When I first became RS Pres. here I thought it would be fun to have the sisters do a vinyl lettering project.  My lifelong friend, Sherrie Black Harris, has a business and does the lettering.  She said she would do the vinly lettering for us.  We got it ordered, made and sent and had our RS meeting last Saturday, the 19th of May, to do the lettering.  The sisters had fun doing their projects and were pleased with the outcome.  Here are some pictures of the sisters and their projects.  Thanks Sherrie!

Here are some more pictures of our Senior Missionary Conference.  These are all the senior missionaries in our mission.  Only one other couple is from Utah, one couple from Canada, one from New Zealand, the others are Australians.  I wanted the grandkids to see the picture of the kangaroo with the baby in it's pouch.

We forgot to mention the Temple trip to Perth in early April. It was a whirl wind trip with five members of the branch including Elder and Sister Neeley. We arrived mid afternoon and by time the temple had closed we had done two endowment sessions and an initiatory session. Saturday morning we were there for the first session and left about noon for the drive back to Geraldton. President and Sister Paewai, our branch president, and Sisters Clark and Nannup attended.

Our May highlight was a Senior Mission Couples conference held in Perth on the 11th thru the 13th. On our way to Perth we stopped to see the Pinnacles about half way between Geraldton and Perth. It is a national landmark of small granite tipped stones purtruding from the ground. We attended the temple, went sight seeing in Perth, including a wild animal park and had our photo taken with a Wham bat, Kowalas, and of course Kangaroos, all native to Australia. Sunday was a sacrament meeting at the mission home and then a return to Geraldton and another Australia sunset. We do enjoy the association with the other seven couples and President and Sister Smibert, our mission president.

Baptisms are always special and the reason for being here. On April 28th Sister Sharon Chase entered the waters of baptism. She has been investigating the church for about one year and is such a trememdous addition to our little branch in Geraldton. She is a Moari from New Zealand and full faith clear to the top and overflowing!

ANZAC (Australia, New Zealand Army Corp) Day was celebrated on April 25th, to honor veterans.  We went to a sunrise ceremony early in the day and later went to a small parade and ceremony where they place flowers on the memorial.

April brings Branch Conference. The Mission President and Sister Smibert are here, big meals are served to the branch and meetings and visits to less active are in store. A wonderful weekend was enjoyed and some members of the branch came from 300 miles away to fellowship with the saints.

April begins with a short drive on preparation day to Greenough, pronounced "Grenif" which is an old turn of the century farming community. Sister Neeley liked the exotic wildlife and me standing next to the visitor center. This community is south of Geraldton about 15 miles and is still mostly agricultural. The tree is a Gum tree and due to wind and the nature of the trees many grow horizontal.