November 16th

Dear Fab Family, recently added extended family and friends:
We have some major hang-up with msn.com and can’t receive e-mails and worse for me, can’t seem to get them out; this is my third attempt since Wednesday. So, it isn’t that we’re not trying. While sort of recuperating from the arthroscopic surgery from Tuesday,
The next day I tried, the system threw me out, typed a complete letter, pushed the Send
Button and nothing happened; it’s like it’s out there in cyber space.
So, I’m obviously trying another avenue; I’m saving this in Word, then will attempt to
Send it from our church website, since msn.com is so uncooperative at the moment.
Lots has happened, we received two nice mails of appreciation from our CES Coordinator and also from our High Counsellor thanking us for the nice Seminary/Istitute
Graduation, supper for the seniors and their families and food after the graduation for all
The attendees. Interesting enough, our CES Coordinator knew that I had a problem with
My knee and said don’t worry too much about the food, just do the best you can. After all
he said, they are coming for the graduation. But kindly, in his e-mail thank you; he commented the food made the graduation even more special. Because they have their own way of doing things here, it was nice to hear they enjoyed the whole graduation activity.
Well, we did have the wonderful 30 yr.old YSA, graduate of Institute and her daughter
over for a pork dinner on Tuesday to acknowledge her achievements for 4 years and
especially her wonderful help serving and last minute prep of the foods for the mentioned
graduation. Mary, as I had said previously is finishing her degree in PE and wanted to
share some weight training exercises with us; not that we EVER expect to be buff. More from our perception is to be better able to serve on our mission. These YSA’s have lots of energy!
That Thursday, after that Tuesday dinner, we had 3 recent converts over for dinner and the study Of the Book of Mormon. There is something about a little one on one or just several of them at a time that appeals to them. Can’t be the free food, can it? One of the attendees for that study group is quite a cook and he brought homemade chocolate mousse made with Belgium chocolate and it was delicious. Your dad hurried through my
cooked meat to get to the dessert, but the others were still eating dinner and he waited patiently? Yeah, sure. Brett is the great cook and while Mariah and Art are here, not only is he taking Art on a short hiking trip and planned some other outdoor activities for the rest of us a week from this Saturday. He is cooking some special Aussie’s dishes the night before at our flat, should be a real treat! One of the best things, I’m won’t have to do the cooking for that meal. That same Thursday during the day, we attended our Spiritual Meeting Place meeting @ Canberra U; and then because the Jewish, Muslim and Indigenous representatives weren’t there, it was a meeting where we opened and closed the meeting recognizing the Saviour in all things.
Last Saturday, the Institute VP and I went shopping for the opening social barbeque we
Were having in the afternoon, just a couple of hours before the activity and just took the
food directly to the activity, which was certainly easier to do. With the graduation the week before being on a Sunday, we purchased the food the day before, carried it back to
our flat and carried to the stake centre on Sunday.
This past Sunday, we met with another one of the recent converts of about a year and gave him a one on one lesson on the priesthood, as he is one who is holding back a bit;
I still feel some of these great converts haven’t quite internalized how much they are beloved of the Lord and how they are literally His children. It is something we all take for
granted, but they seem to need to internalize.
Sunday night, last week, we had Kali over for dinner to repay her for a nice dinner at her
Place a month or so ago, and Chris, who is soon leaving to travel to Canada for snow boarding and other places until his cash runs out. He is the attorney. They both have such fun personalities, again just so darn outgoing!!
Well, Dad started the Summer session of Institute, while I was in surgery for that knee that had caused me unrelenting pain for over the last month. I had a check-in time for 11AM, and was told I would have to wait my turn. I probably went in about 6PM, but I must say although it was quite a wait, the actual service was great, very compassionate.
The nurse wheeling me into the operating room, commented she would use the doctor who was doing my surgery, if she needed arthroscopic surgery. Believe it or not, since I was alone, I found that comforting. Dad came after Institute was done and we checked out about 10 PM. I slept that night the best I had in over a month, took a couple of pain
Pills. I had walked out of the hospital, just as the surgeon had said I would. Should have
Known, I’d be a bit stiff and still am. My knee is heavily bandaged and definitely the whole leg is swollen. But I had no pain so I was so relieved. Today, I have a bit of pain, but not like I had had.
Last night, we had the 3 great converts, a YSA member, who is hopefully considering a mission and his return missionary brother for dinner and B of M study. It was a bit warm,
Summer sure is on it’s way here. December 1, is the first day of Summer. Two of the men brought some desserts, which was great.
Well, we are getting down to the wire with Mariah, Art and kids; it is Friday evening here, but still Thursday in the states and they leave Friday night and will arrive here Sunday morning. We will drive in to meet them at the airport in Sydney, which means
Leaving here around 6-6:30 AM, but we’re not complaining in any way. We are just so
grateful they are making this trip.