2 - 8 November

This has been a week of much learning and understanding, plus some mixed emotions - young missionaries departing and arriving, plus the realization that in the next three months many of our current seniors will be returning home also.  In addition to these things, summer decided to jump right in with both feet and really heat up Brisbane.  The temple grounds are filled with gorgeous flowering plants and we particularly enjoyed this one - the fragrance is very subtle and only wish the picture could convey the total beauty!

Monday began the first day of transfer week, with fifteen valiant missionaries coming together for the last meeting of instruction and remembering with President and Sister Henderson before departing on Tuesday morning for their respective homes - Tahiti, Thailand, United States, American Samoa, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Tuesday sent us to Transfer Meeting, which is always a special experience to share with the missionaries.  There are cars to check over and keys to be redistributed for new flats.  It is an awesome experience to sit in the chapel and feel the spirit so strongly as President reads out (another Australian term) the new assignments. Trainers are announced at this time for the new Golden's arriving the next day. This is challenging to some, but they all seem to do a great job during the twelve weeks of training.  Transfers also often bring changes in the office - Elder Dunlop (blue tie) is leaving his Assistant calling to be a Zone Leader. He was just abut dancing as he left the office and be able to go out and "thrash the nation" again - not that he didn't enjoy serving as an assistant, but these elders just love being out working.  Three new missionaries will become Assistants, two of them being a part of the Mandarin Chinese program.

Wednesday morning brought eleven new missionaries to our mission - five from the New Zealand MTC (Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, American Samoa), and five from the Provo MTC (United States) plus one visa waiter coming from the Tennessee Knoxville Mission. There is all the usual orientation that happens, then off they are whisked over to the Mission Home for orientation, lunch and assignments to their new companion/trainer.

After finishing up everything possible in preparation for not being in the office too much during our senior conference, we dashed off to Kangaroo Point Chapel for the kick-off session of our Conference, dinner and introductions. There were new live-at-home seniors, senior service and stake senior missionaries to welcome to our group. It will be fun to get to know them all better as time goes on.

Thursday morning was spent back at Kangaroo Point Chapel for training and the afternoon was spent visiting sites in the downtown area.  We didn't join the group because there was a lot of walking and we were trying to not have Arlo on his feet too long.

On Mother's Day this year, our children were together vacationing in Mexico and during our Face Time conversation, they had a Neil Diamond video playing in the background.  Then they announced that for Sandy's birthday, tickets for a Neil Diamond concert in Brisbane, Australia were coming our way!  For 5 1/2 months the tickets have been safely tucked away in a dresser drawer.  Thursday the 5th, they came out of hiding and off we went to enjoy a concert together with the permission and blessing of our mission president.

The Brisbane Entertainment Centre hosted the concert and it was sold out - couldn't find an empty seat anywhere.  Neil Diamond performed three concerts here in Brisbane, all were sold out, as one stop in his Australia Tour.  We totally enjoyed our evening and for a 75 year old man, he still has the greatest voice singing for two hours without an intermission.  The only sad thing was the omission of "Coming to America", but we knew that probably wasn't going to happen because after all this is Australia!!

Sandy walked into the toilet (restroom) only to find a line of women.  After joining the que, she noticed the above sign and immediately grabbed her camera.  Turns out some of the other women in line also thought this sign was truly unusual and their cameras also came out and all had a good laugh!



Again Friday morning, all of the seniors were together at KP Chapel for more training, which turned out to be very enlightening for us all.  Both morning sessions we were favored with musical items by four of our elders, two of which are Polynesian voices and so amazing to listen to.  One companionship sang "A Child's Prayer", which  for Sandy brought back Primary memories.  This was the favorite, when the children were given the opportunity to pick a song. After a Subway sandwich lunch in the early afternoon, we drove our cars up to the Mt. Coot-tha lookout and Botanic Gardens.

These are the Japanese Gardens, beautifully manicured and quiet except for the laughter coming from this raucous group, as some stepped wrong and put a foot in the water or were just trying hard to stay upright on a rock.

After picture taking and walks through the gardens we all left to go back to the chapel, freshen up and then head out for our dinner river cruise.

Parking is expensive downtown and hard to find, so four of these Maxi Taxi's were called by Arlo to transport 38 seniors to the boat launching ramp. There were 56 total for dinner, but some decided to come by personal car. 

Friday evening, we spent on the Kookaburra River Cruise boat, having dinner, elegantly plated and served, plus lots of good conversation .  Enjoyed spending some time up top the boat,  later in the evening as we cruised along the Brisbane River.

After a week of hellos and goodbyes and everything in between, we were a little spent, but had received an invitation to attend a musical recital from Hazel, the sister who helps with the cooking for missionary events at the mission home. It was sponsored by the Public Affairs of Brisbane Stake and was billed as only an piano and organ recital, but discovered we were in for more than announced.

The pipes, located in the Brisbane Ward chapel and the organ were taken from the original Kangaroo Point chapel, which was torn down to build the temple and a small chapel.  Each Sunday we see the pipes and hear them accompany the hymns and always thought they were just up for sentimental reasons, but Saturday we found out different!  There were two different organists demonstrating their skills, a group of bell players, a harp player and two vocalists, one was Hazel's husband, dressed for the role of Tevye, singing "If I Was a Rich Man."  Hazel is of Jewish heritage and 17 of her descendants have patriarchal blessings telling them they are from the lineage of Judah.

So the end has come to another week of missionary life, and how grateful we are for what we have learned and felt this week.  Our testimonies and understanding continue to grow daily and we realize how blessed we are to be in this mission at this time in our lives.