We returned to Lancaster for our Stake Conference and we met the new Elders who are assigned there. The Elder on Sister Luke's right is Elder Gibbs and the one on the left is Elder Hill. It being a very small world in the church, we discovered that Elder Gibbs is the brother of two sisters that we worked closely with on our last mission. One was the relief society president and the other the activities chair for the young adult ward in Westlake. They were wonderful young ladies and their brother is no different.
We also had our Thanksgiving feast yesterday and invited ward members, less active members and one investigator to share it with us. It was a touch of home.
Finally, we have added two new words to our vocabulary. Sister Luke is standing in a "ginnel" which is a small lane between homes that makes it easy to pass from one street to another. Elder Luke is standing in a "skipit", (not sure of the spelling), which seems to us to be also a small lane between streets. If anyone can tell the difference, let us know.

Dickensian Christmas

Today we visited nearby Ulverston where they were having a Dickensian Christmas Festival. Many of the townspeople dress in costumes of the time of Dickens and they hold a street festival- carnival. These were some of the folks we saw. I have also included a picture of the village church, which is so very typical of almost every village. There is such a sense of history here.

We have a new district now which meets in Workington, about two hours north of Barrow in Furness, in the north of the Lake District. The picture was from our first meeting. Seated from left is Elder Turner, Elder Runyan, Elder Whiting (Junior Zone Leader) and Elder Baldwin. The second row is Sister Runyan and Sister Luke. The back row is Elder Desir, Elder DiIulio, Elder Farrant (District Leader), Elder Farley and Elder Kimmerle (Senior Zone Leader).
The next picture is of our car repair shop. Don't worry, they also do car wrecking.
The final pictures were from our last ward activity which was a Trunk or Treat (Boot or Treat). We are standing with Katie, one of the primary children who loves all things Egyptian, and the Grim Reaper is the acting Bishop in the Ward (the Bishop is on leave at present). It was great fun and was organized by the YM and YW in the ward.

This was a fairly typical trip down the lane near our farm cottage. First is the view out the rear and we see a tractor on our bumper. The view out the front shows why the tractor is so close, namely the herd of cows walking down the lane for milking. You can just see the farmer herding them with his Quad. Then, a bit further down the lane we find the horse and rider blocking our way (remember we drive on the left). The road sign beyond the horse means I can now travel at 60 mph, which is crazy because the road is frequently just wide enough for one car and you just might meet a tractor or a lorry at any moment. The road hazards here are amazing and a source of never ending heart attacks. Notice the doorway of the house opens right onto the road in the horse picture. This is usual also as the roads were once walking lanes between cottages.
The final picture is from a recent trip to Grasmere in the Lake District with some Fall colors. We truly love the Lake District!

Holker Hall

Our latest "Hall" visit was in the picturesque village of Cartmel, complete with a city wall and gate. The Hall is called Holker Hall and was destroyed by fire in 1750. It was reconstructed in 1785 and is by far the most beautiful Hall we have seen. The rooms are spacious and wonderfully decorated. It was owned by the Lowther, Bagot and Cavendish family, who were all well situated at court (Chancellor of the Exchequer) and obviously very wealthy. As it happens we have seen several family members around the Halls whom we recognized from their pictures while on the tour, so we know they still live there today. Missions are such tough duty, but someone hast to do it. :) Seriously, we are visiting less actives and investigators as well as touring.
The last picture is of our taking Joan to feed the geese in Leece. As you can tell, she was less than thrilled.

Senior Missionary Conference

We attended a Senior Missionary Conference that was held at Eaves Hall, an old mansion that has been converted into a hotel near Clitheroe. The place is shown behind Joan and was lovely. After lawn bowling, croquet and golf, we had the conference. The next day we all headed to the temple. Next to Barbara and Larry in the picture of the group is Pres. and Sister Jacobsen on our left and Elder and Sister Jarvis on our right. Sister Jarvis was from Bakersfield and used to play duets with my sister, Marcia. What a small world this is.
The next day we did a zone conference tour of church history sites in the area. We started in Liverpool where we visited Albert Docks and the Maritime Museum there. Next we went to Preston where we were rained on (see the video) while trying to see where the first baptisms in England were done. Finally we visited a small town near Preston called Downham, where the early missionaries were quite successful. The village is owned by a Lord Ashton and he allowed us to use his restored village church for the conclusion of our conference. President Jacobsen is standing in front of the window where Elder Fisher played the violin. It was a wonderful day.
Finally, I have included a picture of a new Elder in our district, Elder Turner. He is Elder Di Iulio's new companion in Kendal. He is a wonderful Elder and we love him already.

Hall Hopping

With Joan visiting for three weeks, we tried to see some of the amazing old Halls in the area. First stop was Levans Hall which is well known for their wonderful topiary gardens. The other Hall is known as Sizergh Castle and again the gardens were spectacular. Both are still lived in by their original families, which have owned the Halls since medieval times.