A Beautiful Day for a Walk!

Today, while President was up early taking care of emails and phone calls, I went

for a walk.  Most days we go together and walk to a nearby park.  I decided to

go a different route this time.  One of the things I love here are the beautiful

flowers.  People keep their homes so well groomed and the landscaping is 

beautiful.  These geraniums line many fences.  

I love that with the street signs, they tell you the important businesses or

buildings that are on that street.  This one happens to tell us where the Latter-

Day-Saints meet!  Come and join us!  You'll be glad you did.  We welcome you.

This is a much nicer way of saying don't dump your trash here!

I need to ask someone about this sign.  Is this an area where many older people

are in the area so we should watch carefully, or do you have to be aged to cross

when you see these signs?  I've seen several of them around the city so I will 

find out!

While on my walk I noticed this sign which makes much more sense than a

"sidewalk", which is what we call this in the states.  A footpath is exactly what 

it is!

  

Today is Elder Gray's 29th birthday!! Here he is with the assistants, President 

Parker, and the elders and sister couples serving in the office.  He tried to make 

it through the day without anyone knowing it was his birthday- not in this mission!! 

Happy Birthday to Elder Gray!  We love you!

Thank Heaven for the Sabbath Day!

We have had a wonderful Sabbath day. We attended the Modbury Ward and were

able to share our testimonies on this fast and testimony Sunday and meet several

great members of this ward.  We love being with our great missionaries wherever

we go and seeing them in action sharing the gospel. We also attended a multi-stake

missionary fireside about the Book of Mormon.  Again, we were able to share 

our testimonies of this powerful and sacred book of scripture that is another witness of

our Savior, Jesus Christ.  When we arrived home this little guy was on our porch.

I only took his picture because so far this is the only wildlife we have seen in the 

first month of being in Australia!

Three More VIMs (Very Important Missionaries!)

The next morning bright and early we were at the airport to pick up this great

missionary who had spent the night in an airport somewhere between Singapore

and Adelaide!  His flight was delayed and he missed his connection- but no

fear!  He is here and we welcome you, Elder Rivera, to the best mission ever!

Because he was the only Elder we were picking up, we made a stop at the

beautiful Adelaide Temple!

While we were having the arrivers dinner last night, Elder and Sister Smith

made another trip to the airport to pick up two more wonderful missionaries. 

Welcome Elder Taleo from Vanuatu.  We are so excited to get to know you

and see what great things the Lord has in store for you as you invite others

to come unto Christ.  You will see miracles!

Welcome Elder Lapenmal from Vanuatu!  This mission is so blessed that you 

have chosen to come answer the call to serve the Lord.  We love that smile and 

your great desire to be an obedient missionary.  You too will see miracles!

We are so blessed to have these great Elders willing and ready to go to work.  

Elder Lapenmal, Elder Rivera, and Elder Taleo.  We love you.

Arrivers, Dinner, and Transfers!

Our first stop is to the Mission Office to meet the office couples and take care

of all kinds of business.  Here we are in front of the office ready to get to work.

It's been a long but wonderful day and we need to feed this great group of 

missionaries so they can meet their trainers!  We are meeting at the Firle

Stake Center for a lovely dinner prepared by our wonderful senior couples. 

Wonderful sisters ready to train our new sister missionaries.

Elder Pitcher, our brand new assistant, with Elder Wilkins and one of our trainers,

Elder Orr.

Great trainers who will lead with exact obedience.

Elder Hales, another great trainer and one of President Parkers great assistants, and

Elder Pitama, who shared one of his favorite foods from New Zealand with 

President.  It's called crackle and it's fried pig skin with a little fat.  Apparently,

it tastes like bacon.  

Elder Jurgens, President Parker, and Elder Hobbs. One more great trainer who is 

obedient and ready to train.

Always working hard, Elder and Sister Smith getting dinner ready for all. We love

you.

The Hannans.  Always taking care of everyone.  Elder Hannan just had shoulder 

surgery but it can't keep him down.  He was even up doing his best to wait on us.  

We love you.

Elder and Sister Gray.  Two of the hardest working people you'll ever meet.  Elder

Gray barbecued all of the meat for tonight's dinner and did a fabulous job!  It was

delicious.  We love you!

After dinner we all told something we love about the Austalia, Adelaide Mission.

That is an easy list to make.  This is Elder Maughn and what he loves about being

here is the apple pie!  We all agree it is wonderful!  Love you Elder Maughn!

Here Come Our New Missionaries!

Welcome, Elder Ngapaku, to the best mission in the world!  This missionary is 

the first elder to arrive today.  He is from Bonnyrigg Heights, Liverpool, 

Australia!  We can feel his enthusiasm and are grateful he is here.

Our first missionary to arrive!

Next is Elder Ghergori from Perth, Australia.  We are so excited to have this 

wonderful missionary in the Australia, Adelaide Mission!  He is ready to work!

And here comes Sister Boswell from Sandy, Utah.  Still smiling even after

a very, very long flight!  Welcome Sister Boswell.  We are thrilled to have

you here serving in the best mission ever!

She is followed by Sister Esplin from Sugar City, Idaho.  We love these 

missionaries who are here to teach and invite others to come unto Christ.  Thank

you Sister Esplin for answering the call to serve.  

And here is Elder Wilkins. A great missionary from South Carolina. Welcome Elder

Wilkins.  He has actually been Visa waiting in our home town of Las Vegas, NV.

He was able to call and talk to us right before we left to go to the MTC.  No 

doubt a great missionary ready to work!  

Welcome Elder Van West from Brisbane, Australia.  We are grateful you are here

and are excited to see the great work you will do.  We love you already!

Welcome Sister Vaitaiki!  What a great smile.  We can feel your great spirit and

are so thankful you have chosen to come serve the Lord.  You will be a great

blessing to this mission.  We will take good care of you.  

This is a great missionary-Elder Punou from Chisholm, Australia.   Welcome to the 

great Australia, Adelaide Mission.  We are so happy you are here and ready to 

serve your brothers and sisters as you teach them of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Welcome!

What a glorious day!  We are just thrilled to have these wonderful missionaries 

here safe and sound and ready to serve with all of their heart, might, mind, and

strength.  There will be miracles!  We love you all already.

Our Very First Group To Complete Their Missions!

We experienced our very first group of missionaries who have completed their mission

and are on their way home.  Elder Bush, Elder Miller, Sister Freeman, and Sister

Bailey.  We enjoyed transfer meeting together, then a lunch just for this group.  Next 

President Parker had the great privilege of interviewing each of them and presenting

the Elders with a white Adelaide Temple Tie and the Sisters with a white Adelaide

Temple handkerchief.  And why is Elder Miller's tie looking a little short?

This is why..... we have asked each Elder and Sister to leave a favorite tie or scarf or  

a piece of something that we will remember them by.  We will have a display board of 

all of these with their names hanging in the mission home- later to be made into a 

mission quilt.  This was a tradition started by President Parker's mother who served with 

his father as he presided over the Columbia, South Carolina Mission from 1978-1981.  

By the look on their faces I don't think they really believed we would do this!

Here are a few more fun pictures from their special dinner that night at the mission 

home.  We enjoyed a great night with these valiant, obedient, and powerful missionaries

before they will leave in the morning.  We love each of you!

Senior couple sisters getting dinner ready!  Sister Baker, Sister Jurgens, Sister Hannan,

Sister Gray and Sister Smith.  Thank you for all of your hard work.  We love you.

Finally relaxing for just a minute after a crazy couple of days.  Elder Smith, Elder Hannan,

and Elder Gray.  Hard working Senior missionaries.  

Returning with honor. We love you so very much and are so proud of you.

And bright and early the next morning...... Sister Freeman has decided to leave a piece of

one of her favorite dresses.  

And Sister Bailey has decided to leave a piece of a favorite sweater!

Elder Bush was wearing a brand new tie last night so he came bright and early this morning

ready to leave this well worn, hard worked tie behind!

Thank you Elder Bush.  And there you have it! We love you.

A few of the Elders and Sisters who were willing to get up at 4:30 and see this group off!

Wishing you safe travels, a wonderful welcome home, and we will be missing you all!

A Wonderful Sabbath Day!

 

Not only was it a wonderful Sabbath Day, but we celebrated one of our great

assistants birthday, Elder Rigby.  It was also the Firle Stake Conference where

a new second counselor, Luke Howes, was sustained.  Also, President

and I both had the privilege of speaking.  

What's even better than a baptism?  Two baptisms! Joy and her friend Mary Lou

have chosen to follow Christ's example and be baptized.  We love you Joy and

Mary Lou.  It was a privilege to be there on this special day.  We love you.

Sister Ma and Sister Reola, Elder Matekohi and Elder Pitcher.  This is President

Parker's first opportunity to baptize since arriving in Adelaide.

Elder Pitama and Elder Rigby enjoying a big birthday dinner.  I'm pretty sure 

Elder Rigby had a bit much to eat since President Parker kept refilling his plate!

We love and appreciate our great assistants.