Bay of Islands Weekend Venture

Bay of Islands Weekend Venture

Things have been pretty routine here in Takapuna this week leading up to a Saturday adventure in the Bay of Islands.  A few doctor’s appointments with missionaries followed by lunch with them.  (I love to get better acquainted with the missionaries over a meal.)  Had the normal calls and daily interactions but I am amazed at how the calls are slowing as the weather warms. 

We began our round of zone conferences for this transfer period on Friday in the Northland at the chapel in Whangarei.  I rode with Elder and Sister Packard.  After the training/conference ended, we drove north to Paihia to stay the night.  Seventeen of us senior missionaries planned a Saturday outing which was a cruise and BBQ lunch to Hole in the Rock.

We enjoyed dinner at Greens, an Indian/Thai restaurant.  The food was great but I got so caught up in visiting with friends that I neglected to get a picture of my delicious Tom Kah Gai soup and Massaman Lamb Curry.  It was the best Tom Kah Gai that I remember ever having!

This is not my meal but a picture I got from the net.
The food was not only tasty but beautifully presented.

Saturday morning, Elder and Sister Lewis and I walked along the beach and through the little town of Paihia before joining the rest of our group on the dock to board our cruise vessel for the tour of the Bay of Islands.  You may read about the Bay of Islands. 

Pano of Paihia from a hill top near the wharf.

Our cruise ship

Senior missionary group picture on the island of Urupukapuka
which is the largest island in the Bay of Islands.

On Urupukapuka we climbed a fairly steep mountain through a sheep pasture to get a 360 degree
view of the waters around the island.  I’ll admit I was huffing and puffing a little by the time
I reached the top but the view was worth the effort.

Group picture of some of the passengers who braved the climb.

Looking down the hill.

Another picture of the group climbing the hill.

After leaving Urupukapuka we headed for Piercy Island or the Hole in the Rock.  Here is some information about the island:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piercy_Island

We were told that we might see whales or dolphins but we only saw a seal lying in the sun on rocks and one playing in the water near a small island. Unfortunately I wasn’t quick enough to get to a location near a rail where I could get good pictures.

Sailing through the Hold in the Rock

Picture of the Hole in the Rock from the back side

Picture of the profile of a woman in the rock on Piercy Island

Picture of the Cape Brett Lighthouse.  From Wikipedia:  “The Cape Brett Lighthouse is a lighthouse
at Cape Brett in the Northland Region of the North Island of New Zealand. The site was surveyed
and chosen in 1908 by Captain John Bollons of NZGSS Hinemoa. The lighthouse was
deactivated and keepers were withdrawn in 1978 and replaced by an automated beacon on the same site.”

One of the island stops on the cruise was in Russell.  We stopped there as the last stop of the day before returning to Paihia.  We were given the option of getting off and a free ferry ticket to return to Paihia so since many had not been there before, we got off and walked a bit before ending our day.  (I told you about Russell, known as the first permanent European settlement and seaport in New Zealand, in a previous blog so I won’t go into detail here.)

My Russell purchase – iced “hot” chocolate

It was a fun day and I learned more about this awesomely beautiful land.

Monday was New Zealand Labour Day.   From Wikipedia:  “Labour Day (Labor Day in the United States) is an annual holiday to celebrate the achievements of workers. Labour Day has its origins in the labour union movement, specifically the eight-hour day movement, which advocated eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for rest.

For most countries, Labour Day is synonymous with, or linked with, International Workers' Day, which occurs on 1 May. For other countries, Labour Day is celebrated on a different date, often one with special significance for the labour movement in that country. Labour Day is a public holiday in many countries.

In Canada and the United States, the holiday is celebrated on the first Monday of September and considered the unofficial end of summer, with summer vacations ending and students returning to school around then.”

Monday evening I was invited to join a family home evening with some elders, the Lewis’s and the Wrights, and a family that the elders are teaching.  Very spirit-filled evening.

I always enjoy learning about our Savior and his love, sacrifices and teachings.

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

More pics from the week taken here and there.

I saw this on the doorstep of one of my neighbors in Shoalhaven.  I asked Sister Bunker about
it to see if she knew what it might represent.  She thought it might be related to Diwali, an Hindu celebration.

“Grateful in Any Circumstances”

I got my New Zealand driver’s license (licence)!!!

I went to the eye doctor this week to get my eyes checked because when I applied for my New Zealand driver’s license, I failed to pass the vision check.  The doctor gave me a form to take back to the licensing office saying that I could see and was safe to drive.  I even received my “official” license today in the mail.

It has been a fairly quiet week.  The weather is warming and the missionaries seem to be doing well for the most part.  Coughs/cold symptoms and nausea and vomiting viruses are cropping up much less.  I’ve been preparing for the next round of zone conferences with the first of the series next Friday.

I was able to walk on the beach 3 days this week.  I am sure that after another year of “beach” pictures you will be saying “ENOUGH” already but it is beautiful here and I must share.

Large tankers/ships in the distance

Sunday I was invited to lunch at a ward member’s home and then I prepared dinner for Sister Bunker, Lillian and her son, Kevin and Michael.  Michael, Lillian’s husband is here visiting from their home in China.  He will be here for a month.  Here is a picture from the last time that they were to dinner.  I didn’t get a picture of their family this time.  I will get one of the family before Michael, his English name, returns home.

Lillian and Kevin went home to China for three weeks and brought Michael back with them.  When they came to dinner they brought me a beautiful gift of bone china from the Palace Museum in Beijing.  It is a treasure to me!

This week I have worked with missionaries who have been struggling with various trials.  I minister to a lady who is struggling with multiple sclerosis and who seldom is able to get out of her room at the care center.  One friend just lost her spouse.  Another is facing health issues.  Another is questioning his faith.  A family I know is wrestling with financial woes.  I see people all around who are facing trials of various kinds.  All of this has given me much to think about.

Reading through the October 14-20 lesson in Come Follow Me, I read the talk “Grateful in Any Circumstances” By President Dieter F. Uchtdorf found in the May 2014 Ensign. 

He begins:  “Over the years, I have had the sacred opportunity to meet with many people whose sorrows seem to reach the very depths of their soul. In these moments, I have listened to my beloved brothers and sisters and grieved with them over their burdens. I have pondered what to say to them, and I have struggled to know how to comfort and support them in their trials. 

Often their grief is caused by what seems to them as an ending. Some are facing the end of a cherished relationship, such as the death of a loved one or estrangement from a family member. Others feel they are facing the end of hope—the hope of being married or bearing children or overcoming an illness. Others may be facing the end of their faith, as confusing and conflicting voices in the world tempt them to question, even abandon, what they once knew to be true. 

Sooner or later, I believe that all of us experience times when the very fabric of our world tears at the seams, leaving us feeling alone, frustrated, and adrift. 

It can happen to anyone. No one is immune. 

Everyone’s situation is different, and the details of each life are unique. Nevertheless, I have learned that there is something that would take away the bitterness that may come into our lives. There is one thing we can do to make life sweeter, more joyful, even glorious. 

We can be grateful! 

It might sound contrary to the wisdom of the world to suggest that one who is burdened with sorrow should give thanks to God. But those who set aside the bottle of bitterness and lift instead the goblet of gratitude can find a purifying drink of healing, peace, and understanding. 

As disciples of Christ, we are commanded to “thank the Lord [our] God in all things,” to “sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving,” and to “let [our] heart be full of thanks unto God.” 

Why does God command us to be grateful? 

All of His commandments are given to make blessings available to us. Commandments are opportunities to exercise our agency and to receive blessings. Our loving Heavenly Father knows that choosing to develop a spirit of gratitude will bring us true joy and great happiness.”

If you would like to read the entire talk, you may do so here.

I have talked about gratitude in previous blogs, but I can see in my life, the affect that gratitude can have on the way I feel about my Savior and the Gospel of Jesus Christ, my family, the world in which I live, the people that I observe and work with every day and so much more.  I have so much for which I am grateful.  I do find joy in life.

I know that my Savior lives and loves me.  He loves you too.  Through the trials of life, I pray that we will endure with gratitude and that we will look for the growth and development that comes to us through these trials.  May you find joy in the journey.

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

Well, it’s been a quiet week here in Takapuna

Well, it’s been a quiet week here in Takapuna

Every Saturday evening in years past, Kay and I and the family if we were all together, listened to Garrison Keillor and A Prairie Home Companion on public radio.  Near the end of the broadcast, Garrison would give a news report, if you can call it that, about his fictional home town of Lake Wobegon.  The report always began with:  “Well, it’s been a quiet week in Lake Wobegon…”

I often feel like I should begin my blog each week with:  “Well,   it’s been a quiet week here in Takapuna/Auckland.”

It has been quiet but I have managed to stay busy and even enjoy some adventure.  The usual triage/nursing responsibilities that comes with 150+ missionaries keeps me busy. 

Monday morning I had a visit from former Sister Crooks and her family.  She finished her mission the previous week and her family had come from Australia to pick her up and tour the mission before returning home.  I am blessed that I had the opportunity to meet such a beautiful family.  I always hate saying goodbye to missionaries but hopefully Sister Crooks will come to Utah to go to school and I can see her again.

My friend, Sister Bunker, whose mission is in the area seventies office where she is over English curriculum for Pacific Island schools, and I went on a trip to Northland.  Sister Bunker had never been more than an hour north of Auckland.  Her mission ends in April but between now and then, she will be traveling to Samoa, Tonga, Tahiti, Fiji, and other islands to train educators and to oversee some of the new programs that are being implemented so she needed to travel north now before she leaves.

I look for every opportunity to see the beauties of New Zealand.  Even though I went to many of the same places with Jim and Jenna when they were here just a few weeks ago, it was fun to revisit them with someone who has not had that opportunity.

Friday after work, we drove to Whangarei.  Saturday morning we walked along the river where there are historical markers.  We were able to learn a lot about the history of Whangarei.    We then went to Kiwi North where we were able to observe the live kiwi birds in a natural habitat.

Dinner Friday night - Tom Kah Gai soup and pad thai

Along the river walk were works of art such as this one

Sister Bunker has a friend in Hawaii whose daughter and family live in Moerewa which is on the route to Kaitaia where we stayed Saturday night.  We had lunch there and had an interesting discussion/lesson from Te-Rangi Peeni who is the daughter of the friend.  Te-Rani Peeni teaches Maori and is instrumental in setting up curriculum for teaching Maori in the schools here.  One of the things that she told us about is the difficulty teaching science.  For example, the periodic table and symbols are the same for every language but there are no words in Maori for the elements of the table.  So Te-Rani Peeni and other educators are creating words so that students can learn the names of the elements using the universal symbols.  I am not sure I explained that very well but…

Sunday we went to Cape Reigna and then south again to Paihia.  I talked about the Cape, Paihia and the Waitangi Treaty Grounds in my blog 2 weeks ago.

Cape Reigna Lighthouse

We arrived in Paihia early enough to take the ferry to Russell, a town across the bay.  “As you stroll round Russell, Bay of Islands today, you’re walking back in time. The town’s original street plan and names from 1843 are still intact and feature some of New Zealand’s oldest and most significant historic buildings. Russell Kororareka was developed initially as a shore station for shipping. The European population grew, with a mixture of deserting seamen, runaway convicts, and grog sellers, as well as settlers and traders. The township thus gained a reputation as a lawless and rowdy port and the unflattering nickname “Hell Hole of the Pacific”. Many of the buildings seen in Russell Township now are dated back to these times, and during your stay, you will be able to discover more about the amazing stories that these buildings hold.”  If you want to read more, here is a link.

Russell Pics and bay at sunset

Monday morning we planned to go to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds to see the museum and to take the tour but we woke to heavy rain and strong winds, so we opted to go back to Auckland and if possible to return to the Northland another time.

Monday evening was senior couples’ family home evening.  We met at the Institute building, had dinner and played some games.

Family Home Evening group

This week I had the opportunity to help a missionary struggling with feelings of inadequacy.  This was made worse because this missionary felt that their companion was more than capable and a great leader compared to his/her self.  This feeling of inadequacy was causing depression and low self-esteem.

I remembered a BYU Devotional talk given by Marilyn S. Bateman titled “To Thine Own Self Be True” that I had read some time ago.  I sent a portion of the talk to this missionary.  I think it is good advice to each of us who may at one time or another feel that we are not meeting up to our calling or that we can’t work well with someone whether it is in a church calling, work place or a family.

“We are told in the scriptures that members of the Church are given
special gifts of the Spirit for the benefit of those who love our
Heavenly Father and keep his commandments. Brigham Young said, “The
gifts of the Gospel are given to strengthen the faith of the believer”
(JD 10:324). In section 46 of the Doctrine and Covenants, it says: 

All have not every gift given unto them; for there are many gifts, and
to every [person] is given a gift by the Spirit of God. 

To some is given one, and to some is given another, that all may be
profited thereby. [D&C 46:11–12] 

Each of us is unique and in our own special way different from
everyone else. We have been given gifts and talents by the Spirit of
God that make us distinctly who we are. As we share our talents with
others, we bless them—and they bless us with their gifts. We come
together as parts of a whole, as Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 12.
The body needs each part in order to function properly, to bless the
lives of each member. We come together as members of Christ’s church
to share talents and the gifts that we have. As one shares leadership
abilities, another shares the gift of love. Someone else shares their
musical talents. We strengthen one another’s testimonies as we express
our feelings about the Savior and his gospel. Within the Church some
teach, some testify, some lead—all have the opportunity to share and
develop their talents.”

I know that when we compare ourselves to others, we often feel that we fall short.  But if we can “team up” and use the talents we have each been given to work together and augment each other, we can accomplish much.

I know that the Savior loves us and wants us to be happy.

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

Misc pics of beauty: