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Hidden Cemetery

Unknown to us until about a week ago we are living very close to an overgrown cemetery. We go for a walk every monring and this is what we found! Someone planted a tree by their loved one's grave and nearly two hundred years later this is what happened. We throught Garland and Dixie would be interested.

Sometimes, we think someone who wasn't very rich just found a rock for a headstone. Whatever works!

Overgrown cemeteries must great places for the homeless to make a home. We were actually a little nervous when we heard rustling in the bushes - it was just someone brushing off his pack after spending the night in the cemetery. It's actually like walking through a forest except for the occasional headstone.

While we're on cemeteries, we visited the church and cemetery where some of my mother's family probably went to church and were buried. This is the All Saints Church at Arksey and the headstone is of Thomas Jenkins. He would be a cousin about four times removed.

We attended a stake YSA dance. These are pictures of the dance. It's true, no one is actually dancing and yes, these are some of the crazies we are trying to keep active. Notice that hardly anyone wore a dress, it's dark, and the music was LOUD. Hardly what we expected!

But for all that we love those YSAs already!! We are making our presence known here! We've had some tender mercies given to us to help us be encouraged, and we are getting positive feedback. We had between 15-20 people at FHE on Monday night. Elder Olson taught the lesson on temples. We are happy and doing well.

More meetings or "gatherings"

April 13, 2012

Today we had a "gathering" of Chinese at our home. After teaching an English lesson to Suki and Sonny, several other students, plus the missionaries showed up. Elder Gee taught a missionary lesson, we ate and then played pictionary. Elder and Sister Olson selected words for the teams to draw. The following is a picture of the winners and losers. It was 7 to 8. Close huh? The winners were Fay, Elder Lee, Zu, and Alex. The losers were Elder Parham, Vera, Cherry and Shauna.

 

 

Sunny, Suki and their children came for an English lesson. They brought us this gift. In Chinese it is an expression of luck, good will, and in a way thank you. It is hanging in our home. They are so appreciative of the association and lessons.

 

 

busy week

April 11, 2012

This has been another busy week!  We have taught several English lessons.  We also went to Grimsby and Cleethorpes which is about 30-40 miles away to meet the young adults there.  While there we saw a sign that said Beach – Promenade.  I immediately thought of Oregon and that walk along the beach, so we followed the signs.  The sun was setting in the west which doesn’t always happen for me, as there are no mountains here to keep the directions straight, so we got out and walked along the sidewalk by the beach.  Here are a couple pictures of the North Sea.

There are little villages everywhere and lots of farm land. This picture is close to North Coates, taken from the car. We were trying to find our way to the next visit.

Our surroundings

We found out that we live about 2 miles away from the city centre. It seems that the serious shopping happens in the centre of most cities. We happened on a museum and an art gallery and what is called the queen’s garden in the city center of Hull. Most of these areas are for walking – no vehicles. The way we found this out is that we were looking for an address and suddenly realized that there were no cars. A kind lady came up to us and asked if we needed help and that we weren’t supposed to be driving in the area. We’re learning.

Teaching English

We are teaching English to Suki and Sunny. The two little ones come along, and of course they like us. We give them each a sweet (candy) or biscuit (cookie) when they get ready to go home!! We took them on the Easter walk with the Relief Society on Friday. We walked along the Humber River and had a picnic and ended with an Easter egg hunt. They loved it! Both families have been here for 4-6 years and haven’t learned much English or been out of their flats much. We haven’t seen a husband as yet, but we know they work at a Chinese Restaurant.

We had a Chinese “party” at our flat –we ate Chinese food, the missionaries taught a lesson, most played a game, and then the elders showed a church video. Three investigators were there. Two investigators are YSAs. They also came to church on Sunday!! Wahoo!

Happy Birthday Sister Olson!

Dana typing here.  :)

For anyone reading this blog, feel free to leave some comments.  Elder and Sister Olson do read them.  I told them the stats on the blog and they were floored that that many people have been reading.  Thank you from all of us kids for your prayers on their behalf. 

It's April!

This week we had our first FHE at our flat. Most of the kids are on Easter break so we only had five, but it's a start. We also went to Hornsea for lunch, about 15-20 miles from here, after our district development meeting. We ate our first fish and chips by the sea shore. Yummee! We also taught two English lessons: one to Suki and Sunny (member and non-member) from China and the other to Alice (non-member) from the Congo. She speaks Swahili. We have been trying to visit YSAs from a poor list which was generated by cross-referencing two or three lists, but today we got about 25 names of possible young people that we should visit and activate from the stake president! Wahoo!! We are excited to finally have "The List". We met with the stake presidency this week, and they were very cooperative.

We were looking forward to institute which is taught once a week, when we got a call from the teacher about three hours before class asking us to teach the lesson as he was very sick. Ever heard of Nehemiah from the Old Testament? Needless to say it was a short lesson as we did not have enough time to properly prepare.

We have been looking forward to General Conference!! I guess we are either "hungry" or homesick - hopefully just wanting to feast upon the word. Did you see David Archeleta in the MTC choir led by a Elder Olson's upper classman at good ol' PHS, Brother Doug Brenchley? We missed being at the MTC with an American Idol hopeful by a couple weeks!

It's spring here! The flowers are blooming, the leaves are coming out, and the blossoms on the trees are beautiful. We love it!

The tulips are blooming!

Forsynthia - Springtime in England!

Spring Flower



Toni and Sariah at FHE.



This is Vanessa, Alex and Sandy at FHE. Most of the YSAs are on Easter break.



Inlet to the North Sea



Typical Cemetary - Every old church has a cemetery, and they are in the front or back yard, or sometimes important people were buried inside the church under the floor.






Elder Olson in our back yard.