Learning to Serve June 29-July 2

We are learning a great deal about how we can best serve the Lord in this part of England.  The learning curve is very high, but we have wonderful people who are assisting us.

Map of our mission and its nine zones.  We live in the Crawley Zone.  Many of our Parker ancestors came from the Portsmouth Zone area.

Look what we discovered on one of our favorite early morning walks. Too bad it hasn't run for many years, as it would be great therapy at this time!

This is the lane we often walk because it is concrete.  Notice the giant jet coming in to land at Gatwick Airport.

Center of East Grinstead, a small town where we go to church.

The backside of the Gate House to our office area.  We drive right under the building into our parking compound.

Office Front Door.

Our new apartment will be the window in the corner seen below, just a few feet from the front door of the office. People often go to the window and knock for "take out" help.  Sister Parker is considering putting up a "Closed for Business Until Tomorrow" sign, as our bed is on the other side of that curtain!  (We may forget to take the sign down...)

On our preparation day, we made a quick trip to the seaside town of Brighton.  We needed to get Mom some new walking shoes and office supplies.  This was the first small day trip we have made since being in England.

 

Lunch from a street vendor - Dad's favorite!

We are excited to be in England serving a mission and know this is where the Lord would have us be at this time.  We had fast and testimony meeting in our ward in East Grinstead today.  It was a wonderful meeting with many touching testimonies.  The landlord of the flat where we are temporarily staying bore a wonderful testimony about missionary service.  He indicated that sacrifice to God is worship.  

As we sacrifice our lives, time, and resources to God, we are worshipping Him.  The example was given of Abraham's sacrifice of his son Isaac found in Genesis 22.   In verse five, Abraham said to his servants, "...Abide ye here... and I and the lad will go yonder and worship..."

I know that Christ's great sacrifice for us in the Garden was also a wonderful example of Him worshipping His Father.