Amelia's end of year Dance concert

As we approached the end of the year, it's also time for all the end of year performances. The first was Amelia's Dance company's end of year concert.

This year Amelia started dancing pointe and so this concert was the first time we got to see her perform on pointe.  The dance was beautiful and we are very proud of her accomplishments.  The number was choreographed to Vivaldi's Four Seasons and Amelia danced during the Winter concertos.  It was cool how the dancers portrayed how the seasons transitioned.  Definitely the best item of the concert.

Part of the Winter ensemble dancing to Vivaldi's Four Seasons

Amelia also performed in the Senior Jazz item to Beyonce's Love On Top. In Amelia's head, this was the next best to thing to her career ambition to be a backup dancer to Beyonce.  It had just been a week since Amelia saw Beyonce live in concert, so she knew the moves and felt like an expert.

 

Joel becomes Elder Scott

On Wednesday 4th September, Joel was set apart by our President Shum as a full time missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in preparation to serve in the Ghana Accra mission.  He is now officially a missionary.

This was a cool experience.  There was a time when I thought I might have been the Stake President to set Joel apart.  Then I was released and we thought that President Rigby was going to do the honours.  As it turns out, our ward was reassigned to be part of Fairfield Stake and so the task fell to President Shum.

The next day we farewelled Joel at the airport as he made his way to Ghana to serve for the next two years.

My thoughts go back to when I was set apart as a missionary by President Robert K. Thomas back in 1986.  These are events you never forget.

To keep up to date on Elder Scott's efforts, you can follow him at http://elderjoelscott.blogspot.com.au

Joel is called to serve

Another event that happened in May on the same weekend of Phebe's baptism, was that Joel received a call from a Prophet of God to serve as a full time missionary in the Ghana Accra mission.  Joel completed an application to serve over the past few months and has been waiting for a response to know what and when he will serve for the past five weeks.

The President of the Church, Thomas S. Monson said:
"that every worthy, able young man should prepare to serve a mission. Missionary service is a priesthood duty—an obligation the Lord expects of us who have been given so very much. Young men, I admonish you to prepare for service as a missionary. Keep yourselves clean and pure and worthy to represent the Lord. Maintain your health and strength. Study the scriptures. Where such is available, participate in seminary or institute. Familiarize yourself with the missionary handbook Preach My Gospel."

This is something that Joel has been preparing for all his life.

If you like to know what Mormon Missionaires do, have a look at this video.