JANUARY OH THE JOY!

Elder Kahmann turns 75! He can ski for free at Powder Mountain in Utah!!!!! This is his fun new shirt with Aboriginal artwork on it, from Margaret River.

A LOT more handsome than Bruce Willis

Our sweet friend Christine Harvey (works in the mission office) turns 75 also.

We met a sweet waitress from Berma who is interested in coming to church with us.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!! Such a beautiful picture of the Perth temple on NEW YEAR'S DAY 2024!!!

EMOTIONAL RESILIENCE TRAINING (Who works on NEW YEAR'S DAY? Missionaries!)

Jan. 1, 2024 Dianella Zone (Ballajura and Bellevue districts)

Elders Williams, Platt (ZL's), Payne, Arbutante (DL), Smith, Wilding, Sisters Ariitai David, Elders Vaka, Wright, Sisters: Thornton, Heelis (They sang Happy Birthday to Benson (age 7))

Jan. 1, 2024 Dianella Zone (Dianella)

Elders Mapa, Whiting, Gore (3 AP's), Johnson, Anderson, Sisters: Burke, Whitney (STL's), Grant, Lutui, Elders Brothers, Kennedy (DL) Elder Kennedy's fabulous cookies They sang Happy Birthday to Elder Kahmann (age 75)

Jan. 10, 2024 (Albany Sisters)

Sister Talbot and Sister Zinck from Albany. We got to teach them by themselves then take them for dinner. What lovely Sisters!

Jan. 10, Pilbara, Wheatbelt, Geraldton districts

Geraldton, Pilbara and Wheatbelt Districts Jan. 10, 2024

Sisters: Tonas, Lasitani, Wasden, Manakofua, Singh, Burt. Elders: Deinert, Saipa'ia(DL), Sefuiva, Mayeda (DL), Tafiti (DL), Wolfgramm, Linder, Gillespie

Emotional Resilience Training with the Service Missionaries at Zone Conference (Jan.9, 2024)

Us with Elder Cox and Elder Heeds, Sister and Elder Jose.

Jan. 15. Thornlie District

Elders: Valley, Guillermo; Sisters: Tanielu, Rogers; Sister and President Stone; Elders: Bradford, Wright, Swenson (ZL), Manning (ZL), Hymas (DL), Staley

Jan. 15, 2024 Armadale District

Sisters: Bramwell, Heap. Elder's Chin Koun Cheng, Hittle, Masalo, Tanag (DL)

Jan. 22, 2024  Rockingham District The missionaries are trying to teach me how to do selfies.

Front Row: Elders: Hutchins(DL), Deskins (ZL) Valdez, Niutupuivaha(DL), Robison

Back: Elder's: Switzer, Tamaiti, Stabler, Thomas, Jensen, Bingham; Sisters: Ulberg, Platt, Fehoko, Crockett, West, Herrmann

Jan. 22, 2024 (Bunbury District)

Front: Elders Hu'ihahau, Hill (DL) , Sisters Sanft, Frey. Back: Wade, Johnson, Paletu'a, Elder and Sister Metcalf.

Jan. 29, 2024 Como District

Elders Epati, Jones; Sister Olson, Gillins; Elders Steer and Lioc

Jan. 29, 2024 Cloverdale District

Sisters Tahaafe, Shipley, Kahmann, Elder Allen (DL)

Back: Sisters Baker, Biribo; Elders Moala, Kahmann.

They invited us to the most wonderful lunch that some members provided. (This was their last day before transfers).

Elder Smith shared a wonderful testimony about repentance in Elder Kahmann's excellent training in Zone conference

DEPARTING MISSIONARY SEMINAR (January 26, 2024) ANZAC DAY! What is it? ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps; it's like Veterans Day in the US, but bigger. Some say this is the best Holiday of the year here. Who works on Anzac Day? Missionaries!

We talk about staying strong, dating, marriage, education, financial success. We share testimonies, reflect, have a yummy lunch, play a strategy game, laugh a lot.

I play God Be With You Till We Meet Again (a Marshall McDonald arrangement) on the grand piano in the chapel, just before we say the closing prayer and say goodbye.

FUN FRIENDS AND PHOTOS

With Catherine Payze, our good friend and Family Services psychologist from Sydney. She also has a home in Perth. Dinner in downtown Perth! (Near the Swan River where a girl got killed by a shark a few month ago. So sad.)

A tree full of these beautiful birds! We don't see them very often.

The Poulson's (the wonderful senior couple in Geraldton) with Sister Afualo and Sister Crockett.

Our wonderful friends, the Oates! They just got called to be the mission president couple in Pakistan. They will be the BEST!

This is Bardia, baby Lucy and Sister Grinceri. The husband, daughter, and mother of Sister Grinceri's daughter (Kerry) who was taken back to heaven a few months ago after childbirth. So hard, but they are so strengthened by the gospel and plan of salvation.

SUCH A SMALL WORLD

We met this cute family after church. Sister Melinda Morrison Kanongata'a came running up telling us that she knew of Bowman Mitchell who went to Korea and BYU and was good friends with his MTC teacher, Steve Plowman.

We also learned at our ward Christmas party last month, that the Osborne's, our WSR replacement missionaries, have been in the ward and stake in California of the daughter of the Liddicoat's, a great couple who are in our Duncraig ward here in Australia.

A sister in Julia's ward in Washington used to babysit President and Sister Stone's children. And, the father of one of our missionaries dated Julia back in the day. Sister Gillins is from Beaver Utah and knows Mark Robinson's family.

We did sealings. Sister Yip in the middle. Her husband was sealed to his father. They are a new senior couple in the office.

Eating at the DOME before going to the temple with the senior couples. Hadfield's, us, Albrecht's Wow! Elder Kahmann and Elder Albrecht are tired!

Whew! Whose up for a nap? Missions and mortality are hard work!

Stinkin cute great-granddaughter Luna

MORE SMALL WORLD STUFF

This couple are the Grader's. We met them in church. This is their lovely daughter, named Monet. She is an artist! She made this fabulous dessert. They had us over to their lovely home for the most wonderful gluten-free meal. Her sister is married to my best friend's (Dalea Anderson) brother (Arnell) and they live in our stake in Pleasant View, Utah. What a small world.

Cindy loves to treat people - and make fun memories! We love her.

Don't be grabbing a cactus!!!

1/27/2024 Finally got to have Cindy's family over for dinner and games after having to cancel twice on our plans: once because of my mom's funeral, and once because I got violently sick after the transfer meeting. Steven, Kathy, and Geoffrey. We enjoyed them a ton.

1/28/2024: We spoke in Como Ward today. Jose's invited us to lunch after church. We love them sooo much!

A must hear! This is a sample of how loud the parrots (a large flock of white cockatoos) are at 5:00 in the morning in the park where we walk and sprint. It is so incredible! We also listen to our favorite podcasts while we walk, but not with this competing noise!!!

REFLECTING BACK, LOOKING FORWARD:

The name January has an intriguing origin! It is the first month of the Gregorian calendar, and its name is derived from ancient Roman mythology.

In Roman culture, Janus was a significant deity associated with doorways, beginnings, and transitions. His name comes from the Latin word “jānus,” which means “doorway, archway, arcade.” Janus was often depicted with two bearded heads, each facing in opposite directions—one looking to the future and the other to the past. As the god of new beginnings, he symbolized the transition from one year to another.

We learned this in zone conference.

We have enjoyed our weekly Monday night Family Home Evenings with Cindy. We are rotating giving the lessons from "Come Follow Me". The lessons are fabulous. They include wonderful conference talks, videos, activities and thought provoking questions to reflect. Cindy made some wonderful goals for the year and shared them with us. She also reflected on her goals from last year. We love her so much. She is such an asset to us and the world.

WE LOVE YOU!

TONY'S POSTSCRIPT

It's hard to believe that as of January 18 we have been on our mission for 18 months; and that we only have 5 months left before we have to say goodbye to beautiful friends and this unique, beautiful land. I am grateful that we chose to serve 23 months, as I can see the wisdom of serving a longer term (either 18 or 23 months) with Welfare Self-Reliance and Member/Leader Support (MLS) assignments; at least for us, it took 12 months to figure out more precisely what we needed to do, which afforded us the remaining time to hopefully be more effective.

Visiting and speaking in all 28 wards and branches has been an incredible blessing and provided insights that we could not have gained had we not spent time with each unit. Each ward and branch has a unique culture and personality, with common, but often unique, challenges. The Church in WA is as diverse as all of Australia, as only about one in three citizens would fit the mold of a white, British Isles immigrant; and the remainder have come here from Tonga, Samoa, the Philippines, Asia, India, Pakistan, the Middle East, South Africa, Africa, and more. We've learned through several new friends/converts in India how powerful local and multi-generational cultural traditions are, and how difficult it is for them as new members of the Church of Jesus Christ to integrate with their predominant Hindu culture.

We've realized how hard it is to, as the analogy goes, get the doctrines and practices of the Gospel, like watering a garden, "...to the end of the row." Many wards and branches are, smaller (almost marginal) in size, and thus lack the depth and strength numerically to fill all essential callings; or even when filled, effectively launch and train members in their callings to their blessing and those they serve.

Many of our fondest memories are those made in serving, and serving with, our wonderful young missionaries. Our weekly Emotional Resilience training meetings and end-of-transfer Departing Missionary Seminars have been precious experiences. Building relationships with all of them, and then preparing for and saying goodbye to them at the conclusion of their missions has been priceless. It is so touching and gratifying to see the growth that most missionaries experience through the course of their time here. Our hopes and prayers for each departing missionary is that he/she will continue to live the positive, spirit-nurturing habits that they have developed on their missions.

We have five months to go, and I plan to make the most of them. With the Lord's help we have learned much, and we plan on refining and sharing key doctrines, principles and practices of Self-Reliance for the remainder of our time here. We have already met (via Zoom) the wonderful couple, the Osborne's, who will be replacing us. They are awesome! We are so excited for the new and fresh perspectives they will bring to the mission.

If I were asked to express what the most important thing is that I've learned on our mission (so far), at or near the top of the list would be, "The Lord is in charge; and if we look for His Hand in our lives each day, we will see it." These are wonderful truths, of which I bear witness, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.