July 7th 2015

Sunday July 5th

We missed another July 4th at home, but lots of face-times from home made it easier.  So good to see all the patriotic Facebook posts as well. Kind of made us proud to be Americans!  We always are!!!

Josh's picture of down town Salt Lake on the 4th

This week the Smith's headed home to Las Vegas and we were so sad to see them go, but happy for them. They are the last of the couples who were here when we arrived in Australia.  Now, when we want to ask someone what happened on this holiday, or that FHE, there is no one to ask. But we will miss them for mant more reasons than that!

The Smith and Sister Allen

Elder and Sister Smith

We have a new mission president and his wife as well, Donna H. and Max L. Checketts.  It has been quite the week. They both seem so, so nice. We are excited to have them here, it will be fun to watch what changes may come.

President Max and Donna Checketts

Elders at Leura Ward

Last Sunday we went to the Leura Ward and spoke to a congregation of about 50. They were so kind and again we had lots of spiritual help.  Oh, the blessings of being a missionary. I think it was my favorite place to speak so far.  Just such kind people.  And it was a combined R.S Preisthood meeting that day which made it even better. Fantastic looking building to drive up to.  Good memory.

Leura

Leura Meeting house

My favorite member at Leura

We have quickly become accustomed to our cubicles and love the big windows in the room.  It is a little less private to just turn to each other and check facts or whatever, but we are good.  Apparently they posted the ad for our boss's job last week, so we will see what comes of that. There is some suggestion that they could hire someone from Brisbane of Melbourne and they could work via internet, as Richard from New Zealand does.  It will be interesting to see what happens.  We know people in each state who have applied so, kind of fun.

Wednesday July 8th

The Ellis's are here from New Harmony, Utah to take their place in Self Reliance. They seem to be adjusting well for only having been here a few days. It's a bit of an involved calling, alot for them to learn.

Senior Missionary home eveing

The Willis's

Sister Barr - Temple Matron

Elder and Sister Black our new legal couple

Sister Aspland and Sister Henderson from down town

The Smiths bid everyone good bye

The Wallaces from New Zealand 

Senior Missionaries at Smiths and Howes farewell

The greeting of new people is really, really a pleasure, the saying good-bye to those leaving, not so much!  So hard.

We are un-packing boxes in our area here that came from up-stairs!  More boxes than storage space.  We were to have a storage room down here, as we have had upstairs, but that got lost in the last minute negotiations.  We're pretty sure they will come up with a plan.  Till then, it looks a bit like our storage room in the Kaysville house looked, just before we left!!  Some of you will remember that, thankfully, some of you never saw it. LOTS of boxes!

We are happily moving on with the work.  Articles keep coming out of no where and we are so happy about that. It's so much easier to do an article at this stage than it has ever been and it's really a plesaure to work on them, and figure them out! All the pieces are eventually gathered and just slide into place. AWESOME, but doesn't come without heavenly help.  We are always, always grateful!

We love Sydney

The opera house (again)

We read a Conference talk the other night that I particularly liked. Ensign pg. 54 called, 'The Music of the Gospel'. I love that title! 

Elder Wilford W. Anderson Quotes D & C 8:2  Where the Lord taught Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdry, "Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart."
Elder Anderson then added, "We learn the dance steps in our minds, but we hear the music in our hearts.  The dance steps of the gospel are the things we do; the music of the gospel is the joyful spiritual feeling that comes from the Holy Ghost. . . 

He goes on to say, "The dance steps require discipline, but the joy of the dance will be experienced only when we come to hear the music."  He continues on with some more really amazing insight.  But, I just love that analogy to music and dance and the gospel and the Holy Ghost!!!  It resonates to me. 

I think missionaries of every age learn the dance steps of their calling (some just take longer than others) but the point is, the steps are well defined and there is 24/7 to learn and implement them!  So the music just flows, more than I have ever experienced before over a long period of time. 

Sister Durtschi and companion day before Sister Durtschi head back to Hyrum

It is the music that writes the articles and asks the questions, and takes down the quotes.  It is, in fact, the music that helps missionaries sleep at night and sometimes do some very long days and curbs the home sickness to a managable size.  

We are close enough to going home, that we are beginning to wonder how we learn the new steps after we go home, as well as we have learned them here. We want to hear that music in our lives, day to day, going forward. That music is the part of the mission that will be very,very hard to leave behind. I am beginning to think that leaving that constant melody is what makes missionaries cry as they leave the field. That crying has never made sense to me before, and suddenly it does.

We have 12 weeks left, we want to treasure them.  We love you all, and are ever grateful for the prayers for missionaries, and for your support and love.