Elder Blunck

 Elder Blunck found this huge stock of brussel sprouts at ASDA and he had to buy it.  It cost one pound.  Yep, one pound!

 Getting older has it's perks.  The street sign shows two old people crossing the street.  It is an "look out for old people" crossing.  Dad doesn't quite match the sign yet but some day soon......

Love these old phone booths. 

Blackpool

We travel to Blackpool quite often so we thought we would share some pictures from there.  It is a city that tries to be like Las Vegas  but it is more like a cheap imitation.  The wind mill is on the side of the road as you travel out of town just before you get on the motorway.

Geowei's Baptism

This is our friend Geowei.  He is from China and was recently baptized.  Elder Mongie is a Chinese speaking missionary and does a wonderful job teaching the Chinese people here in Preston with Elder Candland.   President and Sister Ulrich came for his baptism and spent a few hours here with all of us.  It was nice to spend some time with them. 

Christmas 2014

Merry Christmas!

We are grateful for the birth of our Savior and love celebrating it every year!  This year is special for us because we are able to serve a mission here in England.  We visit many people who are struggling and suffering because of loneliness, bad choices of their own or others, or they don’t know where to turn to find peace.  We want to help them, to bring the love of the savior into their lives, and we have prepared ourselves to do so, but so many people will not listen or they just don’t have the strength to see beyond their trials and weaknesses. When the Savior lived on the earth He administered unto the weak and down trodden, He spent much time lifting them up and letting them know that they are loved.

 We hope that you too will take some time in your celebrating and look for one person that you can uplift this Christmas season.  Tell someone you are sorry, write a letter to someone you have not spoken to in a long time, call a friend, take dinner to someone who is alone, visit a sick friend, say “I Love You” one more time, or give milk and cookies to a homeless person that you pass by on the street.  Do something beyond your usual comfort zone, but bring the light of Christ into someone else’s life.  He is the gift.  Remember why we celebrate Christmas.

 Good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people!

For unto us a child is born, unto us a child is given.

The gift is for us! You, me and everyone is the gift given.   In the form of a child’s birth we celebrate, but it is the gift of the atonement that He gives to each of us that we are eternally grateful for.

We hope that you have a joyous and Christ filled Christmas.  He is the reason we celebrate.   We love you and pray that you are happy and well.

Love,

Elder and Sister Blunck

England Manchester Mission

Christmas Dinner 2014

 We had the Sisters over for Christmas dinner.  I cooked a turkey with mashed potatoes and stuffing.   We opened our Christmas crackers and wore our crowns.  It was a fun day!  Sister Hunter and Sister Amichia are in the Preston Ward and Sister Manning and Sister Brimley are in the South Ribble Ward.

Christmas Eve Dinner

We had dinner with Mark Chadwick and the South Ribble Elders on Christmas Eve.  We also watched Studio C and talked.  Mark is a newly baptized member and comes regularly to our Book of Mormon Class.

Christmas with Cassandra Helen

 All the Elders and Sisters in Preston got together to bring some Christmas cheer to Cassie on Christmas Eve.  We played games and had treats.  Elder Blunck and I showed the everyone what good mind readers we are by playing a game by choosing an object while a person is out of the room and they have to come back in and tell what the object is.  So fun!

 The Elders played a game that made us all laugh so hard.  They used curly spaghetti noodles to pick up life savers but they could not use their hands.  Elder Goodman and Elder Schofield were the moist coordinated.  Elders Candland and Mongie struggled just a little bit.

Sister Hunter and Sister Amichia played with Cassie's cat while we sang Christmas carols.

England Manchester Mission Christmas Party

 The Senior couples put on a skit at our Mission Christmas Party.  We did the 12 Days of Christmas.  Each one of us held up a sign which represented one of the twelve days of Christmas and the Elders or Sisters would act it out.  We laughed so much.  It was fun to be silly and to watch the Elders and Sisters having so much fun.

 This is one of the districts skits.  They wrapped themselves in boxes and danced.  Two of them jumped off the stage and danced around the floor and fell right in front of President Ulrich.  It was hilarious!

Good food, lots of laughs and Christmas cheer made this a very special party.  President Ulrich taught us the true meaning of Christmas through the scriptures.  He is an amazing teacher! 

What is it?

We saw this on the way to Blackpool.  It looks like a crystal space ship out in the middle of a field.

White Elephant Gift Exchange FHE

We had so much fun at FHE with the Young Single Adults.  We had a white elephant gift exchange and it was so crazy.  Everyone kept stealing from each other and we had really funny gifts.  Baby bibs, Utah license plate, huge New Year's popper, garbage bags that were costumes of super heroes and lots of chocolate.  We all had such a fun time!  We need to do it again next year!