October 21, 2017
Contrary to the pictures we have posted on this blog since we arrived in England, we are really serving a mission here. This may be one of the few missions where we cannot take pictures of our actual assignments or the people we serve with. It is a crying shame that we cannot show you all pictures of people we meet while we are in the temple. By the time our shift is over, people have scattered to their homes or various other assignments in the temple. Girls, picture those temple workers in our dear Snowflake Temple and that will work.
Have you ever been some place and seen someone who reminds you of someone you already know? I love to study people. I think we are all so fascinating. What makes us all tick? What is the
story of each one of us? When I am in the temple, I love to study everyone in the session with me. I was pretty sure Henry B. Eyring was sitting on the third row this week - until the lights came on. Also this week, I had a sweet experience studying a beautiful dark-haired young woman who reminded me so very much of our Addie that it initially took my breath away.
Let me tell you of one sister I have been enthralled with since we came here. The first morning we were walking into the temple there was a little tiny old woman standing outside the doors. She spoke so softly in her English accent telling us that her daughter forgot to put her suitcase on the train so she didn't have a dress on to go in the temple. Little did we know that she was going in to work for the whole week. And she is 96 years old. She rides on two trains to come in to work every three weeks. Sister Catherine Rodriguez didn't have a dress to wear into the doors of the temple but she sure did have her magnifying glass. She keeps that big thing under her left sleeve of her temple dress so she can see the names. At one time in her life she was the head mistress of a girls' school. She was back again this past week. She told me she just loves this work and cannot afford to retire. She needs the blessings. I told her I want to be like her when I grow up. She just smiled and in her soft, soft voice said, "Oh you can be. Just always trust in the Lord."
We attended the Hayward Heath Ward for the second time this week. Their building is much smaller than any of ours back in AZ. We have been told that all blocks begin over here at 10:00 am since there is only one ward in each building. The chapel does not have pews - just individual chairs. For two weeks now, I have sat looking out the window where the sun comes shining through and lights up the sacrament table. Mind you, it hasn't stayed that way long. The skies here have typically been cloudy and overcast, so to me, the sun shining in has been especially beautiful. The first Sunday we were there was the Primary Program. There were 12 children in that program. But those 12 could sure sing! The whole ward can sing! Lots of gusto in that small chapel. I taught the Relief Society lesson this week and the sisters were so kind to me. I had asked each one to tell me one thing about them that they felt like was one of their divine assignments. A sister on the back row told me her assignment was to learn English so she could talk to her grandchildren. She has been here for three months from Denmark. After Relief Society I visited with her. She was so matter of fact that she had to do this. This was her new Home but, oh, she missed Denmark. Oh Hilda, I can relate!
I remember our setting apart blessing from President Williams and think of it often. Are angels protecting and lifting you, our children and grandchildren, while we are here? We are counting on it. We are trusting in the Lord. We are making this be our Home for now. But can I say, I miss our dear Show Low. Take good care of it until we return.
My Love,
Sister Seaman.....aka Mom and Grandma
Your English Lesson:
*mad - Used often, in a good way, to describe someone's crazy, zany friend
*tin - Our fruits and vegetables come in cans. These people buy them in tins.
*Bartering - joking or messing with someone
*Chinese Whispers - I played "Telephone" with my kids at school while we were standing in line.
The British folks play Chinese Whispers. I'm not sure this could be done in the U.S. I think the
ACLU would be all over it.
Drawing a Blank
I am sitting here at the computer drawing a complete blank. I do not know what to talk about. It has been a regular old week with nothing out of the ordinary happening. Kim says I should talk about the castle we saw today. But it was just an old castle ruin. It was very pretty though. The gardens and estate were magnificent. (See pictures.) The Old Timers must have had some money to build and plant and grow and trim to get what we saw today and it is several hundred years old.
England has a charm about it. I think it has to do with age (everything being very old) and keeping traditions. The people are very proud of who they are and where they have come from. The older folks are also very frugal (tight.) I was putting the last names of the men working around me on little post-it notes and then throwing them away as they finished their work. An older man, in his 90's, was watching me and he said to me, "You must be an American." I said I was but wanted to know how he knew. He said that if I were English, I would have used the rubber (eraser) and used the notes again and again. There you have it.
I also had a short discussion with a 90 year-old lady in the temple yesterday about England. I ask her if the English people really liked the royalty still. She said, "Oh yes, we do like our kings and queens." I told her that from my perspective (an American perspective,) they shouldn't spend the money on them and their way of life anymore (it must be unbelievably expensive.) From her perspective, what I said was sacrilege. She said that even though the monarch does not have any power in the government, she still signs all official documents, such as bills passed in parliament, attends all ceremonial events and so on. She said the Queen is very busy. By the looks of things around Buckingham Palace the English people are very interested in having the Royals continue. There is a certain sense of sternness and being proper and saying all your vowels, and whatever you do, you better "carry on." It makes no sense to me, but I can feel the love they have for all things English. So, at least, for the immediate future, the queen gets to stay.
Well as Porky the Pig used to say, "That's all folks!" Maybe next week.
Sincerely,
Elder Seaman
story of each one of us? When I am in the temple, I love to study everyone in the session with me. I was pretty sure Henry B. Eyring was sitting on the third row this week - until the lights came on. Also this week, I had a sweet experience studying a beautiful dark-haired young woman who reminded me so very much of our Addie that it initially took my breath away.
Let me tell you of one sister I have been enthralled with since we came here. The first morning we were walking into the temple there was a little tiny old woman standing outside the doors. She spoke so softly in her English accent telling us that her daughter forgot to put her suitcase on the train so she didn't have a dress on to go in the temple. Little did we know that she was going in to work for the whole week. And she is 96 years old. She rides on two trains to come in to work every three weeks. Sister Catherine Rodriguez didn't have a dress to wear into the doors of the temple but she sure did have her magnifying glass. She keeps that big thing under her left sleeve of her temple dress so she can see the names. At one time in her life she was the head mistress of a girls' school. She was back again this past week. She told me she just loves this work and cannot afford to retire. She needs the blessings. I told her I want to be like her when I grow up. She just smiled and in her soft, soft voice said, "Oh you can be. Just always trust in the Lord."
We attended the Hayward Heath Ward for the second time this week. Their building is much smaller than any of ours back in AZ. We have been told that all blocks begin over here at 10:00 am since there is only one ward in each building. The chapel does not have pews - just individual chairs. For two weeks now, I have sat looking out the window where the sun comes shining through and lights up the sacrament table. Mind you, it hasn't stayed that way long. The skies here have typically been cloudy and overcast, so to me, the sun shining in has been especially beautiful. The first Sunday we were there was the Primary Program. There were 12 children in that program. But those 12 could sure sing! The whole ward can sing! Lots of gusto in that small chapel. I taught the Relief Society lesson this week and the sisters were so kind to me. I had asked each one to tell me one thing about them that they felt like was one of their divine assignments. A sister on the back row told me her assignment was to learn English so she could talk to her grandchildren. She has been here for three months from Denmark. After Relief Society I visited with her. She was so matter of fact that she had to do this. This was her new Home but, oh, she missed Denmark. Oh Hilda, I can relate!
I remember our setting apart blessing from President Williams and think of it often. Are angels protecting and lifting you, our children and grandchildren, while we are here? We are counting on it. We are trusting in the Lord. We are making this be our Home for now. But can I say, I miss our dear Show Low. Take good care of it until we return.
My Love,
Sister Seaman.....aka Mom and Grandma
Your English Lesson:
*mad - Used often, in a good way, to describe someone's crazy, zany friend
*tin - Our fruits and vegetables come in cans. These people buy them in tins.
*Bartering - joking or messing with someone
*Chinese Whispers - I played "Telephone" with my kids at school while we were standing in line.
The British folks play Chinese Whispers. I'm not sure this could be done in the U.S. I think the
ACLU would be all over it.
Drawing a Blank
I am sitting here at the computer drawing a complete blank. I do not know what to talk about. It has been a regular old week with nothing out of the ordinary happening. Kim says I should talk about the castle we saw today. But it was just an old castle ruin. It was very pretty though. The gardens and estate were magnificent. (See pictures.) The Old Timers must have had some money to build and plant and grow and trim to get what we saw today and it is several hundred years old.
England has a charm about it. I think it has to do with age (everything being very old) and keeping traditions. The people are very proud of who they are and where they have come from. The older folks are also very frugal (tight.) I was putting the last names of the men working around me on little post-it notes and then throwing them away as they finished their work. An older man, in his 90's, was watching me and he said to me, "You must be an American." I said I was but wanted to know how he knew. He said that if I were English, I would have used the rubber (eraser) and used the notes again and again. There you have it.
I also had a short discussion with a 90 year-old lady in the temple yesterday about England. I ask her if the English people really liked the royalty still. She said, "Oh yes, we do like our kings and queens." I told her that from my perspective (an American perspective,) they shouldn't spend the money on them and their way of life anymore (it must be unbelievably expensive.) From her perspective, what I said was sacrilege. She said that even though the monarch does not have any power in the government, she still signs all official documents, such as bills passed in parliament, attends all ceremonial events and so on. She said the Queen is very busy. By the looks of things around Buckingham Palace the English people are very interested in having the Royals continue. There is a certain sense of sternness and being proper and saying all your vowels, and whatever you do, you better "carry on." It makes no sense to me, but I can feel the love they have for all things English. So, at least, for the immediate future, the queen gets to stay.
Well as Porky the Pig used to say, "That's all folks!" Maybe next week.
Sincerely,
Elder Seaman
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