September Splendor brings Growing Pains

Says Wally B: "Okay, I'll pose for you but just for a second!"

Words of Wisdom from a Wallaby:  Eat, drink, and hop to it merrily when a human comes near...

Hello to all our dear family and friends!  Again two weeks have flown by and we've been hopping from go to whoa every day. (Aussie for "from beginning to end.")  We love the work, the people, and the many and varied opportunities we're experiencing.  This wallaby was out on Stradbroke Island, an outing we took with

 the other Self-Reliance missionary couple, the Osbornes.  It's off the coast and a beautiful ride away from the city in a "water taxi," which was a speeding ferry and the views were stunning. Gorgeous ocean and crashing waves, beach heads with plunging cliffs, and plenty of wildlife. The pictures can't hold a candle to the real views we inhaled! When the weather warms up, we're going back to get in those body-surf able waves.  Too tiny to see are the guys in wet suits doing just that--see...?  

Last Friday night at our church building, the Young Single Adults 18 and up had a lip sync competition between the stakes.  Our "boss" and Regional Self-Reliance Manager, Carl Maurer, casually said Friday morning that he needed a couple more judges for the evening.  He is also the YSA coordinator for all of Queensland---such a busy and amazing man who wears many hats.  Did we want to  help? When we arrived, each of the 11 Stakes had been assigned a room to "warm up" and polish their lip syncs in.  Yep, there were  happy kids from many nationalities all working together to pull this off!  The competition was fierce, and just as we were about to begin, the fire alarms in the building went off! Yikes!  500 young adults in the building.  Nobody evacuated, so the next phase of horrid air-horn like noises started sounding with

The Fire Marshall should have seen this crowd! 

commands to evacuate, and we did--- out into the rain!  In rolls the biggest and fanciest firetruck we have ever seen, and the truth came out.  One group had decided to jazz up their lip sync a bit and brought a smoke machine.  They were practicing with it in a double classroom, but it set off the alarms!  Oh, boy!  Who thought of that idea?  Of course, Carl was in charge, so he had to do the explaining as the fire crew scoured the building for the facts.  Unfortunately, there is a $2,500 fee for such an uncalled for use of taxpayer money.  Yep,  Carl still doesn't know the outcome, but he's hoping the fine won't come out of his pocket!  The lip sync was amazing.  A large percentage of people around here are Polynesian, so the dancing and moves were incredible, costuming fun.  After there was a dance until late.  I never dreamed there were such a fantastic and huge group of YSA's here.  Party on, YSA's!  

A little glimpse of our flat (apt.) for you all.  We live in the suburb of Brisbane called Kuraby, and are surrounded by a preserve--- Kuraby Woods.  Thus, 300 yards from our flat is the greatest woods to hike in, and we enjoy it at least every other morning before work begins.  The flat is small, but so serviceable, clean, and has all that we need and more.  Everything is so close here that you can hear your neighbor sneeze 3 doors down if he is outside and you are inside.  Windows are always open because the weather's PERFECT right now!  Just wait until summer, we keep being warned.  Truly, we love this little

14/30 Allingham St.  Kuraby, QLD  4112   AU

home away from home!  Yep, we've an extra 2 bedrooms--one an office, and one has two twin beds for guests!  So, come, be our guests!  The picture shows that we live in a duplex, have a teensy garage which has about 2 feet on each side more than our car's dimensions are!  Can't fully open a door to get out, but it's great.  Last Wed. in the middle of the night we were positive we were being robbed!  Banging, clanking, and big noises woke us up.  Bravely, David ventured downstairs to hear much commotion in the garage.  It took much courage to "face the dragon" as he opened the door to the garage.  What?  Our garage door took on a life of its own and was jerking up and down, not completely, but in spasms.  A short in the switch, perhaps?  It remains a mystery, but we don't trust it to stay shut

Two of the kookas that make us a steady stopover. 

and must find a new switch.  Mary and Auston did a fine job planting some pretty flowers and bushes, which makes for our own little oasis!  We love eating out on our little patio and watching the lorakeets, kookaburras, and other cool birds.  Marsha loves feeding the kookaburras as often as they come, begging for a morsel of meat.  They love chicken livers, gizzards, giblets, and whatever she can find on sale for them.  Their bills are powerful, but I feed them with an open hand, and they are adorable.  One is very vociferous and coos and makes happy  sounds that must be his way of saying, "Oh thank you for giving me something BONELESS!"  They swallow their food whole! Note the woods right behind our flat. We're close to the Karawatha Chapel where our office is, and love the quiet little area we live in.  Our neighbors are mostly Muslim, and have such darling children and are kind and thoughtful toward us.  We are excited to get to know them better, but we've hardly been HOME in the month we've been in country!

Two weeks ago I worked on the blog in two different sittings.  I guess the second time, I forgot to save the last HALF of the blog!  Silly me.  Too much hurrying.  Thus, I'm sending this now, and will add more VERY soon.  Let us hear from you all.  What's up with you?

With love and best wishes to you all,

 

Elder and Sister Yates, David and Marsha, Dad and Mom, Grandpa and Grandma

Self-Reliance Education Missionaries