Celebrations

The Classical Spectacular concert at Royal Albert Hall was truly spectacular including beautiful music with lights, lasers, smoke, cannons, and indoor fireworks! We loved going with J. Paul.

The Britannia (YSA) Ward Relief Society celebrated the 174th birthday of the Relief Society with a woman's wall of fame, a fashion show including women dressed up as all of the Relief Society General Presidents, and other activities and displays.

Some of the Elders and Sisters came into the VC on their prep day excited that they had seen the Queen while they were at Buckingham Palace!

We have loved celebrating the life and mission of Jesus Christ the two weeks before Easter with the Easter Initiative, #Hallelujah - Follow Him and find new life.

Last week was special with two baptisms at the Hyde Park Chapel. We love to see wonderful people demonstrating their faith in Jesus Christ, commencing on the strait and narrow path though the gate of baptism.

Alan and JoLynn Croft's nephew and his wife teach a class for the Self Reliance Center

We took the train to Amersham and met Hugh and Suzy. They picked us up at the train station and we went to Windsor and Eton, then to dinner and to their home for hot chocolate. A wonderful day!

Selfie with Hugh and Suzy

The Queen owns all of the swans in England ;-)

Windsor Castle

Flag of England in Windsor

Students move a sofa at Eton College

Windsor Castle rises above the town of Windsor

Royal horses are often seen on the streets of Kensington. Here they are riding down Exhibition Road in front of the Hyde Park Chapel.

On prep day we had a fun visit to Olympic Park in Stratford. We then went to Evensong at St. Paul's Cathedral.

#Hallelujah #MyForeverFamily

We are grateful for the Day 14 Mormon.org Easter challenge to share a family history photo online. This week our thoughts are turned to my father who will be turning 90 years old. A wonderful write up by my mother was published in the Herald Journal here. Below is another picture of my father and his family.

Jimmie Neeley, parents, Stella and James, brother Richard and wife, Montana

We are so grateful for the blessing and legacy of family. That because of what Jesus Christ did we will all be made alive. That by following him we can find forgiveness of sins, peace, and lasting happiness. Be sure to visit the Easter website at http://FollowHim.mormon.org to view the new videos about Jesus Christ. #Hallelujah #MyForeverFamily

Special Visitors

We were thrilled to visit with John and Louisa Waby at the Visitors' Centre today. Pat was one of the missionaries that taught Louisa the gospel 43 years ago. It is wonderful know of the legacy of faithful church service and devotion they are leaving with their 3 daughters and grandchildren in Scotland.

John and Louisa Waby at the Hyde Park Chapel

Sisters celebrate Sister Kerr's birthday

Delivering dinner

We are grateful for opportunities to serve when not working at the Visitors' Centre and for modern electronic methods to stay in touch with our children and grandchildren. Today we got to witness our 11 year old granddaughter open her birthday presents including Grandma Linda's old violin!

Facetime, Hangouts, Instagram, text messages, Yeah!

We March Forth!

Missionaries get set up for a picture at Zone Conference

We got to attend Zone Conference for the Hyde Park, Canterbury, and Romford Zones. We didn't get a copy of the group picture so quickly snapped a selfie.  The Zone Conference was wonderful! We love getting to know the elders and sisters. They are each unique and special. We love each one of them.

We were able to attend the whole day of meetings. We heard beautiful music, talks and testimonies of Jesus Christ, studied the scriptures and received training and counsel from President and Sister Stevens, the assistants to the president, zone leaders, and sister training leaders. We appreciated hearing the comments and insights from the elders and sisters attending.

We were encouraged to read from the New Testament the accounts of the Saviour's last days on earth, His great sacrifice, and resurrection. As we prepare for Easter Sunday, we will study those precious verses in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. We invite all to come unto Christ.

Leap year day! Wow, every four years we get February 29.

Tuesday, March 1st was the start of a new system of recording visitors to the centre. Now we have a daily log that all write in. We make notes about the tours we give and it helps to remember those amazing people that come in and the little miracles that happen each day.
Tuesday Prep Day went to see the newly opened exhibit at the Victoria & Albert Museum: 1600-1805 Europe. Stradivarius Violin 1699! Dan replaced the tetoncam camera and got it almost working.
Watched “Tim’s Vermeer” documentary about man who tried to paint a Vermeer, so therefore, we looked up the Vermeer paintings in London and went to the National Gallery to see two of them Wednesday morning. Beautiful!
Thursday, Fire Safety training at the HPChapel. Dan’s 34th birthday!

Fire safety instruction behind the Hyde Park Chapel

Friday, meet John and Diane Tippetts (we share 5 grandchildren!) at Buckingham Palace changing of the guard, walk through St. James’s Park, see daffodils and varieties of birds, Horse Parade Ground, Whitehall Road, 10 Downing Street, Phone booths and catch the tube at Westminster Abbey. We met them again at church on Sunday. Lovely to be with them! Sing outside the VC and then again impromptu singing in the evening at end of our shift, Pat on guitar, Sisters Wai and Hannig and other elders and new member and investigator.

Our guest cards for the Easter initiative feature this Carl Bloch painting. 

Saturday, 8 a.m. training about the new Teaching Center Online process, Linda off to check on mission violin near Edgeware Road tube stop and Pat doing computer things. Evening shift was so busy from 3 to 7 p.m. one tour after another. It was great fun! 7-9 very quiet, a chance to process the lovely day.

Impromptu singing Friday night at the VC.

Sunday, play organ, piano in Relief Society, accompany rehearsal for Stake Choir, 1-5 shift, great tour and one referral of mother, grandmother, and three daughters from South America living in London, rehearsal of string group for Easter Devotional. Three violins, one cello and one fine classical guitar player.

Mike Vincent and Pat visit the Saul Leiter photography exhibit