Sunday, December 1st
It's weird to sit down and write and think about our family back in the states. The grandkids are probably asleep and the parents are probably slowing down. I don't know if they even read these blogs so maybe I'll get a comment later that they were just getting revved up on a Saturday night.
We went to the Garran church today so we could attend the Red Hill Ward and the Stromlo Ward. Because their boundaries were all changed a month ago, this was their first fast and testimony meeting together. The spirit of those two wards was wonderful and we were able to meet several new people. President Moir met with us between meetings and officially called us to be the Stake Young Single Adult leaders and to be the Institute teacher. We readily accepted and now we will have access to the computer names and information for all of the Stake.
Evelyn is playing the keyboard in the dining area, as I sit here in the living room. She's been asked to do a musical number at the combined Christmas party next Saturday so she's practicing. I've always been so grateful that she plays. It's about 24 degrees Celsius outside and we're definitely enjoying it as Tiff posted a video clip of the grandkids playing in the snow. From the looks of the clip there is a nice amount of snow back in Utah.
Friday, we drove up to Sydney to have a Thanksgiving dinner with the senior missionaries. We had an appointment for tea at Cindy's home in Goulburn at 10:00. She invited Pam to join us and it was a wonderful 2 hours of touring her yard and eating a biscuit with homemade preserves put on top of thickened cream. (now, nobody quote me because it was probably some other titles but that's my best interpretation) They're both converts to the church. Pam is a widow and has been a member for just a few years. She was found by the young sister missionaries who were walking past her flat and they looked so hot and dirty that she invited them to have a drink of water. After ward we headed toward Sydney and had to make a loop out into the country because of an accident on the motorway. The back hills make me think I'm driving through the countryside of my childhood around San Diego. We had a great dinner with about 10 couples. Two of the couples are from Australia and the rest are stateside. Turkey, ham and all the trimmings of a traditional dinner. Evelyn made a pan of Pecan "bars". She wanted to make Pecan pie but there are no pie plates in the flat and we've had the devil of a time trying to find a pie plate. Her dessert was the best part of the dinner. As we drove home, late that night, I was watching very carefully for kangaroos and wombats and the bush fires were evident along the dark night sky. It was a sliver of a moon but the smoke in the air prevented me from really seeing the stars in the sky.
I've been reading the text by James Talmage and it's been a sweet thing to ponder as we enter this Christmas season. His description of the conversation between Mary and the angel is wonderful. What a marvelous young lady to accept such a proclamation. December was my favorite month each of the two years I served a mission in Texas. Yes, it's hard to be away from family but I can't think of a better time of year as our purpose is to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. Without the belief that the gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored there would be no way that I'd leave our loved ones and come to this distant land for 18 months.
Today we were asked to fast for relief from the drought and that the fires out in the bush might be contained. We joined in that and pray for rain.
Looks like another rambling post on the blog but I do want to keep a record. Love to all, Dad
We went to the Garran church today so we could attend the Red Hill Ward and the Stromlo Ward. Because their boundaries were all changed a month ago, this was their first fast and testimony meeting together. The spirit of those two wards was wonderful and we were able to meet several new people. President Moir met with us between meetings and officially called us to be the Stake Young Single Adult leaders and to be the Institute teacher. We readily accepted and now we will have access to the computer names and information for all of the Stake.
Evelyn is playing the keyboard in the dining area, as I sit here in the living room. She's been asked to do a musical number at the combined Christmas party next Saturday so she's practicing. I've always been so grateful that she plays. It's about 24 degrees Celsius outside and we're definitely enjoying it as Tiff posted a video clip of the grandkids playing in the snow. From the looks of the clip there is a nice amount of snow back in Utah.
Friday, we drove up to Sydney to have a Thanksgiving dinner with the senior missionaries. We had an appointment for tea at Cindy's home in Goulburn at 10:00. She invited Pam to join us and it was a wonderful 2 hours of touring her yard and eating a biscuit with homemade preserves put on top of thickened cream. (now, nobody quote me because it was probably some other titles but that's my best interpretation) They're both converts to the church. Pam is a widow and has been a member for just a few years. She was found by the young sister missionaries who were walking past her flat and they looked so hot and dirty that she invited them to have a drink of water. After ward we headed toward Sydney and had to make a loop out into the country because of an accident on the motorway. The back hills make me think I'm driving through the countryside of my childhood around San Diego. We had a great dinner with about 10 couples. Two of the couples are from Australia and the rest are stateside. Turkey, ham and all the trimmings of a traditional dinner. Evelyn made a pan of Pecan "bars". She wanted to make Pecan pie but there are no pie plates in the flat and we've had the devil of a time trying to find a pie plate. Her dessert was the best part of the dinner. As we drove home, late that night, I was watching very carefully for kangaroos and wombats and the bush fires were evident along the dark night sky. It was a sliver of a moon but the smoke in the air prevented me from really seeing the stars in the sky.
I've been reading the text by James Talmage and it's been a sweet thing to ponder as we enter this Christmas season. His description of the conversation between Mary and the angel is wonderful. What a marvelous young lady to accept such a proclamation. December was my favorite month each of the two years I served a mission in Texas. Yes, it's hard to be away from family but I can't think of a better time of year as our purpose is to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. Without the belief that the gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored there would be no way that I'd leave our loved ones and come to this distant land for 18 months.
Today we were asked to fast for relief from the drought and that the fires out in the bush might be contained. We joined in that and pray for rain.
Looks like another rambling post on the blog but I do want to keep a record. Love to all, Dad
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