Teaching English

One of the highlights of the last few months has been teaching English to some wonderful, talented, and highly motivated friends. They are amazing. Feng, Ping and Sky are the original members of the class and have completed the first course. Toa (left front) just joined us and is starting the new course.
(front left to right)Helen, Emma and Sahra sometimes attend. Helen usually goes next door to the sister’s class. The class is making great progress. Often one or more of the students come early for a Gospel lesson and most of the time, they all stay after for a Gospel lesson.
While the students learn English and grow in Gospel knowledge, the sisters and I make and use the Power Point lessons that we are converting to DVDs for the out bush family literacy project. These students will be able to use the DVDs for review and practice and we get valuable experience using what we have developed.

Anson Wade's Baptism

I have been so busy lately I have let too many things go without a blog. These are things I want to remember and share, so I am going to post several blogs in a row, mostly pictures. First I want to share an important baptism: Anson Wade's. He is an amazing young man who recently moved here from New Zealand to live with his sister and her husband, plus other family. With the love and support of his household and the teachings of the missionaries, he has grown in the Gospel and been baptized.
Family Home Evening with Anson and the Hardings

More Family Home Evening--complete with some great music from Brother Harding

Anson Wade's baptism was a great experience. Here he is with his borther-in-law and his sister

A large number of the branch turned out in support. Brother Wade continues to learn, grow and use his priesthood.

Literacy Bags and Project Update

The literacy bags are very close to ready. The whole branch has pitched in and helped us put them together.
We had two work sessions where community and branch members all pitched in and organized the books, bags, files, and activities.

We have been working with members from out bush who are going to help implement the program in their communities.

I don't know how we ever did without Sister Wood and Sister Lovegrove, but they are tireless in their efforts and are accomplishing miracles.

I hope we will be ready to take the beginnings of the program out bush this week.

Once again to all those in San Juan County, Utah who have contributed to this project: We can't thank you enough. Everything you sent is wonderful and will prove to be very worthwhile.

July Update - Just a Little Late?

Things are going very well here. The sisters’ flat is finally completely set up, my DSL and phone are moved, we are completely moved in, and everyone is busily engaged. Things are quite wonderful with the leadership and the new sisters. We feel that many doors are being opened to the people who have needed to be taught for quite awhile as well as new people who are now being taught.
The sisters have begun teaching a language conversation class of their own with two Korean young women who are on a lower level than the Chinese and Korean students I am teaching. The sisters and we are visiting and teaching as much as we have time to, but this project is very demanding.


The closer I look at it, the more work I realize there really is. The voice recordings on the Power Points seem to take longer than we thought. Hopefully, as we become more experienced this will speed up.
Sister Lovegrove’s organizational skills are proving to be quite valuable, along with her Australian voice and educational background. Sister Wood is an extremely dedicated, hardworking, pleasant person who is eager and able to learn and accomplish whatever she needs to.

To Our Grieving Friends in Blanding:

Words cannot express how saddened we were to hear of the tragic plane crash and loss of three of Blanding’s finest. Kim Acton, Eric Johnson, and Brian Bayles will be sorely missed by their families, friends, church, and community. They were wonderful family men, faithful Church members and leaders, community leaders, and successful businessmen, with exemplary histories of selfless service. Jim and Kim were kindred spirits enjoyed many happy times together. We send our love, our prayers, and our deepest condolences to the families and the community. We are grateful for the plan of salvation and the knowledge that we can be together forever as families. We pray for the Lord’s comforting spirit and his guidance for all in this time of tragedy.

New Missionaries and the Boxes Have Arrived!!

We said a sad good-bye to Elder Collet and Elder Hardester. Elder Collet has been a powerful force in Alice for over a year. He made a lasting impact and will be missed by many. We were happy to start to get to know Elder Hardester and are sure his enthusiasm and positive attitude will be of benefit wherever he goes.

We are thrilled to have Elder McKnight return to us as our new Alice Springs Zone Leader. He brought with him Elder Pawtui. Elder McKnight is already making a powerful impact and Elder Pawtui is eager, hardworking and dedicated.

There has been so much to do, I really didn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel; but now I do. President Quinn has sent two senior sisters here to Alice Springs. They are both delightful. One, Sister Lovegrove, is a retired elementary school teacher and librarian. Not only that, but she is Australian. So now we will be able to produce American and Australian versions of the reading and language programs. Sister Wood is from America and she can help me with the American version. I can’t fully express how thrilled I am to have them here and how enthusiastic, talented and inspired they are. It is no coincidence that a refurbished flat two doors down from us came up for rent just as they were coming in. Elder Shumway and I have moved into that one with the help of the other six missionaries.

We are so excited! Christmas has come early and the boxes from Utah are here. We will be putting the bags together as soon as the books get here, which should be any day now. The first thing we will be introducing in the Family Learning Centers will be these bags and toys.
President and Sister Quinn were here for zone conference so they came to our flat to see the materials. We are all very thrilled with what is here. We are so grateful to all those who made it happen.

Hurray!!!

To all our friends in Blanding and Monticello who contributed so many resources and so much time to this project: Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! I want to give a special thanks to Marla Atkinson who was willing to share 2 ½ years of literacy bag work and development with us. Thanks to Patty Lyman, Elaine Johnson and Nedra Bunker for organizing the efforts of the Relief Societies of Blanding and Monticello. Thanks to the teachers who donated surplus books and materials, the Young Women who helped make toys for the Humanitarian Camp Project, the toys maker, and the Burtenshaws for delivering the shipment to SLC. I know the list is much longer than I can write, so thanks to everyone who contributed in any way to the project. I will continue to post blogs that will give updates and pictures on the progress of this amazing adventure in Australia. I believe there are many great things that will come from the out bush Family Learning Centers. Below is Patty Lyman’s email to me as the boxes were sent off. It gives a good description of what all was sent:
HURRAY!!! THE BOXES ARE ON THEIR WAY TO SALT LAKE CITY!!
What a fun huge project - there are 8 "Imagine If" boxes that have all the files - bags - scissors - erasers - rulers - a few notebooks - paper clips -elastics - crayons and the list goes on and on - there are some toys in their Frisbees - cars - jump ropes - wonderful little balls - etc!! Then there are 2 fruit boxes full of the basal books - Margaret Olderog sent the Kindergarten ones. Lynnette Brewer is wonderful and sent the yellow first grade ones and the phonics books - 2nd grade, red, came from Becky Larsen!! And they are packed with the 3rd grade books which also has the listening library CD's. They looked great - 3rd is Green - SO MERRY CHRISTMAS!! Then there are two boxes of toys - the wonderful wooden ones - I'd just leave them and not paint them - they are gorgeous and smell great!! And then there are some stuffed animals - Winnie the Pooh, Barney, Dogs, Cats and Horses!!
So anyway they have left Blanding and are on their way - I have talked with TODD a couple of times and will continue to keep in touch with him -
So love you tons - I have taken a few pictures and when my kids are home and we all get a minute we will e-mail them.
Love, Patty