Heading North
We went on a trip after our first round of major work, so after our second round, we've trecked north to the Lake District. The long trip north was broken up into three different stops, as being on a bus all day can get uncomfortable. Our first stop was in Coventry, the 12th largest city in the UK, and during WWII, it was the spot of a horrific night of bombing. 800 people died, and the old cathedral was mostly destroyed. The only parts left are the walls and the spire, but it lives on in a beautiful newer building that is filled with stained glass and messages of peace. Coventry Cathedral is a place that lives for the peace between countries, nations, and peoples, with many different exhibits on war time reparations. The fact that the old cathedral still partially stands and the new cathedral built in the 1960s suggests the resilience of the British people. After the Battle for Britain and the Blitz, the country had to rebuild. They had to work to find a new normal and recreate themselves in an ever-changing world. I would say that the war was an instrumental tragedy that has shaped the British identity. With what I have learned about how the British people handled the war, I think they carried on with dignity and kept as calm as they could in the face of such major adversity.
On a side note, Coventry is the site where Lady Godiva rode through the town naked in protest to her husband raising the local taxes. The townsfolk were ordered to look away, but one mad reportedly did look. Apparently, his name was Tom, and he was thence called Peeping Tom, which is where we get the term from.
After Coventry, we went on to the town of Preston, where we went on an LDS church history tour. In the history of my church, Preston holds a special place. Not only is it a site of one of our Temples, it is also where one of our missionary training centres are. This particular centre serves as a training site for some of the missionaries who have been called to serve throughout Europe. Some of the first missionaries the church had taught in Preston. Those who went already had family in the area and had been invited to speak in different congregations in the area, where some of the members decided they wanted to become members of the new church, much to the displeasure of the local reverend. It is from this area that many of the first Mormon pioneers came from. For Mormons, this area and beginning of the cultivation of what is now a church of about 14 million.
We ended our day in the village of Ambleside in the Lake District. It's on the edge of Lake Windemere, around which there are many popular hikes and camping places. This area of England was also the home of William Wordsworth for a few years. He wrote some of his most famous poetry in this area, which is not surprising. The green hills and beautiful lakes definitely lift the spirit. It made me a bit homesick though because I grew up near so much similar beauty, just some taller mountains.
On a side note, Coventry is the site where Lady Godiva rode through the town naked in protest to her husband raising the local taxes. The townsfolk were ordered to look away, but one mad reportedly did look. Apparently, his name was Tom, and he was thence called Peeping Tom, which is where we get the term from.
After Coventry, we went on to the town of Preston, where we went on an LDS church history tour. In the history of my church, Preston holds a special place. Not only is it a site of one of our Temples, it is also where one of our missionary training centres are. This particular centre serves as a training site for some of the missionaries who have been called to serve throughout Europe. Some of the first missionaries the church had taught in Preston. Those who went already had family in the area and had been invited to speak in different congregations in the area, where some of the members decided they wanted to become members of the new church, much to the displeasure of the local reverend. It is from this area that many of the first Mormon pioneers came from. For Mormons, this area and beginning of the cultivation of what is now a church of about 14 million.
We ended our day in the village of Ambleside in the Lake District. It's on the edge of Lake Windemere, around which there are many popular hikes and camping places. This area of England was also the home of William Wordsworth for a few years. He wrote some of his most famous poetry in this area, which is not surprising. The green hills and beautiful lakes definitely lift the spirit. It made me a bit homesick though because I grew up near so much similar beauty, just some taller mountains.
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