Saying “so long”….

This week I have visited with missionaries who are struggling with family events at home, a dear John letter, an injury to the back, a twisted ankle, nausea and vomiting to name just a few.  It has caused me to ponder on the need for healing in our lives.  Not all of our healing needs however are physical.  Often we need healing in a mental or spiritual way. 

I remember being so very homesick the first few months I was here in New Zealand.  I have mentioned this before.  It rather surprised me having been away from my family and home before.  Why was I having these feelings of separation and loneliness?  I had plenty to do.  I had experienced a previous mission.  It didn’t make sense to me but I know it was because I had something I needed to learn from the experience.

I still have not totally put my finger on that aspect but in thinking about this and in thinking about my conversations with missionaries, I thought again about a favorite BYU Devotional Speech:  Healing = Courage + Action + Grace given by Jonathon G Sandberg.  Please pardon me for referring to it again.  I shared it with two missionaries this week and as I read it again myself, I couldn’t help but appreciate the message.  I thought I would start my post by sharing an excerpt with you as each of us needs healing every day:

“We all need healing. For some of us that need is great today. There are likely among us those who are brokenhearted because a relationship has ended badly. Others are in pain because their parents have decided to divorce or a loved one has renounced the Church. Some have learned recently that they have a chronic illness, and others have just relapsed into addictive behavior for what seems like the hundredth time. I would guess that there are some today who have wondered if depression or anxiety will always be a suffocating influence in their lives, while other students are going through a loss that seems both unfair and unrelenting. Others are drowning in loneliness and isolation while still others are constantly placed on the margins.”

Near the conclusion of his speech, Brother Sandberg goes on with these remarks:

“That brings us to the final part of the equation—healing = courage + action + grace.  What is grace? I love the definition provided by David A. Bednar in a devotional given while he was president of BYU–Idaho. He quoted the Bible Dictionary, which states that grace can be defined as 

divine means of help or strength, given through the bounteous mercy and love of Jesus Christ. 

. . . It is likewise through the grace of the Lord that individuals . . . receive strength and assistance to do good works that they otherwise would not be able to maintain if left to their own means. This grace is an enabling power.  

After reading this definition, President Bednar then added, “Thus the enabling power of the Atonement strengthens us to do and be good and serve beyond our own individual desire and natural capacity.” 

The scriptures are full of examples of the grace of Jesus Christ as He ministered to people struggling to do and be good but coming up short. The scriptures teach of Him reaching out to His people at their breaking point and providing strength, patience, joy, comfort, assurances, peace, faith, hope, courage, and determination and even wiping away the tears from their eyes (see Mosiah 24:13–16; Alma 31:31–38, 58:9–12; Revelation 21:4). The grace of Jesus Christ, His bounteous mercy and love, is available to us if we but have the courage to reach out to Him.

Sometimes that grace comes directly through the Holy Ghost, and we can feel His clear and specific love for us. Sometimes that grace comes as Christ touches another person’s heart and prompts her or him to share, bless, and uplift another. In other words, grace is often made manifest through the courage and action of a person who reaches out to serve another. Let me give you an example of the principle of reaching out from the childhood of Thomas S. Monson, the president of the Church:

Again Christmastime had come. We were preparing for the oven a gigantic turkey and anticipating the savory feast that awaited. A neighborhood pal of mine asked a startling question: “What does turkey taste like?” 

I responded, “Oh, about like chicken tastes.” 

Again a question: “What does chicken taste like?” 

It was then that I realized my friend had never eaten chicken or turkey. I asked what his family was going to have for Christmas dinner. There was no prompt response, just a downcast glance and the comment, “I dunno. There’s nothing in the house.” 

I pondered a solution. There was none. I had no turkeys, no chickens, no money. Then I remembered I did have two pet rabbits. Immediately I took them to my friend and handed the box to him with the comment, “Here, take these two rabbits. They’re good to eat—just like chicken.” 

He took the box, climbed the fence, and headed for home—a Christmas dinner safely assured. Tears came easily to me as I closed the door to the empty rabbit hutch. But I was not sad. A warmth, a feeling of indescribable joy, filled my heart. It was a memorable Christmas.  

President Monson was a minister of grace (see 1 Peter 4:10), and we can be one too. 

Grace is the power by which healing occurs. In every aspect of His mortal and postmortal ministry, Christ went about healing all manner of afflictions (see Matthew 9:18–25; 3 Nephi 17:9). His part is to be our atoning Savior, and our part is to be courageous enough to act. He then provides the grace and healing. However, sometimes we may not appreciate the manifestations of His grace because healing blessings do not always come in the form we ask. Sometimes His grace is made manifest by letting us sit and struggle with an issue. Again, our Heavenly Father and Savior are more interested in our growth and progression than in our comfort and convenience.  Moments of struggle often bring the greatest growth. ”

If you would like to read the entire talk and I highly recommend that you do this, you may do so here.

I have enjoyed having my brother, John, here to visit with me these last almost 2 weeks.  Monday we drove about an hour and a half north to The Kauri Museum.  It was a fun day.  It was overcast and a bit rainy but that didn’t dampen our spirits.  We learned a lot about kauri trees and the industry surrounding the tree.  I’ve posted about this before so I will only post a few pictures. 

“The Kauri Museum is in the west coast village of Matakohe, Northland, New Zealand. The museum, to the south of the Waipoua Forest, contains many exhibits that tell the story of the pioneering days when early European settlers in the area extracted kauri timber and kauri gum.

The museum has over 4000 sq metres of undercover exhibits, including the largest collection of kauri gum in the world, and the largest collection of kauri furniture. It has a model of a 1900s kauri house with furniture and models in the dress of the early years, and an extensive collection of photographs and pioneering memorabilia. On the wall, there are full-scale circumference outlines of the huge trees, including one of 81⁄2 metres, larger even than Tane Mahuta. The museum includes a working mock-up of a steam sawmill.

It tells its story from the colonial viewpoint, and presents its representation of the kauri gum industry as part of the process of creating the New Zealand identity. It has little to say about negative aspects, such as the impact on the Māori people.”

As we have driven throughout Northland, we noticed a species of bird that was frequently seen standing in the middle of the road.  It did fly if PUSHED to it but most often it sort of galloped off to the side of the road.  It didn’t hop like most birds.  It really had a galloping motion.  John tried to get a picture of the bird but we were always “flying” by at top speed preventing him from getting a good photo of such a tiny subject.   John identified the bird as a myna and during this week, I have noticed it around Takapuna.

I spotted this one in the parking lot of Countdown Grocery store near my flat.  

The common myna is a native of India, east and west Pakistan and Burma. It was introduced to many Pacific lands, including New Zealand, usually to combat invertebrate pests. Mynas are large, conspicuous passerines. A shiny black head and shoulder plumage merges into vinous brown for the remainder of the body and a large patch of white is flashed from each wing during flight. They are commonly seen deftly avoiding traffic while foraging for road-killed insects. At dusk small groups join communal roosts, which may comprise many hundreds of individuals. Mynas, originally widely introduced to New Zealand in the 1870s, are found in all suitable manmade habitat north of 40° S, including forest remnants and many offshore islands, but are in low numbers or absent from some parts of the volcanic plateau and large forest tracts such as Urewera.

Tuesday afternoon John left.  I was sad to see him leave but I will see him again in 9 months.  We have more trips planned for when I get home.  We love road trips!!!

Wednesday I did laundry and cleaned up around my flat.  Thursday I accompanied two different missionaries to physiotherapy sessions.

Thursday morning beach walk

Friday morning beach walk.  Every day on the beach is different. 

Flowers along my path home from the beach.  I enjoy watching the bees. 

I managed to capture one of them on the screen.

Friday I went to South Auckland to go to a doctor’s appointment with a missionary and to pick up medications from a pharmacy there to take to a missionary in Northland next time I go that direction.  I have a month before the medication will be needed.  I am pretty positive I will go that way within that time frame.  Maybe more than once!

Took me over an hour in Friday afternoon rush hour traffic to make
the normally 25 minute drive from South Auckland to Takapuna.

Saturday I had sushi for lunch with Sisters Stone and Te’o and pizza dinner at The Elephant Wrestler with Sister Lucas.  We took a pleasant walk along Takapuna Beach afterward.

Saturday evening beach walk.  High tide and windy but gorgeous!

After church on Sunday I went to visit a missionary with a painful foot and to give medication to them.  It was a nice Sunday drive and as always, good to be with missionaries.

During the week I received a note with pictures from Lillian, my friend who is still in quarantine in China.  She and her son, Kevin, went home mid-December to be with family for the holidays.  Because of the restrictions for travel and the quarantine of her village, they have not been able to go out of their home nor return to New Zealand.  Kevin knows that I love steamed buns.  Lillian was making them so they sent me a picture to let me know that they were thinking of me.  What wonderful friends!!

Been thinking a lot about this handsome guy.   So grateful for Kay!

I pray that you will have a joyful, safe, and healthy week.
I love my Savior.  I love you my family and friends.