The Down Under Warbys

January - February - March 2009 - Busy, Busy, Busy

2009-04-02T20:14:00.000-07:00

We have been extremely busy these past three months, with many assignments and tasks that we have been doing as Public Affairs missionaries for our Church. We have said goodbyes to fellow senior missionaries going home and hello to new ones coming to take their places. We had Clint's 87 year old father come in February to visit along with brother Alan and wife Lorianne. We have been involved with our Australia Scout activities which we have throughly enjoyed. Our work continues every week with members of our assigned LDS Ward, the Fairfield 3rd in the Paramatta Stake. The recent tragic bush fires in Victoria kept us busy with some Public Affairs tasks. So, we have just kept our "shoulder to the wheel, moving the work along."

We have been anticipating some replacements for us and held off making plans to come home in June. However, no word yet for those to come after us so we have started to determine when and what we should do about coming back to Utah....

December 2008 - Christmas Again Down Under

2009-01-10T14:07:00.000-08:00

This was our second Christmas season in Australia. We were involved with many activities and events that kept us very busy. We were also still moving our offices at the Buckland House, the new home of LDS Public Affairs in Sydney. There were activities with our Cub Scouts, leaders and parents which also included a trip to the Temple to see the Christmas Lights and Nativity Display. We had many events with other senior missionaries as well as with our ward members and Australian relatives. We even took time to show some of our new senior missionaries the beautiful country south of Sydney, both inland and along the coast. We received numerous cards and packages from home which made Christmas special for us. We are again reminded of the importance of the birth of Christ and what that meaningful event has in our lives.

October - November 2008 Activities

2008-12-01T18:35:00.000-08:00

This is our second spring in Australia and its just as beautiful and lovely as last year though perhaps a little cooler. We spent the first weekend in October in Forster-Tuncurry, about four hours north of Sydney on the coast. We attended activities associated with the showing of the "Emma" movie at a film festival there, a film about the wife of Joseph Smith, the first prophet of the restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

We also made a trip west to visit with some other senior missionaries, the Cases in Orange, stopped at the famous "Dish", a radio telescope that was featured in the movie, "The Dish." Then south to the Church Farm near Griffith.

There was also a move of our office to another building on Church Administrative campus which took a lot of time and effort. We are still in the process of getting settled into our offices. We also had a visit from the Presiding Bishop of the Church, Bishop David H. Burton who wife is a Matheson descendant, the same as Clint.

Additional activities with our Scout group which keeps us very busy as well.

We are looking forward to Christmas and the joy this brings to many especially remembering the birth of Jesus Christ and what that means for mankind.

September - Visiting Newcastle, Perth and Wollengong

2008-10-01T22:54:00.000-07:00

September down under brings on Spring with warmer temperatures, longer days and more beautiful flowers. We look forward now to this second change of season, though backwards it may be from what we are used to back in the United States.

In early September, we were privileged to travel north from Sydney to Cessnock and Newcastle. We stayed with another missionary couple, Elder Larry and Sharlene Jenson at their rented home. Clint spoke at the Newcastle Stake Conference about his Warby ancestors joining the LDS Church nearby. On one of the back roads in the area, we also had the experience of hitting a large unseen pothole with the left front tire, which bent the rim, requiring a change with a spare.

We also went south one Saturday to Wollongong, to a Scout Shop and then stopped at various scout camps on the way back to Sydney. We bought several items at the shop and enjoyed the camps which varied in climate with a rain-forest environment at Mt. Kiera and less vegation at Camp Cataract which will host the 2010 National Jamboree.

Mid-month, we spend some days far across the country in the Perth region, doing training, attending the Perth Temple and meeting and talking with Church leaders and members. We enjoyed our stay, though the weather there was somewhat cold and windy. We got to see the Indian Ocean which really looks like any other kind of ocean.

We find ourselves now on the downhill side of our two year mission, wanting to increase our efforts in what we can contribute and do....

Busy August - Spring is Coming

2008-09-01T15:56:00.000-07:00

Another installment in the remarkable journey we are taking here in Australia as public affairs missionaries. In this past month, we have experienced the high levels of government, then meeting the humblest of people from Papua New Guinea, teaching Cub Scouts how to make S'mores and helping with their camp, and traveling to the Blue Mountains west of Sydney to speak in Church.

We also were happy to have Clint's brother Lanor, his wife Kathleen, their son Robert along with Kathleen's mother and father, sister, brother and brother-in-law all come to Sydney. Kathleen's mother is a native Australian and wanted to showed them her homeland. We were also able to show the Warby roots in Australia as well, visiting ancestral lands near Newcastle including St. James Church in Morpeth where great, great grandfather James Warby Jr. and Mary Blanch were married in 1846, later joining the LDS Church and coming to America.

It is now officially spring in Australia and we look forward to warmer weather and more beautiful flowers. It was just reported on the television news that this was the coldest winter in 68 years. Still didn't get below freezing but we still had to dress warmly and snuggle on occasion.....

Important Events

2008-08-06T19:16:00.000-07:00

The month of July has been filled with lots of activities and events. Most of our work has been "behind the scenes" but we have enjoyed supporting some major events such as our Church representatives attending Final Mass as part of World Youth Day in Sydney. One of those is Hyde Park Stake President Trevor Jones who also has an important security position with Qantas and flew with the Pope back to Rome (see picture).

We also helped with presentation to the Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd of his family history prepared by our Church. The presentation was made by Elder Terry Vinson here in Sydney.

We have also involved with our Aussie Scouts with Sister Warby making some tablecloths and aprons in the color of the 1st Ermington Scout Group.

We have had some fun times with our fellow missionaries as well with dinners and learning to lawn bowl.

We look forward to warmer temperatures this coming spring. We love being near our Sydney Temple and took a photo at Sunrise.....

Keeping Busy

2008-07-09T22:46:00.000-07:00

The month of June has been a very busy time for us with a variety of activities and events keeping us looking at our calendars to remind us what and where we should be. All this, along with our normal public affairs work for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints here in Australia as well as missionary work.

We have been involved a great deal with the Scouting program here in Australia, learning how the Aussies do such activities with lots of training and attendance at various Scout events. We have also been to some interesting places in the area including the Targona Zoo in the Sydney Harbor as well as attending the Katoomba Winter Festival in the Blue Mountains west of the city. It is now winter with the days short, the nights long and the temperatures cool but not freezing like home in Utah.

We are nearing the half way mark of our mission here in Australia and look forward to many more exciting experiences and adventures....

2008-06-03T21:11:00.000-07:00

As part of our assignment here in Australia, we went with over 50 young single adult members of the Church and leaders to Canberra on May 27-28 to visit Parliament and federal politicians who have been elected to office from their various districts. It was a great experience to see democracy in action and learn about how government works in this part of the world. The activity was enjoyed by all.

We also received both good and sad news from home. Our 13th grandchild Kylie Warby was born on May 20, 2008 in Kaysville, Utah to our oldest son David and wife Karene Warby. We are grateful for her safe arrival and well-being. Though she will probably be walking when we come home next year, we look forward to this newest edition of the family.

We also received sad news that our dear friend and neighbor Carol Sweat had passed away. She had been battling leukemia for some months and her health rapidly deteriorating. She and her husband decided all the painful treatment wasn't worth it and so she came home to die. She only lived a few days more and we are told her passing was peaceful. We will miss her so much.

We are staying busy with our work and love this country and people. The weather is much cooler now, going into winter. Joyce makes cookies to keep our tummys warmer...

BYU Young Ambassadors

2008-05-18T20:28:00.000-07:00

These past three weeks has been very busy with coordinating and even traveling with the Brigham Young University Young Ambassadors touring Australia. The musical theatre group arrived the end of April in Brisbane and came south to Newcastle, where we met them. Elder Warby has been the Area coordinator for the group so it was great to have them come.

On to Sydney, then Canberra, and Albury where we said goodbye. They then traveled to Tasmania and then back to Melbourne. Nine outstanding performances; Seven spiritual firesides; Appearances at State Parliaments in Brisbane and Canberra; Several radio and television interviews some even live; Numerous workshops with secondary students and some pre-schoolers as well; Consultation with the performing arts faculty at Monash University in Melbourne; Cultural and sightseeing visits throughout eastern Australia including beautiful Tasmania; Billeting and Sunday Church attendance with many members and some non-members; Temple visits at Brisbane and Sydney with endowments and baptisms performed at the Melbourne Temple;

At the Canberra performance and reception, they met and performed before Ambassadors and officials from many countries, some where the Church is yet to be officially recognized, thus planting seeds of goodwill that will sprout blessings in the future.They also personally met and performed before many important opinion leaders from government, business, academia, religion and the media.

With all of the tremendous goodwill these great Young Ambassadors accomplished, most touching is a story of tenderness and mercy performed by a few of them in Melbourne before they returned to Provo. Arrangements were made for a visit Sunday, May 19 to the home of Ron and Tailene Bradey, faithful Church members in the Cranbourne Ward, Braeside Stake. In consultation with priesthood leaders, beautiful Church songs and hymns were sung to Sister Bradey, a 24 year old mother of two, dying of cancer. Such “tender mercies” are part of the Young Ambassador’s repertoire as well.

We look forward to future visits from such outstanding young men and women who represent the Church in such meaningful and significant ways.

Autumn - Scouts - Famous Warbys

2008-04-17T19:09:00.000-07:00

The weather is changing now to Autumn, cooler temperatures with rain and some leaves changing colors. It's flu season so Elder Warby got his flu shot. Sister Warby declined. Our duties are busy with final preparations of the tour of Australia by the Brigham Young University Young Ambassadors, a large performing group that will be here the end of April thru mid-May. More in our next post about them. We have also been busy with our Scout work, attending Family Camp in Berrima, which is about two hours south of Sydney. We had lots of fun with great leaders and youth. We also attended a session of Parliament in Sydney, where Scouts were honored and having our picture taken with the Speaker of the House. We also visited the gravesite of one of Elder Warby's distant relatives, John Warby. He came to Australia as a convict in 1790 and later had a large family and was much honored and respected. He is one of Campbelltown's most famous historical figures.

Royal Easter Show - Missionary Work

2008-04-02T16:19:00.000-07:00

The weather is starting to change ever so slightly here in Sydney. We are going into the Fall season with temperatures cooler in the evening. In the States, we have "fairs" to celebrate the harvest and such is the case here in Sydney, with the Royal Easter Show. We went two times, first with Elder and Sister Keith Hilbig of the Area Presidency to enjoy the event as well as determine whether a booth about the Church would be feasible for next year. The second time was to help with Scout Day at the Show. We helped set up,work the displays and particpate in the Grand Parade. Clint also videotaped the event for future use by the Scout Association. On Easter, we joined our fellow Senior Missionaries and presented an Easter Program with musical numbers and talks at various wards in the area. We also were able to get away for a day going to the Southern Highlands south of Sydney to a beatiful location called Kangaroo Valley. We then drove back along the ocean coast to Sydney. Clint has had some health issues but got good news about his heart. His back is still bothering him in walking so we are seeing about getting that better. We love Australia and its people.

Elder Bednar Visit - Real Aussie Scout Leaders

2008-03-17T18:51:00.000-07:00

The first half of March 2008 has been quite the month for us. We have been very busy with a variety of projects and tasks. We have been busy with our new roles as Aussie Scout Leaders, being fully invested with uniforms and titles as Associate Leaders in the Cub Scouts. We have also attended meetings and assisted with firesides relating to the visit to Australia by Elder David A. Bednar, a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He spoke at a fireside in Sydney which was televised by satellite throughout the country. We also were able to take a short trip north of Sydney to Clint's ancestral home in the Hunter/Williams River area where we met Warby relatives. Clint also kept having his blood checked to regulate the dosage of warfarin needed to help reduce the risk of a stroke because of possible heart problems. He had a stress test that showed his heart was doing fine but still needs to take his medicine. Life continues to be good. We love the weather, the people and this great land!

Heart Problems - Aussie Scouting

2008-03-02T20:13:00.000-08:00

On Valentines Day, Elder Warby wasn't feeling well so he went to the doctor and discovered he had arterial fibrillation, or irregular heart rhythm. As a result, he wasn't allowed to go to Papua New Guinea but started treatment with warfarin which decreases the risk of a blood clot. It requires numerous blood tests which are done at a nearby pathology center which we have started humorously to call The Vampire Place. He has since recovered but still requires the numerous blood tests to determine the optimum dosage. He has also visited a cardiologist and will be going back in a few weeks for a stress test. In the meantime, we have been quite involved with Australia Scouting, participating in the 1st Ermington Scout Group, a neighborhood organization with Joeys (6 to 7 1/2); Cub Scouts (7 1/2 to 10 1/2) and Scouts (10 1/2 to 14). We are working with the Cubs and enjoying it very much. We helped with an Open House and are also taking Basic Training to become real Australian Scout Leaders. Though we have taken numerous courses with the Boy Scouts of America, this is a great opportunity to get to know a new system plus make many friends with other adult Scout leaders. We also helped with a visit from an important delegation from Papua New Guinea who were here to learn more about the Church's involvement with Family History and preserving records.

Family Birthday - Church - Visitors - Theatre

2008-02-18T20:12:00.000-08:00

The first half of February 2008 was filled with lots of office work plus a Warby family birthday celebrating Joel Warby's 16th birthday. He is part of a family we have met while here (distant relatives) that have made us feel really welcome. We also met Stephanie Rogalski, one of the Church's directors of public affairs (Perth). She came to Sydney to visit her daughter and we had a most enjoyable time being with her for a day. We also continue to support the Fairfield 3rd Ward, mostly Pacific Islanders who are so loving and wonderful. We continue to enjoy excellent weather, some rain and cool temperatures for a summer environment. They tell us this is unusual that it is usually sweltering heat but we have no complaints. We went to a wonderful musical theatre production featuring John Williamson, the Australian folk singer and really enjoyed the program.

Happy Australia Day

2008-02-03T14:43:00.000-08:00

We helped celebrate Australia Day on Saturday, January 26, 2008 by going downtown to Sydney Harbor. The date commerates the arrival of 11 ships of the first Euroupean settlers in 1788, later to be known as First Fleet. Most of the passengers were convicts sent from England. This is a day for Australians to celebrate with pride their country. We had a vantage spot midway on the famous Harbor Bridge we walked across. There was lots of activity in the harbor itself which you can see in the photos. We also had a senior missionary couple go home (McMullins) and the arrival of a new couple (Clarks) and we took a photo of our current staff. Joyce also discovered one morning a large spider which we promptly disposed. It is quite warm and humid now with occasional rain to cool down temperatures. We miss the snow back in the States but not the shoveling.

Back To Work With Assignment Thru The Snowy River Mountains

2008-01-21T15:55:00.000-08:00

Right after the beginning of the New Year, we traveled south of Sydney on assignment to visit various locations stopping first in Canberra, Australia's capitol city. We visited several museums, including the famous War Memorial where we stayed most of the day, seeing many exhibits and discovering some of Clint's ancestors who served and died in Australia's military. We then traveled through the Snowy River Mountains reaching Wangaratta, where we stayed at the Warby Lodge, visited businesses on Warby Street and visited Warby Range State Park. We had an orientation visit with a new Director of Public Affairs called for that area. We stopped in the city of Tumut to visit the Blowering Reservoir where Clint's cousin Ken Warby set the world speed record on water in the 70's which still stands. On our way back to Sydney, we stopped in Campbelltown to visit some other Warby landmarks. After arriving, a few days later we had an invitation by our supervisor one day to visit beautiful Terrigal and its famous beach which is north of Sydney. We are staying busy and seeing much of this beautiful country which we really enjoy and love!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

2007-12-31T22:38:00.000-08:00

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

2007-12-17T18:14:00.000-08:00

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

2007-12-02T15:17:00.001-08:00

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.......

Springtime - Office Work - Family Visits - Walkabouts

2007-11-16T11:58:00.000-08:00

It's now springtime in Australia with many flowers and trees blooming. One of the pictures is of the beautiful purple Jacaranda trees that are on the Sydney Temple grounds where we work. These trees are most striking as you travel. We also have included a photo of our office inside the Public Affairs building. As you can see, we are rather close to each other both at the office and in real life. We have made some visits to some distant family members with a Warby connection. One family is the Sharna Warby family. She is a member but her estranged husband is not. She has three delightful children who we are setting up e-mails addresses to communicate with our grandchildren who are of the same age. We also made more visits to Meagen Warby Neifui's family who is more closely related. After attending Church with them, we had a great visit at their home with Meagen's mother Helen who was there. They are all Church members. We also spent a Saturday back in the Blue Mountain with our friends the Bartholomews who are also senior missionaries. We hiked down into a rain forest at Wentworth Falls which was flowing quite rapidly since there had been some recent rainfall. We are staying busy and getting ready for the holiday's, Australian style.

Back Home In Sydney

2007-10-31T16:21:00.001-07:00

The last few weeks we have been back in Sydney, working in the Public Affairs Office and doing our various tasks and assignments. We are enjoying the beautiful spring weather with some occasional thundershowers now and then. We attended a viewing of General Conference of the Church here in Sydney with our good friends and relatives through marriage, the Newtons and their daughter and husband. We were able to visit the Blue Mountains last Saturday afternoon (Oct. 27) which are located west of Sydney. We are enclosing some photos of that visit plus earlier ones from Tasmania. This is a great country, full of beauty and a diverse culture of people from all over the world.

2007-10-17T00:21:00.001-07:00

The second leg of our journey in Eastern Australia began on Oct. 6 as we traveled to Canberra, the capitol, with Rex Barrington of BYU. We visited with Church leaders and later visited Parliament, the seat of government. Next stop was in Albury, a beautiful town on the Murray River, the border between the states of New South Wales and Victoria. Again, checking performance venues and meetings. From there, we stopped in Wangarrata where the Warby Mountain Range is to the west with a state park and even a Best Western Warby Inn. On to Geelong and then down to The Great Ocean Road, one of the famous scenic spots featuring an unusual rock formation just off shore called the Twelve Apostles. Back to Geelong, more visits and then to Melbourne for even more venue checks and meetings. That evening (Oct. 9) we traveled on the Spirit of Tasmania, the overnight ferry to Tasmania. It was more like a cruise ship and we did sleep comfortably in our cabin with two berths along with our own private but small bathroom. We rented another car and traveled to the city of Launceston where we met more contacts and visited even more venues. We stayed overnight in the "posh" Grand Chancellor Hotel. Then about a two hour drive south to Hobart where we wound our way up Mt. Wellington, a large mountain that provides a spectacular overlook over Hobart. More venues that evening followed by a delicious barbecue with the Watson family. More venues and meetings the next day along with shopping for good deals on clothing and souvenirs. We visited the tourist town of Richmond and then flew back that evening to Melbourne where we stayed in the Airport Holiday Inn. The next morning, we said goodbye to the Barringtons and then traveled by bus to downtown Melbourne where we did more shopping in the famous Queen Victoria Markets, did some more sightseeing and then back to the airport to catch our flight back to Sydney and home. Quite a trip for the past two weeks. Hopefully, we will be able to do more traveling and seeing this beautiful country and continue to meet such wonderful people.

Meeting Family and On The Road Again

2007-10-03T22:54:00.001-07:00

After coming back from Adelaide, we had the great opportunity to meet a wonderful family on Sept. 27. We were connected with Meagan Warby Neifui who is a desendent of Thomas Warby, the brother to Clint's great, great grandfather who joined the LDS Church in 1853. Meagan joined about 15 years ago with her mother and brother but did not realize that she had a Warby connection to the Church until a few weeks ago. We were both thrilled to meet her and her husband Fred and daughters Kian and Huntley. On Sept. 29, we flew to Brisbane to visit the beautiful LDS Temple there, dedicated in 2003. We were there on official Church business to help plan the BYU Young Ambassadors Tour starting there and then other places throughout eastern Australia. We met many wonderful people and enjoyed our stay. From there, we traveled to Newcastle where Clint's ancestors left from to emigrate to the United States and Southern Utah.

Off to Adelaide

2007-09-24T02:57:00.000-07:00

On Sept. 20, 2007, we flew to Adelaide to conduct some public affairs training for LDS Church members in that part of Australia. These individuals have been called (asked) to volunteer their time and talents to do a variety of tasks, mainly to establish relationships with important opinion leaders in this part of the world. While there, we visited a conservation park devoted to Australia wildlife including a friendly Koala; attended a session at the Adelaide LDS Temple; walked downtown to the South Australia Scout Shop and bought some scout stuff; contacted an LDS family whose father (Andy West) grew up in our West Jordan Utah LDS Ward. We went with them to Victor Harbor and walked around Granite Island and saw the Southern Ocean which is on the south side of Australia. We also attended Church with the West family at the Onkaparinga Ward. We enjoyed our visit to Adelaide and grew to love this beautiful part of the country. Sister Warby said the place reminded her of Salt Lake City with a great grid system where it's not that difficult to get lost.

Back To Our Roots

2007-09-16T21:09:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, September 15, 2007, we traveled with a distant relative, Janice Brooks to the Hunter River region of Australia in New South Wales. Janice joined the LDS Church sometime ago with her husband Ray and discovered through family history research that her great, great grandmother was a sister to Clint's great, great, grandmother (Mary Blanch Warby) in the Hunter River area. Our first stop was to St. James Church in Morpeth where the Warby's were married in 1846. It was wonderful to visit and realize that those two dear ancestors were actually in this building on that wonderful day. They later joined the LDS Church and immigrated to the United States. We went to the Campbell Hill Cemetery in Maitland to search for the grave site of Clint's great, great, great grandmother (Mary Wood Warby) who died at the age of 99 in 1885. We were not successful in finding the site but did find her husband James's gravesite in the East Maitland Cemetery. He died in 1858 at the age of 73. We stayed overnight nearby in a beautiful home in rural Australia near Clarence Town with church member Graham Clark and his wife. We attended and spoke in church at the LDS Salt Ash Branch in Medowie on Sunday. It was a great weekend to experience being at the beginning of church membership of the Warby family. We know there are lots of family members still living there and we plan to come back as often as we can.