Yesterday a pleasant trip to Bristol by train from Bromley to see two old teacher teacher training friends, Dave and Rob resulted in a PAC being given to the WH Smith shop assistant at Paddington who when I told him this was a special church of Jesus and he needs to check it out was appreciative.

My friends and I met for lunch in the Marriott Royale lounge in Bristol.  They know all about my faith and I had sent Dave a BoM three weeks ago, wfor which he thanked me.

The purpose of the trip was to get to know each other better and to catch up on our lives which for each of us had had some severe traumas which we learnt about for the first time.  After the meal we strolled around Bristol docks and continued discussion including the Word of Wisdom.  Dave is a vegetarian and has been for some decades.  I was able to explain the code of eating meeat sparingly.  Today I am emailing him an educational document and a link to D&C 89 for his interest.  http://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/89?lang=eng

Today is Saturday - another week almost over and the usual weekly shop and chores to do.

First a stop off at the Bank to get a password reset.  I arrange a meeting with a young man who is an assistant manager, and we meet in his partitioned office area.  All goes well and a friendly relationship is struck up.  One of the questions in the password protocol is to put a favourite city name - 'Salt Lake City' I enter this and he sees.  Also a memorable name - 'Mormon', I decide, and enter this too.  These parts he sees, but other parts like the password are completely confidential to me. The business is soon concluded and he gives me a business card.  I get up to leave and remember myself as I store the card away in my wallet, get out a PAC and say,  'Well ,you probably guessed I am a Mormon!  let me give this card to you to help you find out more about this wonderful church that the Lord has reorganized on the Earth for a special purpose, that is not long in coming." "Thanks,"  says he, "that is interesting," and he accepts the PAC.

Later at the self-checkout of the supermarket, the young male attendant gives me my car park pass and I say to him with a PAC in my hand, " I may already have given you one of these.  Did I?"  "Yes," he says, "you did, but I really would like to follow this up further - thanks for the reminder."  I will see him next week hopefully.

It's been a while since my last post - just been really busy with a lot of things going on.  Have managed to continue sharing the gospel one way or another, however.  e.g. Saturday did some shopping and handed over  a Pass Along Card to the the Marks and Spencer's cashier, the Sainsbury's self-checkout supervisor who seemed particularly glad for being handed a card with Jesus' picture on it - and other point-of-sale people.  This is just a habit now.  I always check my wallet is stuffed with PACs.  Again I seem to be running out of PACs at home and need to order some packs at http://store.lds.org.

Last year a friend of mine from teacher training college days published a book of classic photographs documenting those years and I met up with him to celebrate his achievement.  It has been on my mind for some time now to send him a Book of Mormon.  This I did last week with a letter about it.  I hope to visit him in a couple of weeks in Somerset during a planned break - also to do some family history research at Gloucester Count Records Office.

There is no doubt that the Lord wishes the people of the Maidstone Stake to open their mouths better and more.  2012 promises to be an interesting year for transforming the members and for the outcomes of more invitations taking place in the area.  Watch this space!