Sisters Preparation Day

The sisters of the Australia Sydney North Mission at Manly

In May we were able to meet the Sisters of the Australia Sydney South Mission and ride the Manly Ferry into Sydney.

On the steps of the Sydney Opera House

On the steps outside Pancakes on the Rocks

This is Emma Scruggs (and Sister Scruggs). Emma does not appear in many pictures because she has become the mission photographer. Although she does not have a formal calling as a missionary she has served faithfully for 3 years. Emma is loved by all the missionaries and she is one of the Sisters. Emma has worried with us over sick missionaries, she has knocked on doors while doing sisters exchanges and she has been my companion on countless errands. Emma has washed more dished than she would like to admit. She never complains when we postphone plans or open our home to investigators, members and missionaries. I am thankful to have had Emma serve with us. She will be missed and remembered as the mission president's daughter who never missed a chance to switch badges on Elders jackets or help the missionaries remember how much they miss having a younger sister to tease and taunt. Being the youngest of 7 she can hold her own with the teasing.

Thank you Emma, you will be missed!

Australia Sydney North Missionaries

More Zone Conference Pictures

Happy Birthday to Elder DeHart, Elder Cahigas, Sister Hendricks & Elder Va'ai

May Zone Conference

The Elders wait patiently for the Seniors and Sisters to get their lunch. This month it was make your own sandwiches. Yum!

Mandrines and apples for dessert

A bit of after lunch instructions.

May birthdays; Happy Birthday to Sister Frearson, Elder Ioteba, Elder Hunt, Elder Kennington & Elder Bulfin

April arivals continue

Sister Raufea (trainer) Sister Hiatt

Elder Dana (trainer) Elder Tiaou

We have been blessed once again with great Elders and Sisters who came well prepared and ready to work.

April Arivals

Elder Gee (trainer) & Elder Stafford

Elder Edmonds (trainer), Elder Stuart, Elder Sermersheim (trainer)

Sister Cai, Sister Godwin, Sister Maddux (trainer)

Sister Duffin, Sister Frearson (trainer)

April Transfer

Transfer day starts at 8am. All those missionaries moving to new areas and their companions meet at the Normanhurst chapel parking lot. After organizing luggage, cars, bikes and a short message from the president, goodbyes are said and once again everyone is on their way.

The missionaries who are leaving the missin field get a nice breakfast at Nadia's cafe. We then go to the temple. We love that last temple session with those Elders and Sisters. It is the last time for many years they will feel fully consecrated in the service of the Lord.

Sister Myrvang, President Scruggs, Elder Lavea, Elder Sunnex, Elder Higgins, Elder Boardman, Elder Cooper, Elder Bregante, Elder Bills, Sister Scruggs, Sister Hepworth & Sister Powell. We wish them well.

April Zone Conference

April Birthdays

Yes they will eat apples, and salad as long as it is served with ranch dressing.

The confusion before the group picture

Missionaries of the Australia Sydney North Mission

We love our missionaries!

March Trannsfer

President Scruggs

Heading out

New Missionary Devotional

Front Row: Elders Worthen, Tiave, Uele, Lee

Back Row: Elders Radovanovic, Jest, Iotebatu,Hunt, President & Sister Scruggs, Sisters Auton & Walsh, Elders Smith, DeHart & Waterhouse

Spectacular views from the front porch of the mission home

I have stood outside and had my breath taken away by amazing sunsets.

Sometimes I can't take my eyes off of the ever changing colors.

This photo may not do it justice but I felt like if those clouds were a bit lower I could touch them.

Could this be fire in the sky?

This is my favorite view. Every six weeks after the new missionary devotional, new missionaries, their companions and the assistants organize bags, bikes and supplies and hustle off to their areas. The waiting is over, it is now time to put all the weeks, months and years of preparation to work. There is always a bit of hesitation untill President Scruggs says GO! They are off, fresh troops to add to God's army. They don't know what is ahead. There will be strugles and trials but none of that will be remembered. They will very shortly come to understand and feel the love that the Savior has for all his children.

"After all that has been said, the greatest and most important duty is to preach the Gospel."

President Joseph Smith

The Australia Sydney North Mission office couples and assistants to the president

Elder McRae pays the bills along with a number of other things. He loves and worries about our missioaries. At the end of every phone call with Elders and Sisters you can hear him say, "be careful out there."

Sister McRae is the office secretary. She is one of the nicest women ever. The Elders and Sisters call the office for a variety of reasons but one suspects it is because they want to know they are loved, Sister McRae can change a bad day into something to smile about.

Elder and Sister Taylor are the flat couple. They work magic. These two work hard. If a flat needs to be closed and moved or if new mattress is needed they get the job done. This mission could not run as smoothly as it does without them.

Elder Boardman and Elder Sunnex were the assistants until March 16 when Elder Boardman finished his mission. Elder Kingi has replaced Elder Boardman.

February Zone Conference

Parramatta & Penrith zone Birthdays

3/4 of our zonce conferences are spent in workshops, in those workshops we improve our teaching skills by doing role plays. Elders Cooper and Amezcua, Summers and Adams are teaching Sister Gardner

Elder Frew, Brooksby, Kingi & Jorgensen practice how to begin a lesson.

Role plays can be akward but it is the best way to improve and learn from eachother.

More Birthdays; Happy Birthday to Elders Boardman & Upham and Sisters McRae & Arbon!

Optical Illusion

Sister Ongesel, from Micronesia, arrived the last week of February. She is being trained by Sister Hepworth from Cedar City Utah. Sister Hepworth is also training Sister Cai from China.

December and February arrivals

February Arivals; Elders Barton, Chan, Mataki-Kaiaruna, Miller, Huntsman,Maurer, Astel, President & Sister Scruggs, Vardeman, Hill, Hill & Shoobridge

New Missionaries leaving the airport.

December Arivals; Sister Chi & Sekona, Sister & President Scruggs, Elders Gee, MacCourtney, Sobotka, Kerr, Perry, Fulcher & Bulfin

These pictures are taken by the Sydney Harbor. The missionaries get the chance to see beautiful downtown Sydney and touch the Sydney Opera House. After that we cross the bridge into the The Australia Sydney North Mission. We would tell them that they will not see these sights again until they leave the mission. That is no longer true. On July 1st the North mission will be combined with the South mission. I'm not sure but, geographly it would have to be one of the biggest missions in the world.