More firsts: transfers, leaving, coming, school, seminary

 This was a wonderful week in the Mission.  On Tuesday we hosted five of the missionaries who completed their mission and left that evening at midnight.  We enjoyed a lovely dinner with them, and a powerful testimony meeting. President Lindsay, Elder Robertson, and Elder Webley accompanied the group to the airport, and stayed with them until they left.  Wednesday, those three and Shari went to the airport to welcome our one incoming missionary - Elder Segi from Samoa.  He comes with a great testimony and humility.  We had another lovely dinner, and Elder Segi and his new companion, Elder Keers stayed the night in the Mission Home.  It is wonderful to have the missionaries here.  Robby and I got up (5:30 am) for our second day of Seminary, returned by 7:10 am and had time to have breakfast with everyone.  I thought it was another small miracle, and a tender mercy from the Lord.  I would never have imagined we could time it that easily.  President Lindsay makes great scrambled eggs.

Missionaries on our front lawn, saying goodbye to five who have completed their full-time service

too early to smile

Welcome Elder Segi!

   Robby is liking the International School of Western Australia.  He has made friends with students who have lived all over the world - Germany, Norway, Rio de Janeiro, Dubai, Jakarta, India, Japan, and Columbia - to name a few countries and cities!  Rob says they are all nice to everyone.  So far, he likes his teachers and is talking about Chemistry, Physics and Spanish class the most.  So I think that means he is liking them the most.  He laughs a lot about his art class.  He did draw a picture of a saxophone, with fire coming out of it.  I have yet to see it.  I drive Robby to school every morning, and he rides the city bus home.  He picks up the bus down the street from the school, rides to the main station downtown, changes to Platform 9 and 3/4's and gets a bus that brings him very close to our home, arriving just after 5pm. He comes in happy every day, so far!   I can't tell you how awesome I think he is.

First real Preparation Day - King's Park

First birds we saw in the park!

beautiful view of city and Swan River

We were counseled to just be mom and dad when out with Robby and the President loved his few minutes in levis

Pollyanna in Perth

Every morning when my alarm goes off at 5:30 am, I say to myself, "if you miss the joy, you miss the whole thing!".  Elder Holland used this quote from Robert Lewis Stevenson, to inspire us during the MTC training.  It seems to be working for me!
Here is a list of some of my favorite things about living in Perth -
-missionaries, of course!
-Robby is here and continues to have a fabulous attitude
-seeing the BLUE Indian Ocean every morning as I take Robby to school
-the heater in my Toyota Corolla - it works immediately, on the way to Seminary
-my Totyota - it is small, easy to control, feels like a sports car to me
-the bright colors of all the birds
-my plug in hot water kettle that heats water in seconds for my Milo every day
-Milo (hot cocoa)
-Driving on the left side! Really!  I feel so capable.  Or like a London cabby.
-the word "lovely" - everyone says it all the time - the gas station attendant (who had a "lovely" nose    ring), said, "Have a lovely day!"

A "pretty BIG state"

First Zone Conference

First Week photos

zone leaders are respectful of the mission home!

First Zone Leader Council

Elder and Sister Neely, us, Elder Ellingson, Elder Su'a, Geralton Branch

no worries, I just had my first kangaroo sighting

First Week in Perth

Our first week has been amazing.  We were warmly greeted by President and Sister Smibert and our assistants, Elder Webley and Elder Robertson.  Our suitcases were placed on our bedroom floor, where they stayed for several days, and then we spent two hours with the Smiberts getting oriented.  Then they left!  Simple things, like finding the light switches in our new home after a 30 hour flight, were the simple challenges! (Up is off, down is on!)  We had the Zone leaders to our home on Tuesday, and served them lunch and homemade brownies.  We planned for Zone Conferences, and met the majority of our missionaries at those meetings, on Thursday and Friday.  It was fun for me to see how anxious they are to meet the new President. It is wonderful to shake their hands and look into their eyes.   And of course they are all so great with Robby.  He played quite a bit of basketball at the church with some missionaries on Monday, their Preparation Day.  Bruce is getting great at driving on the left side, as long as I am in the front seat, reminding him to "look right".  It is of course his favorite thing to have me tell him how to drive, but we both realize our lives are at risk!  So if he starts to sound a little irritated, I say, "thank you, dear"  and he follows with, "thank you, dear". It is working.  It is overwhelming to need to go places, but be afraid to drive.  That is my goal for this next week, to drive a little every day.  Pray for me.  I have been driving for over 40 years!  I can do this! Friday night we flew to Kalgoorlie and met four elders.  President Eyring told us to go and meet all our missionaries as fast as humanly possible. As we sat and shared testimonies with these four elders, who are very far from headquarters, in a challenging area, I felt President Eyring had been thinking of them, and their need to be lifted and feel loved.  It was awesome.  Today(Sunday) we flew to Geralton and attended the branch meetings there.  We met a senior couple, the Neely's and two more elders.  They are all very devoted.  All three of us spoke in Sacrament Meeting. We met an elderly sister who was the first woman of Aboriginal descent to go to the Temple, here in Perth.  She told me she had just had surgery, and I said she was amazing to be in church today.  She said, that wouldn't keep me away!  This branch reminded me so much of the branch in Traverse City, Michigan that my family attended when I was about 10 years old. Very challenging, but inspiring at the same time.   Robby has born strong testimony and shared scriptures and been just amazing.  Several women have commented that he looks like Prince Harry!  My other goal for this week is for Robby to have some 15 year old boy fun!  He has had enough church meetings for one week!  His whole attitude remains upbeat and positive.  I love him so much.  I love Bruce, and it is great to see him work with the missionaries.  He is so kind and loving, and dignified, and in my mind a great role model.
   I am constantly thinking of what President Eyring told us at the MTC - "banish doubt!"  I think the word banish is strong and good and reminds me to replace doubts with FAITH!

Elder Robertson, Robby, Elder Webley

with President and Sister Smibert

plane to Kalgoorlie

view of Perth

plane to Geraldton