Crash Shop Gong Show, Koala Visitor and Dialing 000 (wk ending 26 Oct 2014).

I forgot to mention in last week's post that during conference weekend here, a live kangaroo showed up in the back car park of the church. We missed the whole thing since we entered through the front door just across the street from our flat or watched at home on the computer.
I can't imagine why or how he came to be in the middle of the city.

Monday, Elder White had the spiritual thought and everyone was in attendance. He took the excerpt from Neal A. Maxwell about Prophets for our day. We are blessed to have a living prophet on the earth to lead, guide, and direct the Church!

Lee pressure washed the back patio, barbecues, walkways etc at the mission home, and set up the umbrella for the patio furniture. It looks fabulous!

We got another infringement notice in the office...that's 3 last week and one Monday! 

Lee talked to the crash shop and they put us off AGAIN to pick up the van. They have had it for 3 1/2 weeks. Lee said WHEN will it be ready? They promised Wednesday at noon.

Even though it was a different issue, we had office computer problems. Elder Hannan figured how to resolve it and Tuesday by 10 am we were better than normal, computer wise.

The government changed child protection application forms recently, without notification so Lee
has been working on getting the arrivers to redo their paperwork. It's relatively painless to complete the forms correctly when the arrivers are all in the same room the day they get here, but it is a greater task to accomplish once they are all spread out around the city. Thank goodness it's only the last 8 that need to be resubmitted.

I started crocheting the bookmark scallops Tuesday evening after dinner.

Lee shopped for salad fixings for 32 as we did lunch for Firle zone training Wednesday. Sister Hannan made the salad for Thursday lunch at Onkaparinga chapel. Along with the salad we served pizza, watermelon wedges, and oranges plus banana, walnut, and carrot cake cakes for dessert.

It was 96 degrees on Tuesday! And already 75 when we walked at 6 am. The Carters and the assistants returned from Alice and Darwin that afternoon but the flight was delayed so they
arrived back to the office after I left at 5.

Wednesday morning Lee took an Elder to the airport who was reassigned to a Philippine mission, where he can speak the language. This is an unusual circumstance but we wished him well.

There was a snafu about scheduling the Marion building for the Marion Zone conference Thursday. All this time I thought the zone leaders reserved it for the zone meetings in other than the Firle Bldg and they thought I did. Surprisingly we never before had a conflict. I spoke with the other person by phone and she kindly adjusted to allow us to meet at the Marion building, but the assistants had already booked the Onkaparinga building. It all worked out in the end but I really hate gong shows and crisis management!

Lee and Elder White went to get the van Wed at 1:00 and guess what???...it wasn't ready! They told the crash shop owner to have it put together by 2:30 for pickup, but then they decided to wait on the premises since they didn't trust him. Talk about a gong show!! Lee plans to take it to a different crash shop for repair on Monday.

Wednesday night English lesson was CALLING 911, or 000 in Australia. Our discussion of the related words and phrases were really helpful to Danny which was very gratifying so it was one of our best classes ever!

Sister Hannan looked out the office window and saw an animal walking out across the church car park first thing Thurs morning and quickly realized it was a koala. We were thrilled to watch as the magpies swooped and squawked at the poor koala but it didn't even faze him. He took his own sweet time to cross the parking lot and Lee snapped this picture.

Thursday was zone conference lunch at the Onkaparinga chapel as mentioned previously. It was an hour drive each way and I was yawning all the way home. It was a tender mercy that Lee went with us this time as the church kitchen was to the very back of the building and the rear of the property with no car park near the kitchen.  It took many trips back and forth to load and unload the van and Lee really helped!

That afternoon, Elder Hannan took a stroll outside and came back into the office after a bird had dropped on his head and white shirt. Eeeeewwwww!

Friday I spent making the photo board cards for the new missionaries coming in 18 Nov. I'm also trying to get the visa renewal paperwork completed for an Elder in Mildura and Carters will get his signature when they go for zone training this next week.

It is coming down to decision time about where President is putting the new senior missionaries and how to re staff the office..Jurgens are coming 12 Nov. But Goodrichs, Sheffields and Whites will all be gone by Feb 12. He'll have to bring in someone from 'far.' We are all wondering how it will shake out for training etc.

We went to the temple Friday night. The temple has been closed for two weeks and the new temple president takes over 1 Nov. The Soinninens just returned from Salt Lake City and they were set apart as temple president and matron by Quentin L. Cook.  They just 'happened' to see Pres Monson when they stepped off of the elevator on the 2nd floor of the church office building.

Saturday we went to the souvenir shop and then to the downtown Elder's baptism at the Prospect building at noon. We went to support them since we don't know the convert John at all. He had two non member friends with him, but attendance was poor because it was also the stake service day.

We rested Saturday afternoon. It was a beautiful mild day, sunny and in the 80s.

Elders called asking to use the key to get into the Firle chapel, which is kept at the office, just before we were supposed to pick up Sister Carter at 6:15. President went to afternoon Priesthood meetings so we took her to join him for the 7:00 pm Saturday night adult session of Modbury stake conference. On the way home, we stopped for ice cream at an Italian gelato/ice cream place we've passed many times over the past year. It was yummy!

Sunday the Sacrament talks were about HOPE. I liked the comparison between worldly hope (chance) and spiritual hope, which boils down to TRUST in God and the Savior.  We had Dialing 000 and Going to the Dentist in English class. Max, Tom and two non members friends attended.

After church was Tom's baptism by Elder Fepulea'i. I wasn't able to stay but went home with a huge headache. Lee did go and said the baptism was well attended. I was so sorry to miss it! Tom couldn't wait to be baptized and was just plain joyful about the whole idea. He was beaming inside and out and it was beautiful!

Topiary rose bushes are a big thing here...as is the purple ground cover on the way to our front door. It smells heavenly!