Mexican dinners

The Mexican food section at an ASDA

Last night we had a few young people over for dinner and fixed Mexican food.  (It is the third time we have done so.)  I prepared chicken fajitas and refried beans and served it wish sour cream, salsa, lime, lettuce, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, and rice.  They loved it!   I am thankful I brought taco seasoning, chili powder, and Montreal steak seasoning from home.  Mexican food is available in the supermarkets in the International Foods section as you can see, but everything I have see it a kit for a dinner, not a package of seasoning.  We have not bought the tortillas in this section.  In the bread section of ASDAs they have wonderful fresh tortillas in four varieties:  white flour, white/whole wheat mix, whole wheat, and white flour/cornmeal mix. 

Baptism at Lichfield

We are happy to have another baptism here in Lichfield on Saturday.  Here is Aaron with our Lichfield missionaries.

Fresh produce

Allen last week

In downtown Lichfield there is a small produce shop.  Last week there were beautiful heads of cauliflower priced at only 59 pence each or 2 for one pound.  That is the equivalent of 75 cents per head!  We enjoyed them so much that I went back and bought more today.  I came home with a head of cabbage and two of cauliflower.  They looked so beautiful I could not resist taking a photo.  

Today's purchases, and my camera case for perspective. 

Up the Wrekin

On Friday we went with the YSA on a nighttime "Torch Hike" up the Wrekin. (pronounced "Ree-kin.")  The Wrekin is the tallest hill anywhere near Birmingham, a little over 1300 feet above the surrounding farmland.   We started hiking at twilight, when it was nearly 9:00 p.m.  About a third of the way up there is a junction, a rope swing, and a few seats. There is a signpost at the junction. When we had hiked it in the daylight we saw the three signs nailed to the post.  They read "This Way," one "That Way," and "The Other Way." We are glad we went "This Way," as it is the most direct route to the top!   At the top we walked through a V cut in the terrain.  We later learned that was the entrance to an Iron Age fort!  As one gets near the top of the hill, the trees get more and more sparse. On the ridge by the old fort it is bare, affording good views of all of the countryside.

When we got to the top the sky all around the Wrekin was clear and we could see the stars and the bright half moon.   We had brought a high powered set of binoculars, loaned by a man in Lichfield who uses them for star gazing, and everyone had a chance to look at the stars and the bright moon.  It was cold and windy, but all seemed to enjoy it.  We had Snickerdoodles and chocolate chip cookies for refreshments before heading down. 


 

The Wrekin Hill-fort

"The Wrekin was probably first settled in the Neolithic or Bronze Age but the visible defences are some time between 2000 and 2500 years old and date from the Iron Age.  It sands out over 50 such sites in Shropshire and is likely to have been tribal capital of the Cornovii.  It comprises an inner (3 ha.) enclosure encircling the summit and outer (8 ha.) enclosures encircling the outer slopes.  Its fortifications point clearly to defence, but it probably  served a range of functions such as tribal meetings and and/or ritual centre.  It seems to have been abandoned (perhaps taken by force) around the time of the Roman conquest and there is no archeological evidence for later  re-occupation."

My favorite sign, "This Way, That Way, The Other Way"

Allen and I are standing on top of the Wrekin on a lovely morning a few weeks ago.  We are at the beginning of the fort.

This monuments is a large compass, and points to to various villages and cities as well as N, S, E and W/

Here is the same monument at night.  Allen andAndrew.

Jessica, Stacey, and Maddie

Charlotte

Megan, Jess, Stacey, Maddie, and Amy

We were happy to have been offered a pair of high powered binoculars to use on the hike. 
The stars and moon were beautiful.

The kids said "We have the coolest Stake President,"
when they saw Pres. Gardiner on the tire swing.

Tamworth

Today we spoke in Tamworth Ward, and I thought of Allen's aunt Lillian Patten. When she came to our home on Sundays, she sometimes talked about her uncles who lived in Tamworth.  She talked of the strong accent in the Midlands.  Now we get to hear Midlands accents all of the time!

I remember helping Aunt Lillian find her father as a child in the UK Census.  She was excited to see the names of her uncles on the census along with the names her father and grandparents.  They were living in Amington, Tamworth at the time. The church is in the Amington area of Tamworth, not far from where her father lived. I feel a connection to Tamworth just because of her.
  

Friends from far away

We were excited to be able to spend a few hours this week with our friends Lloyd and Joy.  They took the train up from London for a quick visit.  Thanks!

British Pageant at Preston "Truth Will Prevail"

Before the show started

 We had a few miracles in the last week! Tuesday night after Mutual, Bishop Baker gave us and three other ward members tickets for the opening night of the British Pageant at the Preston Temple! In  less than 24 hours, Elder Hilton and I received permission to go outside our mission boundaries. We rode up together, with one of our ward members driving.  

 It was a wonderful evening. The Spirit was strong. John Lathrop, who is a common ancestor between Elder Hilton and me, was depicted, and I felt of his courage and faith. Also depicted was Ann Cannon, mother of George Q. Cannon, who lost her life on board the ship on her way to join the Saints in Nauvoo. As she was dying, she expressed her conviction in the restored church of Jesus Christ, and her desire that her children and grandchildren and great-great grandchildren be raised in the gospel. I felt a great warmth as I realized that my grandchildren are some of her descendents. 
 
I was impressed by the size of the marquee constructed to hold the event.  It even had large blowers to keep the place air conditioned. Having attended other pageants, I was prepared for an outdoor event, not realizing that the structure had been built.  Apparently rain in Preston is the norm, and it was raining lightly when we arrived. But by the time the pageant started, the rain had stopped. 

The massive stage was on a slant, making it easy for all to see. The choir was on the bridge in the back of the stage.  (If you wonder, yes, the choir members moved around a little).  The choir had met previously and recorded the music, but I could hear their live voices in addition to the recording. I found it very effective.
 

Elder Hilton looking at the stage.  I hope the slant is evident in this photo.  The assistant director of the pageant is one of the Young Single Adults living in our stake.  On his website one can read his inspiring day-to-day experiences in this creative effort:  http://mormontheatre.blogspot.co.uk/2013_08_01_archive.html

After we got our seats, Elder Hilton and I went for a brief walk outside.  Here is a photo of the huge marquee that was erected for the pageant. 

 Friends from the Walsall Ward

  This delightful girl is Charlotte, who was baptized less than four weeks before the pageant. She was radiant the entire evening.

While at the pageant, we talked with two sets of missionaries (all sister missionaries) from the Manchester Mission. Incredibly, in each pair of missionaries, one  had a brother who is serving with us in the Birmingham Mission.

This missionary has a twin brother serving in Leicester (pronounced Lester).

This sister missionary is from South Africa.  Her brother is our Zone Leader!

The two sister missionary companions are both from South Africa.

Wanda and Charlotte by the temple gate

Me with Joy, Wanda, Sue, and Charlotte

We had an extra treat to end our evening!

Joy and Lloyd, friends from St. George, were in Preston that day. They were going to the pageant the following day, but took a taxi up to the temple grounds after the show just to see us and meet our friends!