Heading for "Down Under"
The MTC experience ended early afternoon on Friday and with it the illusion of a cocoon of safety.
The morning of leave-taking came a bit faster than I had imagined. All big and anticipated events seem to be that way -- they take forever to come and then surprise you by their being there.
Saturday, the 15th of April, Beth had invited Kayla and Derek over for breakfast. She had prepared a beautiful and sumptuous feast. It was good to share that time with the three of them. They have been such good friends and increased my children by two.
The night before leaving, we had dinner up at Libbey and Erick's. It is difficult to imagine that I will not see my grandchildren, in person, for nearly two years. Jacob says that he will be taller than I am when I come home. He probably will and keep right on going.
I have seen only pictures of new little Clay Mathews, born March 23 to Joel and Becky. He will be nearly two by the time I see him in person. Parker is making monster suits out of cardboard and Cole has a growing vocabulary. Aubrey was baptised in February and continues to grow in size and learning.
Katrina will be a senior in high school and the others will not be far behind. Ben reports that they are doing so well in soccer. I am sure that they will only get better. Sam has taken up the oboe and now Sarah is starting the clarinet. Isabel will be well launched and comfortable with school.
Claire will be an experienced Activity Day girl before I come home; Noah will be even more knowledgeable about bugs and other such; Mia will be a young lady. It all happens so fast. After all, it was just the other day that we brought Ben home from the hospital and put Nathan to sleep by running a vacuum cleaner. I suppose the time in Australia will go just as quickly as it will at home.
Beth packed me up on Monday morning, April 17th, and drove to the airport. In addition to Beth, I was sent off by most of the Ben and Sonia Mathews' and Libbey and Erick Chuy's families.
It didn't seem to take all that long to get there. I followed Nathan's advice, took my nighttime medicine and slept for as long as I could (somewhere around eight hours) and then read until we came closer to land. Somewhere along the way, we crossed over the International Date Line and "lost" a day. Although I left Utah on Monday, I arrived in Brisbane, Australia on Wednesday . . .
. . . met my first companion, Sister Dever.
The morning of leave-taking came a bit faster than I had imagined. All big and anticipated events seem to be that way -- they take forever to come and then surprise you by their being there.
Saturday, the 15th of April, Beth had invited Kayla and Derek over for breakfast. She had prepared a beautiful and sumptuous feast. It was good to share that time with the three of them. They have been such good friends and increased my children by two.
The night before leaving, we had dinner up at Libbey and Erick's. It is difficult to imagine that I will not see my grandchildren, in person, for nearly two years. Jacob says that he will be taller than I am when I come home. He probably will and keep right on going.
I have seen only pictures of new little Clay Mathews, born March 23 to Joel and Becky. He will be nearly two by the time I see him in person. Parker is making monster suits out of cardboard and Cole has a growing vocabulary. Aubrey was baptised in February and continues to grow in size and learning.Katrina will be a senior in high school and the others will not be far behind. Ben reports that they are doing so well in soccer. I am sure that they will only get better. Sam has taken up the oboe and now Sarah is starting the clarinet. Isabel will be well launched and comfortable with school.
Claire will be an experienced Activity Day girl before I come home; Noah will be even more knowledgeable about bugs and other such; Mia will be a young lady. It all happens so fast. After all, it was just the other day that we brought Ben home from the hospital and put Nathan to sleep by running a vacuum cleaner. I suppose the time in Australia will go just as quickly as it will at home.
Beth packed me up on Monday morning, April 17th, and drove to the airport. In addition to Beth, I was sent off by most of the Ben and Sonia Mathews' and Libbey and Erick Chuy's families.
I'll see you in two years -- or sooner in Australia!
. . . retrieved ALL of my luggage and . . .
. . . met my first companion, Sister Dever.
And now begins my labors and adventures in the Australia Brisbane Mission!
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