Mission Report No 1

Brisbane Temple of 

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

In the last 2 years, Margot and I have been preparing to serve a full-time mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We finally entered the MTC on  the 28th February 2022 and we arrived at our assignment in Cairns on Saturday 26th March, after roughly 10 days of travelling. I've taken notes along the way and just in the last couple of days, expanded on those notes. So, this is far from perfect and not professional and I am writing it for two main reasons - firstly so that in a couple of years when I look back and read this I can remember what has happened in my life, and also to provide information about what it can be like serving as a senior MLS missionary for the Church, just in case you might be considering it yourself. I'm happy to try to answer any questions on any subject you like, in regards to this.

Highlight - MTC oops,  Missionary Training Centre, 2 weeks online from Provo via Zoom.

Started  28th February 2022. Old couples trained by young  guns. Hopefully we remember some of it - it was very good. A lot of improvements from 40 years ago. (I could say a lot more about this, but to be brief - it was a great experience!

Lowlight - packing up the house to prepare for rental. Wow, I'm sure there might have been better ways to do it, like renting it fully furnished or something. A lot of exhaustingly long days.

Highlight - finally  getting on  the road yesterday  and leaving everything behind. "Sell all, give to the poor, and come follow me". Rough quote I know, but it roughly feels like that. Leaving most of the worldly possessions behind (the kite surf  gear and stand up paddle board are on the roof of the car, with approval - rules are different  for seniors). Home base is no longer home, a new base is waiting for us somewhere in North  Queensland.

Stayed our first night in Wangaratta (at a cheap little motel) as we didn't leave home until about 7.00pm. Had a good  sleep though!

Got on the road this morning at 7, stopped at Cootamundra along the way, visiting Henry Gorman at his home base at the airfield there. I've done a bit of work for Henry over the last couple of years, so it was good to catch up with him.

2nd night, Thursday 14th, stayed with Don and Joanne Carswell. Joanne  is Margot's sister. Got to meet Finley, Hannah and Joel's son, and the first grandchild on that side of the family. As always, it was really good to catch up with all the Carswells, except for Alan and his girlfriend, Taylor. (Just so this doesn't get taken the wrong way, Alan was playing a tennis grand final and couldn't make it over to visit - we would have loved to have seen him and meet Taylor for the first time)

Today, Friday 18th, went for an early walk in the hills of Hornsby Heights and then drove to Margot's sister-in-law Hady Knight in Swansea  Heads and had a chat with her and her youngest son, Ross. Wonderful to see them - it had been years in between visits! Arrived in Coffs Harbour to stay tonight at the Ocean Parade Motel. I tried to convince Margot that I could go for an early surf with Garth Mackie but I didn't  succeed . 

Saturday 19th March - finally arrived in Brisbane to stay with Elder Alvin and Sister Lynn Granger from Adelaide, who work in the mission office, looking after the car fleet and all the rental properties which are used for missionary accommodation. It was great to finally arrive! 

Saturday night Margot and I went out for dinner with Shaun Smith, an old mate of mine from Geelong who has lived in Brisbane for over 20 years. Shaun and I had actually shared a house together when I was a recently returned young missionary and prior to him serving his mission in Brisbane, so we had a lot to catch up about as we had not seen each other for maybe 10 years.

Andrew Black with us at Kangaroo Point

Sunday 20 March, the Grangers drove us to Church at Brisbane  Ward, Kangaroo Point. 

People I knew - Reuben Kwong, whom I taught in primary in Blackburn Ward thirty something years ago and is now in the Stake Presidency. Gerry Watts whom I knew from Sunbury Ward when it was part of Deer Park Stake (I think). Andrew and Tracy Black, who were in Geelong Ward for a couple of years, when Andrew was studying medicine at Deakin. Paul Bennallack, who is Julie Bielenberg's brother and recently returned from serving as the Perth Mission President. Andrew and Angela Congerton, who were in Burwood Ward with us 25 years ago. As we were leaving we saw Alice Brown, who was from Margot's ward in Sydney, but also served part of her mission in Geelong Ward many years ago.

On Sunday afternoon, the Grangers drove us to the mission home to meet with President and Sister Ence, who are presiding over the Brisbane Mission. We chatted for while before they told us we are needed up in Cairns. President Ence then interviewed Margot and I together in his office. They are both very humble and spiritual people, very loving and very approachable.

On Sunday night the Grangers took us to a devotional, which reminded me of the missionary firesides in Melbourne back in the 80s. Fantastic  talks from recent  converts, the Stake President and President Ence.

And there were more people there from Victoria. Michael  Yip, who was in Geelong maybe 8 years ago

Elders Kylie and Williams from Melbourne  mission, who both served in Geelong but are home back in Queensland. Debbie McGhie Wright, Alex McGhie's daugther, who was visting one of her daughters, who now lives in Brisbane somewhere.

Before I finish talking about Brisbane I must mention a bit about the Grangers. Absolutely devoted servants of the Lord and good true blue Aussies! They were gracious enough to put us up for 3 nights in there home and drive us around to various meetings and appointments and cook meals and basically just leave their home open to us. Did I mention that they didn't know us in the least and had never met us before?

Monday 21 March 

Spent a lot of the afternoon at the mission office, meeting President and Sister Pitman, who told us a lot about serving in Far North Queensland (FNQ). They served in FNQ themselves and he is now a counsellor to President Ence. They have also served as the Brisbane Temple President and Matron. The best news from them was that serving as seniors in FNQ is a little bit more relaxed than serving as young missionaries. We are to dress to fit in with the crowd, but wearing our name tags to identify us. This was a great relief to me especially - I don't know how I could survive the heat of Cairns wearing a shirt and tie and long pants and shoes everyday, it would just be unbearable!

Margot and I with Elder Roberts

Also on Monday morning we were able to catch up with Elder Harry Roberts, from Geelong. Harry arrived here in the mission about 6 weeks before us. Mission transfers were happening in the car park under the Brisbane Temple and Margot and I were doing a session in the Temple that morning, with President and Sister Ence, and some other missionaries. I'm still trying to look like a missionary - Elder Roberts has it down! No name tag on me as there is no pocket on the shirt, and long sleeve shirts in Queensland are just crazy!

Tuesday 22 March

Drove to Bundaberg, slept at Bargara at the Bargara  Garden Villas. Visited my cousin Rochelle Ceff  Neumann,  and her husband Ross, that night. It was the most time that I had ever spent with Rochelle and had never met Ross. He had the best Aussie accent ever - I should have recorded him! Rochelle is such a nice sweet lady, very easy to be around and obviously a very caring individual. She is a nurse and has just the right personality for it I think.

Rochelle and Ross with us at there home in Bundaberg

Wednesday 23 March

Margot and I had a swim in the morning. That is an extremely rare event I can tell you! (for Margot, not me) One of the locals told us why Bargara is such a popular spot. If you drive much further north you have deadly jellyfish and crocs to contend with! That day we drove to Rockhampton, and stayed the night with Elder Phillip and Sister Marilyn Myers, from the Gold Coast. What a lovely couple! In their early 70's but looking great - they've obviously looked after themselves very well.  I think Elder Myers is a retired pathologist and therefore has seen the result of many poor health choices.

Us about to leave the Myers in Rockhampton

Thursday 24th March

Today we drove to Bowen to stay with the Sarafians, another senior missionary couple, who are getting close to the end of their time here. What an interesting couple! I think this is the first time I have met someone from Armenia! Elder Aram Sarafian was born in Armenia but his family ended up as refugees in Egypt, before coming to live in Australia, where he became a convert to the Church. Sister Marguerite Sarafian is also an Armenia, but I can't remember how she came to Australia but I know that she joined the Church after they were married and after Aram was baptized. We experienced typical eastern European hospitality with this lovely couple - more food than we could eat and beautiful healthy vegetarian food at that! We look forward to renewing our acquaintance with them when they are home on the Sunshine Coast.

Breakfast with the Sarafians

Friday 25th March 

Drove to Townsville  to stay our last night on the road with the Hargraves. Elder Jeffrey and Sister Rhonda Hargraves live on the Gold Coast, but are from Melbourne originally. Their accommodation is on a hill overlooking Townsville, with great views, from the top of the hill, across to Magnetic Island. Jeffrey and Rhonda are most likely the oldest full-time senior missionary couple in the mission, with Jeffrey being very close to 80. Rhonda is amazing - she had just recovered from Lymphona, being promised in a priesthood blessing that she would fully recover and now here they are serving the people of Townsville!

Unfortunately, we had to leave the Hargraves quite early, so that we could attend the Seventh Day Adventist church in Tully, having been invited there by my cousin, Glen Ceff. And that will be the first subject in our 2nd Mission Report! 

About to leave the Hargraves early,
without even doing up my tie!

Signing off for now,

Elder Murray Ceff