Last week we spent three days in Melbourne. Although a bit drizzly, we were able to walk all around the city and have breakfast and lunch in little delis and arcade. Felt so familiar. I keep getting asked how an Australian ended up marrying an American. Dad has just given into it now.
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| Very typical tea rooms found all over in every little suburb and street in Australia.... this is one we walked by in Melbourne |
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Once we arrived in Melbourne, (we stayed about 10km) from town but in a little village with a high street, so we went to look for breakfast before meeting with with the other missionaries.
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| A little cafe called Toast (one of many) where we shared eggs, bacon and blackberry pancakes. (oh yeah.... hot chocolate and diet coke!) |
We needed to go over and meet the camera capture missionaries so we can get them into a united group meeting on WebEx once a week. (It is always amazing to meeting someone who who has no idea how to switch on a computer..... Melbourne has 6 missionaries and none of them know how to use a computer at all). So that has proved a challenge for Dad as he has tried to do it from Sydney.
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| Camera capture missionaries in Public Records of Victoria 40 hours a week |
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| Off to local pub for fish and chips and pasta and Eton Mess dessert (look up recipe,,delicious and easy) |
We also visited some family search (non LDS) affiliate libraries. This was pretty amazing to see how passionate people are about finding and doing their family history. We thought it was interesting that at the genealogical society, the Jewish families have a roots program whereby all Jewish children research their name and thereby go back to figure out their heritage. It is a right of passage for them to know where their name came from and where their family came from. The library also encourages everyone to write a biography and has assistants to help.
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| Dad and Alan Janke who donates hours a week to records of the Jewish people in Australia |
After meeting with Jewish Genealogical Society, we went to nearby Holocaust museum and were overwhelmed to get again read the horrors and see the evidence of what the Germans did to the Jews.
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| One photographic display. Most of the displays were too heart breaking to post |
We visited Genealogical Society of Victoria and they are an active group of seemingly octogenarians who are avid genealogists. The manager who gave us the tour and spoke with us was disappointed, I am sure when Dad did not purchase her published book on the sewer systems of Geelong. She spent a long time explaining to him why it was helpful to genealogy, but he spent his money on some small Irish booklets.
We have a few Family History Fairs we will be helping with or attending this week. So there is more than enough to keep us busy. We are also putting together an international roots kit and intern program. The work will go on and they have already found our replacement missionaries who arrive next May.
We miss you all and love getting all texts, letters, photos and phone calls from everyone. We love you and this week, we will reach our 25% complete mark. Hopefully it will mark the end of winter soon also.... last week was the coldest week for 43 years!
We love you all......xoxoxo and you are in our prayers every day.
