Monday, May 15, 2016
Sheila writes in black, Rick in blue.
As we are leaving Thursday morning for Port Macquarie to attend a Member Leader Support conference, we are working hard to get everything done before we leave. Today was busy with missionary referrals being phoned and texted to me to put into the church referral system, making four maps and working on the monthly mission newsletter.
Tonight was senior couples' family home evening. We played a fun game based on Who Wants to be a Millionaire and had a nice dinner. Everyone is lots of fun.
Tuesday-Wednesday
Thursday, May 19, 2016
We left early for our Member Leader Support Conference in Port Macquarie. We are excited to once again have a chance to walk the beach and enjoy the ocean. Leaving Sydney during rush hour is a slow, tense process. It took 45 minutes to go 15 kilometers. This city continues to grow in population but has streets with no place for expansion. They are building an underground freeway to move people north and south that should alleviate the problem. We will be long gone by the time that it is finished. It's too bad that President Brigham Young didn't lay out the plans for Sydney.
On the way, as we listened to Elder Berger's ipod once again, he sang harmony along with James Taylor, Paul McCartney, Ricky Nelson, the Eagles, Buddy Holly and others, my memory returned of our early dating when I lived in the avenues of Salt Lake City. We met on a blind date (She'll leave me when her eyesight recovers, I'll bet.) and then spent lots of summer evenings with him singing on my porch steps with his guitar. Some mornings, he was still strumming the strings and singing the notes at 2:00 a.m. I have always loved to hear him sing. Music has been very important to him and he has enjoyed singing in several choirs, one of them ward choir. If he leaves this world before I do and isn't immediately at the Pearly Gates to greet me when I appear , I will look for him where there is music. I will follow the music. Wishful thinking in many different ways. Indeed, she is always planning ahead.
We arrived at the Port Macquarie chapel for lunch at noon. We left Sydney at 7.15 AM. The Fillmores and Swains provided lunch and it was delicious. They brought most of the things I love: fruits, chips, almonds, candy, cookies and chicken salad sandwiches.The church bought five acres with an interesting, almost Spanish looking building turned into chapel and classrooms, two separate buildings. The area is lovely. Right now there are approximately 40 active members and the church is hoping this branch can become a ward. We joined 14 other missionaries, (six couples and President and Sister Checketts) for training. We discussed our successes and our challenges and received ideas and suggestions from our inspired mission president. I am always impressed by the dedication of these senior Missionaries. We could feel the Spirit testify of their goodness as they spoke about their experiences in their Branches with their members.
We ended at 4:30 and checked in at our motel, The El Paso Motor Inn. President Checketts had reserved the rooms and they were very nice. We joined one another for dinner and enjoyed steak and salmon and then the Fillmores treated us to Baskin Robbins ice cream. They actually had grain fed beef which was amazing. Most of the beef in Australia is grass fed. Grass fed beef may be more healthy but grain fed tastes sooooo much better. It was a lovely day. We decided to stay an extra night so that we could see the ocean and drive to Armidale on Saturday so we paid for an extra night at the El Paso.
Friday, May 20, 2016
Once again the Swains and Fillmores had prepared our breakfast and then more training. The self-reliance people joined us to discuss that part of training we could provide to the branches. Elder Berger and I decided to spend the night before traveling to Armidale. We are speaking in Sacrament meeting there (oh boy) and then returning to Sydney until June 18th. The Ellis's stayed and the Swains live here so we had dinner together and then went to the working lighthouse by the beach. It was beautiful.
Inside of the Port Macquarie chapel
Elder Berger coming out of the Port Macquarie chapel
One of the huge trees at the chapel
The Browns and the Swains.
Waiting for lunch with Rick, Elder & Sister Ellis and Elder Swain.
Elder & Sister Ellis from New Harmony, Utah
Elder & Sister Swain from Mesa, Arizona with Sister Fillmore, from Alpine, Utah.
President and Sister Checketts.
Sister Brown from Brookside, Utah, & Sister Berger.
Elder Fillmore, Alpine, Utah and Elder Pierce from Bountiful.
Just me and my shadow and my reflection walking along the beach
The infamous five dollar bill makes yet another appearance.
Lighthouse Beach and pictures of the surf.
These were the only 2 people on the entire beach on Saturday morning at 9:30 AM, incredible!
We left for Armidale after returning to the Lighthouse Beach for some pictures displayed above. It is so beautiful. We love the ocean. After, we left for Armidale traveling Oxley Highway which went through fern covered forests. It was beautiful. It was a long winding road up through the coastal rain forest to what they call the tablelands. That is where our area is located. The trip ended up taking about 4 hours. We stopped a few times to let Sister Berger get out, stand up straight, and calm her motion sickness. We were happy to get back to what is now "home".
Sunday, May 23, 2016
After speaking in Sacrament meeting where there was a lovely spirit, and enjoying our reconnection with branch members, we headed for Sydney. Today's music was Hank Williams Junior, George Strait, Bailey and the Boys, the Ventures and Motzart, lots of Motzart. There is nothing quite like travelling through the Australian landscape with Motzart.
We were in Armidale late for seeing the beautiful red leaves but were able to get this picture of one tree that is holding on to its red leaves in the church parking lot.
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