I had a special treat this week!

Friday I was blessed to enjoy the day with Jana and Dave Westfall and Joanne and Gary Jeppson visiting from my home ward in Sandy Utah.  It was such a gift to me to be able to renew friendships and laugh and talk with such wonderful people.

I met them in Auckland Friday morning.  They had rented a van so we could all comfortably ride to Waitomo Glow Worm Caves.  It is near Hamilton and is a 2 1/2 hour drive south of Auckland.  It was a beautiful day!

We had a great lunch along the way, an interesting tour of the cave, and a delicious Chinese dinner.  I couldn’t have asked for a better way to spend the day.  Thank you for the day my friends!!

I have been to glow worm caves in the north but have never been to Waitomo.  It is a much larger cave and a totally different experience.  From Wikipedia:

“The guided tour through the Waitomo Glowworm Caves brings the visitor through three different levels and begins at the top level of the cave and the Catacombs. The levels are linked by the Tomo, which is a 16 m vertical shaft made of limestone. The second level is called the Banquet Chamber. This level is where early visitors stopped to eat and there is evidence of this in the smoke on the ceiling of the chamber. From here it may be possible to link back to the upper level to see the largest formation called the Pipe Organ but on busy days this area is closed to the public because the build-up of carbon monoxide may be hazardous.  

The third and final level goes down into the Cathedral, demonstration platform, and the jetty. The Cathedral is an enclosed area with rough surfaces, now paved, and is about 18 m high, giving it good acoustics. A number of famous singers and choirs have performed here including Dame Kiri Te Kanawa. 

The tour concludes with a boat ride through the Glowworm Grotto. The boat takes the visitor onto the underground Waitomo River where the only light comes from the tiny glowworms creating a sky of living lights.”

We were able to see the Pipe Organ even though it was busy.

Couldn’t take pictures inside the cave but here are some pictures at the exit after the boat ride

The glow worms are amazing!  Here is some information about the glow worms:

“Arachnocampa luminosa (Skuse, 1891), commonly known as New Zealand glowworm or simply glowworm, is a species of fungus gnat endemic to New Zealand. The larval stage and the imago produce a blue-green bioluminescence.  The species is known to dwell in caves and on sheltered banks in native bush where humidity is high.   Its Māori name is titiwai, meaning "projected over water"

If you would like to read about the life cycle and the bioluminescence of this interesting insect, you may do so here. (The scientific name of the glow worm Arachnocampa luminosa sounds like it came straight out of a Harry Potter book of spells.)

We drove close to the Hamilton Temple which is closed and being re-furbished. 

The usually green hillsides and pastures are brown and dry.  I am told this is an
unusual situation and that the country is having a rare drought.  

From an article I just read dated February 13, 2020:

“Auckland is about to set a new record for its longest dry spell, as forecasters warn the drought-stricken upper north is headed for "permanent wilting point". 

On Saturday, Auckland was predicted to pass the region's previous record - a 39-day run recorded when the North Island last saw widespread drought conditions, in 2013. 

A dry spell is defined as consecutive days with less than 1mm of rain and the current record for the greater Auckland area is 39 days. 

With no rain forecast before then, it is almost certain to become 40 days on Saturday, Niwa forecaster Ben Noll said. 

The New Zealand Drought Index showed severe meteorological drought is widespread across Northland, Auckland, and northern Waikato. 

Meteorological drought has also emerged in northern Gisborne and northern Canterbury. 

Much of the rest of the country is unusually dry, except for the western and lower South Island.”

Now for the rest of the week, Monday evening the senior missionaries from far and near in our mission, gathered at Takapuna Chapel for dinner.  After dinner we had a discussion about Joseph Smith’s first vision and points that stood out to us or something that we may have newly learned.

We then played a game and had some delightful entertainment.

Tuesday was the first zone conference of this transfer period.  I received a call from a missionary in pain early before the conference began so I met the missionary at urgent care where we were then sent to the ER.  We spent the entire day in the ER waiting for test results and to see the doctor.  All worked out ok though as the missionary was able to go home.

Wednesday was the second zone conference.  I did a presentation at lunch in the cultural hall about the importance of keeping a clean flat.

Lunch prepared, set up and waiting for the missionaries to finish the morning training session.

Later in the chapel, I talked to them about the importance of hand washing to prevent illness.  One of the missionaries helped me put together a power point of some pictures that I showed.  I got this from a post I saw on FaceBook:

“Jaralee Metcalf, a teacher from Idaho, decided to do to show her pupils the importance of washing their hands properly.  

At the beginning of winter, when flu season had just started, Jaralee Metcalf, a behavioral specialist from Idaho Falls Elementary School, shared that she was tired of always being sick. Although the spread of bacteria in her class was inevitable, she wanted to show the kids why they needed to wash their hands to kill germs. 

To explain how bacteria spread and why it’s important to wash your hands well and often, Jaralee came up with a simple classroom activity with her students: she asked several kids with various levels of hand cleanliness to touch 5 pieces of white bread that were taken from the same loaf, at the same time. Then, they put the bread in individual plastic bags to observe what would happen over the course of one month. 

“We took fresh bread and touched it.” — explains Jaralee.”

Untouched control slice of bread

The slice of bread was rubbed across student laptops/keyboards 

The children with unwashed hands rubbed this slice of bread

The children then used hand sanitizer before they rubbed this slice of bread

The children then washed their hands with soap and water before rubbing this slice of bread

I think this experiment clearly demonstrates why we must wash our hands frequently!!

One of the fun reasons I love being a mission nurse is the kind notes and thoughts and occasionally gifts that the missionaries send to me.  This is one of the cutest!

This capsule/pill contains an umbrella.  How clever is that!!!

Thursday I had a Health Council meeting and then I took a missionary to the dentist to have a filling replaced.  I managed to mix nursing care with pleasure as I was able to meet up with some sisters for dinner.

Sister Sanchez and Hillstrom

Saturday morning I met a missionary at the doctor and then did some grocery shopping.  I worked a bit at cleaning my flat but still have a few things more to do.  My brother, John, is arriving for a visit on Thursday.  Can’t wait!!!

Sunday evening I joined Tracy, my sweet daughter (from another mother) who is married to my son Rex.   She was here with her brother, Brian Judd and a group they brought to New Zealand to begin a cruise.  Brian owns Brian Judd Tours.  Tracy works with him.   They invited me to join their group for dinner.

A sight for sore eyes to see Tracy crossing the lobby toward me!

After dinner we enjoyed a couple of hours catching up with the goings on in our lives.  What a joy!!

The other day I received an email from Family Search that told me that I may have ancestors who participated in the Revolutionary War.  I have read about several ancestors who lived during the revolution and I have studied about them in the past.  I decided I would look through Family Search again.  As I was searching, I found this article that peaked my attention:

Interesting facts you’ve never heard about the Revolutionary War. It is a fun read.  If you would like you may read the article here.

I am proud of my heritage.  I have ancestors who came on the Mayflower, who helped to settle our country, and who have fought in wars to preserve freedom.  I have many family history stories through the Terry and Blair lines particularly that make me proud but one of my favorite stories is about John Blair who was born in Cumberland Pennsylvania in 1754.   

I don’t have my own copy of the story with me but I found another copy on line which is a little difficult to read but thought I would share it anyway.  This information can be found in the Pennsylvania Archives Volume 15: 

1775 - When John was 21: from the Archives of the State of Pennsylvania, Volume 15 are that one of the expeditions to Quebec, the one under the command of General Benedict Arnold, was organized by General Washington at Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the summer of 1775. He decided to put in the advance three companies of riflemen, namely, a company commanded by Captain Daniel Morgan of Winchester, Virginia; a company commanded by Captain Hendricks of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, in which company John Blair enrolled, and another company from Pennsylvania commanded by Captain Smith, the three companies to constitute a vanguard under Captain Morgan.
In the assault of the Colonial troops on the British Fort at Quebec, General Montgomery was killed, Captain Hendricks was killed, Captain Daniel Morgan wounded, and John Blair and others taken prisoners by the British. The prisoners were kept at Quebec until the following summer ... 

1776 - ... when they were sent to New York in a prison ship. Soon thereafter, John Blair and Surgeon Gibson, by a shrewd maneuver, effected their escape. The following statement of this incident is taken from Judge Henry's account: 

"The Battle of Long Island, on the 27th of August, had been unsuccessfully fought by our troops, many of whom were prisoners. In such hurrying times intercourse between hostile armies in the way of confirmation upon any point is effected with difficulty. We had waited patiently several weeks to be disembarked on our own shore, yet tantalized every day with reports that tomorrow we should be put on shore; some, and in a little while, all, began to fear it was the intention of General Howe to detain us as prisoners in opposition to the good will of Sir Guy Carleton." 

"This notion had so strongly impressed the mind of my friend D. Thomas Gibson and a young man called John Blair, of Hendricks Company, that they determined to escape from the ship. They were both of them athletic and able-bodied men and most adroit. Gibson planned the manner of escape; its ingeniousness, hazard, boldness of execution and eventual success received the applause of all, but was disapproved, upon the principle that it trenched upon their honor and would impede our release." 

The story is this: September 1776 "Gibson and Blair, in the evening, dressed in shirts and trousers, were upon the main deck with their customary flopped hats on their heads. Gibson gave me a squeeze of the hand in token of farewell. He was greeted kindly, for he was the brother of my soul. He and his companion went to the forecastle, where there were two large New Foundland dogs, each of which had his associate, or rather his partisans, among the crew." 

"These the adventurers hissed. The dogs, being engaged in their usual fury, attracted the attention of the sailors and many of the prisoners. They took this opportunity of stripping and letting themselves down at the bow into the water. Leaning over the side of the ship, in company of some friends in the secret, and unregardful of the dogs, we waited the management of the flight. 

The last lighted cloud appeared low in the west. Something extraordinary passed along the side, and a foolish fellow asked, What is that? A wave, you fool a mere deception of sight was answered. It was the head of Gibson, covered by his large black hat his white skin discovered him, and luckily the attention of the ignoramus was engaged another way." 

"These daring men swam to the barge at the stern, entered it, and slipped the rope. They had rowed a thousand yards before the boat was missed. The other boats of our ship and those near us were dispatched after the runaways, but it was too late. The fugitives had too much of a start to be easily overtaken. They landed (having rowed about five miles), naked, in our own country somewhere in the vicinity of Bergenneck, and bartered the boat for some ordinary clothing. They waited on General Washington, who disapproved of their demeanor."

I love this story!!  General Washington disapproved of their demeanor!!

What a blessing to have the technology that can allow us to find out about our ancestors.  My father loved doing genealogy.  Thanks to him, I have much knowledge about my family history from the settling of the colonies to the pioneers crossing the plains and family immigrating from Europe and Great Britain to join the Saints in Utah.   There were no computers to help him so he hired professional genealogists to search for our ancestors.  Thank you Dad!

It has been a great week.  I hope that you are all well and happy.

I love my Savior.  I love you my family and friends.