October 16th 2013

This week has been crazy busy, but we spent a lot of the time on a bus! Over the course of last week we went to Gloucester for zone meeting, Birmingham for a follow up trainer's meeting, Gloucester again to meet with other missionaries to travel to see Gadfield Elm and Benbow farm, and then to Gloucester again for a district meeting and to have interviews with the mission president. I just want to share one cool experience that occurred on the train ride back from Birmingham. The train was too full to sit down, so we were standing for the first chunk of the journey. We noticed that one of the gentlemen standing next to us was looking at us a little strangely, and when he saw my companion pull out a Book of Mormon he asked "you two are Mormons aren't you?" We told him that we were, and asked him where he recognized us from. He told us that he was actually taught by two missionaries in Scotland, and that he had now moved to Birmingham. He was on his way to Hereford for a couple of days. What are the chances? We asked if he would be interested in having missionaries come over to his home to teach him again, and he said that he would like that. We took down his phone number and gave it to some of the Elders serving in Birmingham. It just goes to show that if we pray for opportunities to share the gospel, the Lord can and will put people in our paths who are willing to listen!

 

I mentioned that we went with a group of missionaries to see Gadfield Elm chapel and Benbow farm. Soon after the orginization of the church, the apostle Wilford Woodruf was called to go on a mission to England to preach the restored Gospel. At great sacrifice, he answered the call and traveled to England. Soon after arriving, the spirit lead him to Benbow farm where he met the John and Jean Benbow. He taught them late into the night of the incredible events which had taken place to usher in the restored gospel. The Benbows were impressed, and invited the apostle to speak to the congregation of which they were a part. The congregation was composed of men and women who decided to do their very best to follow the teachings of the bible, but who felt that there was more to it than that. We had the opportunity to sit in the Gadfield Elm chapel where Wilford Woodruf bore powerful testimony to that congregation. Almost every member of the congregation was baptized shortly thereafter in the small pond at Benbow farm. In addition to these, several constables sent to arrest Wilford Woodruf were also converted and baptized. It was very cool to sit in that small chapel and think about what incredible things had taken place within those walls!

 

It has been good to see the work in this area move forward since I have been here! The work of the Lord cannot be halted! Even though it is beginning to rain buckets and it is getting colder! :)

 

-Elder Winters

 

Gadfield Elm Chapel

It's Pretty Small!