Dear Family,
Well, this has been a busy and exciting week.
Monday afternoon we went with Sister Hullinger to a Latvian craft show which turned into a Latvian Festival for the residents of the Latvian Village. Thinking we could just walk in proved to be a bit embarrassing but they invited us to stay and enjoy the program. They gave us some different cheese to eat and offered us a drink. We settled for water. We explained who we were and they welcomed us but said, "please don't try to convert us." They were dressed in beautiful costumes. Even their stocking were hand made. We have posted pictures on the blog. It was a really fun event and the people so gracious. There are little villages like this throughout Melbourne. We sang Christmas Carols last year at a German village.
Tuesday we went to visit John and Rosemary Body. We have been visiting them on a monthly basis for 11 months. We were sad to find that Rosemary is in hospice and won't live very long. It makes us very sad. She and John are such good people and we have always enjoyed laughing with them. We were able to meet their family. One of their daughters lives in Provence, France. She has lived there for 42 years. We met her son and his French wife and their daughter, Lisanne. They were speaking French. Thought of you Craig and wished you were here to talk with them. John, as always, kissed and hugged us before we left.
Wednesday we went with 6 elders and Elder and Sister Hullinger to clean a very horrible, terrible, awful flat. Adrienne and I have never seen anything this bad. Bless the hearts of these elders for living there and for trying to clean it. They definitely need lessons in cleaning. They really did work hard. We brought them lunch from McDonald's. I will say their fries are still the best and they loved the meal. We took pictures of the flat and put them on the blog. Wires were hanging from the ceiling and doors, holes in the walls, one window wasn't attached to the house and the list goes on. It was a disaster waiting to explode. The toilet was an after thought. It was put by the back door. Weird.
This flat was located in a beautiful neighborhood. It was a real eye sore. There were three churches at the top of the street. They were built right next to each other. Pictures on blog. The Apostalic Church, a beautiful and very ornate Thai church, a Buddhist temple and a Buddhist community center, still under construction. We love wandering neighborhoods and seeing so many sites and sounds.
Wednesday evening we went to the temple. We love going to the temple.
Friday morning Steve, Patti and Robbie came to visit for two days. We were so excited to see them. We took Steve to work in Deer Park. He works for Huntsman. While Steve was working we went to the Werribee Mansion. It is beautiful and the landscaping is fabulous. There is a zoo, a golf course, rose garden, tennis courts and a lovely hotel attached to it. The weather was cold so we stopped at the cafe and had hot chocolate and chips, or fries, or wedges. From here we drove to Williamstown, the first sea port in Melbourne. They have turned it into a very cute town with boutiques, hotels and lots of restaurants. Standing by the water you can see Melbourne city. After that we went and picked up Steve and drove back to our flat. We had dinner at DeGani's, our favorite restaurant. Patti was very happy to have a steak dinner after eating Malaysian food for a week.
Saturday, Steve, Patti and Robbie went to the temple. Steve and Robbie did baptisms and Patti did initiatory. We picked them up and headed to the city for the day. We basically ate our way through the day. We had just finished brunch and were walking when Robbie spotted a Lindt chocolate store. We went in and he got a waffle with ice cream and salted caramel sauce. We walked along the Yarra River and then wandered the rest of the afternoon. Patti, Adrienne and I bought a pair of shoes. Two hours later Steve and Robbie bought a Schnitz sandwich to eat. Schnitzel is very popular here in Melbourne. Two hours later we were eating dinner at an Italian restaurant near our flat. OINK OINK OINK
Robbie ordered a steak that is cooked at the table. The patron cooks his own steak on a very hot lava rock. It is in the shape of a square. He loved it. The rest of us shared a couple of pizzas.
Sunday morning we took the family to the airport at 6:00 am. They were going to Cairns and to see the Great Barrier Reef.
All three hours at church were great. The talks on hope and making good choices were great. The speakers were very prepared. We also sang Joseph's First Prayer. That song is so touching. It is hard to imagine it has been 171 years since Joseph and Hyrum were martyred. Our investigator class was on the Plan of Salvation, and combined RS and Priesthood was on Finding Faith in Christ. Not often all three hours are so uplifting.
ANOTHER MIRACLE.
Richard, our cleaner, called in the afternoon. He and his wife and child want to come to church next week with us.!!!!!!!!!! They will stay for the first and second hour. We were so thrilled with the call. We told him we would see him on Tuesday when we pick up our cleaning. Please keep Richard, Keisha and Jasper in your prayers.
Our closing thought to you,
"But learn that he who doeth the works of righteousness shall receive his reward, even peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come."
We love you all,
The moms, The sister sisters, The Grandmas
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