Slightly wordy update from Sis Mac attached

Family & Frieinds My update comments 'ditto' Elder Mac June 5, 2008 Dear fab family and friends: Time flies when you're having fun, (ie working away)! Do ya think Elder Mac's going to let me have fun, when he can work both of our ½ brains out?! We finished out 2nd uni-class for this semester. Whew! There will be a 6 week break before uni starts up again, so we will be down 1 fewer preparations. I actually love the uni more than the Institute. I was initially ex-cited to be studying the Old Testament in Institute, but we have to pick and choose as there is so much material to choose from and never enough class time. For instance in Institute, several weeks back we had Exodus 20-40, which is a lot of reading and having to narrow things down. In our Uni-classes, we are studying the Pearl of Great Price with only a hour per class versus 1 ½ hrs. for OT-Institute, but so much more material. I'm loving the Pearl of Great Price, because we have a more in-depth time to study less material. Elder Mac continues to be in hog heaven with all the teaching going on. Next week will be our 1st week of the six weeks without uni-class/ prep, etc. and thanks goodness that small void was filled in before we might actually have a few more spare moments; when last Monday at FHE, which we usually just attend and participate in But don't give the lessons, Dad was asked to give the lesson this coming Monday, so he's a happy camper!! We've been blessed to attend the temple two separate days, Once on Saturday, May 24th when we took one YSA with us to Sydney to attend one session & return the same day. It is close To 3 hrs. up, the session about 2 hours, then return trip of 3 hrs. It almost seems we should try to hit 2 sessions, but it depends on what's going on when we return. That Saturday night we attended a going away party for our Institute president, who has now been released as he is moving to the states, Utah in fact. He wanted evevyone to come in PJ's so we obliged with Dad's Scooby-Doo! Pj bottoms with the waistband saying HOT STUFF; of course we still played by mission rules, because we wore our name tags so we wouldn't forget who we were (escapees from the old folks home/ flat). There is an added measure of remembering each others names, we just look at each others name tags as a refresher!! A week ago for Institute one of our YSA's, a convert of about 6 years with a 10 yr. old daughter, showed up at Institute having just been released from the Emergency room for a bad fall off a mountain bike; it was part of her job as a soon to be teacher graduate in about 6 months. She had 5 or 6 stiches on the front/ right side of her head, bloody clothes and limping: but she was there. We took her home afterwards and so that was one of those 10:30 PM nights by time we returned. Had Uni the next morning @ 10:30. I know, I know, your missions were harder, but just like Mary, you were younger and in better shape. Thursday, Mary called around 7:30PM and asked for some help, she had an infection and high temp and needed help with her daughter; so we drove over helped with cleaning things up, ie dishes and settled Jordan down for the night and got back to our flat @ 11 PM. The next day was a partial day off, but we chaperoned the YSA dance that started @ 7 and ran to midnight; Mary minus a fever, attended and danced the night away (never ceases to amaze us the resilience younger people have ), she still asked if we could take her home earlier than the ride she could get if she stayed to the end, but she couldn't quite cut that, Friday night we got home at midnight just as we turned into pumpkins. Saturday night, Dad generously agreed/ suggested we pick up fish & chips at a take-away place near by, called Naked fish; they are really quite good and reasonable for Canberra, the Capital and we've been told because of all the government workers with expense account cards,that keeps the restaurants pricey. Can't wait to eat at Rumbi Café, Café Rio; Mary's Market and Panera Bread back in the states. Sunday, we attended our own ward block and the other ward for not quite both 3 hours blocks on the south side of Canberra, where we live; and took food to the Fast Breaker on the north side and lucked out getting home just before 9PM. Yesterday, we drove into Sydney again to attend a temple session prior to meeting with our Seminary/ Institute CES Co- Ordinator, Bro. Neill. Afterwards, we were invited to a lovely dinner at his home with his wife and two remaining sons at home. I always appreciate spending time with other women close to my age or is it closer? As we were leaving, she said every week this month is: get a new jacket from Coldwater Creek Outlet. She finds steeply discounted clothing, and shoes and has them shipped here. She showed her phenomenal deals like $100 to $200 jackets that she got for less than $9 -10. Several were leather and for anyone who knows their quality, it is top notch. She had some leather shoes she got for $7 or so. She said they know her on a first name basis as she calls frequently thru her internet phone service, she said last month for only a $20 monthly fee, she could call the states free and made 80 calls. She's my kind of shopper & gives me new shopping ideas! Watch out Dad/ Elder Mac. Well, enough of that fun gibberish: we stayed at the temple accommodations and didn't return until after our 3 hour drive from Sydney to Canberra just about an hour before our last uni-class previously mentioned. Hope you don't mind, but while in Sydney, at the CES building/ office I had the privilege to spend some quality time with Ann, who is the administrative assistant for the 3 CES Coordinators there and is always so friendly and helpful in more ways than I can tell/ describe. She is always so kind and interested as well as interesting. She had told me one time,that she had a son who had been murdered, but hadn't said much else and I guess I felt it was pretty personal and didn't want to intrude. However, Bro. Neill had said recently the trial for the murder was soon to start. So, I asked how she was doing, as she has had a radical mastectomy since we've been here and has lost way too much weight with the chemo and all. In addition to her working for all three of these fine men, she also teaches early morning seminary and the murder trial of her slain son was finally coming to court after 5 yrs. She really opened up and what a unique and special lady she is. Two things especially touched my heart and had hurt her heart as she shared. She said for years members at church, thinking they are comforting her, would say to her, he (her son) is in a better place. Every so often, it just plain gets to her; as now it is in the newspapers and although we don't read any papers and surely not the Sydney papers, it brings to the surface more the pain she feels. One time, she just simply replied to the supposedly comforting words of he's in a better place; she responded unless you've ever seen a beloved son laid out on a mable slab to identify him, understand I (Ann) just plain miss seeing him right now. The other comment she said, was periodically, the prosecuting attorney, a woman, would call her to update her ( how about waiting and receiving those updates for the past five years?). Usually the attorney would start with the murderer has the same rights as your son (for some reason, that was how she would start her conversation with Ann). The last time, when the attorney said that to her after her hearing for uncountable times, she simply said to the woman attorney, please don't always remind me about the murderer's rights being as important as my murdered son, he has no rights. Ann said, he (her son) will never marry, never have children in this life, etc.; she said the attorney was very quite and said she hadn't thought about it that way. Sure reminds me of our justice system somewhat, in as much as there seems to be great concerns for the rights of murderers, etc and forgotten somewhere is/are the victims, including surviving family members in the case of murder. Ann was not vindictive in speech at all, just kindly added her feelings. I am amazed about her incredible strengths and such depth of goodness and character. She had kindly asked me about the bum knee I have and I responded my murmurings aren't anywhere in the same ball park as hers; but I so appreciated her loving kindness and concern. She is definitely someone who has been there and back. She has tasted that which is almost the most bitter any of us would ever have to taste. Ann, also said when she goes to court, she has to go alone and is not allowed to refer to her son, as her son; but rather victim such and such and not by his name either. Her husband will also be required to testify, but alone. Interesting, how it is done over here; seems more weighted to the person on trial than the victim or family. My heart is heavy for her and she will continue to be in our/ my prayers. I feel the Lord's tender mercies to count her as a sister in the gospel and someone who shows such concern for others, when she has experienced such sadness. I believe her son was only 20 yrs. old when he was murdered. Just talking to her, makes me want to more carefully measure some of my words & be more empathetic. Time to close; I know, I never know when to stop. I apologize. Want you to know, you are all sooooo missed and soooo loved. Everyday, we pray that in ever so small ways we can be useful and hopefully uplift and edify, even by small means. Love, mom/ grandma aka sis mac Tomorrow, as in most Friday mornings we meet with the 14, usually young, missionaries in our zone and always walk away uplifted by attending their meetings. We've had sisters for the past several months and have loved it, including the sister, closer to our age from Scotland, no less. How we love the sisters and elders. What great missionaries they are!!