Happy Easter

You asked for it, you got it.



Love you guys,
Arah

Joey

Some of our Aboriginal members are raising an orphaned kangaroo. They’ve had it for four days. It's as friendly as a little kitten or puppy. It is so cute and cuddly and lives on milk and grass. When it goes to sleep, it crawls face first under a blanket. When it gets bigger they will probably give it to Desert Park. My grand kids need to see this. So here it is. You can click on the pictures for a close-up.

Driving Miss Daisy

Sister Shumway is continuing to direct me when I am driving on the correct side of the road, and goes into a near state of panic every time we turn a corner and she sees cars coming towards us on the right. Of course she still has not been willing to drive out here. Confidentially, I feel she should receive a medal from the Australian Government for the number of lives she has saved. It may be true: You can’t teach an old ___ to do new tricks.

With that being said, I need to let it be known that she has been wonderful to have as a companion. It is amazing how much we are learning from President & Sister Quinn, and the Elders who have been working with us. Right now, we are a little concerned because this weekend is transfers and we would hate to lose any of the Elders from this District. But we know it will happen sometime and we will be happy to work with whomever the Lord decides. We know that we are in the right place, doing the right things, and we are very happy. Every “Senior Couple” that has the health and testimony to serve a mission really should take advantage of the great opportunity.

Sister Shumway is going to put a few pictures up for everyone to see, in the near future. Please don’t be too shocked at how white her hair has been turned by my driving. And by the way...everytime I ask her why she hasn't driven in almost 4 months, she politely smiles and says "I choose life!"

P.S. From Sister Shumway: I never panicked. Why, I even remained perfectly calm when passengers, who were riding with us, politely told Elder Shumway, he was on the wrong side of the road. We’re enjoying giving literacy lessons and gospel lessons to several people and they are progressing well.

Thought of the week: “Happiness in family life is most likely achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance and forgiveness, respect, love, compassion and wholesome recreational activities,” Ensign, November 1995, page 102.

Taste Buds

I’d already been thinking about writing this blog, but after Lisa’s blog today on food, I decided I’d put in my 2 bits.
Yesterday my husband and I went by the grocery store because I wanted to pick up some grapes. It wasn’t our regular shopping trip so we just got a few things. I got grapes, apples, carrots, and a red bell pepper. Elder Shumway bought hot dog buns, a dozen doughnuts and a package of Australian beef sausages. Their sausages are a substitute for our hot dogs. Now I’ve never like hot dogs, but these are so much worse. They are full of fat and by products. They’re bumpy and crumble instead of bend. I tasted one bite some time ago, but wasn’t able to swallow it. While I was making my salad, he boiled his sausages. This white foamy stuff filled the pan and he had to keep spooning it off. When he stuck one with a fork, it kind of crumbled like a Vienna sausage. The outside skin peals off and crumples while it’s boiling. They look like long fat grubs. I told him I wasn’t sure there was an amount of money I would take to eat those things, but whatever that amount was, it was more than he had.
I looked into that pan and at my salad and thought, now I understand why I eat the way I do! So Lisa, in answer to your question about taste buds, go figure! I’ve got no idea!

February Updates

We can’t believe another month is almost gone. We missed Valentines Day. We are working hard and making progress with our investigators. We are learning a lot and learning we have a lot to learn. We will have a baptism within a couple of weeks. We had a great mission teleconference with Elder Sybrowsky and will be flying to Adelaide for a Mission conference with Elder David Bednar on March 12th.
We finished the transcripts we were working on for some Gospel Principles DVDs. They will be in simple English and the main Aboriginal language. That way the members can get and give instruction when they are out bush and the missionaries aren’t available. The new members are very faithful and setting an example for all of us when it comes to humility, turning their lives around, and sharing the Gospel with others.


The weather has turned quite nice (hope it lasts). There’s a cool breeze blowing through our windows and we’ve decided we would definitely choose this weather over the hard winter in Utah. Elder Shumway beat the other elders in bowling on preparation day, but Mark one of our wonderful investigators beat them all. Since there has been no further racquetball, he’s still undefeated. We have stayed healthy and Sister Shumway can nag her children from 9000 miles away.
We continue to count our blessings and see the hand of the Lord in our lives and the lives of so many others. We are grateful for your love and support. Here is a beautiful Alice sunset(especially for Grandma Gibby)and a pleasant Alice day for you.

Ayden's Birthday

Hey Mom and Dad,

Here's a little video of Ayden's birthday party. Sorry your favorite daughter isn't in any of it. I'm behind the camera. I realize I'm not the best filming skills, but it's better than nothing, right?

Love you,
Arah

Let Me Take You There: Alice SpringsTour

It has been interesting to us to listen to all of you back in the USA bragging about how cold it is and how much snow you have, while we sit in Alice Springs with the temperature hovering right around 100 to 110 degrees F. and speculate on how much longer the people in this area will call the dry, sandy creek bed we have here, “The Todd River”!

Now, for some of you sophisticated people who have spent a goodly portion of your life in a major American metropolitan area with a population of about 4000. Alice Springs is a City of about 26,000 people. The roads are paved. Most of the residents live in nice homes or “flats” (rental units). We have a K-Mart. McDonalds, KFC, and Burger King are alive and well. We have several grocery stores that sell the same basic items as you would purchase in America. The people wear normal clothes, AND we have yet to find any poisonous snakes or spiders within our humble abode. Though, we did see one beautiful giant huntsman spider (non-poisonous) outside our front door. Sadly, it left. You could say we live in a civilized community that is a true melting pot of people from many countries and cultures. Some speak 4 or 5 different languages, fluently.