ENGLAND!

I had the wonderful opportunity to go visit my friend, Teresa, a couple of weeks ago. She's from Spain, but married a wonderful English guy, and they're living in England. Teresa and I met on our missions in Italy four years ago. It was a delightful reunion, and I got to get a taste of a new country! It was a special experience for me, because I'm about 1/4 English~ so it was neat to be in the land of my ancestors and to try and imagine what their lives were like.

SHEFFIELD AND THE SURROUNDING COUNTRYSIDE

We got to walk amongst the sheep. :) Twas a bit chilly! But beautiful!

The building you may be able to see back in the distance is one they used to film a scene in the new Pride and Prejudice movie. Unfortunately, it was closed, so we weren't able to go closer. But it was beautiful from a distance!

YORK

Since I am from New York, I thought it was very fitting that I see what the "old" York is like! :)

We spent a lot of our time at York Minster, an absolutely stunning cathedral.

These gray-toned stained glass windows are certainly unique and strikingly beautiful.

Funny story. In the upper left-hand corner of the picture, you'll see an image of Mary. Apparently, during the Victorian era, they saw breastfeeding as very unclean. So in this depiction of Mary, she's holding a bottle.

Teresa and I climbed to the top of York Minster (although these pictures are not from the very top), and saw the city of York from above. Four years ago, we climbed the duomo (the large cathedral) in Florence together. So we joked about how in four more years, we need to climb something bigger and better~ perhaps the pyramids in Egypt. :)

We walked around the old walls of the city. Some of the sections date back to Roman times, but the majority of the walls are from the 12th, 13th, and 14th centuries. I loved our visit to York.

LONDON

You can't go to England and not see London- it's against the rules! I just got a tiny taste of this big city- I'd like to go back one day.

Parliament and Big Ben.

Westminster Abbey

I enjoyed some beautiful artwork at the National Gallery.

That evening, I topped it all off with Wicked! London is known for its theatre. I enjoyed the show, and I'm glad I saw it, though I wasn't quite as impressed with the show as I had expected to be.

So that's my English experience. It was lovely! :) I will definitely return in the future, to see Teresa, and to see the places where my ancestors lived. Walking around the country, I definitely felt I like I fit in, as far as hair color and complexion go~ much more so than I have ever felt in France or Italy (or anywhere else in the world, for that matter). I am very grateful for my English ancestors. It is partly because of them that I believe what I believe. They listened to the missionaries' message, prayed, and received an answer that the true church of Jesus Christ had been restored to the earth. I don't just believe because they did. I had to seek those same answers in prayer. But just as God loves them and answered their prayers, He has answered mine. So it is partly because of these ancestors and their faith that I enjoy peace and joy in my life today, because of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It was a touching experience to be in their country and to think about what they have done for me.