Christmas in Loughborough, Leicestershire

Hope you have all had a wonderful Christmas. We had the pleasure of spending Christmas with Sister Kiddle's Aunt Joyce and Aunt Valerie. We travelled by train from Gatwick Airport to London, St. Pancras and from there to Loughborough where we were met at the Train Station by the two Aunties. Christmas Eve was a very rainy day but we enjoyed a trip to the town centre and market square. We enjoyed looking through the stores watching many local people as they did their last minute Christmas shopping.

Christmas Morning we attended the Loughborough Ward Christmas Carol Service at the Ward Chapel. After the service we enjoyed a refreshing walk along the Canal Bank that runs in front of Joyce and Valerie's Apartment building and can be viewed from their living room window. We then spent a leisurely day with Joyce and Valerie, enjoying a wonderful traditional English Christmas Dinner. In the evening we joined with our two families on skype and had a three way conversation with Elder Lybbert ( our missionary grandson) who is serving in Argentina. He was on the speaker phone and we were able to hear him and he was able to hear us over Skype. He is doing well and it was so good to hear from him.

Boxing day brought more visiting and great food. We feel blessed to have spent the Christmas Season  with these two special aunties.

Today (December 27th) we caught a train and arrived back at the temple at 12:00 noon and returned to our service in the Temple.

Us with Aunt Valerie, Aunt Joyce and cousin Pauline

The Canal Bank

Swans on the bank

Christmas Dinner

The childhood home of Sister Kiddle's Father (Reg Carter)

The home in which Sister Kiddle was born

Thanks for a great Christmas Aunt Valerie and Aunt Joyce

Wishing a Happy New Year to everyone.
Love Elder and Sister Kiddle

Performance of The Messiah at Royal Albert Hall

We had the privilege of going into London this past Friday December 14th to hear a very large choir perform The Messiah at Royal Albert Hall. Our seats were up in what is called the Circle (Seats 78 & 79 row 4). We had an excellent view of the choir and orchestra. The choir had about 300 members so we could hear it great. Brother and Sister Rushforth (friends of Sister Kiddle's aunts Joyce and Valerie) drove us into London. Royal Albert Hall is incredible. As the picture we are including shows, it is a round building with many entrances that move the audience in and out very efficiently.

   

Royal Albert Hall

                        us at Royal Albert Hall               view of Choir and Orchestra  

This past week we also received a package from home. Katrina & Brett's family sent us some angels made out of foam craft (displayed on the Mantel) and Cameron & Amber's family sent us angels they had made out of polymer clay (displayed on our little tree). The pictures are below. We love them and are enjoying them.

This past week at the Temple we were trained as Baptistry Co-ordinators by Elder and Sister Bartschi who have completed their mission and are on their way home to Utah. They will be missed at the temple. We will be on our own this week in the Baptistry. 

We wish our family and friends a very Merry Christmas and Blessed New Year.

Love Elder & Sister Kiddle

Hyde Park Chapel with Elder and Sister Bartschi

This past Sunday we attended church in Hyde Park Chapel to hear Elder and Sister Bartschi speak in one of the Wards there. They are going home to Utah at the end of this week and were invited to speak. After Church we walked back to Victoria Station to catch our train back to Lingfield which is close to the Temple. We have included photos of some of the sights we saw on our way to the train station. It was a wonderful day.

Hyde Park Chapel

 Wellington Arch

  

Prince Albert Memorial

   

Buckingham Palace

 
           In front of the Palace Gates                     

               

          Window Box still blooming in December              Birds on the Serpentine

Monday December 10th we attended a Christmas Dinner and Program at President and Sister Lowry's  residence in the Manor House (Our Temple President and Matron). Elder Kiddle sang White Christmas, our Temple Choir performed and several Christmas readings were given. A great meal was served by the Temple Presidency.

This week we are being trained as Baptistry Coordinators. There will be 27 young adults from the BYU Study Abroad Program coming to the Baptistry on December 12th.

Hope everyone has a great week.

Love, Elder and Sister Kiddle

Christmas Light Ceremony

This past Sunday, December 2nd, there was a Christmas Light Ceremony starting at 6:00 P.M. outside the Visitors' Centre. There were several speakers including the Temple President and local dignitaries, a vocal soloist and our Temple Missionary Choir. A small girl from the audience was asked to come and push the button to turn on all of the lights. It was estimated that about 300 people were in attendance.

One of the dignitaries was responsible for helping the Church obtain permission from the government to add the Angel Moroni Statue to the Temple Spire.

After the program and lighting of the Christmas Lights, a small group of us went inside the Visitors' Centre and sang Christmas Carols.

It was a delightful evening and a great beginning to the Christmas Season.

The Manger

The Christmas Tree inside the Visitors' Centre

Hedges and trees adorned with lights

Our little tree in the entrance of our Apartment

Love from Elder & Sister Kiddle

Move to the Manor House
(Monday November 26, 2012)

An exciting beginning to our week as we were offered the opportunity to move into a flat in the Manor House. It is much larger and more comfortable than our flat in the Accommodation Centre. We will be very comfortable here.

Our windows on the west end and north side on the second floor of the Manor House

View of the Gate House and London South Mission Offices from our west window

The Grand Staircase

Our separate kitchen

The Living - Dining Area

Front view of the Manor House

This is one more blessing in our London Temple Mission.

Love Elder & Sister Kiddle

Beaulieu, Hampshire

We went on another Monday outing today. This time it was to Beaulieu where there is a Car Museum, a Palace and ruins of an old Abbey. The Abbey was built in 1204.

 Brother Key, Sister Hess, Sister McKinnon, Sister Kiddle, Elder & Sister  Gray, Elder & Sister Platt

 We found Elder Kiddle's 1963 missionary bike in the museum today!!!

 Elder Kiddle with his favourite car

 Sister Kiddle's favourite car

Palace House -  Montegu Family still live here

 Roses Still blooming on November 19th!

 Servant Bells in Kitchen

 One of many stained glass windows in the Palace

 Sister Kiddle on Grand Staircase

Portion of old Beaulieu Abbey built in 1204, now used as a Chapel by the area residents

Hope you like the photos (out of 203 taken) 

Love Elder and Sister Kiddle

London Temple Visitors' Centre

We have attended another fireside at the Visitors Centre this past Sunday night. It was entitled "Why I Believe".  Donovan McFarlane, first counselor in the Crawley Stake Presidency came and gave his conversion story with a slide presentation. His conversion story was very inspiring and the spirit was very strong. Right after this fireside we attended a "Hi" fireside in the Accommodation Centre and heard four more conversion stories from two new Temple Missionary couples who just recently arrived,  Brother and Sister Jones and  Brother and Sister Topham. A very spiritual evening.

This past Saturday we viewed a televised Remembrance Day Ceremony from the Royal Albert Hall. It was the most inspiring Remembrance Day Ceremony we have ever seen. The Queen, Prince Phillip and others of the Royal Family were there in attendance. It was an amazing tribute to the armed forces who served in the Second World War and soldiers currently serving around the world. Stories of soldiers killed in Afghanistan were highlighted. We were pleased to see that the ceremony included the Lord's Prayer and words and hymns of gratitude and praise to God.

On Sunday the 3 members of the Bishopric spoke and focused their talks on the Remembrance Day theme. It showed how deeply the people here in England feel about the sacrifice of their soldiers to preserve their freedom. We were very impressed.

Love from Elder and Sister Kiddle

Autumn comes to the Temple

                    

                      The Gate House

We have now been here just over a month and as we review our first month we are overjoyed with the events and activities we have already enjoyed. The Lord has blessed our memories and we have both learned to administer all of the Temple ordinances in which we participate. Each day is a joy as we attend the Temple. Over this first month we have had the pleasure of welcoming Aunt Joyce and Aunt Valerie to the Temple. We enjoyed attending a Session with them and having lunch with them in the Temple cafeteria. We have booked our train tickets to spend Christmas with them in Loughborough. This past Saturday Elder Kiddle was privileged to attend  a Session with Chris Anderson, a brother in the gospel that he and his missionary companion baptized 46 years ago. His wife was baptized with him but she passed away 10 years ago. It was a happy reunion. Sometime over the next 1 1/2 years we hope to go to Poole to visit the Poole Ward that he is a member of and see the Chapel that has recently been renovated. The Chapel was built when Elder Kiddle was there on his mission.

Yesterday we both attended practice for a new Temple Missionary Choir that is being formed. We are learning some traditional English Christmas music.

Today we tried out the local bus system and were able to see some of the beautiful country side. This evening we attended a fireside at the Visitors Centre and viewed a film entitles 'Fires of Faith' which told the story of some of the early reformers who had the Bible translated into English. It gave us a deeper appreciation of their sacrifices.

Love Elder and Sister Kiddle

Views around the Temple and Area

We are beginning our 5th week at the London Temple. Every day is great and we love our service in the Temple.

This week we have decided to show you some of the sites around the Temple and surrounding area:

Our accommodation centre entrance

 Sister Kiddle looking out our Apartment window

The Manor House - on the Temple Grounds - Home of the Temple Presidency

Duck pond and homes in the Village of Lingfield

Small jail next to duck pond used to keep vagrants in overnight during the 1800's

Stake Centre where we attend church in Crawley

It has a very unique chapel

We attended Family Home Evening in the Manor House tonight. In a quiz game on Church Temples,  the question was asked, "How many operating temples are there in the world?" Everyone eagerly shouted 139. We said "Wrong! There are 140, as the Calgary Temple was dedicated yesterday!" Our team won the game by one point!

Love from Elder and Sister Kiddle