Thinking I might be able to get a post in before Sophie gets home from school to be wished a Happy Birthday. Easter Sunday we spent in the Helston Ward in Cornwall (Southwestern England). It was a very picturesque part of England and a wonderful place to experience Easter. They have fields of daffodils. We had been around rock for a couple of days and, perhaps, that is what made me think about the large stone that covered the entry to the cave in which Christ was entombed. For the first time I recall, I wondered why the stone was rolled away. It would not have been to facilitate the resurrection. As we see, later the same day, Christ appeared to the Apostles in the upper room where the doors and windows were shut and locked. In other words, walls were no obstacle for a resurrected being. So, he did not need the stone rolled away to “get out.” Could it be that the stone was rolled away to facilitate witnessing by others. First, Mary and then others of the Apostles. Could Mary have said, “where have they taken him” unless she saw the empty tomb? And, if she had not asked, would she have experienced the transforming moment in which she recognized the Savior by hearing Him say her name?
I am grateful not only for the resurrection, but that the stone was moved so I can have the powerful witness of those who actually saw that the tomb was robbed; that death had been defeated and replaced with everlasting life. In a way, that tomb still invites us to peer in and see for ourselves what miracle has been performed and, perhaps, let us hear Him call our name–but only if we have the faith to enter and the courage to ask the question.
Last week, we were all stunned by the terrorist attack in Belgium–particularly because it impacted those with whom we so closely identify–reminding us that the reach of this evil is long and powerful and none is exempt from its terrible consequences. Our dear missionaries are people of such courage and commitment. Almost universally, their response to something like this is to heal quickly and stay in the service of the Lord.
A couple of weeks ago, we drove about 2 hours away to see Hadrian’s Wall. The Romans build the wall in the third century to prevent against Scottish invasions. The wall runs 73 miles all the way from the west to the east coast of England. It is not particularly large or impressive in segments–it looks a lot like any other rock wall in England. Here is a piece:
Kathy standing on Hadrian’s Wall. It is much higher on the other side.
The Romans occupied England from about 150 AD until about 450 AD. Most of the major cities in England have some remnants of the Roman period.
One of our major bucket-list items was to visit Cornwall–a county in SW England. Since Easter weekend includes bank holidays on Friday and Monday, we and the Backmans headed south. Because of traffic, it was a 6 hour drive down and a 7 hour drive home. But, it was worth it–even though it rained Thurs night, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, Friday was a gift. We used it to visit some of the remarkable coastline. We started at Tintigal which is the castle where, supposedly, King Arthur reigned and had his round table of knights. The hike and location are the most impressive part. There is not much left of the castle. This is the setting.
The setting of Tintigal castle ruins. Not a bad view and it is 360.
Climbing the bridge to Tintigal
We then visited a small fishing village called Port Isaac. It is quite a climb down a steep road to get to the town.
Hiking down the street to Port Isaac.
On Saturday, we visited the Maritime Museum in Falmouth (where we stayed) and then the Eden Project–which is a large indoor rain forest. Quite a memorable place.
Eden Project in Cornwall
On Sunday, went to Church (described above) and then visited St. Michael’s Mount–an castle on top of a hill on an island near the southern tip of England. To get to the castle, you have to wait for a low tide, then walk over a causeway, then climb a very steep hill. Here are a couple of pictures.
The causeway. Note the squall coming on the left. It passed to the left without killing us. Very strong winds.
View of the trail of visitors over the causeway
View from the castle on top of St. Michael’s Mount
On the way back, we went by Lanyon Quoit, an ancient rock structure that, like so many others, has no known origins or uses.
Lanyon Quoit
As we drove home that night, fitting to the end of a long day, a flock of geese showed us “the end.” This is about the widest road we were on for three days.
Our OGC team in Chorley. From left, Elder Backman, Elder Konold, and Kristie Hita
The Chorley OGC team
Happy Spring. We had a real-live snow storm this morning.
Cheers for now.