STAKE CONFERENCES: The above idea was a top take away from a young man who spoke in stake conference. First time learning that. LOVED IT!!! We have now completed attending all four stake conferences. This round we added the leadership session to our agenda. They were wonderful.
We completed 6 different training throughout the stakes with Bishops, EQP and RSP, and WSR specialists in September on using the Self-Reliance Plan form.
OUR AUGUST ZONE CONFERENCE PICTURES OF OUR MISSION
One of my highlights for the month was boosting my power point skills to a new level, with an opportunity to speak for a group of Relief Society sisters in the Armadale Ward. I had fun elongating lemons, smashing lemons, making lemons do cartwheels and crushing lemons into lemonade. Elder Kahmann and I were blown away with the exquisite decorations and setting. Relief Society at it's finest. The decor took me back to our magical wedding reception, so expertly designed and prepared to the very last detail.
The food was wonderful! Lots of things made from lemons
Lemon trees are everywhere here in Australia. They are delicious.
Just SO fun!
A few of my favorite slides! Too bad you can't see them move in and out and do their tricks!
How can we turn lemons into lemonade?
We played scattergory with Satan's "C" words. The sisters came up with 3 times this list that I provided. The winner got a fresh lemon.
This kind of makes life HARDER!
Christ is always the answer
After being in Australia for a whole year, we finally tried Kangaroo - after our tech elders told us it was delicious. It WAS delicious. We think it's similar to elk. We like it better than the beef here. Our own tomato crop! Better than round 1.
FATHER'S DAY in Australia Sept. 3. A reminder of 2 anniversaries. Today was the 7th anniversary of Karen's death. Father's day 2009 was the last time Kevin was with me. Learning the doctrinal points of the gospel of Jesus Christ has brought comfort and hope to all hard situations in life.
(On the stand is our wonderful stake president, President Richard (blue suit center) and our Bishop Kemp (on his left). Far right is Brother Berryman, whose wife is not yet a member, but knows the Book of Mormon is true.
A cute family in our ward brought a flood of memories of many years when Kevin and I sat with our six kids on the bench close to the front at church. Cherish your families with all your heart and soul everyday. Time passes so quickly.
After church we visited James and Daniel and did a lesson with them and the missionaries, Sister West and Sister Gillins. They have two big beautiful dogs.
From Sister Gillins and Sister West, we
love this rock brain teaser that is a great analogy for repentance. "Can you make this arrow point the complete opposite directions by moving just 3 stones?" These sisters are in our Duncraig Ward. We teach with them when we can. We love them heaps. Sister Gillins is from Beaver. Her sister knows Mark's (Robinson) family.
On September 10th, we traveled to the Narrogin Branch where we had the treat of our lives. First of all . . . . we passed fields and fields of the bright yellow canola crop. It was breathtaking!!! I'm afraid the pictures don't do it justice. But it was so peaceful there.
Our other treat was to meet Branch President Cowley, Apostle Matthew Cowley's son. Matthew Cowley helped translate the Book of Mormon into Maori, and healed a little blind child. We were so thrilled to meet and spend time with President Cowley. He was sick the last time we spoke in the branch. He is 82 years old. We brought him an A&W rootbeer. You would think he had died and gone to heaven. That was his favorite drink growing up in Utah.
EMOTIONAL RESILIENCE TRAININGS
Southern River Zone (Thornley District), left to right: Sister Hermann, Taufa, Platt, Bartschi, , Elders Tafiti (DL), Staley, Hutchins (ZL), Swenson (ZL), Sisters Wotherspoon, Aiono
Southern River Zone (Armadale District) Elders Johnson, Allen (DL), Robison, Chin Koun Cheng, Payne and Kirby
Rockingham (Rockingham and Mandura Districts): Sisters Fehoko, Sanft, Heelis, Frey, (on the right) Tupou, Wasden, Elders Masima (DL), Thomas, Vaka, Tehaamonana, Valdez, Heeds (a new service missionary), Gillespie, Wright (DL), Tuilimu (behind), Judd (ZL), and Deskins (ZL)
Rockingham (Bunbury District) Elders Deinert, Gore (DL), Hittle, Hill, Sister and Elder Metcalf, Sisters Loseli, Olson, Burt and Baker
Dianella (Dianella District) Elders Linder, Anderson (a good catch for one of my granddaughters - He is from Brigham City, Utah), Mabey, Manning (Tech Elder) (He reminds me of Devin Lott), Tavui (AP), Whiting (AP); Sisters Tonas and Smith.
BEDDING BAGS
Spent close to $800 to assemble new bedding bags. K-mart is getting familiar with the couple that pulls a train of baskets each transfer through their checkout line. Pack em in.
Pack em out. Packin em in. Pack em out. Pack em in! Assemble them. Stack em up. Pack them out. This transfer, we decided to add a surprise bag of microwave costco popcorn to their bedding bags to welcome them here.
SOME FUN AND NEEDED DOWN TIME
We revisited King's park. It was beautiful to be here in the spring with so many flowers out.
This is a really old, and large Boab tree, at King's Park. It survived transport over 1900 km. It was originally on a piece of land way up north on which a new road needed to be built; rather than cut down the tree, they pulled it out, trucked it to Perth, where it was replanted in King's Park.
Sister Berryman, Sister and Brother Grinceri. Had some fun dinners with the 3 Grinceri couples in our ward and a wonderful gluten-free dinner and game night with the Berrymans
We were so happy to spend some time with fun down time with Cindy and senior missionaries, the Smith's and Elder Brennon on the right with his new fiance' Alison. Elder Brennon lost his dad and his son last month. It's been very hard for him. They enjoyed getting out.
Cindy invited us to be the proxy for sealing her maternal grandparents in the temple. It was a very special experience for us.
DEPARTING MISSIONARY SEMINAR
Sisters Loseli, Wotherspoon, Taufa, (Elder and Sister Kahmann), Sisters Mafi, Falani, Elders Judd, Rae, Moala
This is our biggest departing missionary group so far. We tried Taco Soup for lunch. I made twice as much as we needed. Sister Falani wrote the sweetest note and made leis for Elder Kahmann and I, which she left on the desk after she left. Sister Falani has been the one making all these beautiful leis for months for all the departing missionaries. One of our traditions, is to play Marshall MacDonald's rendition of "God be with you til we meet again" after the missionaries share their thoughts about what their mission has meant to them. We print them each a copy of their thoughts and their picture.
Sister Mafi wrote a lot. She shared the story of her dad in this.
Sister Mafi shared with us that her dad went to the temple and received his endowments while she was on her mission. What a sweet story.
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