Mon Jul 8, 2013

Dear Family and Friends:

We made it through one whole week and are really enjoying it here.  It has been beautiful weather every day.  The bluest sky and the trees and flowers are wonderful.  We walk around the grounds a couple times a day and walk across the street to go to the bank and the store.  It is a good little walk.

 At work we are still waiting for some items to come from Salt Lake to work the camera so we practice on it for a little while in the morning then we have been doing indexing.  Last Monday night we had Family Home Evening with the other Sr. Missionaries at 6 so we just stay at the office.  We had dinner and a surprise party for a sister.  We played games and then a couple of the missionaries told some of their experiences.  One Elder was born in Germany and during the war his mother was out in the garden with him in arms and his older brother and sister, 2 &4 when the neighbors started running and yelling that the Russians were coming so they just ran and hid in the trees and eventually made their way to Poland to refugee camps.  After the war she came to Australia and eventually remarried.  A very fascinating story.   I can’t imagine leaving without anything except the clothes you were wearing.  The couples are so fun, we are really enjoying them.

On Tues morning we had to be here by 7 to talk to SL about downloading the program on the computer to work with the camera.  That was 3 in the afternoon for SL.  It worked well and now we are ready to get started.  Mark thinks the other things we need will be in this week.

It was strange to spend the 4^th of July in the office with no celebration.  We missed the family and the activities we usually have.  Dix and I walked over to the store and the clerk as we were checking out told us Happy 4^th.  She said she has friends in the US and new it was a holiday.  That made us feel good.  Friday morning the missionaries were having a meeting in the conference room and they sang America the Beautiful.

On Saturday morning Sister Jorgensen, Sister Williams and myself went shopping at Vinney’s, and Salvo’s, 2^nd hand stores.  I was able to get a sweater, a couple of shirts, a small fry pan, spoons and bowls.  Most everything was under $4.00.  We also stopped at a street market where they had beautiful produce, fruits and vegetables and meat.  We got a handful of cherries from the USA.  Everything else is grown here and it is very fresh and very good.  We had fresh beans yesterday, are eating fresh fruit every day.  This is going to be a fun place to cook.  We are still figuring  out the oven, but got a conversion chart on Friday so that will help.  One of these days I am going to bake something and see how it turns out. 

The guys walked about 4 blocks to see the bats at the park.  I will explain this a little later.  After putting things away at the flat we went to lunch at a private club, we went in as guests and it was very good food and very reasonable.  We watched “bowling” on an outdoor court.  They roll small balls, a little bigger than soft balls at a small white ball about the size of a baseball.  The court was about 100’ – 125’.  We decided it was a Sr’s.  game.  After lunch we went over to the park so I could see the bats, thousands of them hanging in the trees and flying around.  They are called  “Flying Foxes” so look it up on the internet.  They are fruit eating so they wipe out an orchard.  The farmers have to put nets over all the trees and bushes so they can’t eat.  That was incredible to see.  As we drove around we saw the “Old Government House” and saw they gave tours so we decided to go.  This is the oldest building in Australia, dating back to the 1700’s.  The first governors lived here until the 1950’s.  Some of the furniture is original and the other is set in the time.  The guide was so knowlegable about the people who lived there.  We really enjoyed it. 

Yester day we went to Church with the William’s to a Church in Greenwich.  The GPS couldn’t find the building so we were a little late.  It was at a Stake Center with no parking lot.  You just had to find a place on the street.  We walked about a block.  Brother Williams said he wondered what the Church was thinking.  It was a great meeting.  We so enjoyed the meetings.  We met the sister missionaries, one from West Jordan, and one from Murray, who said she loves the farmers market there.  They have about 6 months left on their missions.

Last night was the ”New” member fireside.  Most of the full-time missionaries were there as well as new converts and other people who want to come.  A young Elder sang the opening song and he had a beautiful voice.  We watched a short video and new member talked.  Love hearing about a converts conversion.  The Sr. missionaries bring cookies for dessert, but they forgot to tell me so I didn’t this time.  This fireside his held the first Sun of every month.

So now we are at the beginning of another week, and hoping we can start photographing this week.  We check the mail about 3-4 times a day.  Dix says no one loves us, because we never get anything.  Thanks to those of you who have e-mailed us.  This morning we were hoping to Skype but we don’t have any internet connection yet.  We need to know what is going on with ALL of you so please email or Skype, or write.  The pouch is only a US postage.

Know that we love all of you very much and are missing you.

Dix and Ruth

Email address: ruth@robertsfarms.net and dix@robertsfarms.net