Didn't know it would be harder to leave than to come

This will be my last blog. Sorry I have not been too good at it. But I hope it gave you a flavor of Australia. We have loved being here. It is a beautiful place but more importantly we have been where the Lord wanted us to be. I believe this with all my heart. Saying goodbye to members and friends is difficult. Especially recent converts whom you have had the privledge of helping teach and seeing how they have progressed. Saying goodbye to the young missionaries will be the hardest. We have grown to love being around them.

The last couple of "P" days we have taken the missionaries to some of the special sights around Rockhampton. We went to a crocodile farm. Elder Wright bought a croc leather belt. Not my cup of tea but it will be a fun reminder of Australia. Then the next "P" day we went to the Capricorn Caves. It is not very large but it was so fun doing it with them. We then stopped for Ice Cream for kind of a last hurrah. We also a few weeks ago drove three hours to Emerald and stayed with the Senior Couple there. Elder and Sister Covell from Ogden, Utah. They took us to tour a sapphire mine and we saw wild camels. Yes, wild camels. When they built the railroads through the center of Australia they went to Afganhistan and hired Camel trainers and bout camels to bring to Austral and work in the dessert conditions. When they finished the railroad they just let them go and they have thrived. The Covell's have worked in a small town in the middle of the bush with a small branch. Most of the members work in the coal mines. They work one week at the mine and then have one week at home. It make it hard to run a branch and the Covell's have really helped. There are so many different kinds of opportunities as Senior Missionaries.

I still find signs that I have to laugh at. Check out these two and guess what fossickiing and panel beating are. I will tell you at the end.

Sorry about the pictures and text being askew. This program is crazy or who knows it can be user error. LOL We have loved this mission. We have been blessed in so many ways. The best part has been having the opportunity to testify of Jesus Christ and the Plan of Salvation almost everyday. Sometimes multiple times a day. We will miss this so much. I hope we get some opportunities to work with the missionaries when we get home. We tease that the clerks at the grocery store know us by sight because we go so often but it has been a pleasure to nurture and feed friends, members and missionaries alike. I have not cooked this much since our kids were young. I will miss having a half an aisle of Cadburry Chocolate creations but I look forward to american bacon, hot dogs and sausage. I also look forward having coolwhip and not having to choose between 6 or 7 kinds of cream; thickened, pure, double cream, dollop cream, light cream, sour cream and Creme Fraiche. I do however like their pasturized thickend cream which does not have to be refridgerated. It does however have to be chilled to whip it. The Australian people have been nothing but kind and helpful. Most of the time I can understand them unless the have lived in the ourtback and have a stronger accent. Sunday will be our last Sunday here. I have been asked to speak in Sacrament Meeting and it is Mother's Day. This is one of the toughest talk I have had to put together. Women are in such different situationas and Mother's Day can be challenging for some of them. It was for me for many years. So May 13th we will be released from our calling as misionaries via zoom with our Stake President in the Schaumburg Stake. It will ber hard to take off the badges. We have loved being a representative of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We will then go to New Zealand for a couple of weeks and then come home. We are looking forward to seeing you all. Thank you for your support and prayers. God bless you. Sister Kathy Wright P.S. Fossicking is hunting for gold, gems or fossils. Panel Beating is what we would call Auto Body Work.