Sunday, March 8, 2015

Dear Family,

It is Sunday and we just got back from a night walk.  FALL is here, dark in the morning and early dark nights.  Summer came and was gone without our experiencing
and Australia hot summer.  Cold January and fall like February.  People have said they don't remember a summer like this so now onto fall.  We made a large
pot of tortilla soup for family home evening tomorrow night.  All the senior missionaries are coming to our FHE  because we have asked President Maxwell to talk
about his father, Apostle Neal A. Maxwell.  We want to know what it was like having him as a father.  We also want to know about President Maxwell and his life.

Yesterday, Saturday we went with a ward member friend, Dianne Bignell, to visit two beautiful mansions and gardens.  They were both built in the 1800's.  The 
land in 1837 belonged to 5 aboriginal tribes.  In 1847, some English people came to Australia squatted on the land and built a one level home.  There is a word
for this SQUATOCRCY.  They came and started raising sheep, became very wealthy and became the ruling class.  The Como house went through several owners and
each added onto the first level. We ate lunch in the gardens at a very quaint cafe.  The food was very good.  All restaurants serve pot pies and sandwiches. When you
ask for a slice of pie you get pot pie not peach, apple or cherry pie. Afterwards, we went to the second mansion and it too had beautiful gardens and a very large house.
Each house now has parties, banquets and weddings.

Our missionary appointment fell through on Tuesday night.  We were sad but will try again this Tuesday night.  Anyway we found ourselves with time on Tuesday 
evening so we went and saw, "The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel."  We liked it as well as the first movie.

Today at sacrament meeting 2 Tongan twin sisters had their farewell.  One is going to Seoul, Korea and the other to the Seoul South, Korea mission.  They were
very emotional and also sang the intermediate song.  It was beautiful.  They are from the Tongan family we have written about in previous letters.  We have been
to their parties.  They are all very dear to us.  

We are looking forward to this week.  Thursday night Erin and Rod are arriving in Melbourne.  They will be with us for 2 1/2 days.  We are taking Friday off to tour
with them.  They are already in Australia visiting Sydney and the Great Barrier Reef.  We are so excited.

Our closing thought to you is found in Alma 17:3
   "But this is not all; they had given themselves to much prayer and fasting; therefore they had the spirit of prophecy, and the 
    spirit of revelation, and when they taught, they taught with power and authority of God."

LOVE TO ALL OF YOU ALWAYS


GRANDMAS,  MOMS,  THE SISTER SISTERS

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