August has gone by in almost a flash! We had an all day service project (a Helping Hands day) with the Service Center here on August 4th. We wrote an article about it for the website and it was up by that weekend. It was a great day of both inspirational talks and the project. Great time, good memory.
On August 19th we attended a Senior Couples Missionary Conference with our new Mission President and his wife, the Checketts. It was a good morning with spiritual moments and a game and a few new ideas on how things will look going forward. They are a nice couple and will be wonderful. Much more layed back than the Howes, so different.
On Saturday the 22nd, we went to downtown Sydney on the River Cat and bought a few souveniers, Everything is so expensive here that we didn't get much of significance. But it was great fun. Then we took the ferry to Watson Bay and ate at a seafood place right on the beach at sunset. It was my birthday celebration and it was just a great day and evening and wonderful food (the best we have had in Australia) and wonderful, wonderful company. It was just Ray and I and was the best gift I
could have recieved. We even took a small container of horseradish with us and added it to their tomato sauce (ketchup) for the shrimp. Oh so good, we haven't had cocktail sauce in 17 months! It is a memeory we will want to keep. (not the cocktail sauce but the experience and the view).
We recieved the itinerary last week for the Browns, who are taking our place, in October. If the schedule holds, they will arrive here on September 28th in the early a.m. We have essentially 4 days for training as they will spend most of Monday getting their keys and badges and taking a nap and feeling in a whirl. So it will be Tuesday - Friday so it will be a bit of a zoo. This all makes it so real!! On Saturday we get on a flight to Maui. Good heavens, how did we get here?
In Septemeber we are scheduled for a trip to Melbourne and then on to Tasmania. From September 9th thru the 14th. We are to train the PA council in Melbourne on media (I know our kids are chuckling) and then speak with 2 Stake Presidents in Tasie. We'd like to get some articles coming in from them in the future, so hope to infuse them to call some PA people. Say prayers for us. This is beyond our ability, (as so many things have been) and we need help!
On the 24th we head to Coffs Harbor, which is a 6 hour drive, to speak in a branch and meet with a Public Affairs person who hasn't yet been trained in Public Affairs. So, we hope to do some good. Again, please pray for her and us.
Last night, Monday August 31st, we had a family home evening trivia game, given by the Barrs (the Temple President and his wife) on modern day prophets. We came away with alot of good feelings. We also noted a quote by Wilford Woodruff. Best quote we've seen in a long time, thought we'd share it.
"Avoid confessing other people's sins." isn't it awesome?
We took some inventory the other day, just for our records. To date, we have been involved in 228 articles on the Aussie website since we have been here. About 15% of those were Salt Lake articles but they still need the posting, which takes Elder Allen some time. We have about 10 in the pipeline right now. It helps us know what we have done with our time, and it feels so good to remember some of the experiences those stories represent. We have had so much help, it's awesome!
It would be so hard to define our feelings right now, they're all over the place. There is so much to do that we just keep going but our minds are a bit of a mess. I guess, luckily, we don't have time to examine it all very much.
What rises above the confusion is our almost desperate desire to see our family. No matter how fast the last couple of months have gone, it has been too long since we have seen them and hugged them and we cannot wait!!! So, life is sweet.
We have been so blessed here in so many ways for so many days and weeks and months ,almost continually, that our faith in the Savior and His atoning power has just blossomed. There is no way to share how different we feel in many good and happy ways concerning our spiritual side. It has been TOTALLY worth it. TOTALLY!!! Our hope and prayers are that we will be able to keep those differences after we are released.
We know the Church is true to a larger, un-sharable way, than we ever had before. He is real, He loves us all, no matter what our situation is and He is ever closer than we imagine.
We love you all, thanks for keeping up with our blog/journal. We hope to do one last post, but time will tell. See you soon. Our grand-daughter, Reese, pointed out to us just lately that we are arriving home at 10:30 on the 10th day of the month of the 10th month of the year. That will be an easy day to remember in the future. I think Ray and I will have to have cake each year, or something!
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| Elspeth |
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| Daphne |
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| Many hands |
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| Sarah, an intern from Hawaii |
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| Elder and Sister Willis (our partners) |
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| Pat during her skit |
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| Elder Leota, Area Seventy, suit and HH vest |
On August 19th we attended a Senior Couples Missionary Conference with our new Mission President and his wife, the Checketts. It was a good morning with spiritual moments and a game and a few new ideas on how things will look going forward. They are a nice couple and will be wonderful. Much more layed back than the Howes, so different.
On Saturday the 22nd, we went to downtown Sydney on the River Cat and bought a few souveniers, Everything is so expensive here that we didn't get much of significance. But it was great fun. Then we took the ferry to Watson Bay and ate at a seafood place right on the beach at sunset. It was my birthday celebration and it was just a great day and evening and wonderful food (the best we have had in Australia) and wonderful, wonderful company. It was just Ray and I and was the best gift I
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| We love the tree Trunks |
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| Watson Bay at sunset |
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| View of Sydney from our table |
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| Birthday Girl!!! |
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| Cute lady, weird man |
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| More sunset |
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| Our Birthday Restaurant |
We recieved the itinerary last week for the Browns, who are taking our place, in October. If the schedule holds, they will arrive here on September 28th in the early a.m. We have essentially 4 days for training as they will spend most of Monday getting their keys and badges and taking a nap and feeling in a whirl. So it will be Tuesday - Friday so it will be a bit of a zoo. This all makes it so real!! On Saturday we get on a flight to Maui. Good heavens, how did we get here?
In Septemeber we are scheduled for a trip to Melbourne and then on to Tasmania. From September 9th thru the 14th. We are to train the PA council in Melbourne on media (I know our kids are chuckling) and then speak with 2 Stake Presidents in Tasie. We'd like to get some articles coming in from them in the future, so hope to infuse them to call some PA people. Say prayers for us. This is beyond our ability, (as so many things have been) and we need help!
On the 24th we head to Coffs Harbor, which is a 6 hour drive, to speak in a branch and meet with a Public Affairs person who hasn't yet been trained in Public Affairs. So, we hope to do some good. Again, please pray for her and us.
Last night, Monday August 31st, we had a family home evening trivia game, given by the Barrs (the Temple President and his wife) on modern day prophets. We came away with alot of good feelings. We also noted a quote by Wilford Woodruff. Best quote we've seen in a long time, thought we'd share it.
"Avoid confessing other people's sins." isn't it awesome?
We took some inventory the other day, just for our records. To date, we have been involved in 228 articles on the Aussie website since we have been here. About 15% of those were Salt Lake articles but they still need the posting, which takes Elder Allen some time. We have about 10 in the pipeline right now. It helps us know what we have done with our time, and it feels so good to remember some of the experiences those stories represent. We have had so much help, it's awesome!
It would be so hard to define our feelings right now, they're all over the place. There is so much to do that we just keep going but our minds are a bit of a mess. I guess, luckily, we don't have time to examine it all very much.
What rises above the confusion is our almost desperate desire to see our family. No matter how fast the last couple of months have gone, it has been too long since we have seen them and hugged them and we cannot wait!!! So, life is sweet.
We have been so blessed here in so many ways for so many days and weeks and months ,almost continually, that our faith in the Savior and His atoning power has just blossomed. There is no way to share how different we feel in many good and happy ways concerning our spiritual side. It has been TOTALLY worth it. TOTALLY!!! Our hope and prayers are that we will be able to keep those differences after we are released.
We know the Church is true to a larger, un-sharable way, than we ever had before. He is real, He loves us all, no matter what our situation is and He is ever closer than we imagine.
We love you all, thanks for keeping up with our blog/journal. We hope to do one last post, but time will tell. See you soon. Our grand-daughter, Reese, pointed out to us just lately that we are arriving home at 10:30 on the 10th day of the month of the 10th month of the year. That will be an easy day to remember in the future. I think Ray and I will have to have cake each year, or something!
I seriously LOVE you two! We are so excited to see you. I read your blog all of the time, but never comment, but I couldn't help it this time. And Uncle Ray, the "cute lady, weird man" comment had me hysterical. It isn't true (well, the cute lady part is), but it just really cracked me up. And Aunt Pat, that last photo of you is gorgeous! Love it. Miss you all. xoxo
ReplyDeleteWhat a great testimony of the truth. Can't believe you have written that many articles and yet I can. That is a lot of work. Now you can come home and show the US how to really make Public Affairs and Interfaith work!!
ReplyDeleteLove you.