District Conference

Saturday and Sunday September 24th & 25th was District Conference.   It was held here in Orange because we have the largest Chapel. 
The 3 Sister missionaries live in Bathurst, 45 min away.   They are the only other missionaries within 3 hours away from us in any direction.  Since regular missionaries are limited on their gas and mileage and we as Senior Missionaries are not, we invited the sisters to sleep over night so they did not have to go back home after the Saturday activites and meetings.   They came on Saturday around 12:30 and had lunch with us. 

2:00 pm we went to the church to help get the dinner ready
3-5:00pm. Priesthood session, Relief Society talent show and knitting classes. Primary and
            youth activites.    I counted only 22 sisters at the activity.   That included the Mission Pres wife, Sister Diane Simmons and the Area Seventies wife, Sister Thompson.    One lady traveled 5 hrs alone with baby.   Her husband had to work and could not come.  
5-6:00 pm   Dinner in gym
7-9:00 pm.Adult meeting in chapel.     We were asked to bare our testimonies and a video was presented encouraging Seniors to go on missions.

lft to right. bk row:  Sister Pearce from Utah,  Sister Utai from Western Samoa, & Sister Moses from Papau New Guinea.           And of course you know who is in the front-  Sister & Elder Tietjen
Sunday Sept 25, 2011 we had our District Conference meeeting in the chapel.   wow, we almost filled it.   But it only has 2 rows of 8 benches deep.

We almost filled the gym for lunch on Sunday too. (small gym)   mmmm lots of good food.

       Here is dad with Elder David J Thompson of the Seventy from New Zealand.  

He asked us to bare our Testimonies at the Saturday Session.   We did.

Holidays

T......a H......a

is having us come to teach her twin boys (7yrs) the missionary lesson before they get baptized in January. She is very active in the church. Her husband died and she likes having the priesthood in her home when we come. On Monday Sept 19^th she said she has dibbs on us for Christmas. She has had a tradition at inviting the missionaries for Christmas dinner. So we accepted her offer. C...........r R.....n is the Branch President of Dubbo. His wife is from Utah. She says that even though Australians do not celebrate Thanksgiving, she does. On Tuesday Sept 20^th she invited us to come to their home for Thanksgiving. She says since we are a day ahead of you there in the states then she likes to celebrate on Friday knowing that her family would be home at that time also celebrating. We accepted her offer.
I guess the holidays are in the air. It feels like it to us. Even though they are going into spring here, it has turned cold. Today Sept 29, 2011 we had heavy rain and even some hail. And it is quite cool. Ron just checked the weather and it is about 40 degrees. I haven't had to get my coat out yet. People around here think they are freezing to death. The weather is proving to be like Rexburg. Never know what it will be like.
We were told tonight that any direction you go from Orange it is 10 degrees hotter.
Orange is higher than most towns around.   It has been the best place for us that we can tell from all the other possible places we could have been placed. 

Mt. Canobolas is the highest peak in all of New South Wales
. It is only about 15 miles away from Orange. 20 miles by the time you get to the top. It is a whopping 4579 ft. Rexburg is 4858 ft. They don't have any HIGH mountains here like in Idaho.

Mission area

It has taken us a whole month to get our boundaries figured out and what we might suppose to be doing.

We were told by Mission Pres. Simmons to go to live in Orange and be in charge of the following cities and their branches.

Cowra
- S. abt. 1 hr. 45 min away Forbes - W. abt 1 ½ hrs away Parks - W. abt 1 hr 15 min away Dubbo - N. abt 1 hr 45 min away
and as of Sunday Sept 25 we are to do anything that Bathurst and Mudgee Branches wants us to do for them.
The Sister missionaries live in Bathurst 45 min away. We are to help them in any manner that they need. We are the only other missionaries in the area.

Mudge
e - NE abt 1 ½ hrs away. Bathurst - SE abt 45 min
So look at this list when we tell you all the places that we travel. Sydney is 4 hrs away from us. The mission home is located there.
Parks is the only one included in our Branch. We have visited the Branch Presidents from Orange, Cowra and Dubbo. They have all given us lists of people to visit. The Dubbo's Elders Quorum President lives another 4 hrs farther North of Dubbo. These branches have such small amount of active members but a lot of inactive, of which we are encouraged to visit. We are just as our call said. Member and leader support. Once when there was an elder in the Dubbo area, he decided that the Dubbo Branch was as big as Utah itself. Ron does not think it is quite that large. But it is large.
When we go to visit D...... P....... in Forbes, we first go to Parks to visit someone (not there and no phone) then to Forbes, then on down to Cowra to visit Cowra Branch Pres Lazanski and T..... H...... This is an all day trip.
When we went to Dubbo to clean the apartment there, we went to see Pres Ryan 45 min father north and then back to the Apartment and slept over.

My Second and Third Driving lessons

My Second and third Driving lessons

Ok, Charles was the only one that was brave enough to tell me that the driving back and forth in the driveway did not count as actually DRIVING.

Alright, now for my second lesson in driving.
Mon Sept 19, 2011
I thought that we were headed out on a trip to Cowra. But Ron drove straight over to Lake Canobolas with roads going all around it. He said "today there will be no one there" Just as we drove in I could see 2 cars (parked) And right then 2 mores cars drove in. "No one here huh?" He got out and said I was driving around the lake.
The roads were only one lane wide, bumpy and curvy. "Ok", I said, and got into the drivers seat. I drove around the roads and then back to the parking lot. "There I did it" I told him. He just said, "around again" "Oh, bother", as Winnie the Pooh would say.
So I drove around the lake again. 5 km/h.
I was trying to stay on the left side of a one lane road. Well, let me tell you, it can't be done. At least without wiping the left side of the car off with the bushes and such. Ron was sitting there calmly with his window opened and arm resting on the ledge of it. And getting it wiped off too. But he said nothing. He didn't even move his arm. I drove back to the parking lot and said "ok, this time I did it" and then I got out.
Then on Tues Sept 20 we drove to Dubbo, a 2 hr trip. He made me drive back home. I drove the whole 2 hours.
Rules that have been told to us were flying through my brain.
1. Hug the inside white line (this road was one of the few that had a shoulder on the sides and there was a white line on the outside, and boy did I hug it.)\
2. If you are about to hit a Wombat, don't swerve.
3. Remember, if a kangaroo darts out into the road, he will always dart back the same way he came.
I was so tense and held on with both hand so tightly that my fingers ached. My shoulders ached and my back ached, but I made it home.
OK, NOW I HAVE DRIVEN IN AUSTRALIA. Does this count, Charles?

The Outback

Friday Sept 24, 2011      Ron and I took a little trip out in the country.  As soon as you leave Orange you are out in the country, or what they call the Outback.   We were looking for a good place to take a family we know on a picnic.

We saw fields of horses

fields with cows

lots of fields of sheep

three little lambs have lost their way, ba ba ba

(they were out on the road)

Ducks flying into a small pond

AND FINALLY!!! YA HOO, WE SAW SOME KANGAOOS!!

a whole mob of them

This Big fella was out hitchen for a ride

Notice the roads while you're at it. 

This is what we travel a lot.

No we never found a picnic place going this direction.

We were only 20 k (12 miles) from Orange, that is how close the kangaroos are.

I want to see a Kangaroo

 

We decided that the only place we might get to see a

Kangaroo is at the zoo in Dubbo.

This is all we saw, turned around and left.   

I don't want to see a Kangaroo for $46 each.

Dubbo Apartment (our summer cabin)

Tuesday Sept 21, 2011   We were asked to go check out the apartment in Dubbo that the Elders had been transferred out of about 6 weeks earlier.   We were to get it into shape for whoever.   Right now we can use it when we come to Dubbo to visit the members.      

It was a real tight squeeze to get into the garage.    

Boy was the garage small.    I thought our garage in Orange was small.   This one was SMALL.   Dad had to go back and forth and turn slightly several time before being able to finagle his way into the garage.

Besides being small, there was a fence that ran along side of the driveway giving you absolutely no room to finagle. He finally made it though.    Now to open the doors of the car.    The doors on both sides of the car hit the walls of the garage.    These people here in Australia sure think small.    Or at least they build small.

Here is the kitchen and the living room.   Three bedrooms, bathroom, and laundry room is up stairs.

Up the tall stairs

1 bedroom to the left, yellow door to laundry room and bathroom on right.



Update on W........ T.......... and family

Some of you have been wanting an update about W......... T.........

Sunday Sept 11
he and step-son K....... (11 yrs old) came to church with us.
Said he would bring whole family next week.

Thurs Sept 15
We had his family over to dinner. We have to go pick them up in shifts. First his wife L...... and the 2 girls N.......a (7) and M.........a (4). I stay home with them while Ron goes back and picks up W........ and the 3 boys J....... (13), K........ (11) and N....... (2). They live about 3 ½ big blocks around the corner from us so it does not take long to get back and forth.
We had Lasagna, mixed veggie and lettuce salad for dinner. I kept hearing the kids say "mmm, tasty. They asked for seconds. W....... ended up scraping the lasagna pan clean (almost). And for dessert I made mine and Valerie's famous caramel popcorn. They loved it.  W........ was sure stuffed when he got done eating.    They stayed and visited and the kids played.    They acted very comfortable.
In the following week, Ron was going through all the notes and records left from the sister Missionaries that used to live here. They had a note about W......... and his girl friend that was expecting in Dec. Humm, L...... had mentioned to me that she decided that she did not want to marry W..... for at least 2 yrs before making a choice.     She had such a bad relationship with her last husband and wanted to make sure W........ did not treat her that way too.     But she has been with W...... for 11 months and she says that he has been so gentle and good to both her and the kids and does fun things with them not like her ex.     She is very pleased with him.    I don't know what all this will mean if they do all get active in the church. There will be a lot of changes, including a wedding.

L....... is expecting twins in December. W........ told Ron that he wants him to bless the babies because he is from America.   (Ron that is)    W.......  always says "God Bless America".
W....... said that the whole family would come to church on Sunday.

Sunday Sept 18^th
we went to pick them up again for church and only W....... and his 2 step-daughters came.    He said that L......'s parents were coming and so she wanted to stay home to visit with them.
The girls were very good in church and they seemed to like Primary very much.    this is the first time ever they have come to church.

Thurs Sept 22
, we invited them to dinner again.    W......... said he would call on Wed night if they could.    Well, he did not call.     Thursday Ron called him 3 different times and there was no answer. We even went over there and there was no one home.
Finally around 5:00 pm Ron went back over and the kids were outside.     He stopped to talk to them and they asked if they were coming over to our house.    They were excited.    They wanted to come. W....... and L..... then came home in a Taxi and said yes they could come.
Ron came home and told me they would be here at 6:30 pm.    Talk about rush rush.    He had told me to act like they were coming all along today, so I had made a Tator Tot Casserole, but by 5 pm, I put it in the freezer.      I now had to turn on my fast act.     I took the casserole out of the freezer, and into the oven.     I turned up the heat.     I am not sure of this oven yet, and after burning the lasagna I hoped I would not burn this.
I started  making a 7 layer salad like I had planned.    I needed the bacon that was in the freezer.    I thawed it out slowly in the fry pan.     I did not think it was burning but smoke was pouring up from the stove.      Ron came in and said I was filling the whole house with smoke.     I checked the bacon.     I definitely was not burning it.     I moved the pan and found that the smoke was coming up through the burners from the casserole dripping over onto the heating elements in the oven.     Ron opened all the doors and some window.     He even got a fan to blow out the smoke.     Great.       I can't seem to make a decent meal when company comes.      I just haven't figured this oven out yet.
Oh, no, I was positive  I had  bought some Mayo sometime.      I did not find any so Ron ran to the corner store and bought some.    When I got to that part of the recipe it called for 2 cups and the bottle that Ron bought was only 1 cup.    So I halved the recipe.     The salad was not as big as I usually make at home so ½ was enough.      Then I remembered I had to cook an egg for the top of it.    I put that on the stove and went to change clothes.

6:30 pm
I was ready, salad and all, excluding the egg on top.     The house was aired out good enough. I put the egg in cold water to let it cool and we went to go pick up L..... and 2 of the kids.
We brought L.... and 2 kids over first and then Ron went back to get W....... and the other 3 kids.
Nicholas (2) went straight for the toy cars that we had bought a couple weeks earlier.    They played with them last week too.     N........a wanted to play with the Lego's that we had also bought.
While waiting for Ron to go back and get W....... and the other 3,  L..... was here with me.    She said she did not feel good last week and her parents were coming and that is why she did not come to church, but that she is planning on coming this Sunday.    I hope so.    It is our District conference. 
They came, they ate, and ate. W........... commented that the kids liked my food because it was different.     He says he only cooks meat for every meal.     The kids asked for seconds and W........ ate about 3rds and 4ths.
Then we had ice cream and the no bake oatmeal cookies.    they had asked Ron earlier if we were going to have that popcorn again.   they want the recipe. 
We played UNO with the kids.     W......... and L..... did not want to play.     They sat on the couch just acting like they were enjoying being here.     W........ even fell asleep.     About 8:30 pm we ended the games and decided it was time to go home.
While Ron was taking W....... and the 3 boys home, M........a, the youngest girl wanted to look at my family calendar again.     This is the big calender that Michelle made us with everyone birthday pictures in it.     She looked through it and then wanted to go through it again.     N......a wanted to look at it too. M.......a finally gave it to her.      I found a Friend magazine and let M.........a look at it for awhile. Then she went and found an Ensign.      (our apartment was furnished magazines and card and BofM.)  She flipped through it.    Then she found a Book of Mormon.    She acted really interested in it. She is only 4 or 5 yrs old.     Then N.......a who is 7 yrs old found a Book of Mormon.    They wanted to keep them.     Ron told them that they could.     They were so excited.     N.......a then found some pass along cards and asked what they were.     Ron told them that if she would have her mommy call the number on the card they would send them a free movie.    She was excited about that too.     She wanted to keep the card and use it as a book mark.     She said she was going to keep this book real nice and all to herself.     She acted like she would really treasure this book.     I told her she could read it too.      I opened  to the first page of Nephi and asked her what the first word was. "I" she said.    I told her how to say Nephi and told her that it was a mans name.     Then Ron was ready to take them home.
It surprised both me and Ron that L...... just sits on the couch and talks after he comes back and does not seem in any hurry to leave and get home.     They both feel so comfortable here.
Even after taking L....... home she stayed outside and acted like she did not want to go in.    I told her I would see her on Sunday.     She said she would be ready.
I hope W....... will continue to have the desire to have the gospel in his life again.    And make these kids and L...... his eternal family.     He keeps saying that he wants too. 
On the way home from taking L...... and the girls, I told Ron, that we could say "We gave away 2 Book of Mormon's today"

My first driving lesson

Ron says he wants me to learn to drive in case of an emergency. I tell him if I do drive there will be an emergency. The driving is all backwards. They drive on the left side of the road. Can you imagine how scary that is to see a car coming at you from the right side of the street. Well, let me tell you from experience. It is SCARY. It has been 3 weeks and I haven't dared to drive yet. Oh, it frightens me so much. I just can't. I'm not even a very good rider let alone to be a driver.
On Monday Sept 19th I thought we were to head out to go traveling when Ron made me get into the drivers seat. NOOOOOOOO! I can't do it.

Ok, Ok, So I got in the drivers seat and I drove. I can now say that I drove in Australia. Even if it was only forward and backwards in our driveway. I mean we have a long driveway. Well maybe only 1/4 the length of our Rexburg driveway, but I drove it. I came to the edge of the driveway just before turning onto the the road and turned on the turning signal. Just to figure out which way to flip the turning signal that is on the right side of the steering wheel is a great accomplishment.

I then backed up into our little area next to our back door. I drove back and forth 5 times. Ron's orders. I have to admit that this little car of ours does seem solid and drives nice (in the driveway). I hope to keep it that way ( I mean solid and drives nice) There I did it. That counts doesn’t it? I drove in Australia.

Yippy for me,

Inside our Flat

Diane in her cozy little kitchen

Just enough room in the fridge for the days left overs.  Better eat them up tomorrow

Ron at work on his computer working on the Branch records

Notice the nice hot heater next to him.

Portable heaters are used to heat each room seperately.

Our cozy living room at the other end from where Ron is at his computer

Our sunny front door just the other side of the brick wall.

Interesting signs

Here are some interesting city names

Mileage sign in Kilometers

passing lane

Pedestrian crossing

rest area

speed limit sign

Watch out for Kangaroos

 train crossing ahead

Yield sign

Our Ward Building

Here is our church building in Orange.   It is the biggest  in this Mission District.

District Conference will be held here becasuse of that reason.

Notice I brought my little friend with me to his land of origin.

Here is Ron standing at the back of the church.  

We went over to take our turn at cleaning a section of it.

Our first contact?

Wednesday Sept 7 we decided to walk around the block.   At the end of the our road is a little country grocery store, a butcher shop and other stores.    We were told that they are more expensive there becasue they are a country corner store.  We thought we would go in and see and buy a newpaper.

Just as we were getting ready to leave the house my computer made a beep.   I checked it and found that Natalie got onto g-mail messenger and was giving me instructions on how to fix the blog.   So a few more minutes went by before we could leave the house.

We walked to the store and walked around it to see what all they had.    The bananas there were still $8 for a kg and only about 4 inches long.   1 kg = 2lbs. So that is $4 a lb for USA measurements.
The day was sunny and perfect to be walking out with a suit and sweater on.   Flowers of all sorts were in bloom.   Trees with large flowers that I can only think of tulips to compare them too.
We walked along enjoying the sunshine and the flowers.   Some trees are just starting to bud their leaves out and others are fully leafed.   Some are full of flowers and others look dead.    It is still considered winter here but is a beautiful winter.
We walked 3/4 the way around our block and got back to Bletchington St and decided to walk down it farther away from our house.

A BIG Polynesian looking man with a hooded sweat shirt jacket on and a small boy on a scooter came towards us.    The man looked at us and came right up to us.    He asked "you missionaries?"

Ron said hi to him and told him yes.    He said he was a member of the church but did not have transportation to get to church.    Ron told him that we could pick him up.  He said "that is good"   He said he had a family of 7 and they would all need a ride.   Ron told him that we would give them all a ride.   That gave me goose bumps.   

 If Natalie hadn't gotten on the messenger right when she had then we most likely would have missed him.   He was on his way to pick up his daughter from pre-school.   He gave us his name, address and phone number and we gave him ours.    He said he would call on Saturday.    His name was W........... T..........   He is from Tonga.  

So that is how the Lord works in Mysterious Ways.

If his whole family comes that will almost double the Ward.    He said he had been a member for quite some time but just no way to get to church.   Now we do need that mini van that dad wanted to buy so badly.     We will have to pick up his family in 3 shifts unless we can get someone else to come and help pick some of them up.    Oh, how I hope they can all come.

We walked home on cloud nine.    We looked him up in the Ward list.    His name was not on it.   He is, I suppose, one of those lost members that could not be found.    The Lord knew he needed us to be walking there at that time.     We have been praying that he would not change his mind.  

Saturday Sept 10th  morning cam and he did call and said yes he wanted a ride to church.   He did not know how many of his family would be going though.   I told him we would be there at 9 am. 

Sunday Sept 11  we went to pick him up hoping we would have to take at least 3 trips to get his family there.    He and a step-son K......... were the only ones to go with us today.   

Elder and Sister Mangelson from the Mission Home (the sister that I helped with photoshop) came to speak today.    They gave such special talks that I hoped it would really touch W......... and his son.   

W........ said that his wife and his step children are non-members and that K....... had never ever gone to church before.   He said he hope to have them get baptised.    He acted so comfortable there at the church.     He showed K....... (11 yrs) the baptistry font and told him that he hopes he will get baptised.    Then to top off this special day, another man from Tonga and his family was there just visiting.  He talked to W....... in their native language.    Becasue of those extra people today the Ward was almost doubled.     Branch President James had been out of town last Sunday and commented that he is gone for 1 week and the Ward doubles.    I counted 36 people today.    

Every 2nd Sunday the Branch has a potluck luncheon for the members after church.   W......  helped set up and take food into the gym and acted like he had been there forever.    He did mention that he had grown up in the church but just hadn't gone for awhile.     He says he wants to get his whole family there next week.   K....... also acted comfortable and helped out.   His wife is expecting twins in a few months.  

Sister D........  talked to us about the fact that we will need car seats or booster seats for those 7 yrs and younger.    W........ has at least 3 children to fit in that catagory.    A 2 year old that will need  a car seat.    Humm, if he has no car than he probably does not have the seats.    I don't know what we will do but we will figure it out.   Sister D......... said that the Branch does have 2 seats for just that reason.   We will have to borrow them for next week.   

K........ went to primary class just fine.    Sister James asked us to come to Primary sharing time and talk about being a missionary.   When we went in K...... had left.   W....... was also no where to be found.   We were afraid they had decided to walk home, which was not very close.    It was also raining.   Finally they came out of the Bishops office.   W......... was with the clerk getting  his records transferred to the Orange branch.     He acts willing and raring to go.    They loved the meal and the association with the Branch members.   

We took them home and W......... said he was going to get his whole family there next week.    Ron had told the Cowra Branch President that we would be there next Sunday.    I asked Ron if we could postpone for I felt that we needed to be here to follow up with W.......... next Sunday.   He said that would probably be good.    

Our Flat (apartment)

Here is a view of both sides of our house where we live.  

Plus the terrace inside the arched gate

Out our Kitchen window

In the evening this is what we saw out our kitchen window

Trains

Yes, Dad found the train depot.   He sure want to go for a ride.  It would only cost $90 for the 2 of us to go to Sydney.   But who wants to go to Sydney?   I asked if we could rider there and come right back?

Dad wants me to paint a picture of the station.   He does not like the looks of the trains though

kangaroos

Saturday we went to visit some people in towns 60 to 80 miles away.   Several people told us not to drive that road at night because the kangaroos come out and dash across the road.   Ok, as if I am not already tense enough about driving on the wrong side of the road, the roads being so narrow, bumpy, curvy, driving with one wheel on the center white line and the other on the pot holes at the outside edge of the road and now the kangaroos.  Gulp. Then to top it all off the speed limit is 100 to 110 km-h. (62-68 mph).

Ron told me that if I get so nervous than I should close my eyes and go to sleep. I took some crocheting with me.  I did not keep my eyes too glued to the crocheting or dared to go to sleep and was glad because I had to tell him 3 times to get back into the left lane.    I have to admit that, once, I headed to the wrong side of the car to get in.    Mind you, only once.   

When traveling, I start finding myself as tense as when sitting in the dentist chair and have to tell myself to relax.  I wouldn't dare drive though. I already have my claw marks embedded in my seat and I would not fit in the drivers seat.

The picture shows the closest that I hope to get to a kangaroo while driving.  We did make it back home by about 8 pm and it was dark all the way. Whew, we made it home safe again.

Fwd: [family] shopping day

We went shopping again for food. This Sunday the Branch will be having a potluck luncheon.

I took some recipes to the store to see what I could buy to make them.
Here is the following recipies and what I found.

Tator tot casserole
- No cheddar cheese soup Grape Broccoli salad- grapes were product of USA and EXPENSIVE Curly chip salad- no curly chips or anything to sub that I could figure out, humm didn't even look for catalina dressing frog eyed salad- no Acini de pepe, so I am using Risoni, a rice shaped pasta.

AND the only marshmallows I finally found were medium sized, pink, white, yellow and orange, mixed in one package.    I could not find just white in a package.   I guessed that I could cut them up and maybe  they wouldn't look too bad in the salad.   I bought 2 packs because the packs were so small. They are packaged like candy and hanging on the racks in the candy section.

I ended up deciding to make the frog eyed salad using the "Rosini" with pink and white medium sized marshmallows (cut up). Except it will look more like cat-eyed salad.

We will have to do a bit of traveling, so Ron wants to keep a bag of work clothes and shoes in the car incase of an emergency. I thought that if we have to get out and walk then I would need some clothes too and some shoes. I only have one P-day shoes and so I don't want them in the car.
While downtown I looked for some CHEAP shoes. We had hopes at Payless shoes. The shoes were so wide that I could put both of my feet in them. Well, not quite, but almost. The cheapest canvas shoes they had were $20. Ron said that didn't sound too bad (for Australia). He then asked if they were comfortable. With both feet in one shoe, ha. No way. And besides the souls were as hard as the pavement. I don't think I could walk very far in them. We looked at some mens canvas shoes. Their souls were soft and spongy. Not fair. But of course, both feet in one shoe? Well, I could hop a little more comfortable.   But still!   I don't think I would get very far.   We left there and went to K-Mart.

K-Mart
had some canvas shoes for $5. Now that is more my price.   But huge or what? I usually wear 9 ½.    Here shoes don't come in half sizes let alone narrow.   The 9's were humongous on me.  they were in the womens section, so I don't know what to think .    I ended up getting size 7.   They were comfortable enough for an emergency especially at that price.    They were just the canvas ones with ties, so I could sinch them up.    We bought them, looked around for other things that we could not find and left.  

The Doyle family

Bro. & Sis. D......... had invited us to dinner. We had just enough time to get home, let Ron nap a bit and head to their home. We got there at 5 pm.

A little about the D........'s.   They are about Ron and my age.  They have 5 grown children which all are inactive.   Maybe 1 might be active.   I am not sure.   I think Bro. D....... was a Branch President once. He is now inactive.     Bro. D's  mother, O......., lives with them and is not a member.   She must be in her 80's and is such a sweet lady.    Sis. D.......   is very active.     She leads the music in Sacrament meeting.     She says that O....... goes to the church with her on Thursdays and helps clean every week. But she will not come on Sundays.    Sis. D......  said that O......... is so afraid of water that she will not be baptized.     She says Sis. D..... can do it for her after she dies.
The dinner was very delicious.    She made a cake pan full of something she calls, yummy dinner.    It had sliced carrots, potatoes, onions, and hamburger all cooked together.    With I think, Mushroom soup and cheese on top.     It was very delicious.    She also had steamed broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potatoes and zucchini.
Now let me tell you about cheese.   I think I told you that Cheddard Cheese is called "Tasty cheese". well, they do not color it like in America.    All the cheeses are the color of Swiss Cheese.    So meals look a little Albino looking.   I made some upside down meat pie with the cheese on it.    To me it looked a little sick.    But it did taste good.    That is what counts.
O........ went into the bedroom and brought out a pair of knitted bed booties.    She gave them to me.   She says she loves to knit and loves to give the things she knits away.    They are colored a variegated pink. Wow, that was so nice of her.
Bro. D....... loves his genealogy. Both he and Sis. D....... are such talkers that we did not have to hardly make conversation at all.   That was good for me.   They both talked mostly about Genealogy.   Bro. D....... has 5 monitors up around his desk so he can have opened many programs at once.

I would like to make good friend with this family.    Having Bro. D....... showing me how to do genealogy and O...... teaching me some knitting and maybe coming to Relief Society and helping teach on Sept 24.  the Relief Society is having a knitting teaching time that day.

We shall see

Fwd: [family] Updates

Ron got an e-mail from his cousin. He is in Australia and was in Sydney until Sunday. Ron does not know quite how to check all his e-mail and so he missed it.    Mike was leaving Sydney and traveling West and wanted to come and see us.   Ron e-mailed him back and gave him our phone number.  (when he found the e-mail)   Mike finally called and told where he was.   We will probably NOT get to see him.   But it was fun hearing from him.

I made our shopping list and we went shopping last Monday.

Here are some things I have found that are different

Rice Krispies

= Rice Bubbles or Rice Pops

Corn Syrup = Glucose Syrup    (I had to ask for this one)

Ground Hamburger = Minced Beef

Bisquick = Pastry Mix

Chocolate Chips = Chocolate Dips or Melts

Napkins = Serviettes

Bathroom = toilet

diapers = nappies

I could not find butterscotch or peanut butter chips at all, just chocolat and white.

A stalk of celery
was 21 inches long And of course everything is in g or kg. I am dying for a banana. There was a bad storm up North where they grow bananas and it destroyed the banana crop. Therefore bananas went up to $19 for a kg.(?) They are slowly going down in price. They are down to $8.   And to top it all off, they are only about 4 inches long. I wonder if they really do sell or if they rot in the stores.  I know I won't be paying that much for them.
Most things cost an awful lot here.
We finally found K-Mart and Coles and they are not to badly priced.   A few things like bananas yes.
Ron got a letter from the Mission President stating that we are visitors here in the country.  We have no proof of our residency to register our car.  So Ron took the letter over to the RTA and they were very obliging and our car is now registered.     Whoo Pee. Now we will probably get in a wreck or something.
We bought some lights for our porch lights that were burned out.   They were the normal energy saving screw-in light bulbs.  But, when we went to put them in they would not work. The fixtures have some other kind of clip-in light. Humm, what to do with these now.    J.......... says they are taking the screw in ones off the shelves and going to the clip-in.    I am not sure how we were able to find some. 
I wanted to make some of my usual peanut butter rice crispy treats.    I usually mix chocolate chips with butterscotch chips, but I could not find any to buy.     While I was heating the chips in the microwave, it burned in one spot.
I had popped some popcorn earlier and it burned in one spot.  I don't want to make that a habit so I'd better pay more attention.
Ron had invited the neighbors to dinner.   S....... W...., our next door neighbor on one side of us and  J........ K........, on the other side.  
It was interesting that I have been carrying around a little strip piece of paper in my journal for a book mark. Sometime in my past I was given it to read during a Sunday School class or some time.    I had kept it in my scriptures.   I have a lot of strips of paper in my scriptures and they were starting to fall out.    This one fell out and got saved to my journal.    I had not read it.   I just used it as a book mark.    I finally read it yesterday. It said:

Begin on the man who lives next door by inspiring confidence in him, by inspiring love in him for you because of your righteousness, and your missionary work has already begun. (CR October 1916, pp. 50-51) George Albert Smith.

How appropriate that statement was for me at this time.   Our missionary work has begun. 
So J......... and S....... came. We had a grand time.  It seems as if we have known them forever. Isn't it funny that way.   We ate dinner together and then played a game of Phase 10.   They had never heard of it before but they caught on quickly and seemed to enjoy it a lot.   They are both such very pleasant people.   S........ works for a mine.  J....... works for some health department.
We did not get all the way through the phases when S........ needed to go to get some assignments done.   But they stayed until at least 9 pm. 6-to 9 was good.   We are really going to like it here with such good neighbors.   They seem like good honest down to earth people.

 Wednesday we went driving to find some people.  Even though Ron is getting more confident on his driving he still makes some moves that makes me jump out of my skin.    I am still a nervous wreck when we go out.   I decided that I needed to stop all my sign language and screaming as Ron is driving or I will be the cause of our wrecks.    Maybe if I close my eyes it will not hurt so bad when we do wreck.  

We are having winter right now

This is what winter looks like here.   Enjoy.   We are.

Our Flat (apartment) is the one in the middle.   I will get more pictures and send later. 

Our New Flat

On our way to our flat, Ron drove and we followed behind 3 Elders.   We followed them clear to Orange which is a 3 hr drive.   We did get lost once when Ron wasn't paying attention and turned when they went straight, but thank goodness for cell-phones we got found.   So the trip took us longer than the usual 3 hrs that it should have taken.    Ron commented that it was no fun to drive because you have to concentrate so hard.    He's getting the hang of it (a little).    I still have to guide him alot.   But don't ask me to drive.   No way. 

 

We made it here safe and have moved in.   We are still unloading suitcases.   Our flat is really cute, I like it.  It is completely furnished with furniture, dishes and kitchen stuff.    The sister missionaries used to live here, but Pres. simmons moved them someplace else.   

 

It has a laundry room, kitchen, livingroom/dining room, 1 bath, and 2 bedrooms. Ron said I can have the one extra bedroom for sewing and art.   There was a table out in the garage (ya, we got a garage too) that we brought into that room for me.   There was an extra sewing machine at the mission home that Sister Simmons let me bring.  She did not know much about it so I will have to unpack it and see if it works.   I sure hope so.   

 

The Elders brought a trailer to pick up all the stuff left in the garage.    There were bikes, a mattress and other stuff.    They stuck around long enough to show us where to go to get the internet, where the church is, and where K-mart is.   We are set, right?   We took them to lunch at Pizza hut.   It cost $50.    I am so amazed at the prices here.    I just can't hardly stand it they are so high.   

 

After the Elders left we went back to town and went to K-Mart.   Now those prices were bearable.   But they were a small K-Mart and did not have a huge selection.     But this town is small.    I am so glad to get out of Sydney.    It is huge and the roads are a maze.