It’s been a go-go-go week!!

We received the last of our incoming missionaries on Tuesday.  Before lunch while waiting for the flights of the last two incoming, I interviewed the missionaries for health histories.  After lunch when all 7 had arrived, I presented my part of the orientation before rushing off to go with a missionary to a doctor’s appointment.  Luckily it wasn’t too far away.

Wednesday afternoon I went with another missionary to a doctor’s appointment in South Auckland.  The drive home was slow going as I was in rush hour. 

All week I was planning my presentation for zone conference.  I finished the final preparations on Thursday.  Friday morning 6:30 I left Takapuna to drive to Whangarei.  I invited Sister Lucas to ride with me and to tour Northland over the weekend.

Sisters Lucas and Abaya

Lunch at zone conference

I did my presentation about nutrition and the way the digestive system works.
We have had some problems with constipation so I wanted to focus on
the importance of adding fiber with fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

After the zone conference, we drove about 45 minutes north to the Kawiti Glow Worm Caves.  I have been there several times, as I have reported in the past, but it never gets old and Sister Lucas had never been there.  For some reason, the stalactites and stalagmites and the ribbons of mineral formations were particularly beautiful this time.  Maybe I just noticed it more.  There were only four of us in the tour group so the guide took it slowly and explained in greater detail than some guides that I have had there.  Unfortunately, no picture taking is allowed in the cave.  The glowing worms on the roof and some on the walls of the cave make it appear that you are looking into the sky and the Milky Way.  Stunning!!

Three or four times I have been there, I have gone in and out the same opening but last time and this time, we went clear through the cave to an opening at the back of the cave.  There is a trail that winds through the bush over the mountain.  It had been a rainy day but was not raining as we walked the path.  The green always looks more green and lush after a rain.

Our guide through the caves was Harry

Silver leaf fern

The moss covered boulders were amazing

From the cave we drove about 30 minutes north to Paihia in the Bay of Islands where we stayed the night.  We went for a walk along the beach before eating dinner which Sister Lucas brought with us.  She had a delicious chicken soup, crackers, cheese, hummus and fruit.

Saturday morning we went to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds where the treaty was signed.  Briefly here is a description:    “The Treaty of Waitangi is New Zealand’s founding document. It takes its name from the place in the Bay of Islands where it was first signed, on 6 February 1840. This day is now a public holiday in New Zealand. The Treaty is an agreement, in Māori and English, that was made between the British Crown and about 540 Māori rangatira (chiefs).”

If you are interested in reading a little more, you may do so here.

The visit to the grounds included a guided tour and cultural show.

View from the treaty grounds

Our guide in front of the Marae explaining the cultural program.
“The marae (meeting grounds) is the focal point of Māori communities throughout New Zealand.

A marae is a fenced-in complex of carved buildings and grounds that belongs to a particular iwi (tribe),
hapū (sub tribe) or whānau (family). Māori people see their marae as tūrangawaewae - their place to
stand and belong. Marae are used for meetings, celebrations, funerals, educational workshops
and other important tribal events.

A marae incorporates a carved meeting house (wharenui) with an open space in front.”

The Treaty House where the actual treaty was translated into Maori.

We toured another museum before going back to Paihia to have lunch.  We ate fish and chips at jfc Restaurant and it was so delicious!!

After leaving Waitangi, we drove northwest over the mountains to Kaitaia where we stayed the night.  Before turning in, we walked a small portion of 90 Mile Beach to watch the sunset over the Tasman Sea.

Sunday morning we went to Sacrament Meeting in Kaitaia before driving an hour and a half north to Cape Reinga.

Beautiful rainbow along the way

I enjoy going back to the Cape as often as I can.  It is spiritual ground for the Maori people.

“Cape Reinga /riˈæŋə/ (Māori: Te Rerenga Wairua) is the northwesternmost tip of the Aupouri Peninsula, at the northern end of the North Island of New Zealand. Cape Reinga is more than 100 km north of the nearest small town of Kaitaia. State Highway 1 extends all the way to the cape, but until 2010 was unsealed gravel road for the last 19 km. Suitable vehicles can also travel much of the way via Ninety Mile Beach and Kauaeparaoa Stream (Te Paki Stream) stream bed. 

The 'Te Rerenga Wairua' component of the name in Māori language means the leaping-off place of spirits. The 'Reinga' part of the name is the Māori language word meaning the underworld. Both refer to the Māori belief that the cape is the point where the spirits of the dead enter the underworld.” 

You may read more about here.

No matter how often I go there, I see something new or different each time.  The plants are different.  The colors of the sky and clouds are different.  The sea/ocean is always gorgeous.

The roads going and coming are very curvy/windy for kilometers.  You often see yourself coming and going.  Because of the roads, the rain, and distance, we didn’t arrive back to Takapuna until close to 7:30 P.M.  It was a great week end.

Today as I was looking for pictures of the “men” (husband, sons, brother) in my life I came across this picture taken for my senior high school year book.  I couldn’t help but compare that picture to me now. 

I think that throughout my life, I have found that I am constantly comparing myself to others.  In high school, I wasn’t as popular, “cute”, smart, etc. as the girl sitting next to me.

As I began to go to nursing school, I had the same feelings that I wasn’t as good a student as my companions.  Working in the hospital, I wasn’t as efficient, pro-active, etc. as the nurse across from me.  As a mother, I didn’t take my sons and daughters to dance lessons, music lessons, baseball, soccer like other mothers.  My neighbor’s house was always neat and tidy while mine was not.  I could go on and on and on.

Then I thought of others to whom I’ve spoken who have voiced the similar thoughts.  Missionaries often feel this way when they compare themselves to other missionaries.

This started me thinking about a great BYU speech that I read last week.  It was given by J. B. Haws on  May 7,  2019 and titled Wrestling with Comparisons.  He begins the speech by acknowledging that he really did not want to speak.  In fact he begged out of it and then felt guilty enough about it that he told them he would speak.  Problem was that he didn’t know what to speak about.  Besides how could he speak and be as good/great as all the previous speakers at BYU Devotionals. 

He says: 

“But I still did not know what I was going to say. I just could not shake the feeling of how good past devotionals have been or the feeling of wondering if I could measure up. This might be my one shot, I thought—on the off chance, of course, that the Studio C thing does not pan out. What would people think? What if the best thing my family members could say to me afterward would be, “Hey, I loved how the BYUtv makeup artist did a good job of making your eyebrows look smaller”? How would my devotional talk compare in the field of BYU devotional talks? And, in a flash of recognition, I was suddenly pulled up short. There it was. That was it. I needed to spend some time wrestling to the ground this vexatious tendency to compare. 

This tendency to compare is something that I think about all the time because I do it all the time. But even that statement is a bit misleading. Saying, “I do it all the time,” is like saying, “I breathe all the time.” It just happens without me thinking about it. It can almost feel ¬reflexive—almost natural. And that is the point. That is why it is so vexatious. We know from Mosiah 3 that when we are left to our “natural” state, we struggle to “[yield] to the enticings of the Holy Spirit.” We are not where God wants us to be, and we are not what He knows we can be. We are in opposition to Him, at cross-purposes to His plan. But also, because these comparisons seem to happen so naturally, I hope that we all feel like fellow travelers on this road.”

Brother Haws caused me to stop and think.  The talk is too long and I would not be able to give you even a small measure of what Brother Haws delivers.  He is humorous, spiritual, and tells stories and examples that will help you.  Please, I encourage you to listen to the talk.  Brother Haws delivers it in such a way that it really will touch your heart. 

He concludes:

 “So, I say this to you and I say this to me: Let’s all find a mirror. Let’s look at ourselves. Let’s see as we are seen. Let’s repeat, “My contest is not with anyone else; my contest is with myself. The race is against sin, not against each other.” Then we must pray with all the energy of heart to be filled with the pure love of Christ, of Him who is “the author and finisher of our faith.”  We must refuse to let lies “interrupt [our] rejoicings” over the truths that are deeper and more convincing than the falsehoods of comparisons. And then we must walk out the door, forget ourselves, and start concentrating on others.”

I hope you might read, or as I said, listen to his talk, Wrestling with Comparisons.

I wish all of the men in my life a Happy Father’s Day.  I am blessed to have wonderful family and friends who are fathers and father figures.  I love you all.

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