Building Down

This neighborhood has been around since the late 1800s, and I expect a few things to need repair. A few weeks ago, a building on Fulham Road collapsed – it just gave up! It was part of a row of abandoned buildings that were being remodeled. Thank goodness it was empty at the time. Like a Jewish mother sending a child on guilt trip, you can almost hear the other buildings say, “For this I survived the bombs of World War II?”

 

This mini disaster has closed a block of Fulham Road, thus diverting two of my favorite “go to work buses”. Now, instead of running along Fulham Road, they now pass in front of our Redcliffe Gardnes flat. Depending on the road conditions and the mood of the bus driver, sometimes they stop for us, and sometimes they don’t.

Our Last Missionary Dinner

At least once per transfer, we enjoy feeding the missionaries in our home. They bring such a happy spirit with them. The other Senior missionaries participate, ensuring that the young missionaries are well fed. These events also increase the spiritual IQ in our flat! Everyone has a great time. It was a bitter-sweet time, because it’s the last one we’ll be able to host.

Because Sisters Araujo (Portugal) and Felix (UT) teach a Friday night English Class, they needed to “eat and run” prior to the photo moment. L-R, Front: Gerry and I, Elders Sikahema (NJ), Schow (UT), Resolme (CA), Aveneysian (Armenia), Jacob (UT) and Zarian (ID). Back: Crandalls (AZ), Robertsons (UT) and Fugals (UT).

When Elder Aveneysian came to London 17 months ago, he could not speak a word of English. Thanks to the spirit, an angel named Sister Umurshadyan, and American companions, he has perfected the English language and the Zoolander pose.

Before leaving, the Elders sang Janice Kapp Perry’s, “A Child’s Prayer” in Portuguese, English and Armenian.

Our Last Zone Conference

Wednesday, it was our turn to have Zone Conference. I always look forward to these great meetings. They are like reunions, because we always see missionaries with whom we have served in the London North Ward, and in the Hyde Park Area – great men and women! They are spiritual feasts, for when President Patch speaks to us, we are always touched and inspired.

(Photo: President Renn  and Sister Deanne Patch)

In the morning session, the new missionaries spoke. While we were having lunch, Sister Patch said, “This is exciting, Elder Price. We are looking forward to hearing your farewell testimony in the afternoon session.” That’s when it hit me, and hard. This would be our last Zone Conference. It seems like I had just arrived, for I still remember the words I spoke at our first Zone Conference.

The soon to depart missionaries were asked to sit on the stand, Walking to our seats, I could barely control my emotions. Then we sang “Called to Serve”, and that hymn always puts mist in my eyes. Two young sisters and two young elders spoke first, and then Gerry, and I. We can’t be this far along  in our mission. Time has so swiftly passed, and I have grown so much. I will miss our mission and especially our association with  President and Sister Patch!

David and Nadia

David and Nadia Lovett are serving a mission in the Russia Moscow West Mission, living in Nizhny Novgorod, 400 kilometers Northeast of Moscow. It’s 56 degrees North, and that translates to COLD. They currently have six feet of snow outside their flat. Every three months, they must leave Russia and renew their visas, by traveling to London, getting a hotel and waiting about four days for the visa to materialize. The 90 day restriction is simple anti state department retribution. (The United States poses the same rules on Russians who wish to visit the US).

Tuesday, 1 February, on this, their third trip to London, they found us. We enjoyed dinner together and shared mission stories. Although they speak very little Russian, they are able to teach and serve in Nizhny. They have had some wonderful experiences! However, there is nothing like a visit with Russia’s missionaries, to instill great gratitude in the hearts of Gerry and I. Yes, we love London!

Last London Temple Trip

You may recall, that the London Temple is in Surrey, and not within the England London Mission, shown below in yellow.

We have permission from the Area Presidency to leave the mission and visit the temple once each quarter. Earlier this week, we thought we’d show the Fugals how to travel to and from the Temple. Our plans gradually grew into something almost unmanageable. Saturday, 5 February, Gerry and I, along with nine others, made our quarterly journey. Our gang size required three taxis to carry us from the train station to the Temple. This picture was taken while we waited for a taxi to drive back to the station, and gather John and Cookie Allred. The Allreds are not missionaries, (he works for Wells Fargo), but they’re nice, so we let them come with us.

L-R: Joan Groves, Cheryl Fugal, Mariett Campbell, Ken Fugal, Gil Campbell, Gerry & I, Barbara and John Robertson.

This was our last London Temple trip. We’re so grateful to have shared it with so many wonderful people.

Those Soothing and Calming Jaredites

We had wonderful plans to have our flat professionally cleaned, (as required by the agency), and then inventoried before we depart on 23 March. But no, that’s not the way things are done. This week, I received an email which instructed me to have the cleaning and inventory done after we leave. I don’t think I  have been this upset for a long time.

I decided to open the Book of Mormon to the 14th Chapter of Ether. For those unfamiliar with this part of the story, the land is cursed, and wars cover the land, creating blood and carnage. It’s not a happy time for anyone. One would think that reading the end of the Book of Ether would be terribly depressing, and a terrible way to cheer up! Nevertheless, by the time I had completed Chapter 14, I was at peace with the matter. I know that things will be fine. It is interesting to me, that no matter where one begins to read in the Book of Mormon, the Spirit still finds a way to whisper peace to the soul; bearing witness in a wonderful way, that the Lord loves each of us, and is intimately concerned with our earthly affairs.

BYU– The Nation’s Most Popular University

A US News and World Report article indicates that in an analysis of yield (the percentage of students accepted to a school who opt to attend), Provo, Utah’s Brigham Young University is the most popular national university in America among applicants. It’s their second year in a row as the top pop school.  Harvard University was again, runner up / also ran, to BYU.

 

I searched the list for the University of Utah, and found them deep in the bowels of the list, at number 53. Utah State University was 58. Arizona State and University of Arizona. Hey, I couldn’t count that high. Just kidding. After all, I am a graduate of our nation’s most popular university!