Do You Speak Greek?

Little miracles happen everyday at the Hyde Park Chapel Visitors' Centre. Today we had a man come in from Greece who spoke almost no English. We struggled for 30 minutes to try to communicate with him including using Google translate and trying to reach a Greek speaking sister missionary serving in another area of London. As we were about to give up a member came in to go to the Self Reliance center upstairs. As he passed, Linda asked on a whim, "Do You Speak Greek?" He replied, "Sure, doesn't everyone." He wasn't from Greece but his father was. He helped us sort out the man who came in and made arrangements for him to come back and try to find another member of the stake who speaks Greek.

Iris from China poses with her missionaries and WeiWei Ma

Jane is also from China. She had come into the VC a year ago for a tour and then moved back to China. As soon as she returned she came into the centre and requested the lessons. Another sister and her daughter from Madrid, Spain were baptized following Jane. Another sister was baptized the next week also from China.

Jane and her family with missionaries

We are excited to see the new "I Love Mormon" ads on buses and brochues

We were treated to a performance of "The Mouse Trap" by J. Paul and Alessandra as our Christmas Present. It was awesome! The Mouse Trap is the oldest running play in the world. The week before we were able to see "Beautiful" the musical telling the life of composer and performer Carol King.

The Mission Leadership council after their recent meeting

Returning to the Chapel for our shift after a short Sunday walk following Church

Sister Missionaries sing at one of the 5 baptisms in the last 2 weeks

VC sisters Moody, Wai, and Croft

Aleksander, Sister Kerr, and Sister Hannig

Queens Tower reflects in a puddle on our walk to the Visitors' Centre

In Tune

What great joy to play violin, cello, and piano together in Sacrament meeting an arrangement of “Joseph Smith’s First Prayer”. It was so awesome to have J. Paul play beautiful cello and Sister Ashby on the piano and me on violin. We are so in tune with each other:) we even wore matching colors:) unplanned:) We were grateful that J. Paul would play with us and add to the spirit of a lovely Sacrament meeting. It was the highlight of my musical experience on our mission thus far.

Seven Sisters

One of the London Underground Rail (Tube) Stations is called Seven Sisters. I went to a small gathering of Relief Society sisters this week to get to know some of the lovely women in our local congregation. There were seven sisters in attendance. They were from Italy, Japan, Mongolia, Iran, Australia, Boston USA, and Idaho USA (me). All sisters in Zion from diverse cultures, all united in our love for Jesus Christ and his gospel.

Just this morning I read in the Book of Mormon: And moreover, I say unto you, that the time shall come when the knowledge of a Savior shall spread throughout every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. Mosiah 3:20.

Awesome!

Counting Blessings

Linda stands in a vine tunnel at Hampton Court on a mild winter day.

11 January was a momentous day as we welcomed our 9th grandchild, Solon, to the earth! We are very grateful for his safe arrival and Stacie’s health also. We have enjoyed the updates and pictures of him and hearing about the adventures of his parents. Here are some of our adventures since that day:)

Solon in a crocheted blanket Grandma Linda made

11 Solon Pascal Furia Neeley Born! Talk to Matthew and Stacie! Facetime Mom and Dad Neeley
12 Preparation Day: Sky Garden, talk to Suzy recovering from knee replacement, Hangout Dan and crew, FT Mia and Hazel.
13 Skype Mother and Daddy and Louise
14 Piano Students Anna and Luigi
15 Cardalls depart! Pat put together book with letters from all the sisters and seniors and pictures of their two years.
The Lorax Musical at Old Vic Theatre, Southbank

Linda stands in the Old Vic Theater waiting for the Lorax to begin

The Old Vic Theater

 16  "Hot Cross Buns" for Training Breakfast, enjoy Cheesecake made by J. Paul to celebrate Alessandra’s Birthday!

Do It Yourself shop with a great motto on the way to JPaul and Alessandra's

17 Ward Conference, super meetings! FT Maria, 5-9 shift
18 Talk to Matthew and Stacie and Solon! His eyes were open the whole 30 minutes!
19 Hulets arrive! make Welcome bunting (banner), buy lots of groceries and walk home in the rain, FT Jess and Cedar.

20 Worldwide missionary training broadcast 75,000 missionaries, awesome! Watched on shift with Pat’s ipad. Elder Hulet and Pres Anatsui give Pat blessing

Missionaries near the Hyde Park Chapel watch the broadcast downstairs

Senior couples were thrilled to watch the missionary broadcast

21 Preparation Day: Pat had wisdom tooth extracted from 10 to 11 a.m. Walked one mile to dentist office and back after the procedure. Rested, walked over to Museum of Natural History, the exhibit was opening the next day:) Wishes that he took a picture of the tooth, big part broken off and great big cavity. Piano students Linda
22 Natural History Museum “Other World’s Exhibit”, 3 to 9 p.m. shift, met Rae from Taiwan doing RCA Illustration, help on way home.

Otherworlds at the Natural History Museum

23 Porridge by Kaspar from Denmark after 8 am training breakfast, Skype Mother and Daddy.

Breakfast after Saturday morning training

Chef Kasper

24 Play organ, blowers are again working and up to pressure. 1-5pm shift, give several tours, meet Hayley Zilles from USU Huntsman scholars, farewell to April Chen who is going back to China this week.

with Hayley Zilles

with April Chen

One week is 9-3pm shift, second week was 3-9 pm shift. Sundays are 4 hour shifts after regular meetings.

Today in Relief Society we discussed the talk by President Uchtdorf, “It Works Wonderfully.” It is such a great talk! He suggests two things to help the church work wonderfully in our lives, one was to simplify and the other to start where we are. We had a great example of “simplify" by our Relief Society teacher. She was tall and wanted to use a stand to keep her notes up where she could read them and keep her hands free. There was not a podium in the room or a music stand to be found. She gathered some hymnbooks and lesson manuals from a nearby cabinet and made a stack about two feet high to rest her papers on. She was able to see them and gave a beautiful, inspiring lesson:)!

Original sized Mini. The new ones are much larger.

Linda is dwarfed by the roof beams at the Sky Garden

Headlong into 2016

A new grandson! In the USA, it was 1/11/2016 and here in the UK it is written 11/1/2016, either way, this is the day Solon Pascal was born! Matthew and Stacie are thrilled to welcome him. They didn’t know if they were having a boy or girl. Now we know! He is named after his parents and great grandparents. Solon is Matthew’s great grandpa’s name and Pascal is Stacie’s great grandpa’s name. Joyful news for all of us, what a wonderful blessing to have him safely here! We look forward to lots of pictures and talking and visiting and hugs and kisses!

Our last picture as a Visitors' Center staff before the Cardalls complete their service.

Spike to be baptized by Wei Wei who was baptized 4 weeks ago by Patrick who was baptized 3 weeks before that.

A "real" Mini is parked on Elvaston

After 6 months, Elvaston is really feeling like home

View from the Sky Garden

Elder Neeley attended a counter terrorism education seminar at the Natural History Museum for the community security zone.

1/1/2016 - Updated

What a joyful holiday season this is! We have watched the missionaries be so excited to talk with their families! They get to email them each week, but Christmas and Mother’s Day are extra special as they are able call home and talk with their families. That is our favorite thing to do too! Christmas Day we talked with our parents and all our children back in the states. We were able to be in person with J. Paul and Alessandra on Boxing Day. The gift of “presence" is the very best:)

We appreciate the thoughtful gifts from our family, we love your cards and notes and emails and everything! We have a new Richardson calendar thanks to Louise and homemade canned beets and salsa from Jess and lots of other lovely things. We are so grateful for each of you! We love you more than words can say! Families are forever!