Wednesday, 2 Nov 2016

In the morning we talked with Mom Haley via Skype.  We talk with her each Wednesday morning. Then we had some English work with some of our full time missionaries whose first language is not English.  Some of them write their experience of a particular day and we then correct or suggest changes

After the English tutoring, we ate lunch and then caught the train and bus out to the Balkham Hills area to visit our friend Rhonda Crosbie who is recovering from knee surgery. It was an interesting ride and we hope that we are beginning to get some comfort and idea of how to get from point A to point B in Sydney.  The one challenge is that we almost never go back to the same place twice, so each foray is a new adventure and learning experience.  The trains and buses are really good here in Sydney so it is rather easy to get around.
Rhonda is doing well and will be going home by the end of the week.  She is walking well and has recovered much quicker than the doctors expected - due to blessings and preparing physically ahead of time.
We headed back to Sydney in the late afternoon so Mike could be back in time for Bishopric meeting, but we did make a side detour through the Queen Victoria Building (QVB) which is where the bus stops.  The QVB was built in the early 1900s and is a magnificent and elaborate building.  It is full of shops (expensive) and is a shopper's dream world. It is fun to walk through and look (not buy) at all the shops and their offerings. We did notice that they have removed a large/full size jade rickshaw from the 3rd floor since we were here last.  That is a shame as it was quite the thing to see.  
So now they have a Christmas tree in the center instead - progress?????

While I met with bishop, Margaret met with some of the YSA and tried to get some of her visiting teaching done.  Visiting teaching and home teaching is a bit of a challenge for the YSA because many of them live out away from city centre and live in multi-occupied flats or homes and so they are hard to reach.  Most of the visiting is then done at the Hyde Park Ward building which is not optimal, but is better than no visiting at all.

3rd floor of QVB.  Quite the elegant shopping centre

Another view of the 3rd floor, QVB

One of the clocks in the QVB.  hanging from the ceiling

looking down to the 2nd, 1st & basement floors of the QVB

One of the rotundas in the QVB.  Note the Christmas tree is already up and has been up for a few weeks.

One of the windows over one of the staircases in the QVB