Tuesday, February 13, 2024
This morning we slept in a bit. I’m hoping to get out on a walk today. I guess we will see.
In the morning, we did some errands and shopping. The bishop in the London ward where the temple is let us know we can stay with him and his family when we are out there. It’s such a relief. We are so grateful.
In the afternoon, Tom Billings came over to offer his services in helping sell the granola. He and Betty and I ended up having beautiful conversation about a bunch of things. When we told him that we were going to Germany, he lit up, and told us that his father, a man I knew growing up as Grandpa Billings, had served as one of the church’s first missionaries in Germany after WWII. He was originally called to California, but the call was then changed to Germany because his father was a leader in the US army in Germany. He went to stay with his father and became one of the first post-war missionaries in Germany. He worked with Elder Ezra Taft Benson to distribute food to those who needed it. It’s an amazing story.
I only knew Grandpa Billings as a quiet old man who helped fix our bike chains when they came off. Now no know he is one of the heroes of church history.
In the evening we had dinner with Kim and Andrew Ning. I’ve known Kim since high school, and they were our dear friends when we were at Stanford. They have a beautiful family. It was awesome to spend time with them. After dinner, there was a massive amount of dishes to do, and our kids stepped up to the plate
Betty is now in full-on packing mode. She really wants out of here.
Tonight BYU squeaked by UCF in the Marriott Center. It wasn’t pretty, but any win in the Big 12 is a good one.
Click here for photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/QTJk5nq7qtvCgwgV7