Hard to believe that in just a few days we will have been serving on our mission for one month. It has been a month filled with activity and learning, of every kind!
Over the last week-plus, we have found ourselves very busy each day. Our activities have included such things as working each day at the Pacific Area Office of the Church, writing news stories, researching background bios on key church and government leaders, meeting with various members of Public Affairs Coordinating Councils (Church callings), participating in senior missionary family home evening, meeting with President and Sister Bali from the Auckland Mission, attending church at the Glen Innes Ward (as assigned by President Bali), attending church at one of the Auckland Young Single Adult wards, trying to furnish our apartment, buying groceries and getting used to different foods, etc. Seems as though there is never time that is not filled with something.
And we learned yesterday that we will be participating in the first planning meeting for the upcoming Fiji Temple open house in connection with the re-dedication of the temple after its recent renovation. That will be exciting, and we are sure we will learn a great deal from the experience.
We did have an opportunity this past weekend to take a ferry ride from the North Shore where we live in a community called Takapuna, across the bay to the Auckland harbour (the way it's spelled here) where we had a wonderful dinner with another missionary couple. Also, on Saturday we drove with Elder and Sister Fugal (see the attached photo of us with the Fugal's in our office setting) to a community north of where we live to enjoy a Saturday outdoor fair, the Matakana Village Farmers Market. Later in the day we also had lunch in a small community, Puhoi, at a famous cheese factory outlet. Don't think either of us have ever eaten so much cheese or cheese products in our entire life; it was all delicious but just a little overpowering! Oh, and while at the cheese factory, we noticed the beautiful native flowers in full bloom—in the dead of winter, no less! So far, winters here are not like those at home.
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| The Pacific Area Office with Brother and Sister Fugal |
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| Matakana Farmer's Market |
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| The gorgeous flowers at Matakana |
Yesterday, we received our first packages from home; like all missionaries, we were very excited to see them come, especially since they were filled with grooming and food items which are not available here, and which we have grown accustomed to using. Could have made it without them, but it's so nice to have them now. We took these packages up to our apartment using a grocery cart. Whenever we have bulky items to transport to our third-floor apartment, we take them up using a grocery cart, several of which are always available in the parking garage on the lower floor; never thought I'd be so grateful for a grocery cart!
Finally, we were interested in coming to New Zealand to find out about the rumors we heard so often after we received our call but before arriving here. Those rumors suggested that the fish and chips here are even better than they are in Scotland. For an old missionary from Scotland (49 years ago, to be exact!), that was a bit hard to swallow for Elder Preator; and even Sister Preator—who has become a convert through her several trips over the years back to England and Scotland—was a bit skeptical. So, we've now tried fish and chips from three different chip shops here in New Zealand. The verdict, so far: the first two experiences were good, but in truth they failed the test. The third, which was earlier today, came awfully close! Aaaaah, finally we are approaching the mark! Perhaps real vindication lies yet ahead; we will see.
Hope all is well with each of you at home.
With our love and best wishes,
Elder and Sister Preator
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