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”