August 2015

July 10th 
We picked up two YSA, Jessie and Jolea (male and female) from Brisbane, at the airport and took them out to a Catholic retreat several miles away. It was fun to listen to them talk and buy them lunch.  Then on the 16th we picked them up and took them back to the airport for their flight home. 

Fun to hear their tales of the week. Jolea had been the only girl in attendance and so slept alone.  She had hoped to have long conversations with girls of other faiths about their beliefs and hers. 

They had been sent, as youth, to see how interfaith works.  They were both returned missionaries and not the least bit fearful.  So brave.  I don't know that it will have lasting effects on the country but it might on these 2 young people as they get older.  Inter-faith will at least mean something to them. 

Jessie and Jolea

Interfaith Conference

July 19th

We had the opportunity to go to a baptism today. It was down near Sydney and it was actually a woman who had come to hear Elder Cook speak at Notre Dame on May 7th this year on religious freedom and then had gone to hear him speak later in the week at a religious symposium. Melina Forrest.

She had met with senior missionaries downtown and then young missionaries a bit later and taken the discussions. That's the nutshell part of the story, but it all worked out. She is single, but just a lovely woman, who has a degree from Notre Dame and is well acquainted with the assistant dean of the law school there, who is also LDS.  Many small things made it work, I would guess.

August 13th

Church Youth Choir that sang

We went to Adelaide for 6 days. They were having a 175th anniversary from the day the first missionary/Church member arrived in Australia. William Barratt 17 and one half years old, who came from England, alone.  He came to Adelaide.  They had a Multi-Cultural/ Multi- Faith event that was absolutely everything a Public Affairs happening should be.  A full cultural hall and over-flow!!  Lots of displays, flags, Church information, dances and musical numbers from different cultures, members and not.  Lots and lots of political leaders and community leaders.  The Govenor of South Australia came with his contingency and spoke about the Church and William Barratt!  He shared that he wished this young man could somehow see what he started here.  He praised the Church for their good works in the community. He is an Asian man, so I had to wonder if he might be Buddist.

His Excellency the Honourable Hieu Van Le AO, Governor of South Australia 

A govenor coming to something the Church has is a very rare thing in Australia.  You have to remember that the Church is only about 1% or less of the population in this country.  When he arrives, everyone must be seated BEFORE he enters. They actually had covered chairs with ribbon as they do in some weddings, for the dignitaries to sit on.

Indian Performing Group

Cantonese Opera Group

Cultural Displays

They had the leader of both political parties, Council Members, leaders of The Multi-Faith group in South Australia--not a member-- leader of the Muslim womens group and some of their members.  The list goes on.  The gym, the halls and foyer were all covered with multi cultural displays and Church displays. IT WAS AMAZING the amount of work that had been done and the amount of MONTHS that had been spent to pull this off!!  

Muslim Women's Association members

President Korte and Caroline McIlwaine

The Public Affairs Director of the multi-stake council in Adelaide was the instigator and the driving force behind all of it.  Her name is Caroline Mcllwaine and she is wonderful!  I think she set a standard that will be an example in this country for years to come.  And made friends with a very influential person in SA.  Who knows how he maybe able to help the Church in the future.  One can only imagine!

It was such a pleasure to be there. We took pictures and quotes like CRAZY!!  Please take a minute to go to mormonnewsroom.org.au to like the story!  IT HAS REALLY TAKEN OFF!!  BUT EVERY 'LIKE' HELPS.

We stayed until Tuesday night to cover a Fireside for the 'Time Out for Women' people who had presented on Saturday in Sydney. Adelaide ended up with David Archuleta and Brad Wilcox.  I actually went into the room they were meeting in before the fireside and ask if I could get pictures.  Very Bold of me!!!  Love the badge and the camera.  Those and most importantly a quick prayer for courage carried me through.

David and Brad (left) and Church leaders

David and Sister Liester his accompanist from our mission

Elder O'Riorden and his wife, Brad Wilcox and David Archuleta

David sang 'Come Come Ye Saints' A'capella.  Really, really beautiful.  Then, later in the meeting, he sang 'Glorious', which as you know, is the theme song for 'Meet the Mormons'. To hear him sing it live, WOW what an experience.  I have the lyrics on my desk so I will learn every word. The spirit was so strong that tears ran for a second. The phrase 'the music of the Gospel' kept going through my mind. It felt like exactly that!!

Brad Wilcix and David Archuleta

David and Brad (again)

Then we took quotes in the fireside like crazy.  Great, great meeting with what we figure was over 800 YSA and Youth. Just wonderful!  Good spirit and laughter too. SO many wonderful quotes from both of them.  Only room for a few in the article.  Which will hopefully go up Tuesday or Thursday.

On Wednesday morning when we were getting ready to board the plane back to Sydney, this very short good looking guy in a sweat shirt came up to us and said 'Hey, there's two missionaries I recognize." It was David.  We shook hands and said hello and watched him go back up the concourse. We don't know how he even saw us, or where he came from!  It was such a blessing for us! Can't even explain why. Tender Mercy. He is a very nice, kind, kind of shy person. I never would have guessed shy. 

August 16th
Yesterday was Saturday and one of those difficult Senior Missionary days. Three couples went to Watson Bay, via the River Cat and Sydney and then a ferry to Watson. Went to see the oldest lighthouse in NSW, or so we were told. Left at 9:00 and got home after 5:00.  It was a cloudy, very cool day but it was also a wonderful day. Sometimes we don't take the moments to notice the beauties all around us!! How blessed we are as missionaries to be in this place.  We are grateful every day, but more grateful after a trip like that one!! We love this country and it's beauties.  We just love America more.

A selfie!!!

Allen's, Willis's and Black's

Elder and Sister Black from Spokane

The 'Girls'

The Willis's from Snowflake Arizona

First lighthouse in Australia??

Watson Bay

The trip to PNG has been changed to late (very late) in September, so we will not be going. We are both sad and relieved. We would have been gone when the Browns (our replacement couple) comes in to be trained so, that wouldn't have worked. They would have still sent us, but it seemed a real conflict of interest, as there is no boss here to train them.  It feels good now.

Richard (our boss in New Zealand) wants to send us to Melbourne and Tasmania, as stories from there are the least of any area, but we will see what happens.  Not counting on it yet, we'll know more Monday or Tuesday.

Australia National Flower

We are 7 weeks from leaving Sydney and the 'to do list' is long and full.  Which will make it go quicker. 

 No boss for us yet, but they have it down to 3 candidates.  I got to sit in on the interview with the 7 finalists, as did Sister Willis.  Some tough questions were asked.  It was all done on a video conference.  The three that I picked were all chosen as the final three. Not inspiration I don't think, just a lucky guess.  Still, it was fun to be involved. Got to ask a couple of questions, because we have a very nice boss in New Zealand who looks out for us aged missionaries.

 We will see everyone soon, we cannot wait!  And yet we can, because there are peoplewe have gotten close to here that we will never see again.  Bitter/sweet.  I'd say sweet and sour, but that just brings thoughts of the Mandarin.  Wait, we can consider that in our future!!!  And lots more.

We love you all, thanks for reading the blog!  It makes us happy.
More to come next month.

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.

June 10, 2015

May 29th We had the most wonderful experiences following Elder Quentin L. Cook from meeting to meeting over a 7 day period here in Australia. He shook hands with every single missionary before the mission meeting.  So tender and sweet.  We got to meet him and shake his hand as well, more than once, what a blessing!!!    (Lost the font I started with and can't get it back, sorry)

Elder Cook, Prime Minister Tony Abbott Elder Pearson

Missionary Conferrence with Elder Cook

Reviewing the Prime Ministers Family History

There are in all, 5 articles on the website about him and the missionary article contains a short vieo of him with those sweet young missionaries. What a tender experience that was.  Sister Cook had them sing a song with her when she spoke. Page 264 'Hark all Ye Nations'.  I have never felt a hymn sang with so much power.  It was as if it could have lifted the roof, and in some ways, it probably did!  There were some 400 people there in all, and it sounded like thousands, really and truly. "We're asking the world to 'Hark to our voices", she said, "The nations are listening.  As you sang that song, singing about shining the gospels truth and light, you lit up the room."  They surely did.

Elder and Sister Cook welcoming the missionaries

Missionaries waiting for the meeting to begin

Elder and Sister Leota (just called to Area Seventy)

Sister Cook obviously has a great love for music, she used it in all her talks.  She is a really, really great speaker.

Both Elder and Sister Cook love 'Preach my Gospel'.  Apparently Elder Cook and Elder Ballard were very instrumental in putting it together, under President Hinckley's close supevision.  He mentioned in his Stake Conference talk that he would like to see families use it more in their homes.

Elder and Sister Cook

Elder Cook and an older missionary

My favorite companion

Elder Cook said a few times that he loves Diversity and Unity.  I imagine all of the congregations he spoke to here, with the exception of Notre Dame, had a sea of diverse faces, colors and cultures.  Having been the Pacific Area President at one time, I doubt he was surprised.  Don't imagine Heavenly Father is either.  All part of His plan.

One thing Elder Cook said in every single talk, sometimes twice, "We need to take back the sabbath day, take back the sacrament." He explained that the sacrament should be holy to each and everyone of us, all of us knowing in our hearts what it means.  Making Sunday more of a family day.

Religious Freedom was the theme of the week, we think.  So that we can retain the freedoms the constitution now allows us, to teach and worship in our buildings and teach in the public square.  Those freedoms are at risk.  Many would have us only able to worhip in our homes. Chilling thoughts.

Richard Hunter, our boss in New Zealand is coming over next week to spend a few days with us and the Willis' (the other Public Affairs couple). Our boss Alan Wakely has gone to SLC to help write some training materials.  Although he and his wife will return to Australia in 4 months, he will not be returning to Public Affairs, but will be preparing for a mission. So, Rich is coming over to help with the transition. And tell us what happens next.  At present, we have done the website without Alan's help, for the last 2 weeks.  More than that actually, to be honest. We hear there will be someone new hired to take his place, but it may take some time.

We went to Nowra branch to speak on the 30th.  It was the biggest branch that we have spoken to so far.  They had 60 people there, which is about average for them.  Some very, very nice people. We really enjoyed our three hours there.  It was the Branch Presidents first Sunday in his calling -- AGAIN!  We think we may send out a warning to the branch we're visiting the end of June.  Tell them changes may happen before we come.  Just kidding.

Kangaroo Valley

Nowra Chapel

Three Sister Missionaries in Nowra

Nowra Branch Chapel

As we drove there, we went through the Kangaroo Valley (saw not one Kangaroo) but it was the most green all put together in one place than we have ever seen.  Amazing! There is an old movie called 'How Green Was My Valley' and that phrase just kept going through my head. ALL kinds of trees and ferns and bushes all so close together that you couldn't see past them!! Just stunning.

June 7, 2015
We spent last week with Rich from New Zealand.  We feel really excited about the website going forward. Things for all articles are simplified, editing will be streamlined and we will be on our own with the Willis' for the next month and perhaps two.  They are going to hire someone to take Alan's place but it may take two months to make that happen.

We have been invited to go to Papau New Guinea for a week in August.  Something we had not thought we'd do. So, some shots and pills to take care of in preparation!  It's a bit primitive up there for the most part, but Elder Cummings would like to see more article info. coming in from them, so we are going up (or down, I have no idea) and try to make that happen. When we arrived here, they wouldn't let sisters go there at all.  So, this is new territory, but the Willis' are going too and we will brave new trails.  

We were put in charge of Melbourne for the rest of our time, so we may well get a trip there, and a trip to Tasmania as well, as that is part of the Melbourne council.  Going to Adelaide in August too, for the 175th anniversary of the first missionary coming to Australia and it happened there! So, we are going to be a little busy, but it's all pretty exciting!

Yesterday (Saturday) we spent on a bit of a tour with the Smiths who are going home to Las Vegas the first of July. We saw some beautiful places on land that we had only experienced via the ferry or rivercat. It was stunning.  Pictures are included. It was a good day seeing many amazing sights and eating and laughing. Good way to spend a P-Day. We will miss them when they go home!

Elder & Sister Smith and the Allens

Two investigators

Two beach bums

Sydney Harbor

Sydney from across the Harbor

 
We came into the office tonight, Sunday, for a PA meeting and it seemed like a good time to finish off the blog.  We love you all, miss you all.  It has been a hard month to be away from home. Next month will be better, we just know it.
Time is marching on and we are trying to keep up with it! But we are happy!