July

We began July by driving up to Geraldton to visit our missionaries.  A fabulous Senior couple and two young Elders are working hard to help this Branch and the members.  The Talls drove with us and we stopped at a National Park called The Pinnacles and saw these interesting rock formations that must have once been at the bottom of the ocean.  It was a great way to add some sight-seeing and fun to our schedule of service.  I loved the drive and we ate the best fish and chips at a little cafe along the side of the road.

Missionaries put a smile on your face!

June

The first week of June Robby flew to the US to be with family and friends.  Bruce and I were really excited for him, but sad to send him off.  He flew by himself from Perth to Melbourne to Los Angeles, and then NYC.  He had a great time spending the week end with Adam and Katie and Rich and Kate.  Then he flew to SLC and had the rest of a fabulous summer.

Welcome home Rob!

Meanwhile.....

I went every where with Bruce!  We started with a flight to Pt. Hedland for a week end Branch Conference.  It was my first Relief Society VT meeting where a baby kangaroo jumped out of the Relief Society President's quilted bag during her remarks!  She "rescues" Saints and Joeys!

Very faithful RS Sisters in Pt. Hedland

Trish Baker & Leslie Websdane

Mission Presidency and wives

Elder & Sister Neeley complete their mission & their daughters come to Perth to bring them home!

Farewell to a group of Elders

Calm in the midst of transfer day

Flying to Broome

Broome Branch member and Elders

On the shore overlooking the beach at Broome

Sunset in Broome

Camel rides on the Broome Beach

Camels!

This is the Primary gathering at the Broome Branch.  It was a wonderful Sunday, as they usually have two children in Primary and a total of about 5 adults.  Bruce and I went to the rescue on the Saturday when we arrived there and invited a family that includes five children to come the next day.  The Elders had been visiting them and working hard to encourage the family, as well as other members to come.  The next day there were 25 people at church, and 14 of them really belonged to the Branch!  It was great for the small group of members to have these additional members come. 

May

Elder and Sister Marsden ran the Mission Office for the last two years.  They finished their mission this month and went home to New Zealand.  We love them.  They are great people and helped us in our adjustment to mission life and missionaries and the "local culture".  They have already signed up to serve another mission in their hometown of Hamilton.


President Lindsay started the missionaries on a Book of Mormon Reading Challenge.  We are all using a new copy of the Book of Mormon and reading about five pages a day and marking every verse that speaks of Jesus Christ or that contains His words.  The missionaries are really enjoying it.  President Lindsay sends out a text each morning to all of us where he highlights something to look for in the days' reading. It has been a blessing for the Mission.

President Lindsay has also added our "vision" for the Mission to the bottom of all his texts and emails.  It has been great to help the missionaries remember why they are doing what they are doing.  This is what it says:
"We are full purpose missionaries.  We know how to find, we know how to teach, and we know how to progress increasing numbers of God's children to sacred ordinances from baptism and confirmation, to the sacrament, through ordinations, temple endowments and sealings.  And because we ACT in faith and obedience God is with us in the work." MAKE IT HAPPEN!
We say 'full purpose' because we work with investigators, as well as less active members to help bring them all into the fold.  We are partnering with the members in the Rescue.  We learned in the MTC  to focus on "real growth" and that includes helping members participate in all the gospel has to offer.  And of course we emphasize faith and obedience because they are KEY.  And the final "make it happen" reminds us we can't wait for someone else to jump start us, or our Area. 

All the missionaries have white boards in their flats to help organize their work.  This one is terrific!

No one knows for sure but we think this really big white board came from a broken down rolling frame at a chapel

Bruce and I had a great time celebrating with a Zone that achieved their Zone goal for baptisms in a single month.  They worked really hard and continue to do so.

Remarkable, Resilient, Righteous - WE LOVE THEM

One view of the new Mission Leadership Council

April

Elder & Sister Rasband, Causse, Watson, and Meurs visit our Mission.  They gave us a perfect lift.

Preparing to clean all the plaques in King's Park in advance of ANZAC day.

Many of these signs honor the dead heroes from Galipoli

Elder and Sister Tall arrive

Elder and Sister Tall

Bruce and I attended the Pacific Area Mission Presidents Seminar in Sydney for three days. 

Sydney Opera House

Sydney Bridge

Transfer Day. 

Training!

Elder and Sister Neeley manage our flats and fleet

Our American Sisters and Elder who served six weeks in a US mission, waiting for their Visas.  We are all happy to have them in Perth!

Waiting for interviews with the President

I walked in the room and they were all bundled in the quilts.  I loved it.

Two awesome Elders

President Lindsay is smiling after several hours of interviews with our newest missionaries

One of our Australian Sisters, on the left, introduces American Sisters to Vegemite

Our Amazing April Arriving Missionaries, just before they meet their trainers

Beautiful Western Australia

The Sky in Western Australia is amazing!  I took this photo at Seminary early in the morning

Another day and another amazing sky

This is a "Standard Rose Tree"!  Wow!

Remarkable Rob

This post is dedicated to Rob.  He deserves it.  

He is so supportive of his Missionary Dad and Mom.  He willingly takes the  90 minute bus ride  to school when I have emergencies and can't drive him there.  (He always takes the bus home from school.)  

He loves each missionary and joins with his Dad in the birthday phone call, where Rob and President Lindsay sing Happy Birthday to each missionary on their Birthday. 

He studies really hard.

He is an awesome sax player and is in WAYJO (Western Australia Youth Jazz Orchestra), which his mother will add is a very big deal.  He loves it.

He can stand up quite a while on a surf board, and even makes a tricky turn or two.

He turned l6 and was ordained a Priest by his father.

I love to listen to him bless the Sacrament each Sunday.

This is the set up Rob's friend did for their combined l6th Birthday Party

These are the placemats they made up for the party! Rob will be embarrassed that I put this on, but I was so impressed and I am doing the blog.

Mates