I volunteered to write a brief synopsis of the visit to Darwin by Elder and Sister Pearson of the first Quorum of Seventy while they toured of the Australia Adelaide Mission. He presides over the Missions in Australia, New Zealand, and surrounding Island areas. He is from Salt Lake City but has been living in Auckland New Zealand with his family the past 5 years while on assignment. He wanted to interview every missionary personally and look into their eyes and he did! Amazing!! Here is my very brief version of his visit here.Love,Elder FarrerAustralia Adelaide Mission
As Missionaries in Darwin, ‘the nether most part of the vineyard’ in the Australia Adelaide Mission, we often miss the opportunity to meet with and learn from the General Authorities of the Church. What a privilege and honor then to have Elder and Sister Pearson come to Darwin with President and Sister Parker as part of their mission tour. The exhaustive effort they put forth to visit every missionary in the Adelaide Mission in such a short time is humbling and inspiring. Their arrival in the Darwin Airport at 11:15am on Tuesday March 8th was met with excitement and sunshine in spite of the Parker’s lost luggage. Elder and Sister Farrer, senior couple serving in Darwin, greeted them at the airport and warmly welcomed them with a lap lunch prepared to be eaten en route to the Darwin Chapel. Earlier that morning as the Farrer’s stopped by the church to check on things in preparation for the visit of Elder and Sister Pearson, and President and Sister Parker, they were disheartened to see Construction Workers who had been absent for the previous three weeks, working on sight this important morning. The hours spent by branch members and the Darwin missionaries cleaning up construction mud and debris had that morning been ‘undone.’ A few phone calls and that days construction quickly came to a halt so that a peaceful atmosphere could be enjoyed. A Missionary Wave of excitement followed with the arrival of the honored guests at the Darwin Church where the 8 Darwin Elders and 2 Darwin Sisters currently serving had set up a photo shoot outside in the beautiful garden area of the parking lot. After the photos and initial missionary welcome all were escorted into the church for the anticipated Special Training. The Cultural Hall was cool, comfortable, and inviting and perfectly prepared for the training to begin by our dedicated missionaries. Darwin Zone Leader and Assistant, Elder Toi, conducted. A hymn was sung and an invocation given and the training commenced. Sister Parker began followed by President Parker and Sister Pearson. We then were taught by Elder Pearson for the remainder of the training. What a ‘memorable day’ to feel the Holy Spirit enter into our hearts as each speaker taught by that same Spirit revealing truth and enlightening our understanding. It was a privilege and a blessing to be taught in such an intimate setting to ask and be asked questions, to ponder, to be able to look into the eyes of servants of the Lord and feel their and Heavenly Father’s love for us. After a brief snack break a beautiful hymn #295 ‘O Love That Glorifies the Son’ was sung by the Darwin Missionaries especially for Elder Pearson, a favorite of his. The training by Elder Pearson continued in a powerful and edifying way, helping us to learn more fully our responsibility as missionaries and teachers. He reminded us, “that our capacity to do would expand as we put forth the effort and hard work and aligned our will with Heavenly Father’s.” At the conclusion of the training Elder Pearson invoked an Apostolic blessing on the Darwin Zone, then he looked each missionary in the eyes, hugged them, and expressed his love for each of them. The Cultural Hall was put back in order and all of the missionaries departed the meetinghouse for dinner. The Missionaries were treated to pizza at a favorite pizza restaurant in the area. Elder and Sister Pearson, President and Sister Parker, and Elder and Sister Farrer met up with President and Sister Bond, Darwin District President, and President and Sister Dunn, Darwin Branch President, for a wonderful Asian banquet dinner. After dinner Elder Pearson and President Parker were off for interviews where Elder Pearson would interview each missionary in the Darwin Zone. Each received a one on one personal interview with this beloved General Authority. At the conclusion of the interviews late in the evening, Elder and Sister Pearson, and President and Sister Parker were able to check into their hotel to try and rest a little before their early morning flight to Alice Springs, the Parkers without their luggage which somehow got shipped to Brisbane. We will forever be grateful for this special day in time with a consecrated Servant of the Lord.
Elder and Sister Farrer
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