The Mission here is all a-stir with excitement as the two Melbourne Missions (East & West) are being combined___and bidding a fond Farewell to much loved, out-going President, Lindley and Lee and families___and welcoming the new President Lifferth.
We have been out 3 months now and we feel as though we've adjusted pretty well for two aging Grandparents. As Scott always remarks, this land of Oz is the same, but different! For example, Australia is a land where Columbus is unknown, cars are the same, Toyota's, Fords, Hyundai's etc., but have different model names; Squash comes in all varieties, but are all just called "pumpkins." Custard and cream is poured over everything, desserts, porridge, pies..so deadly!! One gets stopped for speeding if even just 1 or 2 miles over the limit; one gets stopped late at night for a breath test. Scott got stopped and had to blow into a tube; he had never done this before. The Officer said, "Blow harder!" then let us go. Grief!
A news item is our new calling as Seminary Teachers. Scott said "I always said I would rather dig under my nails with a toothpick than to ever teach Seminary!" And here we are getting up at 5 in the morning to do just that. But we are really enjoying it. We only have 6 students and we do it in a home which is close to the High School. Our students are all Samoan and one Tongan. We do a little "breakky" before we start.
Highlights of the month of June would probably be the District Youth Camp last week. We were asked to work in the kitchen. It was held in a beautiful Mountain Resort, and we were up there for 4 days. There was not one paper plate, or plastic utensils in sight. We prepared, served, and cleaned up after Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, as well as Morning Tea, Afternoon Tea and Supper in between. We worked ourselves to death, but it was really fun, and we got acquainted with a lot of neat leaders and Aussies from the District(Stake). I was asked also to teach the Youth a big EFY Song to be sung at the next Conference, but the only keyboard was about an octave and a half, and didn't work very well. So that was probably the least successful activity of the whole camp. Great!
Going home along with the Presidents are the other two Senior Couples in our Mission. We're feeling deserted. So now I guess the Zone Conferences will be up to us, especially the dinner meals for 2 days (Gulp) as well as the every-6-weeks Flat (Apt.) Inspections in our Zone, from Shepparton up northwards to Griffith, which is in the next State of New South Wales. So our "load" is growing higher. But in spite of all this, we seem to be able to handle it all and are being blessed with health and strength, and we are so grateful for this.
Tomorrow we get to travel up to where these Senior Couples live and inherit some of their things, like a TV that works, and a crock pot. Otherwise we are pretty well stocked for as long as we're in our house. Following are some more pictures that will show you where we've been. Until next month, Cheerio!
(The Mountain Resort for Youth Camp)
We have been out 3 months now and we feel as though we've adjusted pretty well for two aging Grandparents. As Scott always remarks, this land of Oz is the same, but different! For example, Australia is a land where Columbus is unknown, cars are the same, Toyota's, Fords, Hyundai's etc., but have different model names; Squash comes in all varieties, but are all just called "pumpkins." Custard and cream is poured over everything, desserts, porridge, pies..so deadly!! One gets stopped for speeding if even just 1 or 2 miles over the limit; one gets stopped late at night for a breath test. Scott got stopped and had to blow into a tube; he had never done this before. The Officer said, "Blow harder!" then let us go. Grief!
A news item is our new calling as Seminary Teachers. Scott said "I always said I would rather dig under my nails with a toothpick than to ever teach Seminary!" And here we are getting up at 5 in the morning to do just that. But we are really enjoying it. We only have 6 students and we do it in a home which is close to the High School. Our students are all Samoan and one Tongan. We do a little "breakky" before we start.
Highlights of the month of June would probably be the District Youth Camp last week. We were asked to work in the kitchen. It was held in a beautiful Mountain Resort, and we were up there for 4 days. There was not one paper plate, or plastic utensils in sight. We prepared, served, and cleaned up after Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, as well as Morning Tea, Afternoon Tea and Supper in between. We worked ourselves to death, but it was really fun, and we got acquainted with a lot of neat leaders and Aussies from the District(Stake). I was asked also to teach the Youth a big EFY Song to be sung at the next Conference, but the only keyboard was about an octave and a half, and didn't work very well. So that was probably the least successful activity of the whole camp. Great!
Going home along with the Presidents are the other two Senior Couples in our Mission. We're feeling deserted. So now I guess the Zone Conferences will be up to us, especially the dinner meals for 2 days (Gulp) as well as the every-6-weeks Flat (Apt.) Inspections in our Zone, from Shepparton up northwards to Griffith, which is in the next State of New South Wales. So our "load" is growing higher. But in spite of all this, we seem to be able to handle it all and are being blessed with health and strength, and we are so grateful for this.
Tomorrow we get to travel up to where these Senior Couples live and inherit some of their things, like a TV that works, and a crock pot. Otherwise we are pretty well stocked for as long as we're in our house. Following are some more pictures that will show you where we've been. Until next month, Cheerio!
(The Mountain Resort for Youth Camp)
(My girls at keyboard) 
(Jane and Me) 
(Youth watching program)
(Youth Leaders) 
(Our Branch grating carrots) 
(Kangaroos next 10 miles)
(Nellie and son) 
(Seminary kids having "Breakkie" before Seminary) 
(Sharing a laugh at Seminary)
(Lunch treat by the Prez)
(Typical looking doll in Oz)
(A young Kookaburra on our fence)
