A little bit of summer

I just noticed that we have not written anything since December and we are already into February.  Just for an update while most of you are freezing, we have summer.  Many tell us it is the hottest summer in many years.  The farmers are having a really hard time because there has been no rain for so long.  Our location is blessed with a wonderful evening breeze.  At night we keep the windows open and cool the house down and shut the windows about 9 am. to keep the cool in.  It works in Idaho and it works here also.

As I was reading  the Gospels the other day I pondered seriously on the call Jesus gave to his apostles.  In Matthew 4:18-19 "And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter,and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishers.  And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. "

Each day I think of the opportunity to serve My Father in Heaven and His Son Jesus Christ in bringing the Gospel to people of this wonderful land.  We are grateful to know that our Savior lives and that His plan for us brings happiness.  .

The world is divided into many missions, each with and man and his wife serving as Mission President and Mission President's Wife.  They usually have about 150 young men and women with whom they serve and possibly 5-10 retired couples.  The mission president is our leader, guide, mentor, teacher, and many other things to each of us.  Our mission president is a humble, kind man.  He asks us to pray each day for miracles so that we might better use our time and talents in the way our Savior would want us to do.  This is truly a blessing in our lives as we follow his leadership.

One small miracle we would like to share.  In making some phone calls one day I had a wrong number and ended up talking to a lovely young Chinese student who had just been in the country for two days  We met her that evening and have had several more discussions with her.  Teaching the gospel and the great plan of happiness to someone who has little knowledge of God and was raised with no religion is a wonderful experience and a learning one for us as well.

The comfort of Psalm 84:5 blesses us each day.  Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; and whose
heart are the ways of them."  We strive each day to have that strength and pray it such strength will bless each of you.

Here are some fun pictures if I can figure out how to do it.

We drive through and near several national parks to some of our meetings.  This is a the Gandwana Rainforest if I spelled it right.

The little garden in front of our house.  We added a couple of tomato plants that are now bearing fruit.

This is our cute little kitchen.  Notice the interesting stove and oven .  The whole house is painted that color.   The oven door does not close completely.  Someone came to fix it one day but after I opened it four times to back a cake (and check it twice, kind of like Santa) it was back to its old way.

On our drive from Sydney to Armidale.  This is a land of many contrasts.

The ocean at Coffs Harbor looking from Muttonbird Island toward the city .

                                            If you go the the ocean you have to at least touch it!