You're doing great!

First, some pictures from a quick evening outing to London last week. We had an appointment and then we were able to walk around a new area we hadn’t explored, a little north of the Tower of London. I love getting to just stroll around neighborhoods and see things that wouldn’t normally be on a tourist checklist. And London is filled with SO many fun neighborhoods! I still pinch myself that we’re just walking around London!

Leadenhall Market-a really cool, old market filled with restaurants and shops. Then when you go outside it's surrounded by modern high rises. Such a fascinating juxtaposition in this neighborhood of the old and the new.

This is Lloyds of London, a famous, very old insurance company. The facade of the old building is still there at the front, but behind it is an incredibly futuristic, modern building.

Look at the left image, can you see the old church tucked in between the buildings? The second picture is up close, with the famous "Gherkin" (pickle) building next to it.

A few more iconic buildings--the "Shard" on the left, and the "Cheese Grater" on the right. You gotta love their catchy names!

Finally, a really cool place we saw is called St. Dunstan in the East, which was a cathedral built around 1100 (!!!) that had been damaged in the Great Fire of London in 1666 and then bombed in WWII. Only the tower, which was designed by Sir Christopher Wren, and a few walls were still standing. It was never repaired but in 1970 the city turned it into a public garden. It was the perfect combination of two of my favorite things, cathedrals and gardens!

Also, this past week our luck finally ran out and we both got colds/coughs. We’re pretty sure that the OGC meetings we attended the previous week turned out to be a little bit of a “super-spreader” event because half of the people there ended up coming down with colds. Not a surprise when people fly in from all over the world and gather. So we’ve not been feeling our best, but still trying to plug along and get the work done that we need to do every day.

We usually spend our Saturdays/”preparation day” venturing out to see something new but we had a quieter weekend to try to get a little more rest and now we feel like we’re on the mend.

In addition to getting some physical rest, we really got a spiritual boost this weekend. We had a wonderful opportunity to have a visit to our area from an apostle, Elder Dale G. Renlund. On Sunday evening, there was a meeting for all of the women in the greater London area where Elder Renlund and his wife spoke, as well as our amazing Area President, Hans T. Boom, and his wife Marjan. It was a great meeting surrounded by amazing women and the messages were inspiring, encouraging and empowering.

Just a few of the great women I’ve come to know and love here!

The next morning, Elder Renlund and another General Authority, Carl B. Cook, came to our Area Office and held a meeting for all the employees and office missionaries. I was able to play the piano for the meeting so I got to sit right up front and feel like I was literally sitting at the feet of one of the apostles. For those not of our faith, our Church’s structure is made up of the Prophet and President of the Church, Russell M. Nelson, along with a Quorum of Twelve Apostles, who both minister and administer the affairs of a worldwide church. It’s patterned after the Church at the time of Christ, but obviously the worldwide scope is both very different from what existed back then and also exactly what Jesus intends—for His message and gospel and love to spread throughout the whole world. It’s why we’re here and it’s why we’re doing what we’re doing to help that happen in our own small way.

We were inspired by Elder Renlund’s message, which included some of these thoughts: how we treat others matters—we live in a very diverse area, so others should see us as a disciple of Christ before they see any other cultural or political identifier; show mutual respect for all people; assume the best intent and respond accordingly; never speak negatively about anyone just to vent, instead figure out how to lift and help. He was humble and kind and took the time to meet every employee before he had to leave for another meeting in another country. The pace these leaders keep as they visit congregations throughout the world is truly amazing!

Because I was playing the piano after the meeting concluded, and everyone else had already lined up to shake Elder Renlund’s hand, Jon and I were the last ones in the room to finally get to meet him. He was gracious and kind and not at all in a hurry (though he probably was). We had a minute to talk about the fact that my Dad had served a mission in Sweden, which Elder Renlund had also done, and he said that anyone who had served back in my Dad’s day was a “stud” because it was such a challenging time there. It confirmed what we already knew about my Dad, who would have been so delighted to know that I got to shake hands with Elder Renlund, someone that he greatly admired.

We also heard from Elder Cook and I was so impressed with his warm, humble and sincere demeanor as he spoke to us. He shared a great visual that I’ll explain. He said that we have many tasks throughout our day, whether at work or home or church or wherever. It’s very easy to get focused on just getting those tasks done and checking them off. He drew something like this on the board:

Me ————————> Task

But then he reminded us to turn to God to help us with all the tasks we have to do, so that the diagram is more like this:

Me ———> God ———> Task

We can accomplish so much more, and in the way God wants us to, when we involve him in our tasks and in our day.

He then shared the experience of when he was a Mission President and feeling very overwhelmed and inadequate. He wondered all the time how he could do what needed to be done. Many days when he was in the office, a mailman came to deliver the mail and though he didn’t really know Elder Cook, he would tell him whenever he saw him, “You’re doing a great job!” Elder Cook was so grateful for that small kindness and reminder and was disappointed whenever he missed seeing the mailman. Elder Cook told all of us that we were “doing a great job!” He acknowledged the sacrifices we’re making, the small unnoticed ways we serve, and reassured us that what we’re doing matters. It was yet another instance where I felt that his words were just what my heart needed.

So my most important message to you is the same as his: “You’re doing a great job!” If you’re reading this email, it’s because we know and love you. And if you’re like us, you might sometimes feel overwhelmed or inadequate for whatever task is before you. But I can assure you, because we know you and because we know God knows you, that you truly are doing a great job! Don’t forget that. And if someone around you needs the same encouragement, remind them that they’re doing a great job too!

♥ Until next time, we love you! Cheerio! ♥

P.S.-Jon’s big legal post is coming tomorrow! :)

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Words of the Week:

(Words or phrases we hear “on the street” that either delight, confuse or amuse us.)

Hiya - a greeting often said by cashiers, just a casual way of saying hello when you walk up to a counter

Trolley - a shopping cart (if you ask for a shopping cart, you’ll immediately be pegged as an American)