Each Day Is a Gift

7K on the brand new treadmill in the mission home.

Only had time for 4 K

Travel day to Orange, no running.

5K

5k

10K

It is winter here in Australia. Morning temp is around 9 degree celsius and gets up to a high of 18. When the sun is out it is very comfortable outside. I haven't been able to run outside but hope to once prez. and I get settle in.

Our first week here was a whirlwind, we literally hit the ground running last Monday July 1, (we arrived on Sunday). first thing every Minday morning is our meeting with the office missionaries and our assitants. Then we had a meeting with the Church Physicla Facility people. Then we held our very first Mission Leadership Council (2 assistants, 10 zone leaders, 2 fleets elders). It was a very intense 4-5 hours training and teaching.

We still have no wifi service in the home making it difficult to get on line to do some of the administration and communication stuff. On Tue and Wed we held two Zone Conferences. We even went proselyting after ZC with the missionsries on Tue. I had a lot of fun proselyting with Sister Fotualii and Sister Tu'ilotolava.

We love our missionaries!!!! :) We have met and visited, taught and trained about 1/3 of them last week. This week we will have three zone conferences with one far away enough requiring an overnight stay. We will also preside at a District Conference this weekend (like Stake Conference).

Looking ahead we are anticipating 56 missionaries on the next intake in couple of weeks. There are so much that need to be done both temporally and spiritually for these incoming missionaries. We are in an exciting time to take part in the hastening of the work of the Lord.

Quick 5K before going to the Macarthur Zone Conference in Bliar Athol Chapel today.  We met with 20 of our missionaries, all elders in this zone, they come from all over: Micronesia, Saipan, Hong Kong, Tahiti, the majority are islanders from Tonga, Samoa, New Zealand. 

It rained last night and this morning so it's a bit cold.

Another quick 5K on the treadmill before leaving for the Fairfield Zone Conference.  Had to pack an overnight bag as we will leave for a 3+ hours drive to Canberra right after zone conference.   It's going to be a LONG day.

We met 14 elders and 2 sisters today, again mostly from the Polynesia islands of Tonga, Fiji, Samoa, one elder is from Switzerland (he speaks fluent Italian, French and some German), the sisters are from the Filipines and India.  I love visiting with them while Prez. interviewed each one.  We had each companionship come out for the interview/visit while the rest of the missionaries watch the 2 hour World Wide Broadcast of "The Work of Salvation" in the chapel.  The conference starts at 9am and usually finishes around 4 or 5pm depending on the size of the zone.

This is the format we've been using for our zone conferences, conducted by one of our assistants, presided by Prez.

1.  Opening Hymn and prayer.

2.  Recitations of Missionary Purpose and D&C 4.

Brief introduction of each missionary (where they're from, how long they've been in the mission, what language program they're serving in, their family background, converts or born in the Church).  Then I will tell them a little about Prez. and I and our children and missions they served.

3.  Assigned talks by 6 missionaries, 5-10 minutes each, most took 10 or more min, all have wonderful testimonies.

4.  10 minutes break, the assistants hand out their mails/packages from home.

5.  Some zone will present a musical number ~ singing accompanied by guitar.

6.  Training by me 20-30 min. about the sacred call to serve in this "new era".

7.  Training by Prez. 2 hr. on the visions and cultures of our mission.

8.  LUNCH break (usually at 1pm), the assistants ordered and picked up Subway sandwitches.  It's also fun time for the missionaries to visit and get re-acquainted with those in other districts and me to take their pictures.  :)

9.  Fleet elders to train on car safety and rules, flats (apartments) maintenance, etc.

10.  The World Wide Broadcast of the new mission president seminar:  Work of Salvation and simultaneously we pulled each companionship out for interview/visit.

11.  Closing remarks by Prez., closing hymn and prayer.

12.  Hugs and goodbyes.  If schedule allowed, prez. and I would go out to proselyte or do teaching appointment with the elders and sisters (usually around 5:30 and be done by 6:30pm).

Today we didn't have time to proselyte as we have to make the 3+ hour drive to Canberra.  I think we left around 6:30 and stopped at a KFC in Golburn for dinner (No Wednesday $2.99 chicken and corn special here).  We checked in our hotel just before 10pm and president read and replied some of the letters the missionaries wrote him. :)

No running today.  We are in Canberra.  Woke up to -2 degrees Celcius...Freezing!!!  You could see your breath.  All the locals were wearing heavy winter coat.  Since I have not received my shipment of things shipped from home, I wore a short sleeve sweater under my dress, suit jacket and fleece jacket and double layers or nylons, and a pair of cotton gloves (the fleece jacket and gloves are what I usually wear at the start of the marathon and dropped off, SO glad I put those in my suitcase).  Did have a big breakfast in the hotel restaurant before the assistants came to pick us up to our Zone Conference. 

Canberra is a beautiful capital city of Australia.  The streets are much wider and there are fewer cars than in Sydney and its suburbs.  Too bad we drove in at night and was in the church building all day and drove back to Mortdale at night so we were unable to see the city in day light.

Today we met 20 elders and sisters and 4 senior missionaries.  A lot of these missionaries are serving in districts far away, Narooma is a 3 hr drive from the south.  One set of sister missionaries and senior couple (serving as Branch president) serve in Narooma.  I was told that these branches have very few members but most are very faithful.  These towns along the coasts are beautiful and frequented by tourists, so the missionaries are doing their best to strengthen the membership.  Among the missionaries we met today, two are from Japan, one is from the island of Kiribus. 

The highlight of the day was after zone conference, we had the opportunity to sit in a lesson with a young Chinese couple from Beijing, China, who are studying in the Canberra University.  The elders (a half Japanese and a Polynesian) taught them in English while the husband spoke in broken English.  Two member friends, (Chinese students from China and Hong Kong) helped the husband with a few words.  The wife offered a beautiful prayer in Chinese after the lesson.  It is wonderful to see the work of the Lord moving forward, to witness His mighty hand in preparing souls for the missionaries to teach and to bring them unto Christ.  It is both humbling and inspiring!  I LOVE missionary work.  I LOVE my Heavenly Father's children!  :)

We left Canberra around 7:30pm, stopped at an Asian noodle shop for dinner and began the 3+ hr drive back home, again in the dark so could not see the scenery.  During most of our road trips, we visited with our two wonderful assistants in between taking calls from our missionaries, blessing and curse of the cell phone! :)

Only a quick 4K as my run was interrupted by a phone call from the Physical Facility Manager.  He and the pool maintenance guy were here to work on the pool pump house which is right outside the window of the room where my treadmill is parked. 

Prez went to the morningside of the Mortdale Stake Youth Mini-MTC.  I was supposed to go with him and speak but had to stay home because we were told that the moving company will deliver our shipment from Utah today.  Hallelujah!!!  I finally got my coat!!!  Spent the rest of the day doing laundry and unpacking the shipment.  Our washer and dryer are so tiny...it's like barbie doll size...seriously!!!  It took all day to do just 3 little loads of simple shirts and garments....very inefficient. 

Went to our second baptism today.  Last Sat. we went to a Samoan baptism of a father whose wife is a member.  They have three little daughters.  He indicated to us that his goal is to take his family to the temple a year from now. :)

Today we went to the baptism of an 85 year old grandfather.  His son baptized him.  You could see and feel the joy of the family as well as the ward family.  It is a Tongan ward so the service was entirely in Tongan.  Imagine my surprise when the bishop called Prez. and I to speak at the end.  I wish they would just sing more.  And my wish came true when the grandfather dressed in "tuxedo like suit" got up to the stand and played the guitar and sang a lovely Tongan song before the closing hymn/prayer.  Did I mention the Tongans are born singers/harmonizers.  Most of all their faith and love for God is SO AMAZING!!!

We had quite an adventure today driving around after the baptism to Hurtsville to look for the shopping mall.  We found it, the parking in the carpark structure was crazy busy and tight and has a three hr limit or face $101 fine.  The mall is great, everything is TWICE as expensive!!!  For example, bananas on special are $2.99 per kg.  Chicken drumsticks are $19.99 per 2kg.  We paid $30 for 24 packs of toilet paper.  $1AU is about $0.89US.  Yikes!!! 

Finally!!!  Today was my first day venturing out of the mission home on the road!!!  :) :) :) :) Cool temp, calm and partly sunny.  Ran on the route towards the mission office.  Turned around when I reached 1.5 miles (just before the traffic light).  School traffic was busy.  Students here wear school uniforms!!! 

Busy day with getting the home ready for our house guests (area seventy and his executive secretary) who are flying in from Melbourne; then hosting dinner for all the Stake presidents and their wives in our mission.  Wonderful leaders and servants of the Lord here in Australia!  :)

No running today.  Traveling to Nowra for District Conference this weekend.  I really enjoy these road trips to the far-flung coastal towns where our missionaries serving in these tiny branches.  I think there were about 50 people in attendance filling up most of the tiny chapel in Nawra.  Some of the members have to travel 3 hours (e.g.from Narooma) to attend conference.  The saints fed us such yummy food!  I must've gained 5lbs over the weekend! :)

On the road/sidewalk, turned around at Myall.  Beautiful cool morning.  The birds here are very funny.  I dislike the crows though.  They sound like a crying child, very annoying.

Busy day.  20 min recumbent bike with bicep curls.  

Farlek on the mill. 

Finalized transfer planning this morning; then prez. and I venture out to Costco at Paramata.  We filled up a big trolley (shopping cart) full of food.  Our car boot (trunk) and backseat was packed.  People were giving us funny looks. :) :) :) Did I mention we were dressed in suits and dress?  I am cooking dinner for our Mission Leadership Council (formerly none as Zone Leaders Council) on Sunday and for our new missionaries intake on Wed.  So grateful for Costco even though it was a long drive.