MAY 2023

L A S T S

How did this happen already?  It feels like we just left on our mission.  It feels like we have been in Wales forever.  It feels…surreal.

On our way to England/Wales, December 2021

Returning home, May 30, 2023

(We may have a few more gray hairs, a few more wrinkles, and ‘worn out shoes’, but our smiles of anticipation to serve and our smiles of having served faithfully are equal.)

We had a wonderful, emotional, busy month of ‘lasts’.  I struggle with finding words to express the love we have experienced on our mission - love for God, love for Jesus Christ and His Gospel, love for each other, love for our family, love for the beauty and majesty of Wales, and love for our eternal friends who live in Wales.

‘Last walks’...by myself, with Michael, and with friends.  The beauty of where we have lived is unparalleled.  

My private walks (while Michael was at the gym) have brought me peace, introspection, inspiration, motivation and closer to heaven.   Right out our front door, our little village lanes quickly transformed into my sacred grove/garden of Eden combination.   These ‘last walks’ showed everything Wales has to show off in the spring to help me always ‘remember’ those walks.

On Saturday mornings, Michael would join me.  Not only does he speak Welsh, he speaks ‘cow’ and could persuade many in the herd to line up!  I tried the same thing with my beloved sheep, but they scattered every.single.time.

We spent a beautiful sunny, warmish afternoon in a nearby town of Llangollen. We had never been there before, and everything about it was captivating - from rolling hills to charming town center to an amazing aquaduct over 150 feet high above the river Dee.  The water was channeled into a canal that you could ride in a long boat or a walking path on the other side.  It made the high castle towers we have climbed feel miniature.  It definitely stretched our height issues!

Damien and Denise Halligan 

We chose Bodnant Gardens for our ‘last’ walk together.  It was the first place we went walking together that would evolve into a special friendship and allow us as friends and missionaries to teach Damien the gospel of Jesus Christ and ‘walk’ him to baptism.

We reminisced about our past year together..our weekly Monday night family home evenings of Book of Mormon study, other walks, and talked about the future as Damien and Denise prepare to be sealed in the temple in February 2024. We look forward to returning to share that special day with them.

Damien spoke at an England Manchester Mission ‘Why I Believe’ fireside and bore powerful testimony of Jesus Christ and his journey to baptism.  Amazing.  He was also just called to serve as the first counselor in the Elders Quorum presidency of the Gaerwen ward. Denise is the Relief Society President.

We enjoyed a ‘last’ dinner with Nathan and Jana Gill's family and watched the Coronation of King Charles.  We spent a lot of time with them, teaching temple preparation for their oldest son, Dylan, who is now serving in Cambodia as a missionary, sharing holidays together, baptisms, young men, institute…….They are a wonderful family.

Another ‘last’ visit included Gladys and Mervyn Roberts.  We visited them many times during our mission, inviting them to return to church.  Gladys came a few times.  But they always enjoyed our visits.   We learned to love them and others where they are at…. and just minister and lift.

The latter part of our mission found us teaching many returning members the temple preparation lessons and then attending the temple with them.  These were extra special experiences.

Steve Weightman returned to church and desired temple blessings after a 40 year absence.  What a wonderful day in the temple with him, his family, the Quilters, Elders Gray and Barlow, Kev Cooney and us.

Our ‘last’ visit with Janette Leung, another returning member  we were blessed to teach about the temple and attend with her, was tender.  We loved being with her weekly.  We will miss each other.

We loved visiting  another returning member, Anna Smith, reteaching her the gospel and about temple covenants.  We finished our last lesson together a few days before our return home.  But she is excited to attend the temple with the Quilters.

Another ‘last’ visit included a returning member, Elaine Wain.  Our weekly visits went from introducing ourselves, to inviting her back to church after 30 years, to discussing her questions about her study of the Book of Mormon.  Her desire is to enter the temple with us and the Halligans when we return in February!  We look forward to that!

A ‘last’ meal with Jordan Wall and Elisa Rose.  We have loved and mentored them countless times.  They are the next generation and future of the Gaerwen ward.  

Our ‘last’ Zone Conference.  Each one has been inspiring.  Each time we have truly loved being with the other senior missionaries and the young elders and sisters.  We have even loved cooking for 80-100 people each time - which isn't always easy. 

½ of the ENGLAND MANCHESTER MISSION with Elder and Sister Whiting.

Happy to see Elders Bird and Reall again.

We enjoyed serving with Elder and Sister Keyes

Elder QuisQuis from the Philippines

Last visit with Elder Casper

Michael engaged a tutor to teach him Welsh a few weeks after we arrived in Wales.  Manon was a wonderful ‘zoom’ tutor each week.  We had a great ‘last’ evening at her home, presenting a Book of Mormon to her in Welsh.

A ‘last’ baptism - Michel, a young man from Poland who has been attending church for a few years with the Gill family. A joyful day for him and all of us.

It's hard to put the word ‘last ‘ with Bishop Brian and Mel Quilter.  We have spent a lot of time together from the very first day of our arrival.  They are eternal friends

‘Last hugs for some of our sweet sisters…single, widowed, yet faithful disciples of Jesus Christ who we see every.single.week at church, health permitting.

*Included amid all the ‘lasts’, was a zoom telephone call with a church news reporter who was preparing articles about the Richmond Virginia Temple dedication and wanted to know more about the actual day of the groundbreaking ceremony. It was finally time to share the story and photos of that special, sacred day three years earlier, just after the Covid outbreak.  We were two of the eight allowed to be in attendance. We were asked not to say too much about that day or share photos until Covid was in the distant past.  

*Arriving in Wales only two weeks before Christmas in December 2021, we bought a 1000 piece puzzle for Christmas Day.  After completion, we were missing one piece.  We looked everywhere again and again and could never find it.  Michael cut a piece of cardboard to mimic the lost piece, colored it with marker and glued it in.  Fast forward 18 months later as we were cleaning our flat the day before our return home, I picked up the puzzle box, stored under our bed, and out fell the ‘missing piece’.  There must be a parable in this somewhere!!!

And then look at what Kev and Alicia Cooney gave to us in a beautiful card our last Sunday at church

Can hardly even describe the love we have for Kev and Alicia's family and their love for us.

Our ‘last’ Sunday in the Gaerwen Ward. We got up early, went for the ‘last’ time to unlock the gate to the church property, unlock the doors to the church and get ready to welcome friends and visitors.  We both were the speakers and were able to share our testimonies and love for all the beloved Gaerwen ward members.  Michael was released as the first counselor in the bishopric.  Kev Cooney was called as the new counselor in the bishopric!!  After church, we went into the bishop’s office for Kev to be ordained a high priest and set apart.  He had asked Michael to give him a 'father's blessing’.  No dry eyes in that room.

We had a ‘munch and mingle’ afterwards.  We do this every 3 months, but this time was extra special and extra tender as we ate together and said our goodbyes.  We were presented with a very beautiful piece of glass art made by Nathan Gill - a sunstone -  that represents a sunstone on a side of the Preston England Temple.  We also were given a meaningful book with 

Gaerwen ward family photos and handwritten testimonies.  These are such treasures we will cherish forever.  We lingered for over 3 hours together, took a ward photo and finally had to say our very ‘last’ goodbyes to people that we love so very much.  

A dear friend, JULES LAW

Cooneys, Quilters, Davis's

The Gill family (Nathan, Jana, William, Ashley, Freia, Elsa

Bishop Brian, Melanie, Gabrielle Quilter

Chris and Light, newly baptized members from Nigeria

Robert O’Neal, a young adult convert

Gaerwen Ward Bishopric:  Dudley, Quilter, Davis

Sophie Stafford, young adult

Gabriel Tiechera, a very shy deacon!

Gaerwen Ward, May 29, 2023

We left the church parking lot, waving goodbyes, crying a few tears and headed for one more ‘last’...a visit to Philippa, almost an hour away.  We have been visiting her weekly for 16 months sharing the good news of the gospel, hoping she would make the covenant of baptism and join our Gaerwen flock. Not yet…

Driving to Philippa’s home each week was one of our favorite drives from all over the island.  We tried to capture the beauty in several photos we took….but it was one of those panoramas that have to remain in your mind.

We arrived back at our flat, had our ‘last’ planning meeting with Elder Gray and Elder Barlow, fed them dinner, had a mission zoom call where we shared our departing testimonies, and finished packing for an early departure the next morning.

Elder Gray, Elder Barlow and our famous Welsh flag!

Our flat, our village #3 Stad Bryn Glas, Brynsiencyn

Llanfairwllgwngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch

We then drove to the Manchester Mission Office, turned in our car keys, hugged the Leerys and Hansen's and President and Sister Tunnicliffe drove us to the airport.  We love and admire them and hope our paths continue to cross with each other.  

Ready or not, here we go….home to Virginia, home to family.

Little did we know that it would take almost another day to arrive home with many airline delays and cancellations.  We finally flew to a different city, rented a car and drove the rest of 

the way home.  But our long ordeal was quickly forgotten when we were surprised and welcomed by this….

Two special momentos were waiting for us:

*A beautiful engraved clock sent to us from Kev and Alicia

*A piece of art entitled ‘Come Follow Me’ that will remind us of why we served in Wales, and more importantly who we served.

We've been home for almost three weeks now.  Every morning I spend a little time ‘in Wales’  on Facebook messenger responding or sending messages with our dear friends there.  That will help bridge the gap until we see them again.

We have received such a multiplicity of blessings these past 18 months…blessings showered upon our families we left, blessings showered upon people in Wales we now consider family, and blessings upon ourselves.  We will never be the same again.  It was a privilege to be a ‘messenger of the covenant’. 

2024 MISSION ADDENDUM

An anticipated return to Manchester, England to participate with Damien and Denise Halligan in the Preston Temple.  Preparations for this trip actually began in November 2023 via zoom calls.  Each Sunday afternoon from our home in Virginia, we were privileged to teach the temple preparation classes to Damien and Denise. These were sacred hours.  We felt like we were back in their living room sharing the gospel, reading the Book of Mormon together and inviting him to be baptized.  Nearly a year later, Damien’s testimony of Jesus Christ and the restored gospel is unmatched.  Damien received his endowment on February 14, 2024.  Michael was able to be his escort. Denise and I just squeezed each other’s hands at the reality of this sacred event.  If there was anything that could supersede this experience, it was the next day when Damien and Denise were sealed as eternal companions. The temple sealer was a dear friend of Halligans for over 17 years who had influenced and watched their journey unfold.  Michael and I were able to be the witnesses.  There wasn't a dry eye.  Many Gaerwen ward members were able to attend the temple ceremonies with us, including the Cooneys, Quilters, Gills, Davis’, Matthews, Jules and Kate, Linda Redfern, and Jeanette Leung.

It was surreal to be back in Gaerwen Ward for a Sabbath day.  We LOVE these people.  They are our people. We love each one.  They consumed our time, thoughts and prayers for the 18 months we served as missionaries in the ward and it felt like we had returned ‘home’ to be with them again.  Listening to the sacrament prayers in the Welsh language made it complete.

We enjoyed staying with the Quilters for a few days going to some of our favorite places, albeit in the dead of winter!  

We also stayed with the Halligans and visited some special places we loved together and reminisced on the love Heavenly Father has for placing us in each other’s lives.  Together we also visited Elaine Wain, Gladys and Merfyn Roberts, and Philippa Smith…people we love and ministered to while serving as missionaries.  Halligans will continue that ministering!  Of course, special time was spent with Kev and Alicia Cooney and their girls. Again, our cup runneth over that we were to be part of their journey to baptism, temple endowments and sealings and that our friendship is eternal.   We look forward to having them visit us in USA in May 2025!

Addendum to the addendum!

Elaine Wain received her patriarchal blessing.  Halligans taught her the temple preparation classes and then took her to the Preston England Temple to receive her endowments.  She serves in the relief society presidency with Denise and Alicia.  Elaine is now happily married to Ian Capell.  Wouldn't it be wonderful to see Ian baptized and then sealed to Elaine in the future?  We enjoy FaceTimes and messages with each other.  She is our ‘1 in 99’ that lets us know Heavenly Father knows and counts his sheep.

These special people ‘across the pond’ are eternal friends. Halligans will be traveling to us in August 2024 for a special trip. We will visit with the Quilters when they travel to Salt Lake City for general conference in Oct.  And…we also plan to travel back to our ‘other home’ in Wales.

We hope for many more ‘addendums’ of our mission service in Manchester England.