Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

What a joyous holiday season we have had in Australia! We have had a great experience of attending a Christmas concert at the Sydney Opera House; having a special Christmas Eve program with other senior missionaries and the LDS Church Area President Sybrowsky and his family; being involved in Christmas celebrations with a distant relative with the same name (Paul Warby) (Clint's first name is Paul as well as his father); playing with more distant relatives including the cute, adorable Page triplet boys; and experiencing first hand the world famous fireworks celebration on New Years Eve in the Sydney Harbor and Bridge. Though we miss our families so much back in the States, we have met many wonderful people here in Australia that makes us feel like we are really home here in the land down under. May the Lord bless us all in 2008!

Its Beginning To Look A Lot Like An Aussie Christmas

Instead of snow, we have been having lots of rain these past few weeks. So instead of hot, humid weather, we have cool, humid weather so far this Aussie Christmas season. We have been busy doing our regular Public Affairs duties as well as doing some family history research, going to libraries and historic cemeteries. We succeeded in finding the graveyard of three small Warby children who died in a two week period in 1853. Less than a year later, their parents and two siblings left for America after joining the Mormon Church. Clint is a desendent of them. We did not find their specific gravesites but hope to do so in the future. We also found the gravesite of Clint's Uncle Thomas Warby, a brother to James Warby Jr. who came to America. We also are getting involved with Australian Scouts, being scout leaders ourselves in the States. Our activities also involve Relief Society, with a real diversity of female church members here in Sydney from many cultures. We also have a periodic assignment to show Church videos outdoors in the evening as part of the Temple Hill Christmas Lighting activities. We are staying very busy and enjoying this Christmas season, Aussie style. Love to All, Peace on Earth and Goodwill toward Men....

Visits and Christmas

The spring is beautiful in Sydney and we are finally able to get out and see some of the beautiful sights. One stop was the Maritime Museum in downtown Sydney where Clint's distant cousin's speedboat is on display, The Spirit of Australia, built by Ken Warby. It is the still the fastest boat in the world, the record set back in the 1970's (317 mph). There were lots of other displays that we will need to explore further. We also visited the Barrenjoey Lighthouse which is north of Sydney. We have a picture of ourselves with the younger missionaries we work with with. We also have a picture of the LDS Sydney Temple whose grounds are decorated with many Christmas lights and a nativity display. We are preparing for Christmas, (Aussie Style) our first with spring like conditions, pretty flowers and lots of green grass.

Love to all and a very Merry Christmas.......