More from the Mission

Hello All,

We are settling into a kind of schedule.  That is we know we have Family Home Evening on Monday nights with usually a dozen or so Young Single Adults - mostly college students.  They’re all terrific and we are getting to know their names pretty quickly since we see them often.  They give the lesson, have an activity and we supply the refreshments.  Tuesday is Lunch  - sandwich fixings supplied by the Institute Director and Assistant.  It’s a quick lunch and watching a clip or two video of a General Conference talk with discussion afterward.  Wednesday we are starting a Christmas Movie Evening here at the Institute - starting with everyone’s favorite, “A Muppet Christmas Carol” which is a very popular Christmas movie here (also at our house in Oregon)  yours?  Next week we’re showing “It’s A Wonderful Life” which several have never seen and only heard of.  I’m pushing it as a “Must See”.  Thursday morning we have a Devotional with the Institute staff and at night we serve dinner to around 40 students who then attend a Book of Mormon Class taught by the Institute Director followed by a  Mission Prep Class or Choir.  Friday Morning we prepare breakfast and one of us presents a Devotional.  Starting in January, we will be teaching a class on Wednesday nights as well.  In between we have different missionary responsibilities.  For example, this morning we attended our District Council Meeting with the missionaries serving in our Stake.  A very international group.  A Sister from New Zealand, Spain, Utah/Philippines, Washington and me.  The Elders are from Mexico, Arizona, two from Utah, Idaho and Serbia - and Elder Edvalson.  Great leaders and missionaries all of them.  Sunday night we attended a Stake Young Single Adult Committee Meeting with various stake leaders to discuss helping YSAs in our Stake.  Tim and I have already started visiting some as we attend different Wards every week and get to know as many as we can.  There’s more, but you get the idea.    I’ve also included a great picture of Elder Edvalson looking - very stately or English or Senior Missionary-ish - not sure - but definitely dapper.   Just want to thank Jurek and Jill for sending us comments - and Cal actually sent me a Thanksgiving card - and I got it too.  Thank you everyone for your prayers and good thoughts.  Seriously.  It’s great here, but we do miss you.

Our Thanksgiving Dinner

A lovely family from Wakefield treated all  the senior missionaries to an American Thanksgiving. Bother Barnsley is a chef and caterer so we had authentic turkey, stuffing, potatoes, green bean salad (still missed Aunt Jeans’s)  pumpkin pie, apple pie and even jello salad with marshmallows. He collects American decorations when he visits the states a couple Times a year.  Not the same without you all but we were pretty happy about the familiar goodies.

Our First Full Week in Leeds

          It’s been a very busy and full week as we have become acquainted with our new home and responsibilities.   We have many and varied assignments and have enjoyed meeting with all of the different groups.  There’s our Ward, Leeds I which I wrote about last post.  Then there is our Senior Missionary Group that we have enjoyed seeing off and on.  We went to dinner one night with our Mission President, his wife and the two office couples - one of whom is from Oregon.  We had just picked up our car the day before and this was the first time we drove through the city.  As one of our friends commented: “England is the size of Utah which has around 3 million inhabitants.  England has around 65 million, so you can imagine what the traffic is like."  Add the fact that we’re not used to driving on the left side and you can see all kinds of potential incidents.  We were glad that we were just here a year ago and Tim did a terrific job tooling around the countryside as were mostly in the Yorkshire Dales.  The city is a little more complicated, but he’s doing well.  We have a GPS that I keep my eyes on and remind him to keep on the left side of the road - especially in Costco parking lots.  Yes, there is one of those in our city and also an Ikea - both of which we have visited and purchased items from. 

View from our window - University of Leeds

Afternoon mint tea & clotted cream too

          Then there are the young missionaries.  We attended a Zone Conference this week in Huddersfield which is about an hour away.  Lots of hugs and handshakes and smiling sweet faces from the missionaries.  Who wouldn’t love this group.  This was only half of the mission and it filled the Stake Center with good vibes and lots of inspiring testimonies.  President Turvey is a sympathetic, inspiring and entertaining leader for all of these young people and we all believe him when he says Leeds Mission is the greatest mission in the Universe. 

          We love the Young Single Adult group here at the Institute.  We are meeting them taking pictures of them and reminding ourselves who they are so we can really get to know them and serve them with love.  Not hard to do that - the difficulty is remembering all the names.  Monday was Family Home Evening.  A wonderful lesson on patience was given by one of the leaders of the group.  Then down to the kitchen for treats and a wild game of Uno ensued until about 10pm.  Tuesday was a lunchtime class taught by the Institute Director, Brother McMorn who is perfect for the job.  He just turned 33 so can relate to the YSAs, but very wise and patient and spiritual with them as well.  He presents interesting lessons uses lots of great clips of General Conference and leads lively discussions.  He’s also become a good friend and we chat frequently about how to bring more students into this wonderful place.  Thursday is a big dinner plus the biggest class - about 30-40 YSA’s at dinner (lasagna, salad, ice cream) and the Book of Mormon class with Brother McMorn, choir practice and a Missionary Prep class taught by one of the returned missionaries studying across the street at Leeds Uni. (that’s what they call it) Friday morning, Tim cooked breakfast for a smaller group and I gave a short devotional on the Lord being in the details of our lives - as He surely has been in ours, bringing us to this place where we will be challenged, but where we feel we are truly meant to be.  There’s lots of work to be done and we can contribute our knowledge and experience.   One of the Apostles, Elder Holland said at a training in Europe a short time ago that here is to be a Renaissance and resurgence of the Church in Europe and England will take a big part in it.  The strength and future of the Church of Jesus Christ lies in the hands of the Young Single Adults.  We are here to help train them, love them and mentor them and happy to do so.  As it says in the scriptures, “…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”       

In Leeds at Last

The amazingly lovely - and very Large inside and out - Institute of Religion building in Leeds, England.  Half a dozen large classrooms, a kitchen, lounge, teaching rooms, about four levels including a basement - and 56 steps to the top gable rooms where we live in our charming - not kidding - small, but charming apartment.

Yesterday, our Mission President and Sister Turvey  held a conference for all of the Senior Missionaries (9 couples two of which are fantastic single Sisters) then took us on an outing to the Leeds Museum followed by a walk through a giant Christmas bazaar and finally to dinner.  We got to know our fellow Senior Missionaries well and they are a tremendous group. Today we attended Leeds First Ward for the Primary Program.  They have a large number of Young Single Adults (YSA’s) in this Ward and we attended their Sunday School Class.  The teacher lead an insightful, intelligent discussion on the importance of “Putting on the Whole Armor of God” as in remaining honest, respectful and chaste in all of your relationships.  We visited with a few of them and found out they were studying Law, Medicine, Biochemistry and Dentistry.  Apparently, I need to find some English Education Majors to chat with.  Everyone was very welcoming and excited to have someone living full time at the Institute.  They haven’t had full time missionaries here for a few years.  Tomorrow, we meet with the Institute Director and President Turvey for orientation, then over to the office to make sure our Visas are in force and finally to driving lessons.  Once we have the car at our disposal, we will head over to Costco and stock up on goodies for the YSA’s Family Home Evening tomorrow night. 

Here are some pictures of our small, but lovely apartment in which we have a guest bedroom, by the way.

Beginning of Week 2 in the MTC

by Elder Edvalson

Elder Edvalson at an MTC Building named for his great uncle Elder Rey L Pratt
(former member of the First Quorum of the Seventy)

This past Saturday we were able to attend the new Provo City Center Temple. It is beautiful and was an amazing architectural feat of construction building it on the site of and with the original brick exterior from the old Provo Tabernacle which tragically burned down a few years ago.

Elder & Sister Edvalson at the Provo City Center Temple

We had a beautiful Sunday including our worship service, 2 devotionals, and a video presentation of a classic talk given by Elder Jeffrey R Holland at the MTC entitled “Missions are Forever” which was a lively and moving “call to arms” to dedicated missionary service.

We have begun our 2nd week of MTC training focusing on Seminaries and Institutes as well as Young Single Adult training.  We will be living at the Leeds University LDS Institute of Religion and helping to staff it.  This is a place where LDS and interested students and young adults can take classes on various religious subjects of interest to them and in the curriculum offered through the Church Education System. It is also open during the day where students can hang out and do homework and socialize together between classes.

I have also been able to see my old BYU roommate and fellow missionary from our younger days of serving in the Italy North Mission (now called Italy Milan Mission) from 1972-74.  David Martino now serves as President of the Provo MTC and welcomed us here last Monday and continues to greet us whenever we see him.  There are about 1400 missionaries here currently.   Two more days of training and we’ll be off to the UK!
We’re getting anxious to go!

President David C. Martino & Elder Edvalson

Week 1 The Mission

We graduated from Basic Training at the Mission Center.  We learned about the Doctrine of Christ, how to teach an effective lesson, and inviting those we teach to learn more about the Savior.  Some of our favorite scriptures:

“Thus God has provided a means that man, through faith, might work mighty miracles; therefore he becometh a great benefit to his fellow beings.” (Mosiah 8:18)

“And he said unto me: Knowest thou the condescension of God?  And I said unto him:  I know that he loveth his children;  nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.” (1 Nephi 11:16-17) 

We studied and taught about Hard Questions and how they sometimes make it difficult to endure to the end - but our testimony of Jesus and his Word and an accurate understanding of the character of God, our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, his Son - can and will carry us through as it did for Peter.  “From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.  Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?  Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go?  thou hast the words of eternal life.  And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.”  (John 6:66-69) 

“Therefore, I would that ye should be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in good works, that Christ, the Lord God Omnipotent, may seal you his, that you may be brought to heaven, that ye may have everlasting salvation and eternal life, through the wisdom and power and justice and mercy of him who created all things, in heaven and in earth, who is God above all.  Amen.” (Mosiah 5:15) 

And we also learned how to better use technology.  Thanks to our young teachers who were knowledgeable, patient, full of love and laughter.

Off went our friends to missions in California, New Hampshire, New York, Estonia, Brazil, and one couple even to Leeds England where we will join them in a weeks time.  

More about the MTC!

by Elder Edvalson

We've had 3 intense days of learning the art of being missionaries and made wonderful new friendships with people going all over the world.  Derrel & Eileen are going to Sao Paolo Brazil where they'll work in the mission office and he'll do some medical advising for the mission.  We're becoming more proficient in using Preach My Gospel and learned several new features of LDS Library and LDS Media apps which I wish I'd known earlier.

Tonight we had a chance to look at the amazing artwork contained in the newest MTC Buildings which are jaw droppingly beautiful.  They are back lit canvas paintings which with the accompanying scriptural references gives us lots of things to ponder and consider about how we're doing in this remarkable journey through life! 

Our love to all of you......enjoy the pictures we'll include.

Morgue-ites at the MTC: Eileen & Derrel Clarke, Drew Jones, Dana & Tim Edvalson

MTC MURALS:

The Sons of Mosiah

The Young Joseph Smith

Moses

PROVO MISSION TRAINING CENTER

by Sister Edvalson

Today was the first day of the rest of our lives.  I know we can always say that, but it did seem more profound today.  It’s very organized here and so many people helping in such good ways and so much wonderful life changing information coming at us.  I was wishing I had gone on a mission when I was younger and could handle all this inspiration and  information easier.   If this were a conference, I’d just be sitting back and taking it all in and being fed.  But as a missionary and a representative of Jesus Christ, I feel more responsibility for what I learned today and how to serve and make a difference.  

As Dave and Mary drove us up to the door of the MTC, several young willing Elders came running out and immediately took charge of all the heavy lifting and quickly got us settled in our dorm apartment.  130 Senior Missionaries checked in today and we quickly found out there are many ways to get to know people.  We stood in a few lines and met lots of couples that way.  There are also some Senior Sister Missionaries here.  We had several small group meetings to go over day to day schedules, how to get around without getting lost, etc.  We met another couple who are also serving in Leeds.  We took a picture of the four of us in front of the historical Mission Map of the World where we could point out where we are going.  We also met other couples going to Manchester England, Frankfurt Germany,  Paris, France (second time) New York, Lubbock, Texas, etc. and even a couple of young Elders heading for Albania and several musical Elders going to Portland, Oregon - one even sang “Come Thou Font of Every Blessing” which was sung at our farewell.  We ate lunch and sat with our new friends from Sacramento who are heading to Leeds.  Tim was also so happy to see a fellow Italian  missionary who was also his roommate at BYU for a time and who is now the Mission President of the MTC, President David Martino.  Each of us stood and introduced ourselves including where we’re from and where we’re going.  Then each couple was  matched with another couple to do practice teaching throughout the week.  They also put us into Districts as a way to connect.  Each District has a leader who is the communication channel between the people in the district in case of questions or concerns.  That means there would be only 17 people calling and asking questions of the coordinators instead of 130.  Tim is a District Leader and we have two other couples and two sisters in our district. So - this morning we went there knowing no one and by the end of the day we had ten new friends.  We had a wonderful surprise to see our friends from back in the days when we were attending the Portland Singles Ward together - Derrel and Eileen Clark who are heading for Sao Paulo, Brazil.   As some of you will remember, Derrel and Tim lived at the Multnomah County Morgue while attending Dental and Medical School.  We thought it was interesting that one of their other roommates, Reed Robinson is also on a mission in Norway.  

After dinner we had an orientation  discussing missionary responsibilities.  I always loved learning from The Lectures on Faith because it’s where I first realized how possible and important it is to learn and understand about the nature of God.  It’s more than believing in Jesus and being saved.   It’s about trying to become like Him and our mutual Father in Heaven.    In order to do that, we must learn about the character of Christ and the reality of the love of our Father.  We can help lift the faith of every one we meet and as we invite them to learn more about Jesus Christ we can help them get answers to their questions.  The Book of Mormon is nothing more than a tool to help us all get the obstacles out of our way and clear the path so the Lord can reach us and change our hearts and minds. 

 

Then we heard a talk from Elder David Bednar as a Family Home Evening lesson - also about learning the character of Christ which means always reaching out to help others instead of looking inward and equating everything with how it effects me.  It was an amazing day of discovery.  

Arrived in the Missionary Training Center in Utah!

by Elder Edvalson

After our flight to Salt Lake we were hosted by my Smurthwaite cousins Mary & Dave Ward who live in Provo.  They graciously volunteered to be “our parents” and drop us off at the MTC on morning.  But before that, we had a large reunion with many of their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren (see photo). At the same time we were able to FaceTime with their daughter Debbie and with our own  Allyson & Billy.   Thanks to all for the amazing outpouring of love and friendship.  We also got the lowdown from 2 recently returned British Missionaries who shared their love and affection for their missions and gave us a feel for what we’ll experience.

Then this morning it was off to check in.  Fortunately we had lots of young Missionaries to help us move into our “home” here and we quickly went about making 130 new friends who will embark to all points of the globe in the next 2 weeks to share the happiness and peace of following the Savior.

Elder Edvalson and Sister Edvalson

Elder Edvalson

Sister Edvalson 

Last night we were set apart as official missionaries - so exciting.  Now we are running around our house like crazy people (missionaries) packing, cleaning, adding tech connections to our phones, making lists ...
Will we be ready to leave Saturday morning? Doesn't matter - we're going!!