FOOD ANYONE?

6/29/2012 7:30 P.M. England Time
We have had a very busy two days.  Tuesday, Sister Kearl (Sister in the office who's one of many tasks is feeding new and old missionaries and anyone the President wants to feed) was in charge of fixing meals for all the Elders going home which was 12.  They can eat a lot!  She does this all by herself.  These were pretty big groups but not her biggest.  She was so excited that I just said what can I do.  We cooked all day and served them a chicken rice casserole, cooked carrots, and salad.

Sister & President Shamo with Elder Hatch's parents who came to pick
 him up.  Brother Hatch put on a couple of firesides.  He is a concert pianist

They caught me fixing my plate! Notice the carrots are about gone.

Elder Ottley with Elder Hatch, Elder ? and Elder Lamb

Elders Departing

Elders Departing

Elders Departing with President & Sister Shamo

Wed. morning they left at 4:30 and then the new Elders came from the MTC at 10:30 a.m. There was 17 new ones that met up with all their trainers.  More meals to fix!  We fixed meals for about 55 today.  Dinner was rice and sweet-n-sour meatballs, cooked carrots, salad and apple crumb cake.  I have peeled and cut up enough carrots for an army.  My feet hurt!

New Arrivals

More new arrivals

Sister & President Shamo with some of the new Elders

Dinner for the New Elders & Sisters

New Arrivals at the  London Temple

Meeting with New Elders & Trainers

I have also been organizing a spreadsheet for the President to take home with all the missionaries that have served under him with their, name, address, country, email, arrival date and departure date.  One of the missionaries had most of the information in the spreadsheet but it was spread out so far that just two columns would fit on a page so I fixed it so that the columns would fit on one page and then I went line by line and corrected and entered ones missing.  The President was very excited to have it.  Dad helped with the list too working on it while I was cooking and then he helped clean up after each meal too.

Sister Kearl my cooking buddy 

Sister Kae

Sister Hess from North Ogden

These three Sisters love us!  We are here to do what ever they want.  

We are going to drive to Oxford tomorrow with the Kearls to take one of the new couples some of their luggage that wouldn't fit in the other day when they went to their area. I am looking forward to going out and seeing something. We watched part of the DVD about the Palaces, that was given to Dave for fathers day, last night and enjoyed the information. Anxious to get to our flat so we can see London too!

While in the MTC we ran into a few of the missionaries from Kennewick

 Elder Evans from Cascade Ward

Sister Robles from Horse Heaven Hills Ward

Elder Smith not sure which ward

Was President Heaton of Spokane Mission when Dave was Stake President
He is now a big guy at the MTC

Brother Udy one of our teachers MTC

Apron with all the grandkids hands on it

sea of missionaries eating in the lunch room but an Elder got in the way

Senior's in the lunch room

Leaving the MTC

 

Bradfords leaving Chicago

Hindmans waiting in Chicago

Dave in the plane a row ahead and one over from me

Plane we took from Chicago to England

 I think the Lord wants to help us learn a few more patients.  We will be staying at the housing for temple patrons for 3 weeks before we will be able to go to our area in Welling which, is just out of London. We will not have a car because we will have transit service for anyplace we want to go.  I can’t say that I am sad at all about that.  The driving is really crazy and looks like people are going to run us over.  The streets are very narrow (and we thought the round-a-bout in Kennewick going to Pasco & Richland was bad?) you should see theirs, and they are driving on the wrong side of the street!  Our flat is being remodeled so we will, in that 3 weeks have to go shopping for furnishings.  We have a list that we can buy.

This is going to be very interesting, I am finding myself thinking with an accent already, does that mean I will pick up an accent?  I guess that is to be determined at a later date.

Friday morning upon our arrival at 10:30 a.m. we went to a church and met with President Shamo and he talked to the 3 couples for an hour or so and then told us where we would be serving.  After the meeting we were taken to the Temple housing where we could crash for a few hours.  Dave almost crashed before hitting the bed because he was so motion sick.  I knew if I slept I wouldn’t that night so I took a walk around the housing, some of the grounds and unpacked.  We all met at 6:30 and were fed a meal of salad, rice, rolls and sweet n sour meatballs and cheese cake for dessert.

Our flat at the temple

Flat at the temple

Dad crashed after the flight in flat at the temple

Housing at the temple for Temple Presidency

Flats at the temple for workers

London Temple

Our first meal in the mission field at the housing at the temple

First Sopping trip in England

Saturday morning Sister Hess from the office took us three Sisters shopping for food.  We had to first use the ATM outside the store so that we would have some pounds to pay for our things.   Sister Hess was in a very big hurry so I was really rushed.  I had only been down a couple of isles and she was sending Sister Bradford to find myself and Sister Hindman and telling us when we were done she would meet us up front.  So I hurriedly grabbed a few more items and left.  I’m hoping we can make it through tomorrow and then if no one can take us shopping we will have to eat cornflakes for breakfast and lunch for the next two days and then Sister Kearl said we can eat with them and the missionaries leaving on Tuesday and the new missionaries coming in on Wednesday.

Saturday afternoon Elder Ottley & I went to the office to use our computers on line and while there I asked if there was anything I could do to help Sister Kearl and she gave me a spreadsheet that someone had sent her to fix and she wasn’t going to do it because she didn’t have time.  I got it fixed but need to compare it with her list to fix errors.  I will do that Monday morning.

Saturday night the Temple workers were having a social so we paid our 2 pounds each and had BBQ chicken, hamburger and salads.  We visited with a couple from Australia, the Grays.  They came as missionaries and then were reassigned at temple workers.

Our first dinner in our flat at the temple

  

Today we attended church with the missionaries and then came home and eat most of the food I bought yesterday.  We are now waiting to Skype with anyone that will Skype with us.  We wanted to go to a concert that was being put on in the Stake we are assigned to but the Kearls left us.  We guess they must have had a van full and so didn’t come to find us.  We had told them we wanted to go yesterday.  Oh well that’s life.  It was a Brother Hatch from the States that has come to pick up their son from his mission that 

was putting on the piano concert.  It's not the best but it takes time to do my best and I'm out of time so until next week this will do.

One intense Week!!

This is the start of the blog that I hope to continue throughout our mission.  We, Dave and Charlene Ottley have been called to the England London South Mission for 23 months.  We enter the MTC on June 11, 2012 but flew to Utah a week early to visit family.  There is no pictures of leaving our house, cars, or anything else.  All that we leave behind of importance is our family and friends, so this blog will start with pictures at the Pasco Airport saying Good Bye 6/4/2012.

Charlene and my dear friend Lynne Stites

Nathan, Dave, Scott, Stacy,

  Hannah Caryl, Alee, Charlene & Phillip

The "Ottley's"

Dalene, Scott, Dave, Tyler

Amanda, Charlene, Kevin, Katie

Emma.  "The Brunsons"

 Keith & Sharel Howard, our life long friends forever, Charlene & David

Crystalin, Charlene & David

 David & Charlene with less than half their grandchildren.  We will miss them all and know they will be grown up when we get back but we are excited to share this Mission with them.

Ron and Wendy put on a fish fry for all the family in Utah so that we could say goodbye to them.  There was a ton of good food and a very enjoyable and pleasant night.

Joan and Roger Poulsen family

Ron, Wendy Hodson & Troy Barrow doing the cooking

Siblings with Dad

 Ron Hodson, Charlene Ottley, Carl Hodson, Terrie Phillips, Launa Barrow & Joan Poulsen

Ottley Reunion Salt Lake City UT 6/9/12

at the site of the Ottley Tree on Temple Square

Susan was in-charge of the reunion so they flew to SLC from Georgia to meet up with us and Robert and Janice before we leave on our missions.  Dean & Gloria Ottley came from Washington, DeLoy & Effie Ottley came from St. George and their son Allen & wife Leslie Ottley from SLC, Susan & Jim Palmer Brunswick Georgia, Robert & Janice Ottley homeless like us and most of their kids and grandkids from SLC were in attendance.  We visited and then went to the new City Creek Mall across from the temple to eat at the food court.

Olive Garden Dinner

Dean Ottley, Susan Palmer, David and Robert Ottley

Four Generation Picture 6/3/12

Charlene Hodson Ottley, Carl Hodson, Nancy Ottley Otte and Carter Otte

 David and Charlene pointing to London England on the map at the MTC in Provo UT where Scott, Brett, Kirk and Crystalin have had their pictures taken also.

David & Charlene Ottley pointing to London England South and Robert and Janice pointing to Moscow Russia. 6/11/12  .Robert and Janice were taking language classes before they enter the MTC the first week in July.

Our District in the MTC with our morning instructor 6/14/12

Elder Ottley is our District Leader
Elder & Sister Neuder, Elder & Sister Mortensen, Elder & Sister Ottley, Brother Silletoe,
Elder & Sister McCord, and Elder & Sister Tennis

Our afternoon teacher, Brother Whiting

Saying goodbye to Nancy, Jeff, Nathan and Carter at the Brick Oven in Provo UT

Pictures of the big group of Senior Missionaries at the MTC June 2012

We finished up the week on Friday 6/15/12 at about 3:30 with a big group of 60 couples that have become good friends and that are all parting and going to different parts of the world.  Our instructors were great and who says you can't learn from the younger generation? 

We have had all the food we could eat three times a day.  I enjoyed the salmon best on Thursday night and the fact that I haven't had to fix a meal for a week has been the best.  Our room has been very nice and comfortable.

We took Dad to dinner at the Timberline for fathers day Saturday night.  Sorry Dad I caught you just at the wrong time!  I guess I was trying to get candid shots.

 Joan, Roger, Brian and Julie joined us for dinner

After class Friday Terrie and Kendell came to Provo and picked us up to spend the weekend with Dad and pick up our bags and clothing that we left at Dad's thinking we were going to be spending two weekends with him.  Our flight has been moved up 4 days so we will be leaving the MTC Thursday morning, June 21, after finishing class Wednesday night.  We packed up and said goodbye to Dad, leaving him standing at the door.  Launa and Blaine drove us back to the MTC.

This is the group of seniors missionaries that are all going together to England London South mission.

Elder & Sister Hindman, Elder & Sister Ottley, Elder & Sister Bradford, and Elder & Sister Sorensen.  Elder Sorensen is pointing to London; he and his wife are not flying until the 25th