September 25, 2014

We have not written for almost 2 weeks. We have to be more diligent, or when we get home, this "little journal" will have big spaces and we will never remember what took place.

I think we mentioned that we were asked to speak in Sacrament Meeting a couple of weeks ago. It was a bit of a stretch for us, but Heavenly Father knew it would be good for us, and it was! Some really good things have happened from that opportunity.  After we spoke, the people in the ward were SO friendly and kind.  It was like we were finally members of the ward.  So amazing.

Someone commented to me when we first got here that we would need to reach out to the members, because they wouldn't reach out to us, given that the ward is at least 98% Polynesian . So we have tried, one at a time. We have had some success, and made some connections and some people were friendly to us.  After our talk, it was SO much the opposite, and it continued to be the same last week.  We are so grateful.  It's like it just broke the ice or something.

We had a another very nice experience last Sunday in Church.  In R.S. the teacher gave me a quote to read, before she began her lesson. That has never happened before.  So I read through the quote ahead of time. Tears came so quickly!  It was an exact answer to our prayers of late.

I read the quote to Ray when we got home and he said, "no way"!  So I let him read it. Way cool for both of us, and the quote came from a prophet!  We are blessed with tender mercies, and sometimes God signs them with His 'Divine Signature' so we know exactly where they came from. (Gerald Lund wrote an awesome book by that title and it is wonderful).

If we are diligent about following what the quote actually said to us, it will change our lives in many happy ways. Forever, but especially now.

Last Saturday, we came into the office for a bit and then headed to Featherdale Animal Park.  We took lots of pictures, but they may not get on the blog till next week, as we leave tomorrow (Saturday) for a speaking assignment that is 5 hours away, so Ray may not get to the pics today.

 


It was a fun day.  It was really a zoo, but it was great to see birds and animals that we have never seen before. It was a good day.

This week has gone VERY fast.  We have learned a lot of new things and we are adapting to reporting to a different boss once again.  It's good for us. 

Last night we headed up to the Blue Mountains to take pictures and quotes from 105 kids plus leaders on a Pioneer Trek.  We saw the most beautiful places, as we had not been that far into the Blues before. 

It was SO well organized and it was fun to see the large group, setting up camp and building fires.  We hope it ends up being a good article.  It will take at least two weeks to get it up. We have to say here, that the natural surroundings for a trek in Australia is WAY different than a trek in say . . . Wyoming!! They were in a fantastic, beautiful, awesome spot as they made camp last night.There is no way to describe those mountains. Lots better than any of the shots in "The Man from Snowy River'.

Tonight we are having a man from the Temple Department in SLC over for dinner.  He is here for a couple of weeks, and staying in Temple Housing, so it will be nice to cook him a dinner.  The Archibald's (the legal couple) are also coming, so it will be fun. They say he has a very interesting story.

Last Monday we cooked dinner for FHE for a group of 21.  We had creamy Italian chicken (thanks for the Good Seasoning Mix Spen and Beck) and mashed potatoes. They don't have them here. It's ALWAYs rice or pasta. We got raves and raves!  It was so interesting.  Such a simple thing to make Americans so happy!

We love the news from family!  It keeps us going here.  Thank you all! I have to say that all the marathons and triathalons make us very tired. But good for you! We'll just have to go with the 'mission marathon', which certainly has it's own rewards,  but also sometimes leaves us very tired at the end of the day. It is  wonderful as well, and we wouldn't trade it for anything. 

And friends are so good to keep in touch as well.  It's great to know what is happening in the Ward and Stake and also in all those families back home who we feel so connected to. Our prayers are with all of you, family and friends, really!

We are happy, and yet the yearning for "the usual" is almost over whelming at times.  We don't know if that will ever go away. We miss people there, but for now, we are blessed with some nice people here, who make the days pass more quickly than they otherwise might.

We love you all, so much. You have no idea.

September 12, 2014 / Indian Ocean and Perth

We had a very interesting week!  We just got back from Perth last night, having spent 6 days away from our little Sydney office.  It was a little of a shock to realize that our place here has become a comfort zone. Along with that, we also felt like we were on a bit of a work vacation, and that was a good feeling too.

We flew to Perth last Saturday (a 5 hour flight) and arrived in time to check into our room, find out we had no internet service there, walk up the street to grab a very late burger and get ready for bed.  The next day, we woke up to pouring rain and very stiff winds.

A Public Affairs person in Perth had suggested the hotel for it's reasonable prices, and although, it had a few little glitches, it was right across the street from the Indian Ocean!  The air smelled like San Diego and we had to assume the ocean was beautiful, but we couldn't tell for sure. We headed for Sacrament Meeting about 30 minutes away, in-land. 

 After church, we were able to meet with the Stake President about Public Affairs. It was interesting. They had submitted one article from Perth since we have been here, and it was a great one. A Family Values Award with some great inter-faith wove in and wonderful pictures, along with 900 people in attendance. It kind of felt as if they felt like they were done for a while.

We hope we were a good influence in encouraging him to get his people doing more, as some stakes will send two a month or even more, when there is a really good PA person in the Stake.

We then drove for about 90 minutes to a Stake house where we were never able to get an appointment with the Stake President via e-mail, and had decided to just drop off a PA packet and hope it helped.  As we headed up the side walk, a man stopped us and asked if he could help us.  (missionary badges are magic that way).

He was a counselor in the Stake Presidency, standing visiting with his just barely called PA person for their stake.  We all went right into the Stake Offices for a visit.  It was amazing to get to know this newly called person and feel some excitement from him. The counselor was very kind and helpful.  Then, in walks another brother, and he is Stake Presidency counselor over PA for the Stake. We all 5 had a very good visit.  We left feeling like we had just had several tender mercies in one place.

We then headed for another Stake building, but were only able to give a packet to a high councilman, and asked him to tell the President that we would be in touch.  We felt a little down hearted, but, it beat a blank.

The next stake house was . . . wait for it. . . a blank!  It was no longer the Stake Center and no one would take the packet.  The Stake Young Women's President and R.S. President were there in a meeting, but didn't think they would see the President for several weeks.  I think we will have to mail that one. We were discouraged.

All in all, it was a really good day. You can't win them all, and we decided the contacts we did make were good ones.  There are always those investigators who don't show up to church when they say they will, right?  So we're good.

We got back to the hotel at almost dark, but got to ride down to the ocean and see it. Still raining, but it looked amazing.  More green than any ocean we had ever seen.  A walking trail that went all along the coast line.  Fantastic, just to see it, rain and all.

Monday night we took the Rajahs, the Multi Stake Public Affairs Coordinator to dinner at a place they had picked out.  It was in a place called Hillary's Harbor.  A buffet that was unlike any we had ever seen.  Many more choices than the Roof in SLC.  MANY more.

It was delightful. They even had an octopus salad with the little tiny whole octipi (?) on top.  I asked Sister Rajah how she liked them and she said oh, with all the things in the salad, to off set the taste, I really enjoy them but, they do have a weird sort of crunch to them. 

Daniel and Malar Rajah at dinner in Perth

I decided I wasn't that adventuresome!  But I almost did.  It was the "weird crunch" remark that did me in. That and the fact that they were grey and extremely un- attractive.

We had a great visit with them and we felt so good about that.  We really think, having met face to face, that it will make a difference in the number of articles that come from the whole area.  And it's nice to put a face with the names we see on e-mail responses.

Tuesday, late afternoon, the rain stopped a bit and the sun peeks out for a couple of hours and we are able to drive down the beach and then take a long walk on that wonderful path.  It was glorious.  We put our feet in the water and gathered some sea shells.  Just heavenly!

The Indian Ocean

Tuesday evening (raining and winding again) we go to the multi-stake council meeting.  So fun to meet all of these people, the ones who are really in the trenches!  Some of them are so good at sending reports and photos and quotes of events.

The idea of having missionaries meet them in person and form a relationship, is so they will really want to be involved more, and feel some responsibility to go to work in their area.  Planning interfaith gatherings and putting together helping hand opportunities etc.

We pray it works.

Wednesday morning, Phil Baker, the PA person who got us our hotel, picked us up to show us Perth!  We walked through a 1,000 acre park in the middle of the city, with bridges over the Swan River and statues of important people in Perth History and lots and lots of wild flowers!  Fantastic!  Then he took us down and put us on a boat so we could enjoy the sights and the 50 million dollar homes on the river.  90 minutes of just watching. . . and the sun was out!  We know more about Perth now after 5 days, than we know about Sydney.  We just won't remember it!

Elder and Sister Allen with the fishing fleet behind them

Elder and Sister Allen with Phil Baker at the boat docks

After boat ride down the Swan River in Perth

It was a great trip.  We both decided if we were to live in Australia, we would choose Perth.  The roads are wider and the beauties are still all there.  Its quieter, calmer.  It's like the difference between New York City and Boise.

We really loved the people we met.  Phil especially.  He is our age, but seems younger, and is all about Public Affairs and meeting people and getting the work to go forward.  He loves Australia and it shows. A real Australian treasure . . . there isn't a question he can't answer. The trip was a really good one.

We are scheduled to go to Adelaide in October for the same thing.  It will be much less daunting than this one was.  It was SO out of my comfort zone. . . not so far out of Ray's.

Wednesday evening we were happy to be able to attend the Perth Temple.  It is a beautiful new building with the most fantastic chandelier we have ever seen.  It was a wonderful, peaceful evening.

While we were in Perth, we received an e-mail on the Church phone, which doesn't need internet, to speak in Church Sunday in our ward. Wow, there is always something, and we count our blessings most of the time.  We sure are getting stretched to the max sometimes.

It has been a long day in the office, and probably another long one Saturday, to try to make up for what didn't get done while we were gone.  I think it may be to make up for the 90 minute boat ride and long walk on the beach!  In that case, it was totally, totally worth it!

We keep busy, we stay happy, we enjoy each other and sometimes, we still can't believe we are actually in Australia. . . even now.

Ray said to me on the airplane, coming back, "Remember the last time we flew into Sydney?"  I did, with a bit of a shudder.  We were total Zombies then, and totally scared and clueless. The jet lag was so real. Now we are so much better!  Still clueless, but better!

We count our blessings at this point, that we can be stretched beyond any normal capacity, and still be really happy!  It's a spiritual thing and it is wonderful!

We miss you all, but we are doing OK and like the work, no, LOVE the work! We are grateful for our blessings, most of whom, we're related to! We love you ALL and miss you still!

September 3, 2014

We received some good news today. . . or potential good news.  Rashika, David and Devmini Ranasinghe (the family from India) have set October 10th, 2014 for their baptismal date.  We are all crossing our fingers, because you never know with investigators, but it is still very good news. Happy News! Please remember them in your prayers, as he is out of town until the first week in October. This could really happen!

Rashika, David and Devmini with a Australian footballer (center)

This Friday, September 5th is our 45th wedding anniversary!  Seems like a big one, so we thought we'd mention it!  It really doesn't seem like it's been that long!!! I'm sure that's what some one who is 98 says about their age! But it's been a great journey and we are happy to be here together.  Wherever we are!

We are a bit excited for a totally unrelated reason.  We leave for Perth to do some training there this Saturday, September 6th and will be back the following Wednesday Evening.  It is a 4 hour flight and the first one we've taken since we arrived here.  We think it took us that long to be able to get on a plane again, so the timing is perfect.  We hope to meet with the area seventy there, Elder Meurs and 4 stake presidents, about Public Affairs.  Then we go to a multi-stake PA council meeting. See how things are working and hope to light a fire about the importance of this work.  We have all the feelings and the statistics and quotes; the question is, can we put it across with the spirit that SHOULD accompany it.  So, while your praying for the Ranasinghe's, say one for us as well.  We so want to do what we should there!!!

In October, we fly to Adelaide to do exactly the same thing, but with different people. This weekend will be a good practice, but we hope it's more than that.  Given Elder Bednar's talk a couple of weeks ago, we really are more excited about Public Affairs than we even have been up to now.  

We had such a good Sunday yesterday in our ward.  The meetings were just good. In Sacrament Meeting the bishopric spoke.  The bishops talk just touched us, it was about marriage.  He talked about how we should never become too accustomed to another person loving us.  His point being that we should always take care of our spouse and not take them for granted.  He spoke with so much emotion, that we had to wonder if he doesn't have more than a few marriages in trouble.  The spirit was very strong as he spoke and it was a very nice reminder to appreciate what we have.

Priesthood and R.S were combined for the fifth Sunday.  It was all about family councils and FHE and was very well done by the bishopric.  Big day for them, we're sure.  The best part was that they handed out a LARGE, laminated copy of 2 Nephi 31:20 for each couple.  We brought it right home and put it on the door to our wardrobe.  So we can see it every day.  Brings us very quickly to what is important in life. We are so glad to have it.

Ward Scripture and Pat's whole clothing wardrobe

We have to share the honest truth here, for what it's worth.  When we left our flat Sunday morning, neither of us felt we wanted to stay for the entire block time.  Not a lot was said, we just both felt that way.  So after Sacrament Meeting, we stayed in the chapel for a bit, and as we walked by Sunday school, which is also on the way down the hall to the parking lot, we decided to go in.  Didn't want to, but we got that gentle nudge.Then we decided that we would stay for Priesthood opening exercises and then leave.  We soon discovered, as they were moving chairs, that it was going to be combined, we took a seat.

As I said, the meeting was really good, we sat by an Island couple who were very friendly to us and had a nice visit.  About 3/4 through the meeting I turned to Ray and said, I don't have a headache for the first time in 4 days and it feels so great!!  Ahhh.  The blessings of being obedient, even against your worst desires.  I didn't make that connection, but Ray did. Great lesson there for us, as we were sorely tempted.  They don't need us there, we don't have a specific job there, so it's easy to consider lapsing. . . but, we need to be there!

We are writing a bit early, because we will be gone over the weekend, but this is a plenty long post as it is! We love you all, and hope we don't bore anyone too much!