Friday, June 23, 2017



Sunday, 18 Jun 2017

Monday, 12 Jun -  A day for cleaning the flat and doing laundry.  FHE was a trip to the VIVID show with the YSA, missionaries & investigators.  We had 30-40 in the group.  It was a fun time, but it was very much like herding cats.

Tuesday, 13 Jun - A sad & happy day.  We said goodbye to the missionaries going home or being transferred and "hello" to the missionaries coming into our ward.
We have been announcing to some people that we are being transferred to Grafton at the end of July.  This will be a new experience for us.  It is a sad time and a happy time.

Wednesday, 14 Jun - we went visiting in the late afternoon.  Early afternoon we went to the NSW police station and had our fingerprints taken for our Australian visa extension.

Thursday, 15 Jun - Mike worked with the Aircon people to get all the vents pumping out the same temperature of air - not warm & cool, but either warm & warm or cool & cool.  They started at 9am and by 4 pm all the aircon units were in synch. The tech & I made some recommendations to the Area Facilities people on some rearrangement of duct work, so we will see what happens.

Friday, 16 Jun, We had breakfast with Cristina at the Basket Brothers - well known for their egg & bacon sandwiches.

Saturday, 17 Jun - we were able to go to the temple in Carlingford and attend a session there. It was nice to attend the temple with just the two of us - nice to be in the Temple with Margaret.

Sunday, 18 Jun - The 21st of Jun is Ambica Phillips birthday, so the family (and Haleys) celebrated after Church today.  The Zone Leaders held a special zone meeting tonight at 8 pm.  The focus of the meeting was to build zone unity and focus on how to build the spirit and unity among the elders and sisters in the zone. The group worked on setting a vision of what they want to do over the next 6 weeks by making statements that start with "In the City we . . . . ".  The list is in one of the photos below.Towards the end of the meeting/brainstorming session the spirit was so strong that it brought tears to my eyes.  I felt like I was among spiritual giants in the form of 18-22 year old elders & sisters. It was one of the best meetings I have ever been in - as far as being able to feel and be touched by the Holy Ghost.  I am so proud to be associated with these great young men &  women, and glad they let me associate with them.




Hyde Park - Fountain on the left and St Mary,s on the right

Darling harbour - VIVID with the YSA for FHE

more Darling Harbour

A table runner that Margaret is working on, using Aboriginal design material

Part of the Queen Victoria Building (QVB)

Inside center part of the QVB

more VIVID

And more

and More

Some of the YSA on the FHE VIVID trip

Amy Chang & Margaret

more of the YSA

And more - Zizi, Ka Yi, Sister Chen, Shawn & Deshao

More of the YSA at the Ferry

Getting on the ferry from Darling Harbour to Circular Quay

The modern art museum at Circular Quay

The same with a different video

The Opera House

The Opera House 

Elder Litster

Sister (Norma) Fata

more of the YSA & missionaries

The Opera House

Botanical Gardens - not sure, but maybe a lotus flower

Sun flowers that move to face the sun

kiwis in the Royal Botanical Gardens

 Tree on the left is the tree of life and the one on the right is the tree of knowledge of good & evil - or so one of the YSA said. 

Swings of light

More swings

The Opera House used as a screen

More Opera House

The swings

and the swings - one more time


A Quilt on show at the Morris & Sons quilt & fabric store.  Margaret loves the design and colours

The back side of the quilt

The reward for a hard day.  After going out on visits we stopped at Harry's Cafe de Wheels near the Capitol Theatre and had a Meat Pie Tiger - meat pie, mushy peas, mash (ed potatioes) and gravy.  This is truely soul food and comfort food.



Ambika's dessert table

Food for Ambika's birthday party

and more food

Happy Birthday Ambika

Ambika and her proud daddy

the Phillips clan, less Dennis

Ambika with mum & dad

Dennis, Paulette, Ambika and others

In the City We ------

The Haleys and the zone missionaries - In the City We 

Sid Liu & Haleys

Fernando Kamikawachi & Haleys




Wednesday, June 14, 2017

Sunday, 11 June 2017

Monday, 5 Jun -  The Senior Missionaries came into Sydney for the VIVID light show.  The Lems and Haleys provided dinner and then off to see the lights.

Wednesday, 7 Jun - we did make some visits to the YSA today - IN THE RAIN.  We were blessed to have the light rain when we were walking and the heavier rain when we were on the train or in a bus.

Friday, 9 Jun - The Lems gave us a ride to the multi-stake YSA mini-conference held at Baulkham Hills.  We went to the Friday night dance for a little bit.  We left at just about the time that most of the YSA started to show up (9 or 10 pm).

Saturday, 10 Jun - Dai, Shuo (Alice) was baptised today. It was a good service and the baptism and Holy Ghost talks were good.

Sunday, 11 Jun - The day after transfer call day - SAD day.  Lots of transfers this day so we said goodbye to some who were going home and "see you later" to those being transferred.  Then we went off with the Lems to the YSA mini-conference Sacrament meeting, dinner & fireside.  The Phillips (Paulette & Dennis) and Katie Jeffree were in charge of the food, so we volunteered/got sucked into the kitchen to help prepare dinner for 700.  We had a great time and the food was pretty good when you consider the quantities. Always a good thing to see Katie, Brent, Dennis & Paulette.

Table set for the senior missionary dinner

Darling Harbour water/light show. The water is sprayed into the air and becomes the screen for the light show/graphics

more Darling Harbour

Darling Harbour

Dragon in the water


Circular Quay

Opera House used as a large screen for the video light show- VIVID

Opera House

Opera House

Opera House

Opera House

Harbour Bridge

Kiwi in the Royal Botanical Gardens portion of VIVID

A boat getting into the VIVID spirit

A Poinsettia tree

Youngest soldier killed at Gallipoli

Clowning it up at the YSA mini-convention

Sister Fata (Samoa)

Claudia, Margaret, Sister Chen, Sister Fata, Olga, Sister Lems, Mabelle Yagonia

Elder Dong

Elder Bowman

Lu, Han (Hannah)

Elder Poquita

Elder Bartlett

Elder Swaner, Poquita

Sister Wang & Sister Zhao