Thursday morning we set out bright and early on an overnight trip to Wales! Our first stop of the morning-after a teaser stop that can't count because we didn't even get out of the coach-was BIG PIT.
Epic name I know.
It is basically an old coal mine that they give tours on now. We all suited up and toured the big pit. It was basically awesome. After the tour we explored the exhibitions, including the bath house. We also talked to a worker there where we found out that the mine is haunted.
Scary, right!
Next up we went to Welsh World!! Well it was really called something cheesy like St. Fagans Outdoor Welsh museum. Yea, Welsh World is much better. And, sadly I forgot my camera on this 2.5 hour adventure through time. Lucky for me Rachel always manages to get creeper pics of me. Example:
That night we stayed in Cardiff at our trusty E tap hotel. (E tap is also the sketch hotel from Paris. Which was pre-super sketch hostel of Northern England. So, since that experience E tap is basically five star in my book)
Once we got checked in we grouped up and headed out on the town. Cardiff was a nice little city, and it was fun to walk around, and see the castle that night. The best discovery we found that night was by far the mall there however. It had this very awesome electronic map/guide/GPS thing. Here is how it worked: you clicked on your category (in our case dinner), it brought up all the options in the mall (there were a million) and then it came up with a little digital map of how you should get to said destination. (up the escalator, out the door, down the block and on your left-except in picture form!) Gourmet Burger Kitchen was never so easy to find as that night!
After that we wandered for awhile, before heading back to the hotel and calling it a night. I may have been asleep when my roommate Julie came in at 10:00.
Luckily I woke up for a little bit to chat with this sweet girl, and get to know her better. It was so fun rooming with someone different than normal, and I loved getting to know her better!
The first thing we did Friday morning was leave Wales.
Tony(the coach driver) isn't too fond of the Welsh-he has too much English national pride for that to be possible.
We trekked onward back to England, and to some great church history sites. First let it be stated that England definitely looks out for it's people.
"You mean old people have just as many rights and young people?"
"Yes Michael, thats right."
Now for the serious stuff. Our first stop was at the Benbow Pond. Not to be confused with the Benbow Farm which the church does not own but is right next to the pond which the church does own. Those poor people.
Anyways, it was here in this very pond that hundreds of saints were baptized by missionaries named Wilford Woodruff, and Brigham Young.
And it was this Benbow family that sacrificed to make it possible. They were some of the first to join, and because of their excitement and readiness to be baptized many others were too.
This is the water in our sacred space. The birth. The beginning.
Next was Malvern Beacon. This hilltop was dedicated by Brigham Young and it was here that they came to receive great revelation-to the hill tops.
This was the blood for our day. The sacrifice.
It was here that Brigham collected over a hundred pounds from recently baptized saints to go and get the Book of Mormon published, and the hymnal as well.
And it was here that we discussed the sacrifice these new converts really made. The Benbows gave up their entire fortune and farm to pay for 40 families to emigrate to be with the saints. People left their homes, their jobs, their friends, their families to gather with people and a prophet that they'd never met. And people still do that today.
Friday though Malvern Beacon was also a place of fun. I've never experienced such fast wind in my entire life. This does not fully capture the sheer force of the wind. You could literally lean into it, and it would hold you up. It was amazing. And the view was really beautiful!
After lunch and a quick stop at a local parish we made it to our final destination-the Gadfield Elms chapel. This is the first chapel that the saints had... ever. Including America. Thats right, the English beat us to it. We did have the Kirtland temple first though if you want to get technical.
This was our spirit that day. The place where we felt the reason for the sacrifices, and the baptisms. And it came when we started singing.
I had the best day seeing these sights, and feeling of the spirit that is at them. I loved our little over night trip to Wales.
On the way back we watched the last 2 hours of the latest BBC version of Emma-and it was wonderful.
Of course, this road trip, as they all do here-involved a Welcome Break!!! Yay!!
And all welcome breaks here involve me finding some kind of treasure. Like these gems:
Did you know you have to special order these reversible hats?
"I'd like the 8 piece chicken bites, bbq sauce, a diet coke and a sombrero please."
Not even joking. That was a direct quote!
Overall it was great! I've never seen such grey skies as in Wales. It was truly gorgeous. And the church history sites were amazing.
And the welcome break was more than welcome!
