20 December 2011

We drove back into Albany this morning, got ourselves unpacked, and hurried to an appointment we made with a family before we went to Bridgetown and which we have been waiting for since we first got to Albany!  If you remember, I think I told you about a lady named Sister Giovanazzi, who has been sort of semi-active because she has so much trouble with her back.  Since then she had an 11-hour surgery, so we hope she will be able to get active soon.  She's a lovely sister who is very good to us and has visited Utah some time ago and loved it. 
Anyway, she gave us the name of her son and his non-member wife.  He's a member, but hasn't been to church since he was a little boy.  I had the feeling then that this may be the family we've been praying for, or one of them, but when we tried to contact them, he was gone to the military for a while, and then they got sick, etc.  But today was the day.  They are so great!
  
We had a nice discussion with them and two of their children, mainly just getting to know them and then showing them the DVD, Joy to the World.  I told them that we have been praying for them for some time, and that we have a glorious message for them that will help them in raising their children, then asked if we can come back and teach them.  They immediately agreed, and we have arranged to meet with them during the week between Christmas and New Year's.  

When we got out to the car, Ray said, "Don't start jumping up and down while they're still looking."  We both were so excited, we just walked around for the next few hours with perpetual smiles on our faces.  When we came over here to the church tonight, he let me be the one to tell President Holder.  He was excited too, and said, "The whole branch has been praying for you by name every day since President Pemberton's visit.  The Lord is answering our prayers!"  Did I tell you that the Albany Branch is part of the Southern River Stake, but the Bridgetown Branch is part of the mission, so it comes under the leadership of President Cahoon?  Kind of confusing.

Something else has happened.  We got word that Sister Cahoon (our mission president's wife) has been suffering too much with her neck, and that she has to have some surgery.  So they are leaving the mission.  There is a new president coming over from Brisbane in Queensland, who will be here for 6 months until they bring in a new president in July.  

We spent the day before we left for Bridgetown cleaning our flat here because we knew we would have inspection today, so guess what!  When we came in from our discussion, they had been there, and left a note saying, "Perfect house!"  That made us feel so good.

We had a note in the door saying that there was a package for us, so we went to the Post to retrieve it, and were so touched that you girls had gone to the trouble of mailing all those perfect little gifts!  We had so much fun opening the box and planning whom we could give things to!  You were so smart to come up with such perfect little things!  Thank you, Dawnie and Brennie!  Now it's Christmas.  The house is full of Christmas music from the David Archuletta concert, and we have the joy of thinking about our wonderful kids and their families, and how much we love them, and love the Savior for giving us a way to be a family forever!