Australia Mission: October 2008

Nashville Tribute Band

The Nashville Tribute Band joined us for Family Home Evening. We had a pot luck dinner as a farewell for the Van Asperens who will be returning to Brisbane because the MOC (Microfilm department) is closing due to the consolidation. They have a daughter, Debbie, who has Downs Syndrome but functions very well. She is in her early 20's. During dinner I was able to talk with Kimberly Smith who is a second great granddaughter of Joseph and Emma and made the trip with the Kennedys and the band along with her son, who was the first descendant of Joseph and Emmma to take out his endowments prior to his mission in the Nauvoo Temple. The band performed for our program and the music and testimonies were touching. I have included a couple of their songs in the blog. I hope you enjoy them.

Jason Deere's song about Emma Smith.

Kimberly Smith and her son.

The band performing.

Jason Deere.

Band members. Jason Deere, song writer and singer (without a guitar).

Ron Saltmarsh.

Elizabeth and Bishop Dixon from Florida. He helped fund the group.

Farewell to the Van Asperens. They will be returning to Brisbane. They live across the hall from us.

Members of the band.

Green Cathedral - Forster

Welcome to the Green Cathedral.

The Green Cathedral. Community of Christ Church.

Jay "preaching" from the pulpit.

The beach at the Green Cathedral

Forster Film Festival

Thirty-seven direct Australian descendants of Joseph Smith, founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, gathered in Sydney over Australia’s Father’s Day weekend (September 2-4) to honour their famous forefather in a celebration of his birth 200 years ago. Five of their American cousins also attended the reunion. They were Michael Kennedy and his wife Darcy, their son Mike and his wife Meagan and Michael Kennedy’s mother Virginia.
Mr. Kennedy, the President of the Joseph Smith Junior Family Organization, contacted Lionel and Marianne Walters, volunteer public affairs representatives for the Church in Australia. They formed a local reunion committee to plan and implement the event. Robyn Mah, the great, great, great granddaughter of Joseph and Emma Smith, became the co-chair of the committee. She quickly helped to involve the other Australian cousins in this historic reunion. Robyn’s family line descends through Joseph and Emma’s son, Alexander Hale Smith. Alexander’s daughter, Ina Inez Smith, married an Australian, Sidney Garden Wright. They immigrated to Australia, had ten children and were pioneers in the Forster/Tuncurry area of New South Wales.
Some of the committee members travelled to the Forster/Tuncurry area of New South Wales to meet with family members. Here they met Robyn’s mother June Wright, who is the wife of Max Wright, a direct descendant of Joseph Smith. June has kept marvellous records of the family and this made it possible to blend what the Joseph Smith Junior Family Organization already had in order to compile a more accurate genealogical record.
We were in Melbourne for the showing of Emma and performance of the Nashville Tribute Band so we travelled to Forster on the long weekend to take part in the film festival and band performance.
We are not real country music fans but the music was compelling as it was centered around the prophet, Joseph Smith and his wife, Emma.
We enjoyed meeting Michael Kennedy who produced the movie and his wife and son. We enjoyed the film. It made us appreciate Emma's struggles so much more. The actress who played Julia in the film was also with the group.
On Sunday morning we all attended the Community of Christ church in Tuncurry. Tuncurry is located across the bridge from Forster. There were 12 members of the congregation in attendance and 8 members of the LDS Church. Brian Entwhistle, the assistant pastor, gave a short sermon. Two women blessed and passed the Sacrament. The meeting lasted one hour.

Nashville Tribute Band.

Clint Warby doing his Public Affairs thing.

Forster Film Festival venue. Movie was shown in red brick building at the base of the harbour control tower.

Country singer with the group.

Black bird competition with the band.

Brian Entwhistle, assistant pastor, Jay

Michael and Darcy Kennedy, 3rd Great Grandson of Joseph Smith and President of the Joseph Smith Junior Family Organization.

Brother Bailey, new Sydney Temple President, Jay, Michael Kennedy, Clint Warby, Brother Brown.

Brother Bailey's car. Very cool. Even the seats and steering wheel are color coordinated. He is the 2nd richest member of the Church in Australia.

Michael Kennedy's name tag.

Oldroyds and Warbys at the Community of Christ church in Tuncurry (Forster).

Symbol of the church.

Congregation and visitors outside the church.

Port Macquarie

After 8 days in the Melbourne West Mission for Zone Conferences, we returned to Sydney for a day, then took off for the long holiday weekend (I don't remember what holiday it is, only that we have Monday off). Most senior couples who could, left on Friday and went somewhere. The senior sisters, Warbys and Oldroyds headed north. We went to Port Macquarie and met Warbys there on Saturday. They went to Newcastle on Friday.
Port Macquarie is a resort town on the coast of NSW. It is a delightful town with lots of restaurants and beaches. Early on Saturday morning I was up and out taking pictures of some of the beach areas as I did my walk-run.
Later in the morning we drove to Timbertown Heritage Park which is an old restored timber town, with a steam train complete with a train robbery, authentic houses, carriage rides, paddle boats on the lake, oxen, jailhouse, general store, old school house, etc.
On the way back we stopped at a house selling outdoor Christmas decorations cut out of wood. One of the popular Aussie Christmas songs is Six White Boomers (kangaroos)so we had to take a picture of Santa's sleigh being pulled by white boomers. Then we visited the Koala Reserve. We just can't get enough of those cute, cuddly koala bears. At the Koala Reserve when Jay went to pick up his camera off the seat of the car, he found it missing. He thought he left it at Timbertown on the picnic bench when we ate lunch. We drove back and it was gone. For the rest of the afternoon and evening he felt really bad. However, the next morning, when he went to get his shoes out of the car he found it on the floor of back seat under the front seat. He was very happy. Missionary Blessings.