Sunday, 27 February 2022 by Sagacity

Missionary Flats

I was working through some old mission photos and realized I have not shared many of those photos. I thought I might start out with the places in which I lived and what photos I have of those locations. This will be a little bit of everything of what I could find.

Our MTC District, I only know four of the 11. From l-r, #5 is Elder Olson, #9 Elder Scow, #10 Elder Young, #11 Elder Ross. The rest were going to Peoria, Illinois if I remember correctly.

Usually the first place a missionary stays is at the Missionary Training Center (“MTC”). I went to Provo for the MTC. I have written previously and shared other photos I have from the MTC. I thought this photo was interesting because the Provo Temple is going to be renovated and will look entirely different.

Once arriving in Manchester, England my first stay was in the posh Mission Home in Altrincham, England. Here is the only photo I have from that occasion. I didn’t go search my journals, but I believe we arrived in England on 22 December 1998.

President H Bruce and Cheryl Stucki, and Elder Paul Ross

My first area in which to serve was Liscard, England in the newly created Moreton Ward. At this point I am focusing more on physical locations. Here is a photo of my sleeping area/space on the third floor of our flat at 6 Belgrave Street, Liscard, Wallasey, England.

My study space, bed with used duvet, closet, and heater. The door on the left went down the stairs.

There were six of us in the flat on Belgrave Street. That wallpaper did not cause any nightmares that I am aware. My companion could not stand my wind-up alarm clock and so it was locked away. I am standing at the foot of his bed to take this photo. Some of my little Christmas presents from the Duncan family are on the shelf. My coat, backpack, it was frigid in that little room. I first read Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People cuddled in that duvet. My companion, Elder Harris snored loud, so I was often fully inside my duvet. I remember such irony that my little clock kept him awake, but yet his snoring must have kept up the whole flat.

Elder Ross, Elder Harris, Elder Mueller, and Elder Lewis at Belgrave Street flat, my transfer day

This is the same flat I arrived at days before Christmas to find more than a dozen boxes of reject Cadbury chocolates given to us by the members. We literally poured ourselves bowls of chocolate and would pour milk over them for breakfast. I still cannot stand mint or orange chocolate to this day. There were six in the apartment, yet only four are shown above. Here is a photo of the six of us going Christmas caroling in our whites.

(l-r) Elders Llewelyn, Lewis, Harris, Mueller, Ross, and Knight

Elder Bert Llewelyn, Lewis, Jeremy Harris (my trainer), Nathan Mueller, me, and Knight. Some day I will have to see if I have Knight and Lewis’ first names and update. Last, here is a picture of the house across the street from my third floor flat window.

1 and 3 Belgrave Street, Liscard, England

Then it was off to Dukinfield to serve in the Hyde Ward and Glossop Branch. Jumping across Liverpool and Manchester headed for the Moors.

Elder John Peters before 37 Dukinfield Road

There were four missionaries in this flat when I arrived. Elder John Peters, Christopher Giddings, and Elder Moreton. This apartment had problems. It was musky, moldy, and only had a bath tub. It had the water storage in the attic and nothing seemed to work right. When the buses drove by you could see the curtains move with the air. Sometimes even dust and such would fly. And the bathroom… Imagine four missionaries trying to bath in a tub presumably every day for years. No amount of cleaning would ever get it clean, and we did not try very hard. I don’t have any photos inside 37 Dukinfield Road. But I found this one that was on the canal walking to church that was not far behind our flat. Which, looking at Google Earth, is no longer a large factory behind our row of homes.

Elder John Peters moved on and both Elders Giddings and Moreton were shotgunned out. Elder Jarem Frye moved in as my companion and we were the only two in the apartment. He had some illnesses and missing limb, so it was a slower time. It was a great time for work though and in the mornings I was able to read the Book of Mormon more than once a month and the entire History of the Church in the downtime.

Elders Ross and Peters on canal between Dukinfield and Hyde England

My next flat was in Patricroft, England serving in the Eccles Ward. This one was in a fairly rough neighborhood. We had a number of issues we had to avoid and had a few run ins with yobs. I replaced a British Sign Language missionary and was paired with a BSL missionary (who was native Spaniard, which made for some interesting mis-translations). I was expected to learn BSL in addition to the more interesting learning some Spanish and Swedish.

Looking at our apartment of 24 Lewis Street, Patricroft, England

This photo is from St. Johns St looking at our apartment at 24 Lewis Street. Ours is the one with the old slatted windows, not the newer windows of those on both sides. This is the flat I learned about my Grandmother’s passing. This is the apartment that crazy kids fired fireworks in through the mail slot of our door on Guy Fawkes Day 1999. This is where we played an epic prank on greenie Elder Theobald. My first bedroom with a sink in the corner which I have desired ever since.

Elder Wood eating a famous kebab in our Patricroft apartment

There were four of us in this flat. I was first serving with Elder Jose Hernandez from Ibiza, Spain. Then my companion was Elder Jason Wood from Roy, Utah. Poor Elder Hernandez is the missionary who got really upset one night on the way home about always talking about the gospel so he sat by himself half way up the bus. I told him we still were supposed to sit together, even if he was upset. He still moved. Somewhere around Irlam a brick came through the window and knocked him out cold. Elder Wood was in love with the Spice Girls, particularly Sister Halliwell.

As you can see from the above picture, Elder Hernandez accidentally threw something away and thought he would bring the garbage in to sort through it. It stunk and we were not happy with him. I do not recall if he found what he lost.

Zone Meeting in Eccles. Sitting on the floor is Elder Cory Meehan. The four of us in the back are Elders Van Hensen Van Unigen, Klomp, Ross, and Jose Hernandez. Then sitting from Elder Van Hensen Van Unigen are Elders Matthew Dean (face partially hidden), Richard O’Dea, Mark Cutler, Jake Smith (Red), Nick Smith (Black), Jarem Frye, Tracy, and Mark Thatcher with Vicente Garcia kneeling before him.

We had a Zone Meeting in Eccles for some reason. However, we liked to do Zone Meetings in Levenshulme for the Pakistani kebabs there, so I do not know why they ventured up to Eccles on this occasion. My journal probably tells, but I have not spent the time to research it.

Another photo of me enjoying some Jello shipped in by someone from the United States.

And a picture of one of my bruises after a good couple of punches in my arm with an idiot. But you can see the wallpaper at the top of the stairs.

Only real damage after a few punches with an idiot.

Here is a photo of me about to get a haircut by Elder Wright in the front room of our flat, downstairs. That mirror and location are the same in which we blessed a deaf man to be healed. We used the mirror so he could read our lips while blessing him. He began to gain hearing and then I was transferred and I lost contact shortly afterward. Wish I knew the rest of the story.

Elder Wright about to cut my hair over pages of the Church News.

Elders Thaddeus Wright and Viktor Johansson were together when I arrived. Elder Wright was replaced by Elder Brad Theobald.

The next area was Runcorn for the Runcorn Ward and Northwich Branch. There we lived at 29 Handforth Lane, Halton Lodge, Runcorn.

Elders Ross and Hales at 29 Handforth Lane, Runcorn, England

This one has a couple of photos in it. Here is where we prepped and weathered Y2K. Also, my second Christmas in the UK.

1999 Christmas haul for Elders Ross and Hales. Also see our Handforth Lane kitchen.

Elder Brad Hales opening Christmas gifts at 29 Handforth Lane

This poor area had to put up with me for 7.5 months! Elder Hales for 6 months!

Elder Paul Ross opening Christmas present 1999 at Handforth Lane, still wet from the rains

Elder Paul Ross at Handforth Lane bus stop

The time serving in Runcorn and Northwich was a very prolific time of the mission. There was a time our District and Ward had baptisms every week with ongoing interviews and visits to companionships. We loved this Ward and we believed they loved us. It was a spell of excitement and growth in this area, both personally and for those we served. Very fond of my time here.

Elder Paul Ross and our flat after a heart attack. I still have all these!

Trying on Elder Hales’ present, a Royal Mail Postal Carrier’s bag and jacket

29 Handforth Lane, Runcorn, Cheshire, England

Last area of the mission was off to Scholes for the Wigan Ward. This flat was located at 2 Lorne Street, Scholes, Wigan. This flat was owned by the same owners in Runcorn, the Pass family. They took good care of us even though this flat had a number of issues. You can see the wall on the end had to be fortified and I understand the one that stood beside it had to come down, but I second guess that knowing our flat was #2. Who knows?

Elders Dean and Cutler in front of our apartment and the mission Vauxhall Corsa.

This was my last area. Initial memories was a bed bug problem for Elders Dean and Cutler just in their bedroom. My Romanian companion fighting off a cold with an entire head of garlic in one meal, Elder Gheorghe Simion. Training my last companion Elder Garrett Smith. Some pretty amazing personal revelations, of which both companions also were able to partake. Very blessed in this area.

Elders Wright and Smith goofing off in front room

Elders Dean and Cutler were shotgunned out the same day bringing in Elders Wright and Hulse.

Elders Ross, Dean, Cutler, and Simion in front of St. Catherine’s on Lorne Street, across from our flat

Here is another shot of our flat looking up the street.

Rose and John Byrom stopped by on their way through Wigan

For the last area of the mission, these 3 Elders became brothers to me. Closer than the other areas in which I had served. Like Runcorn, we engaged well with the Ward. One of the best kebab houses in the whole mission was located here, Kebab King. I tried to stop in 2008, but it was closed both days we stopped. Wasn’t sure it had been open for a while.

Well, there are all 5 areas of the mission. All the photos I could find of our flats in which we stayed. I will have to work on sharing and telling the stories of the other photos I have.

Sunday, 17 November 2019 by Sagacity

20 years of passing

Colleen and her grandson, Paul Ross.

This year on 14 November 2019 marked the 20 year passing of my Grandmother, Colleen Andra Jonas.

I thought about that experience repeatedly on Thursday. She would have turned 91 earlier this year. She was falling apart then, so 91 probably would not have treated her well. She passed away from a botched back surgery that had taken place several days before. 14 November 1999 was a Sunday.

Her passing is important for me for several reasons. She was probably the person I most loved in my whole universe. In many ways she had helped raise me and I always felt a very keen affinity and close relationship with her. We knew each others thoughts, feelings, and how to connect. I attribute many of my characteristics, humor, ability to communicate and get along with others, and much more to her. She was a remarkable woman. She had her faults, we all do, but that innate goodness outshines everything to me. Her passing I can safely say completely rocked my world.

On the other side of the coin though, her passing marked my first spiritual experience inside of a Temple. I was serving as missionary in the England Manchester Mission (EMM). I was then serving in the Eccles Ward, living in Patricroft. Our preparation day was on Mondays. On 15 November 1999, I went with a family and our missionary district to the Preston England Temple. We did a number of baptisms that day. We intended to take at least one name through baptism, confirmation, initiatory, and endowment.

Somehow I found myself sitting alone outside initiatory. I have no clue where the other missionaries were, it must have been a shift change or the workers had to go to the veil. I sat on a padded bench outside initiatory, I suppose the other elders were sitting waiting in the initiatory booths.

Colleen Elliott tending to Paul Ross sitting on her kitchen counter

As I sat there, the smell of Hai Karate came to me. That was a distinct smell of my grandmother, she wore that. I knew she had surgery the previous week so I thought of her and prayed for her well-being. Knowing she had a pretty major surgery coming up, we visited on the telephone the week before. We talked about our love for each other. We spent several minutes discussing Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s talk just the month before at General Conference, “An High Priest of Good Things to Come.” We were both very moved by that talk and felt it directly related to both of us in our circumstances, especially in light of my mother’s actions the year before. There was very much to look forward to and be positive about. We closed that phone call expressing our love, looking forward to reuniting, and knowing Christ as our “High Priest of Good Things to Come.”

It was then in my mind’s eye I was transported to her surgery in Sun Valley, Idaho. I saw the surgery, the actions of the surgeon, the extent of the invasive nature of the work. It was during this that I saw the mistake that occurred and that was left. Then I saw her coalescing in the hospital and the problem being created by the nicked bowel. I saw the nurses get her up on Sunday morning, I saw the dislodging of the clot that occurred, I saw and felt the panic in her and the nurses. I saw her slump to the floor in unconsciousness. I knew she had passed at that moment.

I then saw my Mom, my Uncle, my Sister, my Aunt, and Bud (her husband) and their finding out the news. My Mom didn’t know yet, but she would find out. I saw the sadness, desperation, and frustration that came with it.

It was then I came back to myself in Preston, England. I had just experienced the past week of my grandmother and immediate family in what seemed to me to be a couple of hours, but must have been less than 10 minutes in the Preston England Temple. I saw there in a sort of out-of-body experience looking at myself sitting there in the 1999 initiatory clothing sitting on a bench outside an initiatory booth.

Then at that moment, in my mind’s eye, my grandmother was there. I could smell her. She talked to me, I could hear and feel her talking into my ear as I watched myself sitting there on the bench. I couldn’t see her. She told me that she had passed away. She told me a number of other things I don’t feel to share here. I am telling you, I was standing there, out of my body, listening to her. She then went to leave, and the person of me standing there looking at me sitting there, started to cry. She told me not to. She hugged me. Then she departed.

Side profile with grandson Paul Ross, 1979.

Suddenly, I was back sitting on the bench. I could still smell her. I didn’t want it to leave. I looked up wondering what had happened. In typical mortal fashion, I just thought to myself I had fallen asleep and dreamed it. It was a dream to me. I was overwhelmed by the experience but I didn’t believe it.

I must have been pretty somber throughout the rest of the day. I didn’t really talk after the temple, at dinner that night, I was overwhelmed by the vision/dream.

Tuesday dawned and we went to work. The day went along but the experience would not leave me. We got home that night to 24 Lewis Street, Patricroft, England and were getting ready for the night. It was then a knock came to the door.

I opened the door and there stood President Philip Wightman. He said he was there to visit with me and I immediately knew why. That dream/vision I had experienced and did not believe was now true. I completely broke down sobbing. He came in and we visited, I cried so hard I couldn’t breathe. He just held and hugged me. Finally sitting facing each other on folding chairs I told him of my experience. Initially he said something like, “Knowing you and your history and that your Grandmother had passed, I came to visit you personally.” After I shared with him my insight, his comment was along the lines of, “Glad I could confirm what you already knew. I guess I didn’t need to come personally visit.” I was very glad he did. It was funny, a year later he indicated, “That was the night the lights came on in Elder Ross.” I guess I wasn’t wholly in the work just yet, or along for the ride. Not sure, I wasn’t a bad missionary, but the gospel became that much more real for me through this experience.

Colleen Jonas Portrait, 1991.

While writing this at this time, I can only think of two other experience I have had with my sweet grandmother since her passing. One was while I lived in Branson, Missouri and she came bearing an answer to a prayer. I was actually sleeping at that time and after her departure I awoke. In the middle of the night I then went to see if my good friend Terry McCombs, who was staying at the same home, was awake. Sure enough he was. I shared the experience, the one in the Preston England Temple, and some others I have had. He shared with me many of his own. We talked for hours in the middle of the night and the spirit burned in my heart. I love and miss Terry. The other experience actually happened during a Priesthood Blessing that was being given to me in Logan, Utah by Dustin McClellan. I recognized my grandmother’s presence come into the room. He then announced he was acting voice for her in which he blessed me as if he were her. Wow, if one wanted to hear a voice from the dead, that is the way to do it! Even though Dustin spoke, I heard her voice in my ears.

This week marked the 20 year anniversary of one of the most emotional weeks I have ever had in my life. Both on the emotional from a death, but on the spiritual of an everlasting burning of a memory on my soul. Even recounting it in writing tonight I felt myself reliving some of it.

It is experiences like this that come to mind when people tell me that nobody can know for sure that God exists, or that his Son did anything for us. It is moments like this when the spirit world is very real and I view people’s arguments against God as rationalization to make themselves feel better for not knowing. Those arguments are a whistling in the dark. For I have no doubt from the experiences recounted above and numerous others that the spirit world is not far away. These are experiences with my grandmother, but there are others.

14 Sep 1998, Paul Ross, Colleen Lloyd, Paul, Idaho

I know God lives, just as surely as my grandmother still lives spiritually. I am not aware of her being resurrected at this time, but it will come if it hasn’t already. Death is not the end, that is my personal experience. I don’t care for aging and death much, but neither are the end. We have a work to do and not much time to do it in.

Oh how I miss my grandmother. I haven’t had an experience with her directly since 2005, 6 years after her death, at least that I can recall now. How I look forward to seeing her again. It will be a blessed day. 20 years seems so long, yet so short in how vivid the love and tenderness is. Years have caused me to forget some of her mannerisms and characteristics, but the connection is as strong as it was ever at any point. It extends through time and space between us. But this anniversary shocked me at how long it has been, and yet how fresh it still seems.

Here is a picture of the last day I saw her physically. The day I met with the Stake President again and to finally go into the Missionary Training Center after many weeks of delay due to my mother’s actions.

The morning to go to the MTC with Milo Ross, Colleen Lloyd, and Jackie Melycher

Sunday, 11 November 2018 by Sagacity

100 Years of Flanders

John William Ross tombstone

(I originally published this in 2008. I edited it and updated it with pictures for today, the 100th Anniversary of the Armistice.)

I thought I would write a little in relation to Veteran’s Day. For the most part, it seems this holiday is somewhat forgotten in the United States. Really, American’s celebrate the same day on Memorial Day in May. I can understand the European View of holding it on the 11th of November. It is the day WWI ended.

Arlington National Cemetery, Nov 2005

I remember well the time I first experienced Veteran’s Day. I sat in the Eccles Ward Chapel in Patricroft, England. I sat there on 11 November 1999. The services started at 11 AM. We had the hymn, opening prayer, and a few comments by the Bishop until 11:11 arrived. It was then we took two minutes to remember what was done. Somehow those two minutes seared into my heart and soul.

Growing up in Idaho means we have little or no realization of any war. There are small war memorials inside of cemeteries and an occasional one in a park to commemorate. No war in modern days has taken place anywhere near Idaho. Even the American Civil War means little to Idahoans. My grandfather served in the Philippines during WWII but he spoke so little of it. I had Uncles and Great Uncles who perished in WWI and WWII. I have been to their graves but they are the dead, just like the other dead in the cemetery. The idea of dying for one’s country meant very little to me.

Irwin John Jonas

One of my first memories of England is the day after we arrived. We were taken into Altrincham Town Centre and there we proselyted for an hour on the way to the mission office. I did notice the cenotaph. I thought it rather oddly placed.

Arlington Cemetery, Nov 2005

While I served in Hyde, Cheshire one of the ways we knew where to turn in town was at the cenotaphs. The same in Dukinfield. When we arrived early at a member’s house we would loiter at the cenotaph to street contact until time for dinner. Regularly I thought these things were oddly placed. I knew they were naming those who died in the ‘Great War’. For some reason or another I thought they doubled up on the names over the various cenotaphs. It never occurred to me names are not typically duplicated on these things, or if they do, the intention is not to do so.

Ellis Seth Jonas

Suddenly I found myself sitting in a church meeting remembering. These souls did not fight for my country. However I felt come into my heart a gratitude for their sacrifice. Could I do the same thing if called upon? Somehow a dawning realization came upon me of the hundreds if not thousands of names I had seen on cenotaphs in my first year in England. They were everywhere. There were continuous reminders of the dead who fought for their country.

William Jr Military Pic

About a month later I found myself walking the streets of Runcorn, Cheshire. There is a large cenotaph probably 15 feet tall. The bus would drive by it every day. I could not help but notice the little red, fake flowers on popsicle sticks stuck in the flower bed all around it. The cenotaph meant more to me by this point but what were the little red flowers? I noticed each of them had a name written on them and they appeared hand-made.

James William Ross

I asked what the little red flowers meant that were still scattered everywhere a month after the 11th of November. I was then told about Flanders Fields and the poppies. The poem was shared with me. It made sense, I felt the poignancy of it. I have a cousin, Harry Coley (1891 – 1917) who died in Broodseinde, Flanders, Belgium as part of the war. His body was lost in the mud and potholes of the war and never recovered.

The imagery is intense while the poem isn’t all that catchy to me. In fact, some of it still doesn’t make sense to me so I share only the first verse here:

In Flanders Fields the poppies grow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

David Delos Donaldson (back), John Edmund Donaldson (left), and William George Donaldson

Would I have this type of courage? Would I be willing to go and serve my country so willingly? Even if I was drafted, unwillingly? To set aside all other hopes and aspirations to serve my country? I did so to serve a mission for my church. I would think I would be willing to for my nation. While I am not entirely enamoured with my country at the present, would I still be willing to do it? Probably.

Art and Golden Coley

In fact, I feel some desire to serve in the military. My life hasn’t permitted the chance and my wife is against the idea. I don’t think I will be making the decision to join. But I wish to honour those who do and especially those who died in doing so. Accordingly, when I saw my clock at 11:11 this morning, I stopped for 2 minutes to remember. What does our future hold? I don’t know. But our past is nobler because of these good souls who gave all. Not only to join, but they never returned. We were on the side of right then, and our nation was preserved. I hope and pray our nation continues on the side of right and we will yet be preserved.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Arlington, VA, Nov 2005

An Wanner uncle of mine arrived in Whitney, Idaho a year after his death in WWI. His remains arrived in a lead casket which was buried with great fanfare for the small community. WWII repeated this scenario with another Uncle, another family line, buried in Richmond, Utah. His body arrived months later and he was interred with great fanfare. May we live our lives in such a way, regardless if dying for our nation, but let us die in such a way that the community wishes to come out and pay homage for your great sacrifice for the future of man, good, and our country.

Milo James Ross

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