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!

Celebrating Christmas London Style

It has been a wonderful December serving at the Hyde Park Visitors' Centre. We have had the privilege of being involved in the successful Christmas initiative "A Savior is Born" inviting guests to come unto Christ through a series of short videos, a live nativity outside of the chapel each evening, and a social media celebration. In addition, we have enjoyed wonderful ward parties, a stake Christmas Devotional and a Visitors' Centre Family Home Evening. It has been a wonderful way to remember the birth, life, and mission of Jesus Christ and share the Gospel message with so many people.

On Christmas Eve we enjoyed a luncheon with other senior couples at President and Sister Steven's flat followed by a wonderful concert at Royal Albert Hall, "Carols by Candlelight." The evening was spent at the Cardall's flat with the sister missionaries.

President Stevens sings at the luncheon

Visitors' Centre Family Home Evening

Each year the Visitor's Centre missionaries host a Family Home Evening for the England London Stake. This year we were asked to be in charge. It was so fun to get ready with the help of the willing and able Sister missionaries and Senior couples and to see stake members and visitors enjoy an evening of family togetherness.

Individuals and families pose for pictures in a manger scene.

Elder and Sister Baxter, Sister Burke, and Mike Vincent all helped the Visitors' Centre staff pull-off the event.

We had a late pizza lunch before the FHE

Testing the Christmas Lights

In addition to setting up for FHE, Linda, Elder Cardall, and the Ashbys cleaned the stage.

Storytelling

Pin the star over the stable