We're having a Phat Time!

Us at Innot Hot Springs just after taking the plunge. It was here that I learned phat time means grand time! The different words and phrases just keep coming! We took a couple days off to see a country music concert south of us about 5 1/2 hours. This Hot Springs stop was on the way. We drove through some pretty desolate places to get there where the theme of life is, "The Dusty Life is the Good Life." We did see two emu on the outback road we were on. Didn't get to snap a picture though.  It was dusty dry and hot in Charters Towers but there was heaps of fun to be had. We saw Tom Curtain who trains horses, dogs, goats and apparently children and shows off his skills while singing his very Aussie country music. He's on Spotify if you want to look it up.  I suggest his song "Be Kind" and "Living in the Bush" Here's some moments I captured from that event.  

I'm not able to attach the video but this was a barrel race he ran for the kids. The kids in the audience were a huge part of the show and the fun! 

This is his signature stand on a horse and sing stunt.

We drove home along the coast from Townsville to Tolga where we live. A much more jungly area...and a beach! Notice there are no swimmers on the beach. People we talk to about swimming usually say it's just not worth the risk between sharks, stingrays, jellyfish, and crocodiles. So sad to me who enjoyed the beaches in Southern California so much when we lived there. 

Here's our big, little primary. Usually only 2 kids come....today it was 5! I've been moved into primary from young women's. They were not having singing time and I really felt that was important then when Sister Browning spoke about it in conference I knew I had a job to do! Do you see the two kids on the left? They drove 3 1/2 hours to get to church. Their family lives in Cooktown which is in our branch and that's how far they have to come. They just moved there and are planning on coming once or twice a month. We have a zoom link for the outlying areas so they will use that on the off days. That's like driving from Salem to St. George to church! Talk about dedication! 

Our sweet Sister Steffensen was transferred down south. Elder Kasparian asked her what she had not gotten to do while in the area and the only thing she said was see Millaa Millaa Falls. It was only 30 minutes from where we were so....we had to go! 

If you come visit us this is one of the places we will definitely take you! You can swim here! No crocodiles! 

Before Sister Steffensen left she and Sister Warren did get to teach a family with several kids and a mom who are interested in the church. Here is a gathering we had at the Kose's home. They are working on fellowshipping this family. 

As you can see Elder Kasparian is taking the opportunity to talk it up! Some things never change! While there, a huge beetle flew into the fan and got wacked and thrown to the floor. He's almost as big as the pingpong ball! 

That reminds me, Elder Kasparian asked me to send this with the caption, "Persecution is getting fierce on the Tablelands". He actually just banged his head on the electric box when he was mowing the lawn. 

We have begun working at a food bank in Atherton started by the Seventh Day Adventists. It is very well run and we had a fun time serving with those good folks. 89 people came in to receive basic groceries all donated by local grocery store and local farmers. 

I've been wanting to show you the school uniforms. I think they are so cool. So comfortable and practical. Each school has different colors but all the kids wear these from Elementary to High school. 

We did a district P-Day with the gang in Port Douglas. We had our first Sausage Sizzle and Elder Kasparian got to throw the football with some of the Elders on the beach. That's a fond memory of his from his own mission to Ecuador. As you can see in the pictures more people are enjoying the beach at Port Douglas. And there is a section where life guards are not only watching the swimmers but watching for dangers so you can swim there......if you dare. 

Cairns District-Missing...The Elders from Thursday Island who are too far to join and one more Senior Couple the Sanders.

These next two little girls, Chelsea and Indy,  are from a part member family we are working with. They live on a farm and love animals. No surprise; their mom is a vet! Here are their fluffy chickens! When the girls showed me around their farm they were barefoot. It's common here. I see bare feet in banks, grocery stores, farms, even gravel walking trails. 

The church has a learning piano program that I'm going to begin teaching in November. It's designed to teach members to learn to play the hymns. These two will be among my first students! I'm excited to begin classes. They are also in primary and young women's so along with piano lessons we'll work on the four areas of growth, spiritual, social, physical and intellectual so our piano lessons will also be a sort of activity day/mutual. You have to get creative with small branches and far flung members. 

Elder Kasparian is getting activities rolling with the young men in the area. He took them golfing for their first activity. They saw a mob of kangaroos. I wish I could share the video but here are some screenshots of the roos. 

I too saw a roo that day, but my experience was a little lack luster. I guess I'll have to take up golf. 

We saw that roo, the Sisters and I, when we were out looking for a family to teach from Vanuatu, an island where many come from to work on the farms. Our new sister is also from Vanuatu and so she's been helpful teaching them in their own language. We drove forever this day trying to find this family. I think it took us 45 minutes with Sister Susuvuro on the phone trying to give us directions from the family about where they were in the farm fields outside of Mareeba. We did finally find them and gave them copies of the Book of Mormon and made an appointment to go back Saturday. Now we know how to find them! When we left to head home we were so far out in the fields we had a long ways to go. The roads here a very narrow and you can't go very fast. Top speed around here is 62mph. And you have to follow it. There are camera's everywhere. Just ask Elder Kasparian....he was informed last week that he was caught speeding just outside of Mareeba. When Elder Hill called to inform Elder Kasparian, Joel's excuse was he had a lot of work to do and he needed to work fast. Elder Hill without missing a beat said, "Oh you're hastening the work!" We'll let you know what that's going to cost us. They are quite expensive. Anyway back to the Sisters and I. We're following our navigation home for maybe 30-40 minutes when we run into a police officer blocking the road. They had to close the road because it was on fire. We could see, and smell the smoke but were hoping it wasn't going to affect us. Anyway we had to turn around, go back 30 minutes or so, find a different narrow road through the farms and work our way back home. Quite the adventure. 

#roadisonfire

We continue to work with Sandra to quit smoking. Going through the addiction recovery program. She has a goal to go to the temple with us before we leave and is down from 28 smokes a day to 15! I'm so proud of her. The sisters are beginning to teach Sandra's grandchildren who are living on Sandra's property. I'll have to take pictures next time of her situation. We will see them Saturday also! 

We are also on track to get Sister McBride aka Sister Friendly, to the temple maybe in December. She's a recently reactivated member and every concept she learns she takes on full throttle. No holding her back. She's stopped drinking coffee, started paying tithing and is well on her way to the covenant path. She also just got called to primary to be Sister Friendly and tell the children a short story from the Friend children's magazine. When usually only 2 children come to primary it's a lot to expect them to give a talk every fortnight. So she fills in with her Friend stories. If any of you are in touch with Sandy Woodward from Hacienda Heights let her know her legacy lives on in the Tablelands of Australia! 

We have learned that the work here is really all about love. The pure love of Christ. It is only when you have the love He has for His people that you can begin to affect their lives. I daily feel the love the Savior has for the people we work with. I hope you all feel that same love in your lives because it's real. 

You are loved.