Postcards from Preston -- signing off!

As we send our last Postcard from Preston we reminisce.....

And so it has been..............

 

The best two years of our lives!  (with the exception of a few others)

 

Two years ago we packed up our home, sold our cars, assigned our children the responsibilities of caring for our assets, said our good-byes through tears of parting and tears of happy anticipation as we eagerly looked forward to our new assignment in the England MTC!

 

We knew we would love it.  How could we not.  It was like coming home....It was like bathing ourselves in the rich British heritage that we both share.  We read and re read the histories of our forefathers.  We felt renewed gratitude for their sacrifices and for their love of the Lord.  And we wanted to add our testimony to theirs on this British soil.

 

We arrived here on Saturday morning, the 14th of January 2011.  President and Sister Clegg met us and as we rode from the airport our hearts skipped a beat with the knowledge that it had really happened.  Pictures cannot do justice to what we saw as we came round the roundabout and saw for the first time this beautiful facility and the adjacent pond.

 

We were tired, but ever so happy.

We were clueless as to how things were managed and what we were to do, but we knew the Lord knew and that His assistance would be ever present if we put ourselves in His hands.

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That first Sunday evening, when Richard stood and began to speak to those mssionaries, I knew that the mantle had passed and that he had now picked up the reins and together we would go forward.

 

Those first days melted into weeks and so many came forward to help us.

We were surrounded by a wonderful staff including instructors, engineers, custodians, security, and remarkable chefs whose goal it seemed was to add to our waistlines.
 

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We have had the best two years Great Britain has had to offer in this century.

 

We arrived in 2011 in time to celebrate the the Royal Love Story culminating in the marriage of William and Kate. It had fairy tale appeal with prince charming marrying the common girl.  The Duke and Duchess are the stars of the future, the jewels in the crown.  It was the wedding of the decade, celebrated by an outpouring of national joy, and we were here to savour the moment!

And add to that the announcement of the royal birth!

 

2012 brought Julilee Joy as Queen Elizabeth took her place in history by reaching the 60 year milestone as Queen.  Everything about this yearlong celebration endeared us to this lovely woman who wears her age like she wears her crown -- with dignity -- and again, we were here to savour the moment.

 

And as if that was not enough -- the Olympics came along.  We captured some of that Olympic fever as we shared the spotlighted moments of victory.  We cheered the torch as it passed through Chorley.  We felt true patiotism for this country of our heritage.  As one commentator stated "The Brits exuberance and excitement makes us sound like Americans."  And we were those Americans!!!

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We have walked the moors and the pastures, along the canals, through the villages, climbed over the kissing gates, watched the daffodils burst forth and welcome spring.  And we have done it all in some sunshine and lots of rain.

We have had the distinct pleasure of having been here during the wettest year in British history!

We have wandered through castles and forests and glens.

We have climbed to the top of towers and walked along sandy beaches.

We have stood at the gravesites of our ancestors and picked up pebbles from the beaches where they once played.

We have visited the birth places of the Bronte sisters, Jane Austen, William Wordsworth, Beatrice Potter, William Shakespeare, and Charles Dickens

We have trusted our Tom Tom (GPS) -- sometimes with disastrous outcomes.

We have haunted Charity shops, Primark and Marks & Spencer and have done our part to add to the British economy with our collections of Christine Haworth figurines and pewter knights.

We have celebrated every holiday from Pancake Day to Poppy Day, from Valentines to Halloween, from Robert Burns Day to Thanksgiving and from Easter to Christmas  with lots and lots in between.

We've had our Best of Britian nights complete with fish and chips, Cornish pasties and mushy peas!

We have learned a new language like Brilliant, and Rubbish, and Learnt, and Ya Au Right?

We have heard the National Anthems sung by missionaries from 60 different countries and together we have sung "God Save the Queen" as the anthem of their newly adopted home land.

We have talked and taught the gospel in meetings, conventions, and on the streets of Manchester on the bus and train, in the shops, on the walking paths and everyplace else we could find a warm body.. We have left a trail of pass along cards, Books of Mormon and referrals in our wake and even had one baptism.

We have been wrapped in the love of 1011 missionaries and listened to them teach and testify both in word and in song.

We have listened to their tender stories of sacrifice and dedication and have marvelled at their commitment and faith.  We have thrilled as we have watched them change from young men and women of the world, to servants of the Lord, ready and willing to go forth and bring others unto Christ.

And most of all, we have been blessed by a Heavenly Father who seems to know no bounds when it comes to blessings.

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And now it is time to draw the curtain on another chapter of our lives....We shall return to our home where once again there will be tears of joy and reunion.  We will resettle ourselves into our home, buy a new car, regain control of our assets and build a new life.

In the closing scenes of Camelot, King Arthur gathers a young boy to him and sings,

Don't let it be forgot
That once there was a spot
For one brief shining moment that was known
as Camelot.

This has been a Camelot and every day we will thank the Lord for this one brief shining moment that was captured in the land of our heritage!

and so it is....we sign off with a
 CHEERIO!!!