Maxwells

This was a letter we recieved from President and Sister Maxwell.

A Difficult Multiple Choice Question

If the Maxwell's told they would love to spend a little time with you 

before you leave, how would you respond - being totally honest?

(a) We would have time to get a cup of hot chocolate Monday evening          

(b) We would be interested in watching a movie of our choice at the Mission

Home Sunday evening

(c) We would have time to go on a short drive to a place of our choosing      

(d) We have no time and you hav already monoploized too much of our time

(e) Don't call us, well call you                                                                          

(f) d and e                                                                                                         

(g) None of the above                                                                                       

Seriously, we know you are very busy and have many people who want to spend a 

bit of time with you - and we get to see you on Saturday.  But we thought we'd ask 

just in case.  Please do NOT feel any pressure

Farewell Dinners

Vince and Elena Villani, Mark and Dapne Booth

Sister Rhodes, Sister Pastor, Sister Edrada, Sister Dulaki

Dinner at the Cuckoo Restaurant with the Maxwells

Jones Family and the Elders

Dear Family,

We are having too many farewell dinners.  We so appreciate everyone in our Wantirna ward and their desire to feed us and say good-bye.

Monday- Dianne Bignell, a wonderful friend fixed dinner for us and we watched the movie Out of Africa afterwards.  Love the movie.  It was a very pleasant evening.  Dianne took us earlier this year to visit some of the beautiful mansions.  She is our age and a very classy fun lady.

Vincent and Elena Villani along with Daphne and Mark Booth went to dinner with on Tuesday night.  We went to a new restaurant called Billy's Kitchen. Both couples are very enjoyable and fun to be with.  Mark and Elena are brother and sister. They are half Italian, Daphne is Chilean and Vince is first generation Italian. Wonderful Melbourne with all of its different cultures.  That has been a big reason to love being here on this mission.  Vince has written a screen play that goes into production, in Belgium, this week.  When they have a premier in the states we will be invited.

Wednesday we went to dinner with Elder Stokes and Fermanis to Hutch and Deb Jones home.  Their daughter Emalee and son Hunter were there also.  She made a fantastic risotto, had fresh tomatoes, spinach and capsicans (peppers) with delicious rolls.  She had made 3 very good desserts.  There house was really nice and their patios are beautiful. A picture will be on the blog.

Believe it or not we are working very hard at the office to finish our work and get lists and notes made for the incoming sisters.  They haven't got their visas or tickets so they won't be here for us to train.  Hopefully, our notes etc will help them.  I do hope they will love this mission and working in the office as much as we have.  

Thursday a new senior couple invited all the seniors to their flat for New Year's Eve.  We all brought food and plenty of desserts.  Sister Lattiere brought Vietnamese food.  Adrienne loves her food!!

Friday we had the day off so we did more packing and cleaning.  We have clothes and shoes and things that we are not bringing home so we took a bundle to the sister missionaries that live in Kew and Footscray.  Both places are close to the city.  We  took them to lunch and another farewell meal.  One sister was American, one is from Fiji and two were from the Philippines.  We absolutely love all our missionaries but the sisters are very dear to us.

Saturday we went to the office to get the scales so we can weigh our luggage.   Afterwards, we drove to Warren Glen Nursery and Cafe for a very pleasant lunch. We ate outside. It was a perfect weather day.  When we left we decided to explore one last time just driving through new neighborhoods.  That has always been one of the highlights, exploring new neighborhoods and seeing gorgeous homes and especially those that are unique to Australia.

We took the Maxwells to dinner at a German restaurant called the Cuckoo.  It is located in the Dandenong mountains.  They have entertainment during the evening with the audience participating, dancing, singing, learning to yodel.  President Maxwell went to Germany on his mission.   It was our final get together for the 4 of us.  We have become great friends.  We will see them when they get home this summer.

Sunday-  The bishop asked us to bear our testimony.  It was very emotional for us.

Pictures of all these events are on the blog.

Thought for the day:

John 4: 35

"...I say unto you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, for they are white already to harvest."

We love you all,

The moms, The Grandmas, The sister sisters

Christmas

Elder Motuapuaka, Elder Stokes, Elder Swenson, Elder Togia, Elder Tawha, Elder Symons

Out last Christmas in Mebourne

Adam, Sarah and Hyrum

 Kimberly, Courtney, Louise, Mary, DeeDee, Adrienne and Ron

Dear Family,

We had a wonderful Christmas Holiday.  We worked 1/2 day on Thursday.  Then we took Christmas presents to elders and sisters in different zones.  These gifts arrived late and we wanted the missionaries to have them.  We know that Christmas gifts will be arriving all through January.

Christmas Eve we had seven elders come for dinner, pizza, American salad, garlic bread and ice cream cones for dessert.  We keep things simple.  We had two Tongans, one from New Zealand and 3 Americans. We had so much fun with them.  We played Christmas charades, again because some of these elders had never played.  They had some trouble so I would give them hints.  We always thought everyone knew how to play charades.  They told us it felt like home for them.  One companionship brought us flowers on Christmas day to say thank you.  They had written a very cute note. What a sweet gesture on their part.  We were very touched by this.

Christmas morning, 7:00 am, we went to Hyrum and Sarah Mohring's home to celebrate Santa with their children.  Joseph, Lucy and Adam are the kids and we love them.  It was so fun watching them unwrap presents, laughing and screaming with joy.  Little Adam is 1 1/2 years old and finally he has become our friend.  Now he will come to us with a smile on his face. Sarah had made a wonder berry bread pudding and croissants with ham and cheese.  They were both warm and tasted delicious.  Croissants with ham and cheese is sooooo big over here.  They are on all menus.

In the afternoon, we went to Ron and Louise Vinck's home for lunch.  Before eating, they gave a gift box with goodies and each of us an Australian Christmas card.  Inside the card was $35.00 in new American money.  They wanted to make sure we had money to buy a coke when we got off the plane in America. It was such a thoughtful gift.  We were emotional, no surprise.  They have loved us and treated us so well.

Got a text in the afternoon from President and Sister Maxwell asking to come over at 7 and watch a movie. We laughed and texted back YES.

We love that they love watching movies with us.  They are very dear friends to us and will be good friends when we all are back in the states. They get released in July.

Saturday it rained long and hard.  We decided to clean our cupboards, wash kitchen rugs, all our linens, duvet covers etc.  We want everything to be clean and ready for the two new sisters coming to replace us.  We then started packing suitcases deciding what to leave and what to take home.  YES, we are getting excited.

Sunday evening we had our Indian family, minus dad because he was setting up tables for his parents 40th anniversary, come to our home for Smores, yes smores.  They had given us a basket of fun gifts and a box of microwave smores.  They didn't know what they were.  Aarti, (Mom), Caelan, 6, and Neha,3 came.  Aarti is diabetic so she didn't eat them but let the kids eat them.  We were laughing because they rarely eat sweets.  Neha took about 2 bites and ate the watermelon instead.  Caelan kept eating them and by the time he left he looked a bit ill.  It was a new experience for them and one they won't have again.  We have become such good good friends.  Thank goodness for Facebook.  We will really miss them.

We are at work now for 3 1/2 days and then New Years Eve and New Years Day we have off.

Thought for the day;

He who was burdened with sorrow and acquainted with grief speaks to every troubled heart and bestows the gift of peace.  "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."  

                                                    President Thomas S. Monson and  John:14: 27 

Love to you all and HAPPY NEW YEAR

The moms, The grandmas, The sister sisters

Avengers

Activators running open.

(DeeDee is Hulk)

Adrienne Loki Mug Shot.

Cataract Gorge

 Tasmania Missionaries

Potoroo

Walaby

Dear Family,

This week has been a very busy, fun filled, inspirational week.

It started on Monday when we flew to Tasmania for the Christmas Celebration with 22 of our fantastic missionaries.  President and Sister Maxwell invited us to go with them and the AP's to help with the party and program.  Between the 6 of us we had 10 very large pieces of luggage, with presents for the missionaries.

We checked into the Penny Royal Hotel which is an old gunpowder mill. The rooms have all been renovated but the exterior and design are the same with the original rock exterior.

We had dinner at the Cataract Restaurant, next door to the hotel.  It was really nice for the six of us to sit down and have a nice relaxing evening. President and Sister Maxwell have very few evenings to relax.

We love Tasmania, it's beauty, it's sheep and cattle farms, the blue ocean that surrounds the island and the list goes on.

The celebration was wonderful.  The RS had prepared a lovely lunch and decorated the cultural hall.  It was very festive.  The 45 minuted spiritual program, written by Sister Maxwell, involved all the missionaries either singing or speaking.  The slide show with music and song was a beautiful way to honor our Savior, Jesus Christ.  Many of the missionaries don't get any Christmas from home. This year we made sure all 220 missionaries had a least one package to open.

We returned to Melbourne on Wednesday night.

Thursday we went to the office at 7:30 am to start preparing for the Christmas Celebration for the remaining 208 missionaries. We had a dinner in the evening for all the senior missionaries and couples.  They help set up tables, chairs, decorate the tables, distribute the gifts to a room for each zone.  We got home at 10:30 pm.

Friday, back to work at 7:30 am running up and down stairs all day.  We had the Christmas program.  The Samoan sisters danced in costumes, the Tongan sisters danced in costume, and the Fijian sisters danced in costume.  Everyone of them was beautiful and so graceful.  It is a joy to watch them. Many of the missionaries are very talented and love to perform.  It was great fun and very entertaining.  Oh, how we love these missionaries.  JUST WRITING ABOUT THEM TODAY WE REALIZE THERE ARE MANY WE WILL NEVER SEE AGAIN.  It was very hard saying good-bye to them.  Of course, we cried.

The weather has gone from 105 degrees for three days to 78 degrees today with rain.  

Adrienne and I sang in the Christmas program at church yesterday.  The air conditioning is not working in the building so it was really HOT! We love the sacrament meeting before Christmas.  

For the Christmas party each zone chose a movie and made a DVD to show at conference.  Of course, they had to tie into missionary work and Preach My Gospel.  Our zone, the office, the APs and President and Sisters Maxwell chose "The Avengers." I have enclosed pictures of us in this letter.  Adrienne was LOKI and I was the HULK.  We are never too old to embarrass ourselves.

Final thought;

"God does not force us to believe.  Instead He invites us to believe by sending living prophets and apostles to teach us, by providing scriptures, and by beckoning to us through His spirit."                                Elder L. Whitney Clayton

Love to all of you,

The moms, The grandmas, The Sister sisters