Coach Tour to Southport and the Lake District with Aunt Valerie

On March 2nd Brother and Sister Wood gave us a ride to Loughborough and early the next morning we left with Aunt Valerie on a 4 day Holiday Couch Tour.

Day 1: Our first stop was in the Village of Haworth where the Bronte Sisters wrote the novels of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. We could see the Moors they referenced in their novels. It was a very quaint Village with an Old Church with some beautiful stained glass windows.

                                            

                               

              Street in Haworth                                                            Sign on Haworth Church

Bronte Sister's Museum

Stained Glass in Haworth Church

                

                 

The Moors in the distance

Day 2: On route to Southport we passed the Preston Temple (so close but so far!) . When we arrived in Southport the tide was out and we could hardly see the ocean from the pier. Southport pier is the second longest pier in Britain! In another two and one half hours the tide had come all the way in (unbelievable!).

 You can just see the Temple's spite in the distance

    

Tide out                                                                         Lunch in Southport 

Tide in

Day 3: We traveled to the Lake District stopping at two villages on opposite sides of Lake Windemere: Ambleside and Bowness. A very picturesque area.

Ambleside:

Stream in Ambleside

Old Church in Ambleside

Stained Glass in old Church

Flowers in bloom

Bowness:

Edge of Lake Windemere

Fancy Chocolates

Boat Marina 

View of Lake Windemere

Day 4: Trip Home stopping at Salford Quays - A "modern" city near Manchester - also home of the BBC. There were no old historic buildings to be seen.

BBC Headquarters

Lowry Outlet Mall

Standing on the Quays

Entrance to Mall

A wonderful trip together!

Stay tuned for another blog telling of our journey home.

Love David and Rosalie 

Our Bye - February 23, 2014

Our Mission has come to an end. On February 23rd we said goodbye to the Brighton Ward with a Munch and Mingle, had a Temple Ordinance Workers photo on the front steps of the Temple and had a pot luck supper and "Bye" speeches in the evening.

Our last Sunday in Brighton will be long remembered.

President sand Sister Johnson (Temple President and Matron) spoke in Sacrament Meeting

Photo with President and Sister Johnson after Church

After Church we had a Munch and Mingle. The Bishop presented us with a framed picture of the Ward which we will always cherish.

 Bishop Mitchell and Brother Duckenfield after church

Sister Mitchell (Bishops Wife) and Sister Kiddle at Munch and Mingle

Picture of Temple Workers on front steps of Temple, taken especially for us.

Front Steps of Temple

On Saturday March 1st we were released as London Temple Ordinance Workers. A bittersweet day for us. Our Temple Mission has truly been a blessing in our lives.

Love Elder and Sister Kiddle

Funeral of Margaret Joyce Bowler on February 6, 2014

Aunt Joyce became  ill very quickly after Christmas and passed away on January 24, 2014 at the Leicester General Hospital.

We are grateful that we were still here on our mission as we were able to be a large support to Aunt Valerie. On January 18th we got a phone message while on our Saturday afternoon shift at the Temple that she was gravely ill and Sister Curley drove us straight to the Leicester Hospital.  It gave Sister  and Elder Kiddle a chance to sit with Aunt Joyce during that weekend. She knew we were there and before leaving on Monday evening to return to the temple she gave Sister Kiddle a big hug goodbye as we felt she knew she was dying. She also gave Aunt Valerie a big hug soon after. We kept in touch with Aunt Valerie and on January 24th we received word that she had passes away at 1:00 A.M. that morning. The Hospital staff kept her comfortable up to the time of her death for which we are very grateful.

On January 26th Sister Curley again drove us to Loughborough so that we could help Aunt Valerie do all of the errands necessary to prepare for the Funeral, such as 1) pick up the death certificate, 2) visit the undertaker and arrange for the funeral and 3) order the flowers for the coffin. One week later Sister Kiddle and Sister Curley went back to Loughborough and helped Aunt Valerie dress Aunt Joyce. Sister Kiddle felt it was a rewarding and spiritual experience. The following Wednesday, February 5th, we took a train back to Loughborough to be at the Funeral on Thursday, February 6th.

For the Funeral program, Sister Kiddle was asked to read all of the family Tributes from all the Nieces and Nephews and Elder Kiddle sang the hymn "How Great Thou Art". On the morning of the Funeral it did not rain until after the burial for which we were very grateful. After a luncheon at the church which followed the burial we returned to the graveyard to take pictures of the grave which had been closed with many of the flowers placed on top. By this time it was raining but we accomplished our goal to get the pictures.

Following are some of the pictures;

 The hearse showing the casket and flowers

At the cemetery

 Luncheon at the Chapel

 Picture at the grave after the Luncheon

Back at Aunt Valerie's with cousins Michael and Jill

We all loved Aunt Joyce and are grateful we could be a part of her funeral and were able to be there to help Aunt Valerie on this sad occasion. The last picture shows everyone smiling as is what we do in pictures but our hearts were heavy. We must say however that we were happy with the thought of the reunion between Aunt Joyce and her family that had gone on before.

We are back at the Temple and only have a few weeks left to serve there before we return to Canada.

A big thanks to Elder & Sister Curley for there invaluable help in our time of need.

Love from Elder and Sister Kiddle

On November 25, 2013, along with several other Temple Missionaries, we went to the Royal Observatory in Greenwich were the prime meridian was established. Here are some photos

 A line on one of the buildings marking the Prime Meridian

 Sister Kiddle standing over the Prime Meridian marked on the ground

 A globe of the world in the visitors centre at the Royal Observatory

Calgary is one of the cities shown on it 

 A plaque with some explanation on the Prime Meridian

Elder and Sister Kiddle and Elder and Sister Mulholland

standing next to a meteorite claimed to be the oldest object on the Earth

We spent Christmas again with Aunt Joyce and Aunt Valerie in Loughborough. It was a very enjoyable time. They are such wonderful Aunts. While we were there we also had the opportunity to visit with Sister Kiddle's cousins Marylyn and Pauline. 

Front row- Valerie on the left & Joyce on the right

Back row - Cousin Marylyn & Elder & Sister Kiddle

 Aunt Valerie, Cousin Pauline and Sister Kiddle

Carollers from the Loughborough Ward on Christmas Day

showing love and concern for Joyce & Valerie

While we were away visiting Joyce, Valerie, Pauline and Marylyn in Loughborough, there was a horrible wind and rainstorm at the Temple resulting in toppled trees and flood waters getting into the basement of the Temple. The Baptistry area was flooded the worst but is almost dried out now. We continue with the baptisms.

 Flood waters on Temple Grounds behind the Temple

 Flood waters in front of the Manor House. President Johnson informed us that we now have our own private swimming pool in the basement of the Manor House

 Fallen tree next to the Accommodation Centre 

The basement in this building was also flooded but has now dried out

Large fallen tree on the Temple Grounds behind the Temple

This is similar but not as bad as the floods that hit Calgary and High River

On New Year's Eve we had a special treat by holding a 9:00 PM Endowment Session which we didn't get home from until 11:30 PM. What a great way to bring in the new Year. Elder Kiddle was the Officiator on the session and Sister Kiddle was the Follower. Jimmy Osmond's daughter who has received her mission call received her own endowment on this session. Bother Osmond and his wife were also on the Session.

Jimmy Osmond & his daughter and wife on the front row

The Osmond's other 3 children on the back row

on the steps of the Temple at about 11:30 PM

On January 5th we went to a Fireside for Elder and Sister Carpenter who have now returned home after serving as the Temple Visitor Centre Co-ordinators for the the past two years. They are amazing and we will dearly miss them.

Elder & Sister Carpenter

Before the Fireside with Elder & Sister Carpenter , we held a Hi for Elder & Sister Mulholland and a Bye for Sister Baker. It has taken awhile but we finally had a formal welcome to Elder & Sister Mulholland. They live in the next apartment to ours in the Manor House and we are really enjoying them being here at the London Temple. They have been well trained in the Cardston and Calgary Temples and were able to perform all of the ordinances right away, unlike us who had 7 weeks of training before we could do much. We were even blessed with them being assigned to our shift so we work with them every day.

Sister Baker was a special Sister who has been fighting cancer for the whole time she has been with us. She is a great genealogist and has submitted hundreds of names for Temple Work. We will miss her cheery disposition.

 Elder and Sister Mulholland

Sister Baker with Sister Kiddle

Sorry for the long wait for this new Blog. There is never a dull moment here at the Temple and as our mission draws to a close we are busier than ever. We have asked for the Church to arrange our flight home on March 13th. It is with mixed emotions that we approach this date. We truly love our mission here at the London Temple. We also look forward to seeing our Family again.

Love Elder & Sister Kiddle