June - Oh what a JOYFUL Month! Our final days of our Perth, Australia Mission

On the first, we did our last session at the beautiful Perth Temple. We did our usual thing of praying for each one of our children and grandchildren by name, 8 + 43 + new baby Enoch who is coming soon, + Luna our great grand daughter, + Devin our new grandson married to Janill. It takes a minute. But it was good to ponder on the blessings of the past couple years, soak it all in and appreciate what a great experience this has mission been.

We taught our last ER training on June 3. (lesson 5) -10 Elders and sisters in Como and Cloverdale. We decided to let the new couple replacing us take over starting on lesson 1 in the new transfer. This would give them a couple weeks to get their bearings and get settled.

Look at the clock! We got done right on time! SCORE. We were always diligent about that!

Sisters: Gillins, Talbot. Elders: Mahaffey, Stabler, and Sisters: Leiataua and Crockett

Elders Lorn and Johnson, Sisters Tanielu and Lasitani. Oh how we love these missionaries!

Our last day of Emotional Resilence training with the individual districts.

One more to do at zone conference! Ahhhh!

We invited Jill and Joe Grinceri to a fine dinner of fresh caught Tuna (and they really liked it) and wanted them to know how much we appreciated living in their rental home while we were here on the mission.

Nima got his visa clearance so he could pursue and find a new job! It was a miracle with the help of some great support from ward members (especially John Grinceri)

We invited our friends, the Fulleloves (Jeff and Marg) to our home for dinner. We shared the plan of salvation using our little kit. It was so fun. These are the wonderful people who have been doing the annual Christmas dinner for the city of Joondalup for 15 years. They love the missionaries and so appreciate the help the young missionaries have given for several years in setting up and taking down tables, chairs and equipment for over 500 people. They gave us this beautiful gift in appreciation of our service to the Joondalup Christmas Lunch.

We felt like they are the ones who gave service in so many ways.

All during this time, we were cleaning and preparing the house for the Osbourne's. On the 8th of June, our sweet friends Gail and Albert Grinceri planned an over-the-top farewell evening with a spectacular dinner including near 50 of our dear friends from around the wards and stakes that we grew close to. It was so touching. (I'm so sad I didn't get a picture of all the food) They went around the circle and expressed warm appreciations, brought gifts (even though we told them NO GIFTS). Some wanted to be at the airport, when we left, by we told them not to come, as it would be too crazy as it would be right after zone conference.

Brother and Sister Gericitano (far left) Brother and Sister Shepherd, Sister Sherriff, Sister and Bishop Sheck, Brothers: Sinclair, Jose, Sherriff, Albie and half of Gail Grinceri. In front, Brother and Sister Van der Linden, Vicki and John Grinceri.

Sister Jose, Lajla and Tony McDonald, Joe Grinceri, Nima, Brother and Sister Geracitano, the Shepard's.

Brother Baker, Sister Lekias, The Fulleloves, Brother Grader, Sister and Brother Day, Sister Morris, Sister Christine Harvey, Sister Jill Grinceri, Sister Jose, Sister and Brother McDonald, Joe Grinceri.

Vicki and John Grinceri, Sister Baker, Back: Sister Payze (our Family Services psychologist), Albert and Gail Grinceri, Kathy Van Der Linden

Our wonderful stake president, President Richard, and the Graders (Fritz and Annalee) .

Bishop and Sister Lekias

Bishop and Sister Sheck, and the Geracitano's who were fellow senior couples, but had completed their mission and lived in Perth.

Sister Dayle Allen, a stellar and faithful sister in the gospel Our dear friend, Anouck

I've prayed and fasted that the Lord will bless her with an eternal companion

Sister Baker, Dayle Allen, and Kara Chapman

Our dear friend, Kara (She is a look a like to Glenn Close, from those fun movies we loved about her coming to be a mother to the widow guy that had 2 children. I can't remember or find that name of it. )

The Epic Welfare and Self Reliance Couple - our poster couple

Our Beloved Nima from Iran

He was so excited to see his first kangaroos.

9th: We attended our last sacrament meeting in the Baldivas Ward where we spoke and then taught the second hour on family councils. Rockingham Stake. Lots of Polynesian people and Kiwi's from New Zealand in this stake.

I just had to snap a picture of this wonderful memory. We love these people so much!

Bishop Peakman's (?) beautiful wife and daughters

Our wonderful President Stanley and his wife were just called as mission leaders to Adelaide. He was the past Rockingham Stake president that we worked a lot with. We love him! He has 2 brothers that serve as Bishops in the Rockingham stake that we also love. They come from a large, and strong family in the gospel.

10th: It was a sprint to make sure we could see everyone and say one last goodbye: We didn't quite make it to everybody, but we did pretty good.

The Hadfield's wanted to go to King's Park with us one last time. They were having a special light show. We took Cindy with us. Elder Kahmann was still recovering from surgery.

Cindy said this could be President Nelson's birthday cake. He will turn 100 on Sept. 9th this year.

It was pretty spectacular

The food trucks are great here. (Thinking of grandson Danny.) After we started eating, it began to pour down rain like crazy. We had to run back to our cars several miles away. We were completely drenched. Quite the adventure.

We love the parks, the trees, the birds, the fresh air. We loved walking by the ocean. (Didn't have time to do that in the last few weeks, we were so busy.)

This is where I sprinted 2 or 3 times a week. I got up to 20 (a distance of 1 kilometer on the 20th of May and was able to keep that up. Listening to a good podcast while I did it made it easier.

We loved the trees so much. And seeing the kookaburras ---- Oh how I will miss them. So many special moments with the kookaburras!

I always saw just a couple of ducks in this park. I was finally able to get a picture of some that turned toward each other, rather than one in front of the other, or turning away from each other, or turning against each other. Turning toward was a big theme in our healthy relationship training.

Our Dear Friend and celestial saint, Jose

Sweet, lovable Cindy, our Aussie daughter! We loved watching the movie of Beatrice Potter with Cindy at the first of our mission. She let us read her book. On one of our last walks together in the cemetery where her dear grandparents ashes are placed, we saw 2 rabbits run in front of us. I think that was the first time I saw rabbits in the cemetery. It was really special to me. We decided to leave Cindy with these cute bunny missionaries, so she will never forget us, and know how much we will always love her.

I wanted to visit Coralee, a dear lady in our ward at her in care facility before I left.

This is Sister Olson. She left last month, but I wanted to talk more about her.

It was her goal to pass off her doctrinal points before she left. She did it! She made a goal to complete the Book of Mormon and she did it!

She worked super hard to overcome some very hard challenges. She never gave up. She was humble and took influence.

She wrote things down and learned. She made goals and accomplished them.

We spent a lot of time together. We laughed and cried together.

Sister Olson, Sister Larsen, and Sister Johns

Sister Payze became a great support to her and to me.

She endured to the end and conquered!

We were able to show our plan of salvation kit with the Holloways, after dinner before we played some fun games together. It was so great. They have become such super special friends.

Elder Johnson, us, Nima, Elder Tauhaualiku, Bishop Stancombe. Some of our favorite people in the mission.

Breakfasts, dinners and goodbyes! Oh my goodness. How we love our fellow missionary couples and best of friends! All of them! (Sad I wasn't able to get a last pic of all of them)

The Metcalf's

The Martin's

The Hadfield's

President and Sister Stone and the Yip's

President and Sister Stone

The Metcalf's and Brother and Sister Carter. Keri Carter was the mission cook! She was fabulous

Cleaning and Packing and moving to a apartment for a few nights before flying out was CRAZY

Final Testimonies in Duncraig ward/Linger Longer Lunch after. So nice of them. (Didn't get any pictures of this except the Robinsons. Sad!)

How we will miss our beautiful friends and loved ones in Australia!

THE FINAL ZONE CONFERENCE

It worked out so good to be able to play Marshall McDonald's rendition of "God Be with you 'til we meet again" that I traditionally played at all our departing missionary seminars, just before zone conference started on Thursday, because they needed a prelude to quiet everyone down. What a tender mercy that was. The AP's asked me to play it for Friday's Zone conference as well.

This was such a beautiful number. The music made me cry. Sister Stone asked us to sing with her and president Stone in her presentation.

Just a few peaks and photos at all the beautiful Sisters and Elders and memories!

This pig cost like $600 or $700. And they bought one for each of the 2 conference, Thursday and Friday. There was so much food.

Sister Arieta-David

Sisters: Rogers, Baker and Olson

Sister West chose one of my dresses for a participation prize in ER training in Zone conference. Elder Bradford chose Elder Kahmann's shoes! Pretty funny! The sister's always loved those jumper I wore at ER trainings, that I got at Smiths for $10 or $15 before I left for the mission. Just love Sister West!

Sister Roya-Tepa

She hated to tracked when she first came out and didn't know how she could do it. Her mum didn't want her to go on a mission, but she told her mum as she left on the plane that she loved the Lord more then she loved her.

She has become a fireball and great asset to the mission.

Elder Kirby and Elder Jones

Elder Valdez. He drew a beautiful portrait of President and Sister Stone. He is a fabulous artist. And so sweet and kind.

Elder Mahaffey - such a great Elder! His dad works at the college in Virginia were Isaac attends. He also knew Julia.

Elder Huihahau (Our fighting Preacher) Very sweet story with this Elder.

Elder Wright (Look at that cool aboriginal tie) LOVE HIM!

Elder Jensen. Elder Jensen's mom sent a very kind text on messenger thanking us for our work with the missionaries. She said that her son felt so loved by us. That was a common thing we prayed for - that the missionaries would know how loved they are.

Sister Metcalf, Elder Valdez

Elders Mayeda, Platt and Omagap

Our final testimonies in Perth, Australia

Elder Jones

The rush for the airport!

I just have to write about our last hour after our last zone conference on Friday. It was soooo stressful. We wanted to get a lot more pictures that last bit after zone conference! It was so sad we didn't have time. I had to change my clothes and do the last packing and weighing of our bags. I had a bunch of little gifts and treats, I wanted to share with some senior couples and a few other people. The missionaries helped us lift and weigh the suitcases that had to be taken into the church kitchen where the scales were. They were overweight and Tony was freaking out about being late to the airport. I had to pull some things out, and weigh again.

I had a big bag of Reeses peices that I told the missionaries I would share after they gave me a last hug. I wanted to get pictures with everyone. We raced to just get a group picture, then I just opened the bag and threw Reeses all over and had to run to the car. All the missionaries squealed. We had to drive away without all the hugs, but I was able to blow kisses and say, "See you in the Celestial Kingdom!" It was all so fast, and so NUTS, but so sweet and tender and magical. We knew that we were loved! And we were so filled with love for everyone of these beautiful missionaries!

The painful goodbye to our dear President and sister Stone, who we have come to love sooo much!

This was our last goodbye in our mission, and with the Stone's. They completed their 3-year mission a week later. This was the climax; definitely real and bitter-sweet! Truly, God be with you 'till we meet again!

FAMILY NEWS

Mark Robinson completed another master's degree and was promoted to the rank of Lt. Colonel in the Army. Congratulations, Mark!

I had a special place in my notebook that I recorded "Amazing Blessings and Miracles" that came during our mission. I just counted them up - 90! These were all pretty incredible ones. There were many more little things that I could have included. The majority of those I listed were mostly with us and our children and grandchildren. If I had written them all down including every missionary experience, it seems - they were honestly occurring daily. When you are doing the Lord's work, he helps you and blesses you so much. The plan of Salvation is surely a fabulous plan - of happiness.

The last blog will be our trip to New Zealand and the return home. Stay tuned to see the GEMS of the rest of JUNE and into JULY! And then on to the next adventure of our lives!

WHAT A RUSH OF EMOTIONS!

Thank you, those of you who have shared our journey with us. May God bless you and keep you, and may you always know how loved and appreciated you are!

Elder and Sister Kahmann, Perth Australia Mission June, 2024