Monday, October 26, 2015

Yeah!!!!! A new grandson!!!

Our most fabulous news for the week is the safe arrival of Scott and Sherri's beautiful baby boy, Grayden William Jackman Miles, a long name for a 6 lb.4 oz. baby boy!!!  But so distinquished!  Grayden was born on Saturday, October 24, 2015 at 1:05 a.m.  The delivery was a little scary for a while as Grayden's heart rate began to plummet during contractions.  Miraculously, however, he made it without a C-section and mom and baby are doing well.  But Grandma is kind of having a tough time!  I went to church yesterday and as I watched a 2 month old baby boy in our ward, my heart and arms just ached to hold my babies!!  I wanted to ask the mom if I could just hold her little one, but he was asleep!  The pictures are fabulous though.  Please keep sending them to us!!!
     Every day is a new adventure here and this week was no exception.  We did a lot of traveling for different assignments.  Monday, Brad had to go with the Elders to Gillianham so Elder Kendall could take his driving test.  After one year as a missionary, it is required to get a British driver's license.  They need to take a written test (a theory test--really hard) and then a driver exam.  Because the available time in Cambridge to take the test was months out, Elder Kendall found an available time in a village a ways out.  His companion didn't have a driver's license at all, so Brad had to go with them.  The whole zone was praying that he would pass, and grateful to report, he did!!!!  The tests here are very difficult, and it often takes many tries to pass.  So while they were gone, I felt like a typical English homemaker, I grabbed my bag and walked to the market to buy a few groceries and flowers!
     We had an incredible FHE, an inspiring lesson from one of our dear YSA's, a hilarious game of telestrations, and banana splits!  Is this a mission?  It's such a load of fun!!!
     Tuesday we took a train to London to participate in a leadership training day.  It was an opportunity to meet the mission leaders, and have them teach us.  We were so inspired by them as we watched them teach the gospel, demonstrate how district meetings should be run, how to report weekly goals, and teach how to use their ipads.  The thought that went through my mind was that this is life time training for these future bishops, stake presidents, and company CEOs.   It was fun to be back in London on the subway system, and walking the streets hearing the sounds of the traffic, the people, and seeing the maze of buildings.  But it made me appreciate living and serving in a smaller city.  We also just happened to sit next to an Elder who was from Eagle Mountain whose family lives down the street from Nate and Becca!!  His name is Elder Murri and he is an outstanding missionary.  We were able to take his picture and send it to Becca, who sent it to his mom.  This was a real blessing to his mother as she is going through some health challenges along with his dad.  We told him the greatest thing he can do for his family to help them is to continue to serve honorably and they would be blessed!
     We were asked to travel to a distant town to check out a flat for the mission.  We had some wonderful visits with new members, lunch with a new young adult, meetings with investigators, a great visit with Hazel Price, a sweet English woman who was taught the gospel by my dad and mom when they were here, and a fantastic Institute class with 18 people attending!!!  One of the young men who attended served a mission in Germany and served with our Stake President's son, Cameron McGinn.  They are good friends and he is heading to America to go to Cameron's wedding.  His family moved to Eagle Mountain, Utah.  He told us that his mother was baptized here in England when she was 17, but he could not remember the name of the Elder who baptized her.  Brad baptized a young 17 year old girl when he was here about that time, but can't remember her name, so we are going to do some research to see if they match up!!!  Now that would be cool if they did! I told him he needed to meet a fabulous young lady in our ward.  He had already met her!  Another young man in the group was baptized by an Elder Jackman, (we didn't know the name), and a young lady served a mission in Bern, Switzerland and knew a Sister Glauser in her ward there!  It is amazing how small the world is!!!! 
     The missionary miracle of the week was with Callum Church (our volleyball contact).  We invited him to dinner along with the sister missionaries.  It was delightful.  The sisters wanted to walk home with him and we have a teaching appointment with him this Wednesday night!!!  He wants to learn more about the gospel and we just keep praying for him that he will feel the spirit and we won't mess things up!!!
     We started our temple prep class.  We are so excited for this!!!! We got to teach the 7 year olds in Primary as well!  Our weeks are busy, and we fall into bed exhausted every night, but we sleep well and wake up rejuvenated and raring to go the next morning!!! 
     Our prayers are with our precious little Asher this week.  He spent time in the ER with an IV for dehydration.  He just got violently ill and couldn't keep anything down.
     Our thought for the week is this, "As we rely on the Atonement of Jesus Christ, He can help us endure our trials, sicknesses, and pain.  We can be filled with joy, peace, and consolation.  All that is unfair about life can be made right through the Atonement of Jesus Christ."  God lives, the Church is true, we have a living prophet on earth today, and life is magnificent!!!
     We love you all!
Love,
Elder and Sister Jackman
our new friend, George Smith--missionary buddy of Cameron McGinn

A visit with our dear friend, Hazel Price

Kent and Heaz sent us some hot chocolate!  So perfect after a cold morning walk

Cambridge--the city of bicycles!!!

Institute is GREAT!

The beautiful family, Carlee, Grayden, Sherri, Scott, Jaylee, and Chloe

Mom and Baby Grayden--is that red hair I see peeking out of that hat?

excited big sisters!!!!

What a treasure!  I cried when I saw this picture Chloe!!!


Grandpa looks so British in his new hat!!!!

1 comment:

  1. So happy for grandbabies! I hear Heather's Asher is doing better. And Sherry looks terrific. I'm with my sisters at the World Congress on families in Salt Lake. Fascinating points of view, data and trends. Last week, Shayne and I went to the Sperry symposium on the book of Mormon. My testimony was reaffirmed. New scholars with new research and new evidences.

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