29 March 2020 Joining our fast and prayers with the world

Such a strange week yet at the same time a fascinating time to be living.  We loved this picture from one of our grandsons who has spent some time apparently practicing with his social distancing blow-up ball.  Maybe if every student had one of these schools might be able to open again! 

Early in the week we received the news that all the young missionaries from Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands would be returning to their home countries.  Those that were to arrive will not be coming now.  Such a sad time for so many who have lived for, prepared for, and waited for this day.  But they will find new areas to serve and hopefully continue to open their hearts with more compassion  and service.  I volunteered to help with extra needs in the mission office since I will have no one to direct with English classes for a time.  Also, I am having the opportunity to review some humanitarian projects that the Church is involved with; it's not the same as actually getting to go to refugee camps, but I feel my heart reach out to all those in need as I see the many needs for help.  Don has been extremely busy getting acquainted with those he communicates with regarding legal issues via Teams, Zoom, WebEx, Facetime, Skype or whatever technology mode is available.  His email in-box is full all the time it seems and he is back at full-time work so to speak.

So what does one do when you are self-isolating at home and in our case, even at the office where we are basically on our own in our own little wing?  You plan your need to shop carefully and the places you go with caution.  When I called to make a hair appointment this week, my first question was, "Are you still open?" The response was yes, for now.  But there would be conditions.  Clients must come to the salon with already pre-washed hair.  Not a problem.  But then you could only be in the salon for 30 minutes according to the new government CoVid 19 regulations for styling salons.  So with color on my head, I would have to wander the mall for a bit, perhaps have a "cuppa" as they say, and stay away from people for another 30 minutes at least before returning to continue the hair appointment.  I was thinking there would probably not be any problem with people staying away from an old woman with hair coloring plastered to her head or sticking out.  I wasn't exactly looking forward to this and thought about cancelling several times. The good news came the morning of my visit.  The 30 minute directive was lifted for salons.  When I arrived, the shop and the mall were practically empty.  My stylist said most the clients had cancelled because of the directive and didn't  re-schedule.  So I practically had the place to myself.  Lots of precautions were taken and I should be good for another month!

By the weekend we planned our visit to the Sydney Olympic Park area.  First, since their summer Olympiad was in 2000, we thought the locals would not be there and the tourists - well, there are few to none right now.  We went early in the day and discovered that we had the place practically to ourselves. 

First, the train station was just as it appears - empty.  Though the trains were running, few if any, people were on them.  Before looking at the park, Don wanted to show me The Brickpit.  This is an area he thought would be interesting from looking at Google maps.  Well, we walked around an 18 m high circular walk-way which encircled the old brick making area.  It is now an algae-covered slimy pond which serves as a protected area for green and golden bell frogs and any other amphibian creatures who choose to inhabit it I guess.  Social distancing was not a problem here!  Who needs to see this?! I looked, stared back at Don and he said, "Well, I thought the green area on the map was grass and a park!"  And he's generally so good at choosing places.  We could see the stadiums in the distance so our walk continued to the Olympic park.

The Brick pit in all its glory

The Olympic cauldron was moved just a few feet from its original spot but is still a centerpiece of the Cathy Freeman Park.  She was the aboriginal track star that lit the torch in 2000.  A few days later she won gold in her signature event the 400m. 

Here is the cauldron with the water cascading as it did when Freeman went up in the middle to light the torch.  Don is looking at the names of the medalists which are on little plaques leading to the cauldron.  The ParaOlympic athletes\ medalists are also displayed.  It was fun for us to recognize and remember some of the athletes at the time.  The women's soccer team took second that year but we still knew their names!

Some of the men's swimmers we also remembered.

Here were the tennis winners that year:  Venus Williams took the gold medal, and then she and sister Serena won gold in the doubles also.  Was that the last time Venus has come out ahead of Serena?

We didn't remember that the 2000 Olympics marked 100 years of women's participation the the Olympic games.  The park also has a feature remembering the Eight Women who carried the torch in their Opening ceremonies - seven carried the torch like a chain to light the summer Olympic Flame and then Australian's Para Olympian athlete, Louise Savage, lit the Para Olympic flame.   The Attractor-the ladder-like sculpture- is to honor the Olympic movement and noblest human endeavors.  The artist says it is a symbol of ascension and has meaning not just to the Olympics but in the context of sports in general.  "It suggests the desire to ascend, to scale the heights, to climb up, to improve, to achieve, to transcend one's limitations."  A great symbol for any of us in any of our endeavors.

We walked around more of the venues and stopped at the tennis center too.  Notice how we had the place to ourselves!

There were many up-scale apartment buildings and more were being planned around the park area.  It is really a beautiful setting and has been so well maintained with continued use.  Not too many cities now can have all the venues so close together due to costs and other considerations like transportation.

We also walked to the Bicentennial Park, an area of 48 hectares (117 acres) of land that has been reclaimed into a recreational and wetland conservation area.  Australia opened this park in 1988 for their 200th anniversary.  More people here on a beautiful day.  Families bike riding and picnicking but everyone seeming to want to stay apart.  

And the flora and birds continue to enchant us.  Always something new to see-some makes us think of home and others not so much.  The loud, screeching cockatoos outside the house every day are really starting to be pests but they are so cool to look at too.

We have spent this Sunday joining our fast and prayers with others throughout the world who have entreated Father in Heaven for a solution and end to the suffering of this crisis.  We pray for those who have suffered loss and the hardships that many have, and will yet feel, in the days to come.