Trying to catch up : Couples Edinburgh Conference

In February and March we have had three memorable events that has really enlarged my scope of learning. The first was the Scotland Ireland Mission Couples Conference that was held in Edinburgh, Scotland. We flew from Belfast to Edinburgh with another missionary couple who happen to also be Canadians, Elder and Sister Wilson. Our adventure started out with a three hour delay at the airport before we even got off the ground.

The view from where we were sitting in the secure area of the airport.

Waiting!

Luckily the flight is a quick one and before we knew it we had crossed to Scotland

and were ready to explore somewhere new.

After dropping our baggage at the lovely Ettrick Inn close to the Mission Home,

Our room was the one with the circular window.

The view out our room window.

 we were on a double decker bus and off to wander the historic streets of the old city.

 Having lived all my life where anything built before 1850 is really old, I never get over the amazement of the old buildings, many predate 1700.

We walked the royal mile,

 now lined with shops inviting tourists to buy kilts, woolen goods, and trinkets of every kind.

Then we entered the Edinburgh Castle, that sits on the hill overseeing the city, where recorded history speaks of structures defending this sight since 600 AD.

Looking out over the city from where the previous 3 picture were taken.

The afternoon was not long enough to even glimpse at the history that was present in every nook and cranny. We stood in the room Mary Queen of Scots gave birth to James I who was the king of England who sponsored the translation of the Bible we use today.

King James

 Mr Bunnage, your Social 10 lessons on British History came alive!

We concluded the evening with a wonderful meal in a Scottish Pub.

Where we ate supper. Up on the second floor.

The appetizer, Haggis.

Elder Forsyth's meal

Sister Forsyth's meal

The next day was a great bonding and learning time with all the missionary couples serving in our mission.

Replica of the "famous" stone.

At the dedication of the stone.

All the Senior missionaries in the Scotland Ireland Mission

Workshops

We were able to learn from each other, share similar challenges and experiences and be taught by our Mission President and his wife, President and Sister Brown.

That evening we all rode the double decker bus downtown to enjoy the wonderful and creative theatre production of War Horse.

In the theatre waiting for the play to begin.

The last week of November started our Christmas celebrations as we took part in the Belfast Stake Festival of Nativities. This was the first year for the Belfast stake putting on a display of Nativities and a variety of activities. It made for a whole evening of family enjoyment. The cultural hall was filled with the nativities display with the sliding doors to the chapel open. Musical performances from the chapel invited guests to sit a moment in the chapel and watch the silent video Joy to the World, depicting the Saviours birth and using the performances as the background music. Our YSA provided some choir music for one of the evenings. In the rooms next to the cultural hall was a craft room where children could make a Christmas craft,and next door a dress up room where both young and old could dawn a costume and be part of a live nativity. There was a stable backdrop and a manger where costumed participants could have pictures taken. Across the hall was the storytellers room where there were several hands on nativities that children could play with and a rocking chair beside a fireplace. This was my spot for the evening as I read Christmas themed stories to young and old. The Festival was Thursday and Friday evenings from 5 to 9 and Saturday from 10 to 2. Some families would come and stay most of the evening as they enjoyed the different activities. It was a wonderful event and will hopefully be even better attended next year, now the stake have the experience of one year under their belt.

At one of our Monday night Family Home Evenings we shared our Christmas tradition of making chocolate turtles with the little group of YSA who come to our flat for FHE. The sister missionaries joined us for the fun. My biggest regret was that we didn't even think of picture taking until well after the clean up. It felt like an evening of family fun.

Our YSA Christmas social was a fun evening with lots of food and games along with a pause to remember the reason for Christmas and to hear the story of the Saviour's birth. Though the busy time of year took many of our regular YSA off to other activities that night, we had a great showing from the units further away and the night was a great success. The following day was our Young Single Adult Sunday block which we hold once a quarter. We have a Sacrament meeting followed by Sunday School and then Priesthood and Relief Society classes. It is a special uniting experience to have the YSA from eleven spread out units come together for Sunday worship. We then all had lunch together before everyone traveled home.

We couldn't have Christmas in Ireland without attending a candlelight carol service in one of the big old stone churches. We were invited to attend the Belfast Academy Annual Carol service in St Peter's Church. The school choir and band performed several carols with the audience joining in on occasion. .The acoustics were amazing adding to the enjoyment of the performances. The Irish lilt of the students voices as the Bible lessons were read warmed my heart. How I love these people. It was certainly a festive and memorable evening.

Days turn into Months

Oh my how days turn into months!! Fall is here with cooler days and rain to keep the grass green.

We continue to be busy with the Young Single Adults. We celebrated Halloween with a fun party. Did the old fashioned things like bobbing for apples and donuts on a string.

Making a smiley face with smarties and a straw

Bobbing for apples, blindfolded!!!

Make a MUMMY

Eating a doughnut on a string.

Also a fun game devised by one of the girls called Opposite Reactions where you have to guess by their reaction if what the person is tasting is the real thing or something gross that looks the same. Like salt instead of sugar, Tabasco in stead of ketchup, lemon juice instead of punch. Lots of laughs were had as the audience tried to guess from the reaction who had tasted what.

Catsup or Tabasco?

Lemonade or Lemon Juice?

We now are teaching two institute classes. Both Book of Mormon but one is mid singles which is for anyone age 25 to 45. This means we usually take a bit different approach depending on the class. I love teaching the Book of Mormon and I  am gaining a whole new appreciation for the Isaiah chapters as we dig out the meaning and learn more about the history of the lands of Judah and Ephraim.

Our month also included another trip around Northern Ireland as we again carried out inspecting missionary flats. We had a sunny afternoon as we came back from Londonderry which meant we saw beautiful vistas that on previous trips had been cloud covered.

The highlight of our month was a trip to Dublin for a  Mission Couples conference We are the only  missionary couple in Northern Ireland but there are six couples in the Republic of Ireland of which four of them made it to the conference along with our  mission president, President Brown and his wife.

Ireland/ Northern Ireland Couples conference

This was an uplifting time of sharing experiences and ideas. We were bolstered by each other and realized we all face similar challenges and have the same feelings of inadequacy. I loved it and came away feeling normal and with new vigor.