November 13, 2017
Girls,
This one is for you. So read along, please. You all know how much I adore and miss my mom. This December it will be 36 years since she graduated back Home. For some reason, I have felt closer to her over here in England than ever before in these past many years. Just as I think of you each day while we are in the temple, I think of her. What is she so busy doing in the Spirit World? Does she know what I am busy doing here in England? I have faith enough to believe that she surely does know My Mikie and I made the jump over the ocean to serve here. Wasn't it Joseph Smith who said,
"The spirits of the just are exalted to a greater and more glorious work;
hence they are blessed in their departure to the world of the spirits.
Enveloped in flaming fire, they are not far from us, and know and
understand our thoughts, feelings, and motions, and are often pained
therewith,"
My mom is certainly one of those Certain Women that Sister Burton spoke about last Spring at the Women's Conference. Just as all six of you are Certain Women to me, your dad, and your family.
I feel like I have had grand experiences with many wonderful Women this past week and I want to tell you about a few of them.
*Alexia is a 24 year old returned missionary from Moscow, Russia. She was out "traveling" and wanted to make sure the London Temple was on her itinerary. Now, picture a beautiful, blonde, fairskinned woman with a heavy Russian accent traveling alone. Her family joined the church in Russia when she was eight. She writes textbooks for teachers who teach English. She also really encouraged me to visit her country of Russia. It is beautiful, she says, and I would love it. I told her I grew up in the Cold War era and still believe the KGB would be after me like bees on honey if I went there. Alexia giggled and shook her head. She told me there are at least eight wards in her big city of Moscow. She was a Certain Woman from Russia.
*Eighteen Irish women flew down on Wednesday to spend three days in the temple. It was their ward's Relief Society activity. Picture fairskinned women with reddish hair and beautiful accents. There you have them. I made eye contact with many of them during their first session so when they came down the stairs afterwards, we were immediately drawn to each other. Emily brought her mother, Mary, over to look at my hair because her mom wants my haircut. Ha! I told them my hairdresser, for now, is your father. But really, all she had to do was mess hers up and it would look just like mine. As the week continued on and I chatted with them whenever we met. I found out Mary and Emily are not just Mom and Daughter, but dear friends. I told them all about the six of you. They got teary eyed for me. How could I ever leave you all behind for eighteen months? I teared up also and told them I was still learning how to do it gracefully. After their last session on Saturday, we shared hugs and well-wishes. Emily prays I will have a Happy Life. I felt like I was sending Friends off. Certain Women from Ireland.
*Karen Smart is the 82 year old Nursery teacher in the Haywards Heath Ward. I got to help her on Sunday when I volunteered. She loves those four little darlings and they love her. She cannot count the number of times she has been called to serve in Primary and Nursery in her long life . She has a schedule she keeps to and the children were well trained to follow along. There is no sitting on the chair for her. Singing, dancing, chalkboard, lesson, snacks (from their own lunch-bags brought from home!), and games. I really want to grow up to be like this Certain Woman!
So Girls, can you see that your mom is learning and growing over here? I am appreciating our simple lifestyle more and more back Home in AZ. I still miss it like crazy but I am truly seeing this world is full of good women trying to live the gospel. When it is all said and done and I get to graduate to Home, I feel my mom will meet me with open arms and then, in our conversation, she will bring up that time when Mikie and I were serving in the London Temple. It will validate my feelings of today.
My fondest Love to Each of you,
Mom....aka Sister Seaman and Grandma
Language for the Week:
*stodgy - heavy on your stomach. (That was a stodgy meal)
*Make a Meal of it - Blow it; make a mess of things
*Spotted Dick - a custardy pudding
*jiving - dancing
Remembrance Day
In my little naïve world, I did not know that other countries celebrated, what we, in the States, call Veterans Day. In England, Remembrance Day is celebrated on the 2nd Sunday of November, specifically at 11:00AM (which was yesterday.) Literally every adult I have seen for the past several days has been wearing a "poppy" on their lapel or dress. In the states, the Veterans sell poppies, at the 4th of July and Veterans Day.
Yesterday, Sunday, Kim and I drove our own car to church along with another brave couple who has been taking us to church for several weeks now. (I only ran up onto to the curb once. The roads are so damn narrow.) When we get to church there is a table set up in the foyer with poppies for anyone who forgot to wear theirs. When the Bishop announces the program for sacrament meeting it is a Remembrance Day program. I thought to my self "Oh Boy" here comes the apostasy. Was I ever wrong. Our Temple President and his wife were most of the program. She read a famous Remembrance Day poem and he gave a great talk on Remembering. He read 7 names out loud. They were his ancestors who had been killed during the wars. The last being his own father. He told a little bit about them all and then talked about how he felt about them. At exactly 11:00 he finished and we were invited to stand for 2 minutes of silence. We understand that all of the United Kingdom was doing the same thing wherever they were. The Queen was pictured in the headlines with a tear in her eye.
It was a very moving experience for me. I remembered my Uncle John Seaman who was killed in the Battle of Bulge over here in France (France is about 50 miles from here.). I never knew him but my Dad was sure proud of him. I think it is part of the reason he flew the flag so often. I am so thankful for this Remembrance Day as I remembered. I also remembered what the Lord has given for me.
My anxiety levels have been very high of late. The "driving thing" is causing me to have nervous ticks and I have sores on my head. Kim wants to go everywhere and I lay in bed sweating in the wee hours of the morning planning how to stay on the left side of the road, entering and exiting the round-about and NOT exceeding the speed limit because they have cameras everywhere. We only got lost a few times today because we exited the round-about on the wrong road. There are no stop signs here. Our car is a 2005 Renault with 128,000+ miles. It runs good and only has a few scratches on it from close calls on the left side, which is the side that rests directly against the curb or hedge as you are traveling down very narrow roads, because the lories (semi-tractor trailers) are blasting down the road on the other side at breakneck speeds and taking ALL of their lane and a few inches of mine which I need so much. Help me.
Oh well, thanks for all your prayers, I need them.
Sincerely,
Elder Seaman
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