5 November 2011

Have I told you about the roundabouts?  There were a lot of them in Perth, but here in Albany, there are no traffic lights at all.  So one has to learn how to maneuver the roundabouts.  It’s nice, actually, not to have to wait in line at a stop light. 

There is one of these beautiful Norfolk pine trees in the center of each roundabout in Albany
so that you can see them from quite a way before you get to them.  The needles point up!

The streets have no shoulder to park on.  If there is a sidewalk, you’re walking right next to the ongoing cars.  The city also owns the 10  or 15 feet of property between the edge of the street and your front yard, even if there is no sidewalk.  You may have grass there, but no trees, fences, shrubbery, etc.  This strip is called the Verge.  Anyone may park on the verge, so it has to be kept clear.  But it feels weird to drive up onto what looks like somebody’s front yard and park!

Yesterday we gave a first discussion to an older lady (probably about our age) named Jill in her less-active member friend’s home.  It went very well, and she has agreed to meet with us each week.  She’s the same one we showed the film to last week, Finding Faith in Christ.  They have studied before with the Jehovah Witnesses, but didn’t join.  They both like to cook for us, so we stayed for “afternoon tea,” and then they sent us home again, laden with gifts.  We were so excited about it, because now she really is our investigator.  We left a Book of Mormon, and they agreed to read.  The member lady, Carol, can’t see to read, so the non-member will have to read to her.  They didn’t come to church last week because of family visiting, but they said they would this week.  I believe she will join the church if we can get past tithing.

We are praying for the Lord to put people in our way who have been prepared for the gospel.  Today we came across a sweet lady in the store who stopped us to say hello.  We knew we had met her before, but couldn’t remember her name.  She was so nice, so I asked her name, but she only said “Janice,” so we thought she must be a member of the branch.  We visited a little bit, and then I said, “Well, we’ll see you tomorrow!”  After we got to the car, we pored over the branch list, trying to find a Janice, but couldn’t find her.  We thought and thought, and finally Ray remembered where we had met her!  She was one of the three ladies I told you about in the health food store!  I know that the Lord wants us to speak to her, or all of them, about the church, but we’re waiting for just the right time.  He is giving us opportunities like today to get better acquainted first, I think.

I think President Cahoon will be surprised that we are out teaching non-members, since the Orths only worked with members.  He told us he would be delighted if we wanted to do that, but that we aren’t required to.  Maybe that’s why we weren’t invited to zone conference.  We had our Elders over last night for dinner.

We had hot weather this week, so that I opened the windows to get the breeze blowing through upstairs, but then the next day we had a torrential downpour with lightening and thunder.  There was even some flooding downtown.  We still use our gas heater every day for some of the time.  But people here always tell us how fortunate we are not to be in Perth for the summer.  How glad I am too!

This morning Elder Ashby came in the house calling to me to come outside and see the lizard!  It was about 14 inches long, with a stub tail and a blue tongue!  It was just sitting there on our garden hose.  I took a photo to show you.  Our neighbor told us that there are some that are much bigger, which will rise up to run on their hind legs, and if you come upon them, they will run up a tree.  Look out if there are no trees about, because they will run up you!

Tonight we visited with a couple who take baby roos whose mothers have been killed and serve for about a year as foster parents.  Well, actually, it’s the woman who does all the work.  She carries the baby around in a fleece pouch, feeds it 6 times a day, and helps it go potty in a cup in the pouch after feeding.  Sister Sommer always names the babies, and gets really attached to them almost like a real baby.  One even died after they took it away from her, pining for her so much.  So we both got to hold a baby kangaroo today, in the pouch of course.  This one is about 6 months old, too young to come out yet.  But he put his head and front paws out, even sucked on Elder Ashby’s tie a little bit.  So interesting.