Spring

Family Home evening Activity March 16th
Build a temple out of boxes - boys vs girls

Clearly the boys won!

Spring flowers starting in our front garden

Daffodils are everywhere along roads and parks.
This is the end of our street (we are on the crescent)

Sun, Li, Boon and Elder Sarjeant making a dish for our potluck 

Always fu dinner and discussions

Elder Butterfield before he was transferred

St Albans & Hatfield House with Joanne March 16 - 18

Our friend, Joanne Young (Dingle), spent a couple of days with us in the St Albans area.  It was wonderful to visit and see some sights while she was here.  Alban was a citizen of the Roman City of Verulamium.  He became a Christian after sheltering a priest who was fleeing from persecution.  When the Romans came to find the priest, whose name was Amphibalus, Alban hid him and put on his robes so they would not take the priest.  Alban was put to death by beheading in the 3rd century AD for refusing to renounce his new faith.  Alban was buried on the hillside and the Cathedral and Abbey church was built in his honour.  He is honoured as the first Christian martyr of Britain, even though it was not known as Britain at the time he was martyred.

Swans in Verulamium Park in St Albans

St Albans was built near the site of an ancient Roman city
This is one of the Roman walls in the park.

One of many Mosaics uncovered that was once part of the Roman city

Another Mosaic

St Albans Cathedral & Abbey

Joanne and Elder Nemeth in front of the Abbey/Cathedral

Walking down one of the typical narrow English streets.

Hatfield House was completed in 1611. It was built by Robert Cecil, first Earl of Salisbury and son of Lord Burghley, the chief minister of Elizabeth I. The deer park surrounding the house and the older building of the Old Palace had been owned by Elizabeth’s father, Henry VIII, who had used it as a home for his children, Edward, Elizabeth and Mary. It was while she was living in the Old Palace, in 1558, that Elizabeth learned of her accession to the throne.    Today, Hatfield House is the home of the 7th Marquess and Marchioness of Salisbury.

In front of Hatfield House

Part of the Hatfield Estate

Reminded us of our driveway at home  . . . this one is longer

Church that is part of the Hatfield House Estate

March 7, 2015

Sun Weikang was baptised on March 7.  He is a really sweet young man.  We enjoy working with Sun and Li.  They love to come cook and eat at our house.  With very limited English we have many fun/funny discussions.

Elder Nemeth, Sun, Sister Nemeth & Li

Walk in the Park March 3, 2015

Today we drove into St Albans and walked at Verulamium Park.  It was sunny and wonderful just to walk, see the Cathedral and do a little "shop" as they call it here.

St Albans Cathedral

St Albans Cathedral - the cemetery is very old and just behind the fence

Inside the Cathedral

"The Lake" in Verulamium Park

Lots of birds of all kinds - swans, geese, ducks etc
Even saw some Canada geese (not these guys)

Famous "Ye Old Fighting Cocks" pub where Oliver Cromwell stayed.
Love the sign that tells about it.  Will have to get a picture of the actual pub next time .
This is at the side.

February 2015 Mission Adventures

My goodness can't believe another month has flown by.  February was filled to overflowing.  Where do I begin to capture even a part of it .  .  .
Started the month of February with a group of YSA coming over on the 1st to listen to the World Wide devotional that had been broadcast in January.  Of course there is always snacks to go along with the evening.  Many days had one or more young single adults coming over on a one to one basis for career/life counselling.  It has been heart warming to watch as these young people come and talk about where they are and how we can help them with their plans, dreams and concerns.  Truly a special time for us and the ones who have come seem to really enjoy the opportunity to meet with us. One of them is heading for a job interview this week that we helped with CV (resume) preparation, coaching and helping to direct to a path they were interested in.  When she arrived in our sitting room she really had no idea what she was going to do and feeling very lost so this is exciting!
Elder Nemeth's legs have been in severe pain since the day we arrived in England and February was filled with appointments for that.  We were really blessed to finally be able to get into a consultant (specialist here) at a private hospital. He ordered an MRI and finally we were given a diagnosis of a ruptured disc in his lower back that is bulging and pressing on the nerves.  Thus the intense pain he has had everyday and why he has had to live on prescription pan medication just to cope everyday.  He had nerve root injections under general anaesthetic on February 19th.  He is still healing but the pain has gone down noticeably and hoping that as his back heals from the procedure it will continue to do so.
Most weeks we had District meeting at our home with the 6 missionaries serving in the St Albans ward.  After the meeting we always feed them a "proper" lunch (aka a big meal!).
One Sunday evening we have an advisory couple's meeting with bishopric members, HC over YSA, Stake Pres. member, and all advisory couples to our home for an evening of training, brain storming and just getting to know everyone better that we are privileged to work with throughout the Stake.  Again - always food served.  You can see I spend a good deal of time preparing and cleaning up meals and refreshments in my very small kitchen without a dishwasher.
Family Home Evening each week is always fun with a houseful of YSA who usually leave between 10:00  and midnight.  Once again a big meal is served after the lesson and before the activity/game.  All seem to have great fun and it is a good day to be with them.
Spoke in Dunstable ward and taught lessons at various times as well.  Li Xiao Qi (Lee Sheow She) was baptised on February 21st.  It has been wonderful to be part of the teaching of these great young people and enjoy their enthusiasm for life. We held an Asian potluck and had some fabulous food brought by the many who came.  Fun evening for all. Promised to do it all again soon.

Asian Potluck Dinner
February 8th

Elder Nemeth career counselling Reef

Snacks for an evening - Homemade hotdogs, veggies, fruit and desserts
Not all ready yet but these are the hotdogs once baked that get devoured each time!

The patient awaiting the doctor before his surgery.  Lovely private room

Sun, Boon, Li, and Leyton at Li's baptism  Feb 21st

Elder & Sister Nemeth with some of "our boys"
Sun, Boon, Li and Leyton  Feb. 21st

FHE game - Elder Sarjeant photo bomb

Family Home Evening games after our lesson and meal

British Museum  Feb 25th

Center of the British Museum that leads to different exhibitions

The Rosetta Stone!

False Door from a king during the Fifth dynasty about 2400 B.C.

From the Greek area of the Museum

We are also now doing "flat" inspections (apartment) so that is interesting.  Still have half the zone to go drop in on, take pictures, and fallout reports for the mission office which we then have to come home and get things sent off to London so that is the better part of a long day.  Fun to meet with them in their apartments and give counsel where needed and sometimes promise a follow-up visit to see that some things have been taken care of.  I always take cookies to ease the pain and they seem to really enjoy them!
Sister Nemeth had a wonderful day in London with Joanne Dingle Young who came through on her way to Bangkok.  We spent a day in the British Museum seeing the Egyptian artefacts and displays, having lunch and just enjoying time together.  Sorry don't have pictures of them all but hope you can get a glimpse into our life here in England this past month.

England London Mission Home and Hyde Park Chapel
on Exhibition Road in London

Our District before transfers
Elder Dowdle and Butterfield, Sisters Quinn and Shigyqui (She  gi Q)
Elders Jensen and Sarjeant
(Elder Dowdle and Sarjeant are companions, Butterfield and Jensen)