Here we are with the Murdochs outside the gate of the Temple

 Here we are on our first bus trip to East Grinstead - all alone

 I hope you can see the picture - it has a picture of a very old couple walking with canes and says look out for the "disabled people"

Here is our family on our front lawn flying the British flag.  Cami and Jana made me a British hat that I couldn't bring because of our "lack of space".  They said we will fly the flag when we get home

We finished our first week at the Temple, working Tuesday through Saturday; we were on the afternoon shift - starting at 2:20 for prayer meeting and beginning our shift at 2:50 and working until 9:00 or Friday night until 10:00.  Today, Tuesday, July 10th, we started the AM shift having prayer meeting at 9:10 a.m. and working until 3:00.  The morning shift goes quicker and has more people attending.  We are getting used to finding our way around the Temple - still getting a little confused, but not all the time in a state of confusion!

We have Mondays off so we decided to try taking the bus to East Grinstead which is about 7 miles away.  They have the grocery stores and other small stores - such as the "pound store" which is equivalent to our dollar store - only their store is more organized.  The stops outside the Temple gate twice a day - 6:45 a.m. and 1:10 p.m.  We caught the 1:10 bus - it cost us 4.90 pounds each for a round trip ticket.  Each pound is equivalent to 1.30 or thereabouts. It took 20 minutes to get to East Grinstead.  We were the only ones on the bus going and coming back.  We walked through every store for 3 hours and then sat at the bus stop for an hour.  We returned at 5:45.  We were very tired by time we got home.

There is a couple here, the Lamoreaux's from Orem.  They have 14 children and this is their 7th mission!  They sold their home and they keep going on missions.  They've been to Romania, Mongolia, Samoa, Nova Scotia and some I can't remember.  They go home for 2 months staying with their kids until they tire of them and then on to another child!  They usually apply while they are still on their mission but this time they have to go home for physicals.  They were in our Stake when we were in the Orem Stake and Gene Gibbons was our Stake President.  Small world.

Kelsey and London Temple

Today is Friday and this will be our 4th day in the Temple.  Today will be a long day in the Temple, because they have an 8:00 p.m. shift - so it will be late especially for the men.  They are the last ones out of the Temple.  Last night we had a large group doing baptisms - which made it later.  Next week we will do the morning shifts.  We love the people here and love being on the Temple grounds.  We hear many planes overhead as we are about 20 minutes from the Gatwick airport.  It is a very dry spring and early summer and the grass is drying out.  They say this is very, very dry weather.  We took a walk around the Temple grounds - which is about 50 acres.  Here is Reece and Launa Murdoch - our cousins and best friends.  Finally serving together on a mission.

MTC SLC Temple Training

Here we are standing at the side doors of the SLC Temple – our trainers (the Lunds and the Aldredges) are on the sides.

The training was amazing – it wasn’t about the words of the ordinances, but about our respect and behavior in the Temple.  Sister Aldredge who was standing by me is a daughter of Barbara Smith – one of the first General Relief Society Presidents that I remember.

While we were in training, Kelsey and I made arrangements with VRX Pharmacy to pick up all of our medications for 1 year that we would need.  The only problem we had was his test strips for his diabetes.  We were down to the last night trying to find a place that would give us a year’s supply of  strips and we were driving from pharmacy to pharmacy looking for one who could give us a year’s supply!  Finally, we decided just to get 90 days and worry about it when we get to England.  We found out that we can order test strips on Amazon.co.uk so we will do that.  It isn’t easy going on a foreign mission when you are old and when you have a medical condition.

We left for England on Friday, June 29^th and flew to Orlando and had a 2 hour layover.  Then off to Gatwick, England.  It was a long overnight flight and was very hard, but we made it.  President and Sister Freeman of the Temple Presidency picked us up along with Brother Day.  It took 2 vans to get us to the Temple.  The Temple was only about 30 minutes away.  Launa and Reece were in the Temple doing their shift – then we saw them and it was so good to see them.  They took us shopping along with the Turners and Sister Jensen.

Yesterday, July 3^rd was our first day in the England Temple!  It was wonderful.  I’m so glad we had been ordinance workers before – so that all we had to learn was how to get around the Temple.  We both passed everything off and we are ready to go!

I am so grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and for the Restoration!  Grateful for a living Prophet.  Grateful for our family and the love that we have for them.  Grateful that we have been sealed together in the Temple as that gives me much hope and peace.