Edvalsons in England: 8 October 2018

Our summer is over and we are now in full swing here in the Institute. Summer ended with a Senior Missionary trip down to Burleigh House in Stamford. We spend the afternoon touring this huge and beautiful estate including impressive rooms and gardens full of surprising garden art (called Follies) and a fun children’s water garden. As usual, we all had dinner together and it was a beautiful sunny day as well.

Fall started on September 23 with “Freshers Week”. To welcome the new students we first invited everyone to meet with the Young Single Adult Leaders where they could take a tour of the building and ask questions and meet one another. Twenty three attended and we knew it was going to be a big year. Monday was Home Evening with 49 attending, Tuesday was 23 people coming for subway sandwiches and a trip to the city center. Wednesday was Cultural Night complete with Chinese HotPots, Indian henna and Spanish churros and dance lessons - about 50 attended; Thursday was Intro to classes and a fun quiz, Friday was a dance, Saturday a service project and Movie Night and Sunday another Fireside featuring Elder Quentin Cook in a previously shown Face to Face on church history. So you can see we have about 45-50 members of the Institute for this coming Semester.

The following week it was October and classes started. Elder E. Taught the Tuesday night class on Doctrines of the Gospel for new or investigating members and missionaries. Well attended, it felt good to be back teaching in our favorite classroom. Wednesday, I taught our first class on LDS Hymns which filled all the chairs and we had a great time with all the wonderful gospel music. We opened with “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing / If You Could Hie to Kolob” - by Elenyi & Sarah Young. Everyone knew this arrangement and many said they listen to it every day.

Cousin Katie Walther joined us here on Wednesday in time for the class and then the fun really began. Friday afternoon, Katie and I walked all over campus checking out the beautiful old buildings and the fall foliage and then that night we all attended Light Night Leeds downtown, a festival of light and culture. We got in late and the next morning got up early to meet some YSA for a trip to the Preston England Temple and a wonderful day there. We got home about 2:00 pm and streamed General Conference live for the YSA in the lounge from 5:00-7:00 took a break for dinner for about 35 then watched the next session from 9:00-11:00. Sunday we streamed conference again with the same schedule. By the end of this inspiring weekend, we all felt like family again.

Today Elder E, Katie and I drove to the little village of Thirsk to tour the James Herriot Museum. It was beautifully done and worth seeing for all ages. And of course, we went to lunch at Betty’s - this time in Harrogate.

Tonight Katie gave a wonderful Home Evening lesson on her humanitarian experiences and encouraged everyone to find ways to serve others and to realize that humanitarian work is something we can all aspire to experience. We had 23 YSA in attendance and everyone was inspired by her words and encouragement. So once again it is after midnight and so

Good Night dear friends. We love the mission and all that are here at the Institute and we love sharing our mission with our family.

The Edvalsons

Ps - Elder E and Katie would like it if I mentioned all those meals were prepared by us and we work like dogs. :)