All the News I can think of:

Dear Blog friends and family. Thanks for following us on this amazing format of the latter-days called a blog. We so appreciate your friendship and the many prayers that sustain missionaries, young and old. We have grandchildren serving as well and know that all who are helping hasten the Lord’s work are deserving of our prayers. We testify that they are heard and we and they are sustained and strengthened by your prayers for missionaries.

I hope to be able to recount those things I’ve wanted to share over the past weeks. I’m going to make a list to help me focus.

·      

      The unique blessings and lessons  that come of serving in the temple
      The importance of serving beyond the scope of our specific call
·         Our ward family and their examples of faith
·         Our temple missionary family and our recent loss
·         Another beautiful site visited and the beautiful people who live there
·         Fagalii Cemetary
·         CCWS Reunion

It is a blessing to be in the temple nearly every day. Officiating in sacred ordinances is such a privilege, and seems especially significant today when some feel that women are unfairly denied priesthood ordination. We sisters who have had hands laid upon our heads and have been given authority to administer saving ordinances in the temple, find it especially hard to understand. Everything in the temple clearly teaches both our need for a Redeemer, and our mutual need as sons and daughters of God  for each other in order to claim the highest blessings offered by our Father in Heaven.  As we come to know God we also come to know ourselves. A mission serves as a catalyst, taking us out of our comfort zone and turning our hearts to God for help every day.

Our first view of the temple as we arrived for the Saturday morning shift.

Every mission assignment is unique. However there seems to be a common experience among newly arrived senior missionaries here. When we first arrived Leon felt somewhat of a lack, wondering what more he could do to be of service. We’ve since heard that same sentiment expressed as we’ve talked with other seniors during their first few weeks. I remember shortly after coming that we walked over to the auto shop and the wood shop (which is what he taught when we were here in the early ‘70’s), talking to the teachers, looking at the equipment and somehow wanting to help. There seems to be this feeling that they aren’t using all their time and talents to the fullest. However, we have learned – first hand – and by observation – that it is just part of the transition into mission life for a senior missionary. Soon we are immersed in our specific assignments, accept callings in our wards, and find opportunities to serve everywhere. We begin to feel that we belong.

Our new dentist, Elder Layne and his assitant, Sister Layne, 

laugh now about how they felt "under used" when they first arrived.

They couldn't have been any happier if they had won the lottery when Elder and Sister Thomas arrived to share the load in the dental clinic. Elder Thomas retired from his dental practice in Corvalis, OR just prior to coming. Laynes hail from Florida. I can't remember where and it's too late to call them.

Unlike all other senior missionaries here, we temple missionaries are under the temple president rather than the mission president. Unlike them, we are not assigned to attend a specific ward, but are free to attend where we choose.  We have come to love our Pesega Lima Ward. We are consistently inspired and strengthened as we attend our weekly meetings, serve in our teaching assignments and as home and visiting teachers. We love our ward family. By their fruits, we are told, we shall know them. The sixteen full-time missionaries serving from this ward are evidence of their faithfulness. Their faith in God is implicit. They do not doubt the love and power of God to help and to heal.

We also feel part of a family of temple missionaries. I’ve written before about our next door neighbors, the Sauni’s. On Sunday, June 8^th, just one day before his 81^st birthday, Brother Pata Sauni died of cardiac arrest. He was speaking in another ward sacrament meeting when he collapsed at the pulpit. Within minutes he was gone. We have all been affected by the loss of this dedicated servant of the Lord. He and his wife were first to arrive for every shift, working both morning and the afternoon/evening shift every day. He was well known for his “malosi” (strength). His signature greeting was to take a boxer’s stance and punch the air toward you. His handshake was to bump fists with you. Now it has become a standard hand shake among the workers as a way of acknowledging our loss.

On a brighter note, earlier this month a group of us dined at Lupe Sina, which was definitely on our must-do-before-we-leave list. Lupe Sina Treesort (treehouse resort) is a 30 minute drive on the cross island road to get to the turn off. It is another ten minute challenging dirt road up and down and around with signs posted at intervals just to give you hope that you didn’t miss a turn somewhere.  From the deck of the main treehouse, you have an  expansive view of the sea and sky. Carol and Jack Batchelor, owners and gracious hosts,  prepared and served a wonderful meal on the veranda of their home, and gave us a tour of the most recently completed treehouse. On an earlier visit we toured the original one. The cost for an overnight stay in the banyan treehouse is $750 tala per couple. That's $327.25 American at the current rate of exchange. The view alone is worth that.

Carol and Jack's home where dinner is served on the veranda.

The sunset from where we were seated for dinner.

They are just as friendly and gracious as they look.

 Jack is a master builder and a creative genius. The banyan tree is host to the original treehouse, which is integrated into the structure of the tree itself. The tree (they call it Samson) estimated to be 300 years old, stands 180 feet tall with a circumference of 140 feet. You can look it up on the internet and learn more at www.lupesinatreesort.com.

Lucky for us, Samoa is host for this year’s CCWS Reunion. Church College of Western Samoa was the name of the school when Leon taught here from 1971-’74. It is actually a high school and is now known as Pesega High School. We attended the opening day on Saturday. Our good friends, Vernetta Tagaloa and Pat Moors (former students of CCWS), have worked on the planning committee with others for months preparing for this week.

 Three months of practice for fifteen minutes of beautiful and energetic traditional siva.

Sister Tagaloa, who organized and helped teach the dance. 

Notice the Pesega school colors of yellow and blue reflected in their costumes.

On the stage behind are posted snapshots of students, teachers and administrators on a timeline from the '60s through the 2000's. In the 1970's section is a very faded enlarged yearbook picture of Leon. I wouldn't have recognized the image if his name hadn't been printed underneath. But, hey, he is there. Our next door neighbors all those years ago in the teacher housing were Kent and Penny Larsen. Kent was a counselor at CCWS at that time. He is arriving tomorrow for the reunion.We are really looking forward to that.

                                                                                     Leon                                 Kent

Leon and I visited the cemetary at Fagalii, the original site of the mission home in the early days of the LDS church in Samoa.. A smaller portion of the small cemetary is cordoned off by a low fence. Within this space is the resting place of LDS missionaries and family members from the late 1800's to the early 1900's. Of the eight graves there, four mark the graves of children, all under the age of two; one is a 21 year old wife and mother. The organization of the 27th stake in Samoa just this year is a result of the sacrifice of these pioneers and those faithful souls who followed in their footsteps, including their Samoan converts, who endured sacrifice and persecution to rival that of our own pioneer ancestors. In the May 1975 Ensign is a talk given by Elder Loren C. Dunn titled, Faithful Laborers, which details the stories of these very souls buried here.

A newly published book titled, A Bright Samoan Sunrise, contains the stories of 26 early Samoan converts, compiled by R. Wayne Shute and Tuifao Tufuga. The stories come from journals and from the pen and memory of living descendants. The story of Sale Manu (1898-1956), is related by his daughter, Nesa. The family was baptized in 1934. Manu was called as a branch president in Savaii during WWII when American missionaries were called home and the local leaders were encouraged to preach the gospel and strengthen the members. The village of Satupa'itea on the island of Savaii, where Manu was assigned to serve was a Methodist village. The pastor of the village threatened Manu with harm if he continued to visit members of his flock. Manu only taught villagers who invited him in and wanted to learn about this new church. Explaining this to the pastor did no good. Time passed and tensions grew. News came through a family member that they had better leave "that night"or their lives were in danger.

Early the next morning, at Manu's direction, the family all dressed in their white Sunday clothes, Manu in his suit. A band of about 200 men approached the house. Leading them "were about 10 high chiefs". The men were carrying wood, axes and knives and rocks. They built a huge bonfire in front of the house. Kneeling before the high chiefs and using the high Samoan language, Manu addressed the chiefs, "I am willing to die today with my wife and my children if this is the will of my Father in heaven. If it be his will, we will die today because of our testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints--you go ahead and do what you came here to do. I am willing to die." In response, the highest chief replied, "Manu, we are afraid. You are a true servant of God. This umu (fire) was for (the owners of the house where they were living)". The chief said that the property owners had left in fear of their lives. He then told all the men, including the chiefs to go home. All but one obeyed; the one came back and set fire to the fale, and two other buildings as well. A police officer had been dispatched with news of the escalating threats. When all of this came to the attention of the Commisioner of Samoa, armed troops were sent to round up the offenders.

When asked by Police Inspector, Fitisemanu, what kind of punishment Manu would think appropriate, he said, "I forgive these men of the things they have done--all we want is to be left alone so that we can worship as we see fit." The crimes were serious enough that the judge felt they must go to prison. "Punishment was meted out to all the high chiefs with lesser punishment for the young men of the village."

The words of those faithful laborers sunk deep into warm and loving Samoan hearts. Today their descendants are participating in the hastening of the work of the Lord, faithfully serving in their wards and stakes and in other areas of the world as full-time missionaries. We know some of these people. We learn from their example what it means to be truly converted. We will miss them, but hope never to forget them.

Manuia soifua. Until next time, thanks for sharing this experience with us.

Sister Crowley

WOULD YOU LIKE A TOUR OF OUR APARTMENT?

It always seemed important to me whenever our children moved some distance away, to visit them in their new house/apartment/dorm. Somehow it helps erase the miles. When we think about them, talk with them, read their postings or emails, we can picture them almost as clearly as we could on skype; and there were plenty of moves before there was skype. We’re a little late in giving them that same consideration, and to be honest this may be more for us than for them or you. I want to remember as much as I can of this experience, and a fair bit of our time has been within these walls.

I must give a disclaimer before we begin the tour. I’ve been saying for weeks that I wanted to do this; take photos of our apartment, the rooms, what’s on the walls, what we see every day.  My idea was that we would do a quick pick up and straightening up and then take the pictures. What happened is that one day when I was engrossed in something else, Leon took the pictures. When I calmly said that I had expected that he would give some warning, or take it upon himself to do a little ‘staging’ first, he replied, “I want to picture it as it is every day”. Oh, great. I then, also calmly, (you can ask him) said, “Well if there are dishes in the rack, it is because I washed and it was your job to dry and put them away.” Didn’t phase him. It must be a gender difference. You can let me know.

This is Reality blog time.  What you see is, evidently what we see “every day”.  Not.  Right now, as I write this, the dish rack is empty. Mostly.

Here is our apartment from outside. Ours is the one on the left. Brother and Sister Sauni are on the right.

So won't you please come in?

Before we ever came, Sister Ho Ching took us through two available apartments via her ipad; apartment #4 has a lovely view of the temple. We were swayed by that. The disadvantage was that if you have guests, they must walk through the bedroom in order to reach the bathroom.  Well since you already have a suspicion about our housekeeping habits, you may think that was the deciding factor. Actually, the advantage that sold us on Apartment #1 is that it faces the parking lot and it is a short walk from the car to the front door when you are carrying bags of groceries. Now you know that not only do we leave dishes in the rack, but we're basically lazy.

Step into the living room a few feet and turn back to your left and you will see this. That is our front window. That is our coffee table that is undeniably always cluttered with books and papers. That is where we prepare our lessons, read, and occasionally watch a movie orTV.

That's our tv sitting at an angle in the corner under what you see directly above. That is such a great picture of the First Presidency. I begged it off of the worker at the distribution center here in the mission complex. It is the announcement of April General Conference. I was certain it would be removed from the window and thrown away after conference. He was nice enough to save it for me.

Keep going and you're in our little kitchen. Yep, there's the rack full of dishes.

Now you understand why we have our 'family' dinners at Sister Kamerath's apartment.

This is the wall opposite our kitchen table. Betsy and Justin gave us that 18 month calendar for Christmas before our mission. How perfect was that! As we passed each month, we cut the family pictures from the calendar and hang them all over our apartment. What joy that gives us to see their beautiful faces surrounding us.

Okay, go back outside and come in again, but look to your right this time. The map on the right is of Samoa. We live on the smaller island shown here; the one on the right, which is Upolu. Savaii is larger and less populated. We spent a day there when Leslie and James Merrell, Ben and Brianna were here last summer. Actually, the pictures between the maps are of Ben and Brianna.

This is our media center. ; )  From the Fife's we inherited a plethora of DVDs, many of which they had inherited from other missionaries. Leon set up an excel file on the computer; we distributed a list of titles, including some books, via email to all the senior missionaries. Quite a few couples drop in pretty regularly and 'check out' a flick, and sometimes a book. We don't send out reminders or charge fines for late returns, but he's a darn good librarian to keep track of where the movies are. We're not sure who will take over when we go home, but it's a good thing. We hope it keeps going. Maybe we should post a notice that we're accepting applications.

Down the hall is the bedroom. The bathroom is the first door on your right.
Actually, it's the only door on your right.

Not much to see; a stall shower, sink, toilet.

Note the ingenious solution Leon came up with to provide a clock in the bathroom:  One of his watches is duct taped to the wall. Again, notice the integrity of our Reality tour.

Our bed above.  Our bed below.  Colorful, don't you think?

OurReality dresser, and our entire wardrobe, visible from the closet door. 

Correction: our temple whites are in the hall closet.

We're back in the living room. This is our command center; our link to the outside world. 

So, now I am going to share with you the various signs and quotes you may have noticed that are all around.  Some of them are Samoan words and phrases from a time in the past when we were serious about learning Samoan. Somewhere along the way, we got distracted. The others are quotes that inspire and/or remind us of what we should be about. They have really been helpful.. Maybe you will find them so as well.  The first one is from President Monson. I have memorized this one.

So much in life depends on our attitude. The way we choose to see things and respond to others makes all the difference. To do the best we can and then choose to be happy about our circumstances, whatever they may be, can bring peace and contentment. 

                                                                                            ~ President Thomas S. Monson

Don't be gloomy. Do not dwell on unkind things. Stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunshine. Even if you are not happy, put a smile on your face. Accentuate the positive. Look a little deeper for the good. Go forward in life with a twinkle in your eye and a smile on your face, with great and strong purpose in your heart.  ~ President Hinckley

Think the best of others, especially those you say you love. Assume the good and doubt the bad.  ~ Unknown

O God, thy sea is so great, and my boat is so small. ~ Old fisherman's prayer, courtesy of son, Jesse. 

It's amazing what happens when you choose to let God shape your life and not let the bad things that happened be your present.  ~ Casey Anne Crowley, Argentina Neuquen Mission.

And last of all, the scripture that we chose for our missionary plaque. I've also memorized this one: 

And now my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you, to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build, they cannot fall.  Helaman 5:12

Thanks for stopping by. Notice the lovely landscaping as you leave.  This is what we see through our front window. (Remember the convenience factor before you judge.)

This is what we see from our side living room window. That's the mission home in the distance. Walk around our apartment to the right and you will see the Service Center across the parking lot.

Our apartment is connected to the temple president's home. If you look over their roof you can see part of the temple in the distance. This is they way we walk to the temple. We don't actually walk through the mission president's home, but we do walk through their car port.

If you head the other direction as you leave and walk around the Sauni's apartment, you get a better glimpse of the temple beyond. You can also see the back of Lavatai's apartment, which is connected to Lamoreaux's, which is connected to Fitisemanu's (temple president). We're all connected. And the laundry room is at the corner of the sidewalk, if you get what I mean. See the clothesline pole? Notice in the foreground at the corner of Sauni's apartment is a young and growing papaya tree.

They planted this tree at Christmas. These are big enough to pick. 
The oblong shape indicates they are Hawaiian papaya. When ripe they are yellow/gold.
Inside, they are a deeper color of orange than the local variety.

If you turn right from the papaya tree, the sidewalk will take you to Sister Kamerath's apartment. Hers is the door on the right.  What you don't see is chickens.  They've been banned from the complex because of the mess they create. Leon is most happy to have them gone. There are two individuals that miss them quite a lot: Sister Kamerath, aka, "Chicken Grandma", and Sister Sauni who regularly thins their feathers for them and dyes them brilliant colors - the feathers, not the chickens - to use in the gorgeous fans she weaves and exports to Pago Pago to sell. There are very few chickens around these days, and proportionately rather skimpily feathered. Sister Kamerath fed 'her' chicken pets from the 50 lb. bags of rice she regularly purchased for them. The main rooster would even come into her apartment if the door was open and stand on the little rug just inside. He was such a proud and cocky specimen. He's gone to a better place. Not what you might be thinking. The bunch of them are now residing in the yard of the mission home cook. . .Well, maybe it is what you're thinking.

Remember to drive on the left side of the road. And try not to use your windshield wipers as blinkers. No one will even notice. Well, that's not entirely accurate. The people in your car will get a good laugh. Trust me. 

Tofa soifua.  Thanks for dropping by. 

Where did April go?

April was the first month that I haven’t posted at least once in the fourteen months we’ve been here. I hope I can remember some highlights and figure out why I didn’t blog.

The couples who are serving missions here are all people you would be happy to call your friends. Each contributes their unique personalities, talents, interests and testimonies to the enrichment of all, including Sister Carolyn Kamerath, who had the spunk to come here alone to serve as mission nurse years after she had been active in nursing.  And we can’t forget our volunteer dentists – yes, dentists. With the arrival of Mark and Jane Thomas, freshly retired from his practice in Salem, Oregon, we now have two dentists to care for the entire population, and they do it for free. Elder and Sister Layne are most thankful for this help. Dr. Layne was not really prepared for the patient load after being in semi retirement in Florida before coming here to serve an 18 month mission with his wife as his assistant. It was quite a shock to find a long line of people waiting for the clinic door to open at 8:00 a.m. each day.

Close friendships form within this group of dedicated people; usually it seems to be geographic, neighbors sharing with neighbors. In our case, it is the same. We are closest as far as time spent together and shared experiences with those who live in temple housing, namely the Lamoreaux’s and Sister Kamerath, as well as the Lavata’i’s.  Our time spent (outside the temple) with Lavata’i’s is limited due to the fact that they have lots of family close by. Their Sundays especially are spent with family, while we palagi’s become family to each other. We attend the English speaking ward together and often share Sunday dinner, as well as occasional evenings playing dominoes, crazy card games or watching a movie together.

So when Sister Kamerath got word that her beloved young adult grandson Justin, a recovering addict, had died of an overdose, we were with her. That was April 1^st. We lived through that trauma with her. She has shown great faith and courage to finish her mission, saying that is what Justin would want her to do. And she does it with grace and good humor.

Other April news of significance (to us) is that with all the growth of the church and a new stake being formed recently, the meeting house we had attended was aligned into a different stake and the Pesega Lima ward was assigned to hold meetings in the Pesega High School (not called that here, but that’s what it is). We hold sacrament meeting in the gymnasium and classes are held in the air conditioned classrooms. It could be worse. This English speaking ward first began in the high school gymnasium, so it has come full circle.

April saw the end of an abundant avocado harvest of which we were the grateful beneficiaries. Mark and Pat Moors, members of our ward and Mark is a temple worker, have a grove of avocado trees that kept us and all the missionaries supplied for a couple of months. Moors delivered bags of avocados to us regularly to distribute to other missionaries. And these are huge compared to the ones we get at home. They keep far better, retaining their color and texture for days in the refrigerator. 

General Conference was - as always - anticipated, appreciated and devoured. We saw some sessions live on BYUTV and attended all sessions of the delayed broadcast the following weekend in our stake center. We’ve enjoyed revisiting some talks online at lds.org. I am finding Elder Corbridge of the Seventy to be one of my favorite speakers. His messages are delivered with passion and punch. Why, indeed, did they not leave Joseph alone? Truth is always opposed. I was touched by Elder Packer’s talk and his rare show of emotion. How long will he be with us, we wonder.

The senior missionaries are organized into a zone under the mission president with three districts. We are district leaders of the temple housing district. It was our turn in April to provide the lesson/activity of our bi-weekly FHE. We did a Samoan cooking demo and served the food after. Can you guess that I demo-ed how to make cocosamoa and supoese? We also had demo’s of fa’alifu talo, baked taro, and palusami. It was very well received and lots of fun. There were several Samoan senior missionaries there and I was the first to demo. I was a bit intimidated, so I began by relating a scene from the movie, ELF. Do you remember the conversation between Will Ferrell and the little girl in the doctor’s office waiting room? She compliments him on his elf costume and he corrects her. “This isn’t a costume. I’m an elf…. raised by humans.”  She responds, “I’m a human, … raised by humans.”  Then I explained my reluctance to teach with Samoans present by saying, “I’m a palagi, … raised by palagi’s.” It was a good evening.

Sunday dinners, including Easter Sunday, with Lamoreaux's at Sister Kamerath's (she always hosts because she is the only one with a dining room table) sums up the highlights of the month of April.

Since today is Mothers Day with all of you, may I share our experience of yesterday, which was our Mothers Day? We were invited by one of the temple workers, Brother Tiatia, to attend his ward at Mulifanua which is about an hours drive to the west end of the island. Most of the other seniors are assigned to regularly attend Samoan wards. Since we fall under the authority of the temple president, we were free to attend whatever ward we chose. Pesega Lima draws its membership of English speaking saints from anywhere on the island. We are grateful to have callings and serve in Pesega Lima ward.

Yesterday was our first experience attending a Samoan speaking ward. We gained empathy for the missionaries who never hear a talk, a lesson, or sing a hymn in English. Since it was Mothers Day, as sacrament meeting began, all the mothers and grandmothers were asked to go to the back of the chapel and form a line. As we walked in, a young man of the priesthood shook each hand and placed around our necks an ulu (lei in Hawaii) of candy. I learned that some years it is made of flowers and some years it is candy. Leon just took it apart to share the candy with our home teaching family, so I can’t show you, but it is all wrapped in plastic wrap and tied between each candy with a short piece of curly ribbon.  Rather than return to our seats, we sat in front seats reserved for the mothers. I saw that Leon had been asked to sit on the stand. A mongrel looking dog wandered down the aisle from back to front three different times, exiting at the open door at the front of the chapel. No one even noticed. Sharing that with  Laynes later that day, they reported that in the ward they attend, the bishop’s dog wanders in and out of the chapel or sits in the door during the meeting. 

After church, we were invited by the Tiatia family to have dinner with them. Their home was just three houses from the church on the sea side of the road.  I wish we would have taken pictures. Their property is gated. The large palagi-style home sits on maybe four feet of concrete with a semi circle of steps leading up to a tiled deck of approximately 20 X 30 feet, with a 10 foot ceiling supported on three sides by pillars.The eves are decorated with geometric patterns of terra cotta on the light tan of the structure. The floor tiles, also terra cotta and light tan, are eighteen inches of detailed geometric design, set on the diagonal. These tiles continue into the large, open living area and kitchen of the house. The many louvered windows on all sides of the home, and the fact that the property sets right against the seawall, contribute to cooling breezes and a comfortable temperature inside as well as on the deck.

These living conditions were totally unexpected. Most people live in far more modest dwellings. We learned that Sister Tiatia’s father, whose property this is, is in the travel and tourism business and actually has a travel agency in Riverton.  He owns extensive property by the wharf, has subdivided and sold many parcels, and plans to build a hotel. Here is another example of a successful Samoan saint who uses his wealth to benefit and serve others. He purchased a full sized bus and gives free transportation to ward members. His family donated the land upon which stands the near by LMS Church. The full time sister missionaries were also invited dinner guests, as they often are.

But here is the most amazing part of this family. Sister Tiatia’s first name is Kelly Joyce, and therefore I thought before meeting her that she was a palagi. Not so. She was born in American Samoa, educated in New Zealand, and while still single, worked in Victorville, CA, as a county case worker with foster children.  Among her case load, she was responsible for the five American kids that are now part of the Tiatia family. It seems that there was a shortage of foster homes (a problem in Utah as well), and when it became apparent that there was nowhere to place these children, she decided to adopt them. When she moved back to Samoa, she brought with her five very fair children as her own. When she and Brother Tiatia began dating, she made it very clear to him and especially to her five children, that there would be no marriage unless everyone involved was in favor of it. 

And so it was that in 2012, Savea Tiatia and Kelly Joyce ___________ (we never asked her father’s name!!!) were sealed to each other and to their five palagi children in our beautiful Samoan temple. Since then they have had a baby boy who is now 17 months old, making them parents of six children in two years.  The ages of the other children range from eight to twelve. They speak Samoan at home, so it has become their first language. From their drug infested homes in America, they are now enjoying an idyllic childhood of simplicity and peace in a loving home and a most beautiful setting.  Sister Tiatia proudly told me that they are doing very well in school. She drives them to the Pesega Middle School and Pesega Fou, which is the elementary school. So that is an hour drive each way every day.

On this Mother’s Day that seems a fitting end to this post. If you happen to open this today, Happy Mothers Day to you!

The Land Down Under

A brief history of our fascination with Australia:

1.       The 1969 movie, Support Your Local Sheriff, staring James Garner who plays the reluctant sheriff  of a wild west town, insisting regularly that he is not to be counted on to hang around for long. “Basically I’m on my way to Australia”, is his mantra.  Leon has quoted that line too many times to count in the years since James Garner made it famous (in our family).

2.       A not-so-distant relative of mine came to America via Australia, and it appears he met his wife either there or on the voyage to America. 

3.       Our Aussie friends, Neal and Barbara Goodlet, senior missionary couple serving as teachers in the Pesega high school, have endeared themselves to us for many reasons. We share many interests, including for Leon and Neal the fascination with all things mechanical. Goodlets are lovers of good books and music and we share books with each other.  I’ve introduced them to Jesse’s music and they’ve shared with their daughters back home in Aussie land. They are funny and fun people. Sister Goodlet knows all the good thrift shops in Apia. You would be amazed at what she finds – and what I find when I tag along. Their home is near Perth, in Western Australia. Their accent is quite strong and we sometimes have to think in context to understand what they are saying. Sometimes I try to imitate the accent and it is hard to do. I say a word over and over again to discover what it is they do with their mouth.  Leon just thinks I’m mumbling, but it does have a purpose.

Sorry about going on about Goodlets. I said our history was brief, and I made it longer than necessary. So that’s it. Somehow it has always been on the periphery of our consciousness. It’s really quite amazing to us that we have actually been there. Of course we only set our foot on a small area of New South Wales, which is one of six states on the continent, and then mostly in and around the city of Sydney. 

Some Interesting Facts as per Wikipedia: (You can skip this part if you like.)

Australia has six states—New South Wales (NSW), Queensland (QLD), South Australia (SA), Tasmania (TAS), Victoria (VIC) and Western Australia (WA)—and two major mainland territories—the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and the Northern Territory (NT).

Before the first British settlement in the late 18th century Australia was inhabited by indigenous Australians who spoke languages grouped into roughly 250 language groups.  After the discovery of the continent by Dutch explorers in 1606, Australia's eastern half was claimed by Great Britain in 1770 and initially settled through penal transportation to the colony of New South Wales from 26 January 1788.

Australia is a developed country and one of the wealthiest in the world, with the world's 12th-largest economy. In 2012 Australia had the world's fifth-highest per capita income, Australia's military expenditure is the world's 13th-largest. With the second-highest human development index globally, Australia ranks highly in many international comparisons of national performance, such as quality of life, health, education, economic freedom, and the protection of civil liberties and political rights. On 1 January 1901, the six colonies federated, forming the Commonwealth of Australia. Since Federation, Australia has maintained a stable liberal democratic political system that functions as a federal parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy.

The indigenous population, estimated to have been between 750,000 and 1,000,000 at the time European settlement began, declined for 150 years following settlement, mainly due to infectious disease.  A government policy of "assimilation" beginning with the Aboriginal Protection Act 1869 resulted in the removal of many Aboriginal children from their families and communities—often referred to as the Stolen Generations—a practice which may also have contributed to the decline in the indigenous population. The Federal government gained the power to make laws with respect to Aborigines following the 1967 referendum. Traditional ownership of land—aboriginal title—was not recognised until 1992, when the High Court case Mabo v Queensland (No 2) overturned the legal doctrine that Australia had been terra nullius ("land belonging to no one") before the European occupation. [End of edited Wilipedia source material.]

I found that very interesting.  The only thing I knew for sure about Australia was that Kangaroos, Koala Bears, and Aborigine’s lived there. Goodlets have them hopping through their backyard - kangaroos, that is. Evidently the only place you can count on seeing them in NSW is in the zoo. We have a documentary film at home focusing on the government removal of Aboriginal children from their families as mentioned above.The film title is Rabbit Proof Fences.

On with our story: Our hotel was in the heart of downtown Sydney, overlooking Hyde Park. Free city buses made travel around the city possible, mostly because of the high cost and limited space for parking. So many shops, restaurants and interesting people made walking about the city enjoyable. This is a multi-cultural city. Many beautiful old buildings and churches give character to the otherwise modern cityscape.  Hyde Park is lovely, St Mary’s Cathedral, and the Queen Victoria Building are beautiful. The area known as The Rocks is a good place to learn of the earliest settlement of Australia. We had heard of the world famous Sydney Opera House, but knew nothing of its fascinating history. It was on everyone’s ‘what to see’ list. We were not disappointed. An impressively efficient ferry system makes the beautiful bays and beaches of Sydney Harbor very accessable. The Sydney Australia Temple is about a forty-five minute drive from downtown and was one of our first destination stops. 

We were able to attend three sessions on our first Saturday in Sydney. Our former temple missionary friend, Sister Nele Moaga was working that day in the temple. How fun it was to connect with her again.

The next day in search of a church to attend, our GPS sent us back to the Sydney temple. Unsuccessful in attempts to find a regular chapel, we sent up a prayer for assistance, and settled on taking pictures of the temple. No sooner had we walked to the front with our camera, than a couple out for their morning walk happened by and offered to take our picture. Further conversation revealed them to be Elder and Sister Tanner from Payson, UT, serving as public affairs missionaries for the church in Australia.

They generously offered to take us to church with them and then join them afterwards for dinner in their home adjacent to the temple. We enjoyed a wonderful Sabbath experience due to the Tanner's kindness and hospitality, and an answer to our prayer.

From a distance, the Sydney Tower Eye looks all alone in the city. However, it is right in the midst of buildings on every side. We left our hotel and asked someone what direction  to walk to get to the tower. They motioned for us to step out towards the street and look up past a highrise in the next block and there it was. We learned that it is one of the safest buildings in the world, capable of withstanding earthquakes and extreme wind conditions. That is comforting when you are standing on the skywalk 880 feet from the ground. From there you get a 360 degree view of Sydney, Sydney Harbor, and many landmarks, including a glimpse of the Opera House.

Using the zoom feature, this is the ANZAC memorial in Hyde Park. The building directly behind in the photo is the location of the ward we attended the last Sunday we were there.

Looking down on St. Mary's Cathedral, just through the block from our hotel. Hyde Park is in between.

 Sydney Harbor as seen from the tower.

A ferry like this one took us to Manly Beach, Bondi Beach, and Watson Bay, home of the lighthouse and military installation constructed during WWI to protect the harbor.

Bondi Beach  Glorious surf.

Watson Bay (left).

All the benches along the beachfront at Bondi Beach were covered with mosaic tiles.

The Sydney Opera House as seen from the ferry.

Enterprising Aborigines selling their CD down by the harbor. Every song sounds the same to our unaccustomed ears, with the doleful, drone of the didjeridu. Just to their left, we enter the historic area called The Rocks, referring to the rocky coastline from which many buildings were constructed by convicts. No photos, but a fun place to wander, and a museum of sorts giving the history of the original inhabitants and the first European settlers.

I can't end this post without mentioning this incredible icon.

The Queen Victoria Building (right) takes up an entire city block in downtown Sydney. Originally built in 1898 as a tribute to Queen Victoria, 

it has seen many uses, including a city library. Now it is houses upscale retail shops and eateries. But you don't have to spend a penny to wander and gaze in awe at the architectural artistry. 

To learn and see more of this fabulous building, go to 

http://www.qvb.com.au/About-QVB

Thanks for letting us share these memories with you. There is so much more to see than can be seen in a few days visit. I'm not sure what Leon will use as his new movie quote, but if he sticks to the old one, I'll be happy to go along with him again.