November Mission Report

"Verily I say unto you my friends (and family), fear not, let your hearts be comforted; yea, rejoice evermore, and in everything give thanks."  D&C 98:1 
As we get ready to return home we have been counting our many blessings and truly feeling to sing a song of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord, for His glorious gospel.  I think the gracious blooming of the Autumn roses are a sweet analogy of the hope of eternal life in the Gospel of Jesus Christ -- When all other plants are yielding their life to the Winter season, the rose puts on it's most glorious blooms. So it is, the Gospel continues to bloom forth amid the continuing cold hearts and sadness in the world.

The season has transformed the village that was blanketed softly in every shade of green during the summer, and traded it for a cozy patch-work quilt of burnished browns, oranges and yellows.

 As we go about the village, attending to our weekly errands, we are saying our last good-byes to our friends in the shops of Oban.  These are two of our "friendly" - really great butchers at Jackson Brother's Butcher. When we first moved here and tasted the sausage from the big market, we thought we would not be eating sausage again until we came home, because the meat was pasty--yuckie :0I But alas, we were saved.  The sausage in the local butcher shop is YUM. They give us sausages and I bake them cookies :0)

Next, are the ladies from my favorite clothing shop. They always pull-up a chair for Elder Miles.  He teases and jokes, and makes them laugh.  They think that he is the best husband, and he is - They also like cookies and they surprised me when they said that they had never had a home-baked cookie in their lives!  Home baked cookies should be on the list of 'how to win friends and influence people' - as you share the gospel.

It is hard to describe the tender feelings we have for this cute woman.  Elder Miles, only took one picture and unfortunately, it didn't capture the light in her eyes.  She is one of the people we wish we had six more months to teach.  She works so hard and long for her family, and her living circumstances are so poor, but you could not meet a more humble, gentle, kind, loving and spiritually tender person.  She has so little and yet, she is always expressing how grateful she is.  To think of her not having the gospel, causes a type of deep hurt in my heart and soul - We know she is dearly loved by our Father in Heaven.

While driving down to one of the outer areas of our Branch, in the pouring rain, I had to stop and take this picture of the Fall color of the Larch trees.  Larch trees, look like evergreens during the summer but their needles turn and fall off in the Autumn.  After they loose their needles, their branches are a deep burgundy to a dusty pink color and it is another beautiful color contrast against the deep green pines during the gray Winter months.

 During the month of November, all of the UK honor those who have fallen in war on foreign soils.  Everyone wears a small poppy for one week.  At the end of the week they have Memorial Sunday. In all of the various cities, towns and villages, the people gather at their War Memorials and lay poppy wreaths in reverent remembrance.  This year was the first time that the Church has participated in the services.  It rained in the trenches and it poured rain on the Oban Pipe Band, and all of us who walked in the parade.  We were soaked to the skin, but counted it a once in a life time honor to have had the privilege of participating - it really stirred the heart and soul to be marching along as the bag pipes played.  Here are a few lines of a Remembrance Day Poem: "But why have they chosen a poppy, Mummy?  - Why not a beautiful rose? - Because my child, men fought and died - In the fields where the poppies grow...But why, Mummy, are you crying so? - Your tears are giving you pain - My tears are my fears for you my child - For the world is forgetting again." 

A few days later, when there was a bit of a break in the rain, we returned to take a picture of the War Memorial Monument.  

This is little Jade Lillie, giving all of you a great big Scotland cuddle.  Her Mummy, has been investigating the church for awhile now.  We hope that one day soon she will take the leap of faith and be baptized.  That is her Mum in the back ground talking with President Miles, after the Sunday meetings.

Rosie Stevenson, is the proprietor of the little Connel Village Shop (market & post).

Her Steak Pies, are yum, and we will miss the convenience of stopping by the shop and picking up a quick hot pie. When we asked if she would share her recipe she was very

willing to share and give me all the little how-to's.  It is quite the old fashioned way of stewing the meat for hours, cooling the meat to take off the fats, and stewing it again, and then adding what is called Bistro gravy mix and thickening.  I purchased some Bistro to bring home with me, but in the end I will probably have to come up with an Americanized version of Scot Steak Pies. (Note to my kids - these are a 100 times better than the meat pies you grew up eating)

This is Lloyd and Ruth.  Lloyd is Rosie's brother and he and Ruth, work at the shop most days.  They are a comfortable, neighborly couple and Ruth has a delightful, make you feel good laugh.  Ruth got tears in her eyes when we told her we had to leave our mission early and go home.  They usually visit the States, once a year, but they missed this year. Of course, they have an invitation to come to Colorado Springs next year - we sure hope that they really do come.

We visited with our neighbors the Joss family on Sunday evening.  As you can tell, they are a sweet family.  Starting with Dad on the left and going clockwise you have Chris, Jen, Eva, Ruthie and James.  The following night we went to see Eva and Ruthie, dance in a program called The Tastes of Scotland.  All the dances represented traditional Scottish foods. The dance style was the traditional Scot folk style, but put to contemporary music and choreography.  Jen said that learning the Scottish dance was not encouraged when she was a child but that there has been a resurgence of interest for the kids to learn the traditional Scottish dance steps. We were so proud of Eva and Ruthie. We felt as though we were watching our own grandchildren.

It has rained for at least part of the day, everyday through most of November.  When the sun pops out we get fun column rainbows shooting up into the clouds.  We have only seen one full rainbow--the cloud cover is so low that the bow gets lost in the clouds--so you see a column going up and then you look to see if you can see the other end coming down. This one looked like it was just across the street from our house.

November passes and we move toward December, the roses fade and the bright 

berries of the Holly bushes are putting us in the Christmas spirit and we know we will be home very soon.

We must now say good-bye to the sand, sea and skies of Scotland.

To the green glens and braes.

Our eyes fill with tears and our hearts are tender.

 We share one last look at the bonnie faces of friends 

and neighbors we have come to call family. 

Sister Carol Francis

Stacey Ogilvie and Jade Lilly

Neighbors Hans and Silvia Bossard

Brother Danny Lauder

Richie the gardener and his wife.

 Brother and Sister Seymour

One last dinner with Elder Burch and Elder Crockett.

One last rainy day down on the harbor of Oban.

As we send this blog today, we have arrived home to the loving welcome of family and

friends in Colorado Springs.  Elder Miles has an appointment for his hip on Tuesday.

Before we know it he will be able to throw the cane aside and skip into our next adventure.

Many thanks to each and every one of you for your interest in our mission and for the many notes and emails of love and support.  

We also want to send our warmest wishes that your Christmas cup will be filled to overflowing with the sweet peace that only our Savior, Jesus Christ can bring.

Our love always, Joe and Claudia Miles