Dear Family, Oct. 24, 09

It is so great to hear about your activities and getting ready for Halloween. Here they call it, “Hop to Nae” (which is manx Gaelic). Still the same they have costumes, go door to door for candy (sweeties) and have fun parties. They do have pumpkins, but tradition is a “sweed” (large turnip). The sweed is very hard and they use a lot of pressure to open a center cut small enough and deep enough for a candle. Then the children hold the sweed, like holding a large carrot with a candle in the top and walk around with their own ‘torch’ (we would call it a flash light or candle light). They seem to like the pumpkin carving better as the pumpkin is soft to cut into and easier to carve for the children. We are in an apartment where no one can come in unless we open the gate and door, so probably no ‘trick or treater’s for us this year.

(The above picture Dad and I with Anita a Young Adult, just taken two days ago.)

We have invited the Elders over for a birthday dinner for Elder Shull. The Elder’s can’t be on the street on Halloween and Elder Shull’s birthday is a couple days earlier and so we decided it would be a good evening to have them for dinner and we will probably play one of our missionary DVD’s for entertainment.

We send our Happy Birthday wishes to all the October birthdays. Hope that everyone has had a great birthday. Derek, your birth just past and Luke, your birthday is tomorrow. Our thoughts and wishes are with you for each birthday. We think about you as I look at the calendar pictures and we pray for you always with each prayer.
I know that Luke you will be looking forward to your baptism as will Ethan and Natalie in December, so I’m going to send you a picture of Laurance, who was baptized a year ago and chose to be baptized in the Irish Sea, which surrounds this island. Some of the beaches on the island are very rugged and rocky and much of the surface if sheer cliffs where there is no beach. However on the southern part of the island there is a lovely sandy beach and one that they could walk out far and deep enough to baptize him. They had to wait for a wave large enough to cover him, Brother Clark raised his arm and said the words… and then they had to wait for the wave. He had to have two witnesses in the water also to make sure all was covered. Quite a process and the sea is cold, so those on the sand were ready with blankets and towels to dry everyone off. I’m sure they all rushed to their cars to get out of the weather after this baptism. Laurance was beaming.

So Luke and Ethan, you can find much blessing to know that you can be baptized in the warmth of the church, in warm water, with many loved ones near to be a part of this special covenant that you will be making.


We have told you in earlier letters that a lady (Wilma in her kitchen with us for tea) from Scotland was baptized in July. Since then her niece Sain (Shawn) has been baptized here on the island and in Scotland her older son Chris and her mother who live in Falkirk, Scotland (Trevor you may know where Falkirk is. South and east of Edinburgh.) Now her younger son Luke, who is 10 years old and a very active boy is going to be baptized this Saturday (Halloween). The missionaries jump on their trampoline before they started to teach. It seems to help wear him down a little before they try to get him serious. However, Wilma told us that he is starting to give good prayers and even bless the "guys from the church" (rather than the Elders). The missionaries have been working with him and making each lesson fun and exciting.

We have district meeting every Tuesday morning with the Full time Elders. One of them is the district leader and so he plans the meeting. This last week we did a scripture chase, getting ready for zone conference. Well you can imagine how well Dad would do with that, so the challenge was on. I think Elder Shull got 20 first and Dad got 11 and Elder Miller 7 and I just sat and watched. Pres. Bullock had a list of 125 scriptures taken from Preach My Gospel. So the idea is they put out a few words and then rush to find the scripture. It was a fun meeting for the Elders and I enjoyed watching them hurry to find the reference.

Here is a picture taken that day as Elder Shull is now going home the first week of November. He is from Pennsylvania, convert of 3 years, going back to Pennsylvania and planning to attend BYU in January to major in medicine. He is a very spiritual and loving young man, feeling the anxiety of leaving the mission and going home. He has been brought up by goodly parents and we feel that when we are together. He knows what a celestial day is like.

Elder Miller is from St. Anthony, Idaho. A cowboy that rides the bull’s at the rodeo along with his father. His dad breaks horses and so does Elder Miller. He is the oldest in his family of 4 , 3 boys and 1 girl, a true Idaho boy (I would know). He love the mission and is learning to serve with all his heart, might, and soul. We enjoy these Elders and they are very good to us.

Every morning Dad will either run or walk with me. When he runs, he will go about 5 miles and then came back along the road to see if he can find me. I walk about 3 miles each morning, rain or shine. Sometimes the wind is so strong, we feel like we are about to get blown off the island. Other days it is calm and peaceful. The weather seems to change with the tide and now it is getting closer to winter, we find it a little cooler, but not uncomfortable. This island is freshly washed and cleaned almost every day. We have no pollution. Sometimes we get the fog or mist, but the wind blows the island clean, the rain washes it good.

We love you all so very much. We pray for you each and every day. We miss you especially when it is your birthday. Especially on the special events, like baptism and turning 12 year olds. (Colby’s your names will be coming). Wish we could be with you when your baptized and when you go to the temple to do baptism for the names we sent.

Mom and Dad, Grandma and Grandpa

Dear Family and Friends, 11 Oct 2009

We are constantly in awe and wonder with thanksgiving for the miracles in our midst. A few failed appointments and occasional negative remarks and failing a driver’s test here and there are of little consequence when the song of redeeming love, newly kindled in the hearts of recently baptized and newly activated members, is shared by the teacher and the learner alike—the harmony and love is delicious.

These three sisters shared a between Conference sessions meal in our apartment. Sister Peel is recently activated. Sister Grimshaw is recently baptized. Sister Cahalan is now ready and desirous of attending the temple. She has overcome a lifetime of worldly living. We have grown to love them dearly and plan to attend the temple with them in the near future.




Sian was recently baptized. Her non-member friends attended on her right. On her left is Gee from China. She lives two floors above us in the Majestic Apartments. She has no background in religion of any kind having been raised in Communist China. She wants to learn about Christianity. We are teaching her very slowly about Jesus Christ and His Gospel. She attends Church regularly and loves what she feels and hears while among the Saints. She speaks English quite well but has no understanding of such words as restoration, baptism, repentance, Jesus Christ, Holy Ghost, revelation, and Priesthood authority. Her heart is good and she feels good in the presence of the Spirit.


Daryl was just baptized. His sister attended and came to church for his confirmation. We are good friends. She will be baptized someday. We are setting a date in November for Leslie, Joan, Sian, and Daryl to attend the Temple to do baptisms for the dead. Helping them understand the great blessing of Temple work and doing their family history is a joy.
Priesthood blessings have been a significant part of the conversion and healing of these dear people. By small and simple means are great things brought to pass—one faithful new member is magnified many times both among the living and especially among those family members in the spirit world.

Elder Allen, Daryl Cronin ready to be baptized, Elder Shull a convert of three years from Pennsylvania, and Sister Allen from Happy Valley, Oregon.
How did these people come together on the Isle of Man September the 26th, 2009, to love each other and become forever friends?
Answer the question correctly and you may have a greater understanding of Heavenly Father’s marvelous work and a wonder being magnified over the world—from one end of heaven to the other.





Elder Driscoll, Sian Malloy, Elder Shull after Sian’s baptism. Luke is the 10 year old son of Wilma Muir (born in Scotland ) who was recently baptized. He is taking the lessons to be baptized—much like roping and tying a wild calf that is lovable. We jump on the trampoline together and he steals our name tags just to get some loving attention. He has never had a real father. Since his mother was baptized, Luke will be the fifth member of his family to be baptized in the past two months—miracles all.



During a zone conference in August, we did a tour of Church History sites in England. The bus driver was friendly and when I ask him about the Church, he replied with this question: “If there is a loving God in Heaven, why all the suffering, injustice, and hurting of innocent people that is apparent all around us?” He sincerely wanted to know of a purpose in life.
We talked about agency, the Fall and God’s plan of happiness whereby not one of us has or ever will be forced to do anything or experience anything that we did not first choose to do and experience. We spoke of the pre-existence and how we made choices there that are directly related to our time, condition, and place here in mortality. We talked about the man born blind from birth as recorded in John 9:1- 3. He accepted a Book of Mormon as tangible evidence of the truthfulness of these things and promised to read it. There is a wonderful purpose in life and all experience is precious. And if these things be true then should we not proclaim it to all with whom we are privileged to be?


It was down this Chatburn-Downham Village road in the Ribble Valley in 1838, sixteen miles upriver from Preston, that Heber C. Kimball and Joseph Fielding experienced an overwhelming spiritual highlight of their first mission to the British Isles. As they began to leave the two towns, doors were crowded and villagers lined the streets, weeping as they said their farewells. Within two days Heber and Joseph had baptized and confirmed 110 persons. Of this sacred time, Heber wrote: “While contemplating this scene we were induced to take off our hats, for we felt as if the place was holy ground—the Spirit of the Lord rested down upon us and I was constrained to bless that whole region of country, we were followed by a great number, a considerable distance from the villages who could hardly separate themselves from us. My heart was like unto theirs, and I thought my head was a fountain of tears, for I wept for several miles after I bid them adieu.”
The Spirit was strong with our fathers to help bring the Restored Gospel to millions of us, the children, today. Heber said of these dear people, “They are full of Love.”

Just out of Liverpool, looking west toward the Isle of Man, the sun sets into the Irish Sea. “The earth rolls upon her wings, and the sun giveth his light by day, and the moon giveth her light by light by night, and the stars also give their light, as they roll upon their wings in their glory, in the midst of the power of God.” D&C 88:45



May our lives be filled with God’s love and peace.
We love you all and are so blessed to be family, brothers and sisters, and friends.
Mom and Dad, Grandpa and Grandma, Ron and Carol, Elder and Sister Allen