so he will be Elder Luu's grandson.  We have sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles...and on and on.

This is Sister and Elder Skiles...our new office couple....standing on the Rameumptom.  They arrived the day before the mission tour, and the week before transfers.  I'm not sure they know what hit them, but I'm pretty positive they haven't had a chance to catch their breath.  We're excited to have them here!

Elder Guo...one of our Elders from China.  He's a character!

 Behind him you see Elder Von Brughan...our Elder who made such a miraculous recovery from a bike accident.  He's a constant reminder to me of the power of the Priesthood, prayer and fasting.

CATCHING UP....AGAIN

 What a wonderful, terrible, joyful, busy, and miraculous transfer.

It all started February 22nd when we had a departing dinner for Sister Layton and Sister Strein.  It was a bittersweet evening, because we also had to say goodbye to Elder Lowry.  His asthma had gotten progressively worse and we couldn't keep him here anymore without jeopardizing his health.  These are three very wonderful missionaries...we'll miss them so much!

After the dinner that evening, at about 10 o'clock, we got a call from Elder Von Brugan's companion   Elder Von Brughan had taken a bad fall from his bike and had hit his head.  He was being taken by ambulance to a hospital.  We hurried out there.  When we arrived, he was sedated and intubated.  They thought they might have to do surgery to relieve the pressure on his brain.  Fortunately, that didn't become necessary.  At the transfer meeting the next morning, President Ogden asked all of the missionaries to join us in fasting and prayer for this Elder.  We also learned that the Brethren in SLC were praying for him in the Temple.  After a few days, he was on the road to recovery, and we were able to keep him here...truly a miracle.

Megan, Chris and their girls were here at that time....so they witnessed all of the drama.  But we still had a wonderful time being with them again.  We went to a farm, the Cotswolds, the church historical sites, Cardiff, the Museum of Welsh Life...all of the usual places we take our kids.  We really enjoyed spending time with each of them, and seeing how much Emma and Taylor had grown.

(Taylor likes to do exactly the same thing that Emma does!)

A few days after the Adcock's left, our house was burglarized.  We came down in the morning and first noticed that our laptop was gone.  As we looked around the house, we noticed that my purse and Chuck's briefcase and scriptures were gone.  Then we looked out the window.  The driveway was EMPTY...they had taken our car.  As they drove it out of the driveway, they had hit a big brick pillar.  I realized then  that I had heard the crash before I went to sleep...meaning I had been awake through the whole robbery.

Not a happy thought!  Chuck was more heartbroken about his scriptures (that he has been reading and marking for 15 years) than anything else.

A week later, Brett's family came to visit us.  Another wonderful time.  We got to see little Chelsea for the first time.  What a delightful baby girl!  We enjoyed being reunited with all of them...it really didn't seem possible that it had been over a year and a half since we had seen them.  Thank heaven for SKYPE!

Two days after they left, we had transfers again.  As with the previous time, we had missionaries leaving but none coming.  We're looking forward to welcoming some 'greenies' next transfer.  Since none were coming this time, we had our departing missionaries stand on the 'Rameumptom' and tell where they've been serving, where they're going (in other words...where's home) and if they have a new companion waiting for them.  We heard everything from 'mom and dad' and 'Megan Fox', to the Holy Spirit.  A few were more honest and mentioned the name of a real girl!!!

Elder La Vita (South Africa), Elder Griffiths (Utah), Elder Williams (Utah), another Elder Williams (Utah), Elder Davies (England), Elder Christensen (Utah), Elder Broekman (Holland and Australia), Elder Sinclair (England), Sister Bioleome (Camaroon and Germany)

What a wonderful group!!!!

                                                                                                                     

THE RAMEUMTOM

P.S.  To all of our former missionaries...WE LOVE YOU...keep in touch!!!