M&M Haley Mission

Monday, September 24, 2018

Sunday, 2 Sep 2018

This is the last week of the blog. Thank you for following our wonderful trip to Australia and serving a mission for the Saviour, Jesus Christ. It has been a good mission and we recommend serving a mission to everyone.

Mon, 27 Aug - Mainly stayed at Rhonda's house. Margaret went into Parramatta to meet Helen Tang & Trang. Mike went into meet Cristina de Godos one more time (we were given some Spanish food items - hurrah). Mike tried to find Jamie Costello, but he was not in the office today. Back at Rhonda's and doing some unwinding before we start packing. We have confirmed that Dennis Phillips will be taking us to the airport - all 6 suitcases, plus carry on.

Tue, 28 Aug - A blur in my memory, since I am making this comment on 24 Sep. My calendar does not show much. We did have to finally pack our bags and weigh them carefully. We ended up with 6 (count 'em, SIX suitcases) suitcases stuffed full and each weighing between 60 and 69 lbs. United allows us to have 6 suitcases and the weight has to be less than 70 lbs. 😂😁😱 We made it or so we hope.

Wed, 29 Aug - Finished the final squeezing of things into suitcases and distributing the load. Spent time with Rhonda. We were picked up by Katie Phillips in the evening and stayed with her & family that night.

Thu, 30 Aug - I'm leaving on a jet plane, don't know when I will be back again - Peter, Paul & Mary. 😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢
Dennis Phillips picked us up about 5 am and took us to the airport. Interesting to note that Dennis took us to the airport 24 years ago when we left Australia after our first time living there. Dennis and Paulette are super sweet people - the salt of the earth. We spent 14 hours flying to LA and arrived in LA 3 hours before we left Sydney. Brea was there to pick us up and take us to her place.

Fri, 31 Aug - We spent the day with Brea, Don & ISAAC. Worked on getting over our jet lag.

Sat, 1 Sep - With Brea in the morning and then drove out to Newbury Park to spend the evening and stay with the Ross family. Oh yes, we bought a new car so we could get around to visit all our family and friends.

Sun, 2 Sep - We reported to the Newbury Park Stake High Council and Stake Presidency. Our mission is now officially past history.

THE END

WELL, NOT quite the end. We will be visiting family, friends and a short vacation over the next 11 months. We will try posting a few things on this blog as a post-mission journey, but it will not be a consistent as the prior 2 years.

Thanks for following us on our mission and letting us share the joy and things that we experienced. It was a great experience and we both did grow in spirit and closeness to our Heavenly Father and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Margaret and Helen Tang. Helen flew all the way from Melbourne to see Margaret before we left.

A boulder opal that will be cut into 2 pieces and made into earrings for Margaret. Ah, Jamie Costello you got your last digs into me before we left.

Preparing to pack up and head for the US&A.

Wow, we are packed - 6 suitcases and 4 carry-ons. Now to find a moving van big enough to haul all of this to the airport

the hostess with the mostest - Rhonda Crosbie. Thank you for taking us in and putting up with Mike so you could have time with Margaret

Margaret, Rhonda Crosbie & Katie Jeffreee

Dennis & Mike trying to get all the suitcases loaded onto the luggage trolleys at the Sydney airport

Arriving into the customs area of the Los Angeles airport. Welcome home, you travellers.

I sure hope the pilot has a better map than this with him or we won't get back to the USA any time soon. 😱😰

Farewell Sydney. Leaving on a jet plane, not sure when we will be back again.

Gpa and Isaac. One reason to come home from our mission. More reasons to be seen in the next few months.

Another reason to come back to LA - In-N-Out

LA traffic - one reason to NOT come back to LA

Isaac took to gma very well.

The Ross family & Mike & Margaret

😀😂😎😍😘

Sunday, August 26, 2018

Sunday, 26 August 2018

Mon, 20 Aug - We took the ferry to Manly in the morning with Rhonda. Our last ferry boat ride for this trip to OZ. Our New Zealand ice cream place was under renovation, so we had to settle for Swiss ice cream 😀 In the afternoon we met with Avril Shen and met her boy friend, Wes. We hope to meet up with Avril Shen one more time next week.

Tue, 21 Aug - We went to Costco with Rhonda to see if we could get a replacement for the Phillips hand blender that broke on us just before we left Grafton. Costco did not have any in stock, so they refunded our purchase price. We took the bus and train to Artarmon where we met Sam & Serena Sun for dinner. We met their daughter Hedy. Hedy is in year 3 and has an Aussie accent & pronunciation which she is using to teach her mum & dad better English.

Wed, 22 Aug - We went to the Sydney temple again with Rhonda and did some more temple work for Kerry Arthur and Sally Crosbie. It is good to be able to help others. We had dinner at Rhonda's home today along with Justin & Hayley Crosbie & kids, plus Demi (a niece of Rhonda).

Thu, 23 Aug - Mike stayed home and did some handyman things for Rhonda, plus worked on the blog. Margaret went out to lunch with Rhonda, Virginia Anderson, Paulette Phillips & Anita Thompson. They went to Flower Power restaurant. Dinner was with the Phillips clan at a Thai restaurant - Dennis, Paulette, Katie, Brent, Thomas & Charlotte Jeffree, and Luke Phillips. A good time was had by all.

Fri, 24 Aug - We took a bus into the city and had lunch with Cristina de Godos. We also stopped by Commonwealth Bank and Telstra to find out how we shut down our accounts. Then off by bus to Maroubra for dinner with Ka Yi, Emma & Hannah. We had hot pot and LOTS of talking and fun.

Sat, 25 Aug - today is Rhonda's birthday. Margaret is spending the day with her. Mike is working on the blog and trying to get caught up. Margaret and Rhonda will go to the movies this afternoon and then we will meet up at the Thai restaurant for dinner. Margaret baked a blueberry pie for Rhonda's birthday.

Sun, 26 Aug - We attended sacrament meeting at Kellyville ward. The YSA ward has stake conference this weekend, so we are not going in as originally planned. We will attend a Stake Primary choir practice tonight. The Primary choir is pretty good. Loved the songs they will sing next week.

Sydney Opera House from the Manly Ferry leaving Circular Quay

Sydney Opera House

Manly Wharf - getting ready to get off and find some New Zealand ice cream

The Dynamic Duo - Rhonda & Margaret

Manly Beach - in the winter

On the way back to Sydney Circular Quay. The North and South Heads and the opening to Sydney Harbour

Mike, Margaret & Opera House

Wes, Avril Shen, Mike & Margaret

Dinner at Sam & Serena Sun's home -

Mike, Margaret, Serena & Sam Sun

Sam, Mike, Hedy, Margaret, Serena

The girls lunch out - Rhonda Crosbie, Virginia Anderson, Paulette Phillips, Juanita, Anita Thompson, Margaret. At Flower Power restaurant

The Phillips clan and Haleys. Katie, Thomas, Charlotte, Brent, Luke, Mike, Dennis, Paulette, Margaret

Seagulls in the park across from Central Station, while waiting on a bus to Maroubra

Dinner with some of the YSA girls - Margaret, Emma Teng, Ka Yi Ng, Hannah Lu. Dinner was hotpot and delicious

Happy Birthday, Rhonda

Happy Birthday Gran, from Koloti & Hunter

Hayley Crosbie & Micah

The Baulkham Hills Stake Primary choir - practicing for stake conference next week.

Friday, August 24, 2018

Sunday, 19 August 2018

Mon, 13 Aug - It is time to leave Grafton and head for Sydney. Our mission is coming to an end. On the way out of town, we stopped at Hanks Kitchen to pick up our last provision of Hanks. We stopped to see Barry Ward and the dogs one more time. Mike was able to administer the sacrament to Barry - a pleasure and great way to leave Grafton. Today was Barry's birthday as well. The drive to Sydney was uneventful and we arrived at Rhonda Crosbie's home safely. Rhonda's will be our headquarters until we leave Sydney on 30 August.

Tue, 14 Aug - We were released by President Paul Jordan via Skype this morning. We had a lovely chat and debrief with President & Sister Jordan. It was good closure for Mike and made him ready for the next adventure in the Church. We then took the car into Carlingford and turned it back to the Mission home along with our phone. We had lunch with the Ellisons and Grants, and the Botts stopped by unexpectedly.

Wed, 15 Aug - We went to the Sydney temple this morning and did some temple work for Kerry Arthur's (Grafton) family members. The rest of the day is foggy in Mike's brain.

Thu, 16 Aug - We took the train up to Leura, in the Blue Mountains. We are spending the next few days with Anita & Keith Thompson. Just getting some down time and a nice quiet visit with some of our long time friends. We did some walking along the edge of the Blue Mountains and visited with the Three Sisters for the last time this trip.

Fri, 17 Aug - more Blue Mountains and we got a hat stretcher for Keith, which he gave to me to take back to the USA. I will use it with my Akubra so it will continue to fit on my head. Again today was just a nice relaxing day doing some window shopping and walking.

Sat, 18 Aug - Relaxed in the morning with the Thompsons. They drove us back to Rhonda Crosbie's in the afternoon.

Sun, 19 Aug - We took the train into Hyde Park so that we could attend the YSA ward and see as many of the YSA kids as possible. We walked over to Hyde Park to visit with Deshao & Shawn for a few minutes. They gave us some photos of when they came up to Grafton to visit. We really love all the Chinese YSA kids - they are great people. We then had Paella with Cristina de Godos and Jose. It was a good time. Cristina is doing well and now has her Permanent Residence visa for Australia. She is a lovely young lady.