May 15-21, 2018 - Addlestone Ward, Stonehenge and Salisbury

We were on the late shift this past week (2:00pm to 9:15pm on Tuesday-Thursday; 2:00pm to 10:15pm Friday and 10:00am to 5:15pm Saturday) which gives us plenty of walk time in the mornings but gets us to bed a little later. Sister Burkinshaw finished her two week training for the intiatory shift coordinator which basically just involves keeping the intiatory running smoothly and continuously and Elder Burkinshaw finished training for the name issue coordinator. 

On Saturday evening, Bishop Nabrotzky of the Addlestone Ward, where we now attend, called to say that his speakers for sacrament meeting had fallen through and could we speak the next morning.  Of course we said "Yes!" so Saturday evening was talk preparation time for us.  They are preparing for a Saturday Open House at the Church in mid-June so they asked us to tailor our messages around missionary work.  We drew from our farewell talks to emphasize how our efforts to share the Gospel bless all the world.

On Sunday, following the block of meetings, they had a ward picnic (i.e. munch and mingle, linger longer, etc.)  It was very fun and they served lots of traditional English foods.

This and the next two pictures show some of the goodies at the Addlestone Ward picnic following the Sunday block of meetings.  As you can tell from the Union Jack flags, these were traditional English foods.  They were smashing!

The picnic was held in the fenced backyard behind the meetinghouse and it wouldn't be a picnic without the boys, who you can see briefly found a football (soccer ball in America) for a quick game on the sly.

Here are some of the ward members gathering around as the Bishop Nabrotzky thanks the sisters that prepared the picnic with clapping and calls on someone to bless the food.

No time was lost getting in line for the feast.  It was a beautiful day that started out cool in the morning but by 1:30pm it was in the low 70's and perfect for a picnic!

On Monday, we went on an excursion with three other couples to Stonehenge and Salisbury.  We left the Temple complex at about 7:00am and arrived at Stonehenge a little after 9:00am.  In a nutshell, Stonehenge is an neolithic or new stone age site which was initially begun about 5000 B.C.  The large stones were placed about 2500 B.C. and, similar to Chichen Itza near Cancun Mexico, the stones are aligned based on the sun at the summer and winter solstice, so the builders were obviously very advanced.  However, there is really very little known about why the site was built.  There is a lot of conjecture and if you are interested, the English Heritage Stonehenge website probably has the most complete information available.  Here are a few photos that we took.

Elder and Sister Burkinshaw in front of Stonehenge.  To protect the existing structure, they do not let you get anywhere near the monoliths. Interesting side note - a college age guy who was walking by as we were taking a selfie offered to take this picture. When we went to take our phone back we noticed he had on a OSU t-shirt. He had just finished his semester at OSU and he and his mother and sister had come to London on a trip.

Sister Burkinshaw on the side of Stonehenge with the lintels.  

While walking to Stonehenge, Elder Burkinshaw made friends with a raven!

A thatched-roof hut similar to those believed to be used by the Stonehenge era peoples.

Inside the thatched -roof hut.

An artist's rendition of what the original Stonehenge monument may have looked like.

Following our visit to Stonehenge, we went to the nearby city of Salisbury where the tallest Anglican cathedral in Great Britain is located.  Within the cathedral is one of the four copies in existence of the original 1215 Magna Carta.

Salisbury Cathedral completed in 1238 with the highest spire in Great Britain. 

A closeup of the detail on the walls of the Salisbury Cathedral.  There are workmen continuously trying to maintain the ornate sculptures.

Hallway that leads to the original copy of Magna Carta housed in Salisbury Cathedral

The "Chapter House" room of the Salisbury cathedral which houses one of  the four original copies of the 1215 Magna Carta signed by King John of England.

The Magna Carta was composed by the Archbishop of Cantebury in an effort to make peace between the unpopular King John and a group of rebel barons.  Although the complete Magna Carta was never actually implemented, a key article is referenced as the first effort to protect personal liberties.  King John signed the Magna Carta in Surrey near the London Temple and President David O. McKay referenced it in his dedicatory prayer.

This is perhaps the most famous of the 63 articles of the Magna Carta and remains a part of English Law to this day guaranteeing personal liberties.

"No free man shall be seized or imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or possessions, or outlawed or exiled, or deprived of his standing in any other way, nor will we proceed with force against him, or send others to do so, except by the lawful judgement of his equals or by the law of the land. To no one will we sell, to no one deny or delay right or justice."

Sculpture of King John of England, the Archbishop of Caterbury and one of the Barons with the Magna Carta.

More details are available at British Library's Magna Carta site.

Elder and Sister Burkinshaw