Don't Bugger the Washer

 

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all! We enjoyed our first Christmas out on our mission. We definitely had many experiences to remember for ever....most good, some buggered. All memorable. The above picture is from Brisbane. We look so happy because we just came out of the temple. We got to go down to Brisbane for a week for a senior conference. It was a phat time. 

We flew into Brisbane on a Monday. It's a beautiful city. When we first got our call here I was stunned by the beauty I saw in videos and pictures. It didn't disappoint but we don't see much of it since we are so far north.  This is a huge mission! The size of 3 Texas's! 

Elder Kasparian made good use of the time on the plane by sharing the Book of Mormon with our seat mate. In this picture he's been reading for about 20 minutes! 

Here we are just outside the beautiful Brisbane temple. It's tiny but mighty! We love going to the temple and go often at home but we are over 1000 miles from it here so it's our first time going! It's at a place called Kangaroo Point! 

These pictures are taken from the Gold Coast just south of Brisbane. These beaches are much like the ones we had in California. No crocodiles. How pleasant. I enjoyed fearlessly wading across this warm stinger free water. Those skyscrapers are so tall and so close to the sand. Hard to believe they are stable since there are often cyclones here. 

Joel found a woman practicing riding her rose gold Penny Board. These skateboards are from Australia so of course Joel had to ride it and give her some pointers.

Tuesday we got to do a Costco run! This may have been the most fun for me! I won't tell you how much we spent but it's 3 digits and rhymes with score bundred.  Well that was in Aussie dollars but still we bought a lot! The Costco was very much like the ones in the US. I bought canned Kirkland chicken and Ghiradelli Brownie mix! Among other things. 

Wednesday we rode this catamaran to Martin Island off the coast of Brisbane to a resort call Tangalooma. The Island is famous because it is the third largest sand only Island in the world. What a nice Senior Conference activity it was. The conference was 3 days and President Gomez said, "One day to relax and enjoy the rest to serve and be uplifted!" He did not get to join us on the island visit. Mission presidents seem to have the most demanding calling I know of. But we were grateful he let us enjoy the beautiful beaches. 

The water was so clear and just the perfect temperature. And the waves were calm. I had a hard time getting out of the water to meet the fairy back to shore. 

Thursday we had a devotional with President and Sister Gomez then we put together stockings to take back to the missionaries serving in our district. Oranges (we purchased from Costco so they were to die for), Lollies, mouth wash and tooth paste for after the lollies and various other stocking stuffers. Sister and President Gomez gave all of us Seniors a beautiful ornament with the Savior and the Brisbane mission and year. Made me cry. I feel so privileged to be serving here.  We also did work shops to help us focus on the good we are attempting to accomplish while we are here and we all had a good laugh over how hard the trollies (grocery carts) are to push here. All four wheels spin so going on hills is a struggle. (The Costco carts were not this way and were a joy to push!) It's the little things you know? Haha. 

Later that night we rode what's called the City Cat (catamaran) It's a boat that is part of their public transit and goes through the Brisbane river and downtown. Another highlight for sure.

We ate at a Mexican Restaurant in South Point in downtown Brisbane. And even had Ben and Jerry's ice cream! 

Here's Brisbane at night and our trip back through the beautiful lights on the City Cat. We also spied Angel Moroni peaking through the skyline! 

Friday we finished up with a beautiful devotional by President Shine and Sister Shine who serve with President and Sister Gomez in the mission presidency. So inspiring.

Saturday we headed home feeling uplifted and blessed and ready to move forward with the work! 

Soon after we got back it was time for our District Christmas devotional so we all gathered in Cairns for a few days. We had breakfast with the Kimiia family who graciously invited all 16 of us for a lovely spread! We sang Christmas songs and talked of Christ. Our favorite thing to do! 

We delivered their Christmas stockings after District Council meeting then had a cookie decorating party. It was a grand time. 

That night President and Sister Gomez and two of their children, and Sister Widman the office secretary, flew up to Cairns to join us in a Christmas Devotional the next day! 

They played games.

Sang Songs.

Gomez Family

President Gomez, such a cool dude

And of course acted out the nativity! 

Where Joel was the star of the show. At least his hand! 

Sister Horsely and I spent hours making a Thanksgiving luncheon for all to enjoy! 

Which I believe they did! Remember when I said Mission Presidents were the busiest calling....they flew all over Queensland for these Christmas devotionals. I believe there were 5. All to make the Junior missionaries feel loved and cared for while they are away from their families at this tender time of the year. The Gomez family is full of Christlike love! 

Back home in Atherton Joel got to marry Molly and Tony. Molly looks just like my mom so I call her mum. She's 92 and Tony has been her caregiver for a few years. They fell in love so they got married! Joining us were John and Norma Shore and Merryl and Ray Stuart. An event worth celebrating! 

Molly and Tony gave Joel and I gifts. "The Yanks" so we knew it was ours.

Included was this mug for Joel

Elder Kasparian was perplexed as to why they gave him this. hmm. Not me!

We had a baptism! This is Dahrius. With him is his Uncle Tonga who baptized him. Dahrius has been interested and taking the lessons for many months and through many sets of sisters. Your hard work and strong testimonies paid off on this day Sisters! 

Many wonderful friends and branch members joined in to celebrate! 

Joel and I serve in the food pantry every fortnight where we give food to about 80 people each time we work. That organization, Better Together, had a Christmas dinner for all its volunteers and workers in a small town, Kairi,  pub near us. It was a fun night and our table won the Christmas trivia game! 

We made heaps of Molasses Cookies to take to our neighbors with an invite (thanks Abby) to our Sunday before Christmas sacrament meeting. 

This is Sandra who is working to go to the temple with us in 2026! We visit her every week. She lives across from a Mango farm where the Mango's are Cheeky! 

This is a group of prospective Elders Joel is working with. They all went bowling. Joel is very beloved by this mob of men! 

We had Hanna and her sweet family over to make Christmas cookies with the Sisters! 

Phoenix and Emma had never decorated cookies but they caught on fast and did a fine job! 

I got to go with the Sisters to teach Sebastian who is learning so much about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And just look at the backdrop. What a beautiful land! Sister Susuvuro taught much of the lesson in Sabastian's language from Vanuatu! 

Here's Christmas Day dinner in the carport with the Cipolla Family! A family we are working with to get the priesthood and get to the temple. I thought it was so gracious of them to invite us to share in their Christmas feast. It was raining and poor Tim, (son in law) had to use our umbrella to stay dry but the food and the company was delightful! 

And lastly Boxing Day we took a ride and drove through flowing rivers and saw a mob of wild horses. What a way to end the blog from this epic country we find ourselves in.

Not as many people came to our musical Christmas Sacrament meeting as we had hoped, but we did have a few visitors that we invited. I played my flute and we had several other groups of people sing and play and we felt the love of our Savior. I heard one of the sweetest things from a member, Merryl Stuart when we visited her and her husband on Christmas Day. She said, "I see you waiting for people to come into church. I see that you are anticipating that happening and often it does not and I know that must be hard. But remember when you turn around to sit down there are 20 or so of us sitting there with you that are so glad you are here and we see the hard work you are doing and it is blessing our lives."  We do work with some beautiful people that I will never forget.