Day 5: full circle- return to London!

The night of day 4, shanti and I slept with a boyfriend.

Let us explain.

We were given a large air mattress, with a permanent body-sized lump of air that they have lovingly named 'the boyfriend' : "just throw your leg over it and sleep well." so we did. We just love sleeping.

However, as much as we love it, we can't seem to find our groove in la-la land. We didn't get to sleep that night until 4:30 am. Why? We were asking the questions of the soul: "why are we here?" "what is our purpose?" "what about Jerusalem?" "How do we move forward?" etc. We fell asleep knowing we have to let go of what we can't control, yet still wondering what to do about what we can control...

Alex came to wake me up at ten, although it seemed like 7 am due to boyfriend's selfish sleep behavior of pushing me into Shanti all night. :) No worries, waking up for the temple is easier...

Alex and I drove off to the Preston temple. A crisp beautiful morning. There were only a few cars in the parking lot... Oh no... Cover your ears, children: it was closed!! Devestation threatened to dampen the moment, however, the peace of standing on Holy ground reigned triumphant. Alex and I walked around the temple and shared insights and gratitude for the peace and power that comes from within and without the walls of the house of the Lord. Aaaah, sweet serenity. We left the temple grounds without specific answers, but with peace to sustain us until we find them.

Surprise! The British MTC is next door. Joy. I felt at home... How strange that two days before I boarded the plane to London, I had my last day teaching at the American MTC. Whether America or England, missionary training centers are places of miracles and conversion.

Speaking of miracles, alex and i Made it back to the house, without knowing the number of Jo and Nick's house that just so happens to be on the longest road in northern England. Jo made us a splendid salad before we embarked on our journey back to London. I love these sweet people we are so blessed to meet and stay with. We also love how Jo and Nick met on LdsLinkup. :) stories of hope in love and in life.


 Shanti and I thought we would stay awake for his return journey. Ha. False. Zzzs in harmony the entire way. We woke up back where we started. Magic, once again. Thank you Pete, the enduring chauffeur of 3 women.

We met Alex's friend from high school, will and sal. Delightful people who confirmed that Alex hasn't changed much. :) lovely. Then we met sal's boyfriend, Richard, who showed us his motorized cockroach and volcano kit that he got for Christmas. As sal generously brought us tea and Lemon Creme-filled biscuits, shanti and I had the thought that we must be on the set of the British version of Sienfeld. What lovely people with the most endearing quirks. May that be said of each of us...

Then we began our brisk chilled walk to the Little angels theatre. We turned into a small alley and found the quaint theatre tucked behind cobblestones and whispers of passerbys. The theatre was an intimate space that allowed about 125-150 people to share the experience. And what an experience.

We saw : "A very old man with enormous wings." it was the most beautiful puppetry we have ever seen. It moved us. From the opening moment when the four brilliant puppeteers came out and established themselves as characters, looking out an beyond the

audience, we were hooked. The music was another character, as it set the tones and filled in the blanks that the unchanging faces of the puppets could not fulfill. However, we have never been so sure that the faces weren't actually changing, thanks to the detailed Movements orchestrated by the puppeteers, and the emotion in their voices and the care with which they moved the puppets. One of the moments that dared us to dream bigger and walk away better people, was completely without dialogue. The obnoxious wife character had made stupid mistakes. Her sweet and patient husband approaches her, and just holds her, with as much compassion as any puppet could. He looked into her eyes and said the unspoken, as he took her puppet hands in his and began to dance. Ah, the miracle of forgiveness. It was powerful. We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful introduction to London theater.

This theatre also budded new friendships, as we met Pete's friend, Greg here. And, drum roll please, this is where I finally met Loren, charly's beloved and betrothed soulmate and best friend. Reunited with Charly, Shanti and i were ecstatic.

And as we sat down to eat sushi and kimchi together at a nearby restaurant, I was overwhelmed with joy and peace of how right Charly and Loren are together. Sheer happiness, real and enduring, sat across the table from me, radiating hope for the future... It is real, to find the one who has found you... To be the treasure they would travel to the ends of the world for...and everything else cheesy and glorious. Now THAT is real magic. We couldn't be happier in any sense of the word. The day was perfect: new friends, reunions, good food, great theatre, the temple, travel adventures, and hope. May we each notice the moments in our day that inspire hope, as that will propel us forward in our progression to reach our potential.




So here we are... searching...
discovering...
1st stop: Sandra's place where the 3 of us will stay while in London. We walked beneath glowing lights and new developments for the summer Olympics. Sweet dreams, London.