Fish heads, Flowers, and Facebook Miracles

OKAY!!!  I need parking lessons.

Sisters Teweti and Wong invited me to lunch with them.  It was a delicious meal of fish and chips.  We went to a fish market where they prepare the fish you select.

There were some interesting “characters” in the market especially this mean looking guy.  Somewhere he lost his body though!

It has been a quiet week.  Jim and Jenna left Tuesday morning for South Island/Australia and I have missed them.  It was so fun traveling with them last week, but this week it has been business as usual.  Tuesday was the last of our Zone Conferences for this period.

We had a transfer planning meeting on Wednesday.  At this meeting we discuss who will pick up missionaries on Tuesday of next week at their flats or the mission home and take them to the airport for their return flight home at the end of their mission.  We then plan who will pick up the incoming missionaries on the following day, Wednesday, at the airport or the MTC and take them to the church for orientation and to meet with their new trainers.  We have 25 departing and 16 incoming.  That is a lot of luggage!! and bodies to transport from here to there!  Luckily they don’t all leave at the same time and arrive at the same time but it takes all of us senior missionaries and assistants to the president to accomplish the task.

Because I am a single sister, I can’t take the elders but I am taking a sister to the airport on Tuesday.

I had some other meetings, the usual phone calls/text triage, and reports so the days went by quickly.

Saturday, I had no plans.  It was sunny and warm so I chose to walk along Takapuna Beach.  It was low tide.  I walked south along the beach and discovered that where I normally have to stop because of the water, I could walk around the jut and had I kept going, I could have walked to Devenport.  As it was, I had to return to my flat but I did get in just under 5 ½ miles.

It always amazes me how trees and plants can cling to the cliffs even when the roots are exposed.

I like the layered look and the sights that are normally underwater.

Looking up the beach to the north at the Takapuna skyline and tide pools.

Didn’t find any critters

The sister training leaders brought me a gift of flowers.

I love being around these wonderful missionaries not just for the gifts they give but for the spirit, the love, the energy they bring to me.  Our mission has a FaceBook page where the missionaries are encouraged to share the “miracles” they experience.  I wish I could share all of the posts but I chose just two to share with you.  I hope that you feel the love and excitement for the work that I feel as I read these posts.  (TWE means “talk to everyone.”)

"Long read ahead, but I think it's a good read, if not oh well... so remember the story President Walker shared about TWEing that man at the bus stop whilst he was on blitz with the Elders. They talked about the Book of Mormon and offered him a copy. The man refused saying "no man should add to the Bible" and referenced his response to Revelations 22:18-19. President then asks (something along the lines of) " but what if it was God that added to it?" And the man accepted the copy of the Book of Mormon. I was shook to the core with this response and I continued to ponder about it. Today during companion study I told my companion about how awesome it would be to give the same/similar response President gave to that man. Sisters and Elders, in my 3 transfers here in Massey I've never had someone give reference to Revelations to what we teach, so having that opportunity like Presidents would be unlikely. My companion being inspired, (no joke) with full confidence and conviction declared today would be the day for me to use that response, so we role played specifically for it. I didn’t think much about it after and we continued our day. Later on we knock on this door, a young lady opens the door and we did our TTIPF on the Book of Mormon. We offered a copy of the Book of Mormon and she hesitated. She stops us and goes to get her Bible, comes back, opens it to *drumroll* REVELATIONS 22: 18-19! After she read the verses, of course we came in with the response "but what if it was God that added to it?" It wasn't as powerful as President's response but I'm just grateful to say it! The girl accepted the copy
of the Book of Mormon, the Restoration pamphlet and a pass along card..... you know Heavenly Father has humour too that's the miracle from Massey! Thanks for reading..."

"Talofa! Today we had an amazing miracle with one of the people we are teaching. We met her yesterday and she explained that she has met with missionaries many times, but told us up front that she was not willing to be baptized again, as she already has been in a different church. Yesterday we felt prompted to teach about work on the other side of
the veil, and doing family history and temple work, and were able to answer her questions about the need for ordinances for the dead, and she opened up about her Mom passing about a year ago. That was amazing. And then--today, we taught her lesson one, knowing teaching about Priesthood authority would be a touchy subject, but as we taught
her, she all of a sudden stopped, and began pondering aloud, about proper authority and what she knew to be true, and then it hit her, and she said, "then... maybe my baptism wasn't with the proper authority from God...Wow. This is really big". She sat thinking for a bit and began to tear up, as the realization hit her that she had just received revelation that her baptism was not fulfilled yet. She told us how grateful she was for us and for missionaries always turning up at the right moments in her life. It was amazing to see how humble she was to open her heart to God and let Him guide her to the truth. Elders and Sisters, the field is white and we have support on both sides of the veil in this great work. We know if you continue praying for those here on earth who have ancestors on the other side of the veil who have accepted the gospel, we will be able to find them and
see miracles. God is so good, and He knows the needs of each of His children. Alofa atu!"

The Gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth through the Prophet Joseph Smith.  I know this to be true.  I also know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and it contains the truths and instructions that, if we follow, will guide us along the path leading back to our heavenly home.  Jesus Christ is our Savior and through His Atonement we can repent and be forgiven of our sins and errors.  The Holy Ghost has born witness to me of these truths.  I encourage you to study, read and ponder the messages of the Book of Mormon and the words of our living prophet on earth today, President Russell M Nelson.  I look forward to learning more this coming week as I listen to the prophet and leaders of the church in general conference.

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

All about me I find beauty.  Listen to the song of this bird.

A visit from Jim & Jenna! AND Northland is gorgeous!

This has been a busy but fun week.  Doctor’s office visits with missionaries, the usual phone calls/texts/emails, lunch with the sister training leaders in my area, and dinner with some elders in my area. 

Sisters Kehoe and Crooks at a Korean restaurant for lunch

Dinner with Elders Fukofuka and Ismaya and their friend, Ryan, at a Japanese restaurant

To make the week even better, Jim and Jenna arrived on Friday early morning.  I had a Zone Conference that day and a post-surgery follow-up doctor’s appointment with a missionary on Friday so Jim and Jenna toured city center Auckland.

After my responsibilities were completed, we drove north to begin our Northland adventures.  I have many pictures and will post links that will give you better descriptions of the places and things we saw than I could give.  However, just let me say that the sights were amazing.  We stayed Friday night in Whangarei.

Saturday morning after a bagel breakfast, we drove to Whangarei Falls and had a nice walk and seeing the sights around the falls. You may read about the falls.

After the falls we visited Kiwi North where we were able to watch live kiwi birds.  They are kept in a natural enclosed habitat.  They are sensitive to light and sounds so were were in a darkened hallway with windows where we could observe the kiwis, a male and a female, as they came out of the burrows.  We had to wait quite some time to see them.  We only got a glimpse one time and a little better view another time but it was worth the wait to see them.  We couldn’t take pictures of the live kiwi because it was too dark and the lights of the phone would keep them in their burrows.

Read about Kiwi North. 
Read about the kiwi bird.

From there we drove to Kawiti Caves where we were guided into the caves by a friendly and entertaining Maori guide whose family owns the property and caves.  We learned about the history of the caves and were able to view the wonders of the glow worms.  It was truly amazing!  No cameras/pics allowed inside the caves. Read about the caves and the inhabitants.

Our next destination was 90 Mile Beach near Kaitaia.  Our goal was to watch the sun set over the Tasman Sea.  Couldn’t have been more spectacular. 

We stayed in Kaitaia and I went to church there Sunday morning.  After church we headed to Cape Reigna which is the northwesternmost  tip of the North Island of New Zealand.

Once again we were not disappointed! 

Sunday evening we found ourselves in the Bay of Islands where we stayed in Paihia for the night. 

Monday morning we went to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds and Museum.   We had a guided tour of the grounds and learned much Maori history and culture from our guide.  We learned of the significance of the treaty signed there and watched a cultural performance.

Maori war canoe

Guide explaining the treaty

Maori Meeting House and cultural performance

Interior of the Meeting House

Fish and chips lunch on way back to Takapuna

Colorful chickens at a scenic overlook

Looking down into the Bay of Islands from the mountain top

We returned to Takapuna Monday afternoon so that Jim and Jenna could do laundry and prepare for their departure early Tuesday morning to South Island where they will spend a couple of days before going to Australia. 

I have learned so much this weekend in Northland and saw indescribable beauties of the land.  I know that I have told you in past blog posts that I know I am blessed beyond measure.  Having Jim and Jenna here, traveling with them, being with the missionaries and recognizing God’s hand in every aspect of my life is truly a blessing.

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

Anyone know what this pod-like thing is growing on the palm tree?