Getting Settled In--Week One

The view from our balcony

Tomorrow marks our first week in beautiful New Zealand, and it has been a good one. As exotic as it sounds to be in New Zealand, we have found it to be very comfortable and familiar. Since we are in Takapuna, a suburb of the city of Auckland, we have yet to see the NZ “countryside.” But the city reminds us of other coastal cities we know…San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, or Honolulu. The biggest differences are: we get to drive on the (not “wrong,” but “other”) side of the road which is a little nerve-wracking, but Barry is experienced and doing great; the grocery stores are an adventure as we try to find familiar foods packaged differently; likewise for the restaurants, finding foods we like to eat; and attending church meetings where the talks and songs come in a variety of languages and our Brothers and Sisters are beautifully colorful.    

After a very long but relatively comfortable flight, we were met by our “trainers,” Guy and Paula Fugal of Pleasant Grove. They have been wonderful in getting us settled, showing us around, and orienting us to the work. We love them already! Our flat (NZ word for apartment) is much nicer than we had expected. Our third-floor balcony boasts the classic view of the Auckland skyline, with the Sky Tower front and center. In 800 square feet we enjoy two bedrooms, two baths, and an office in addition to the “open floor plan” living, kitchen, dining areas. The BEST thing about it in this chilly winter weather is the bathrooms have heated tile floors. Ahhhh.

We have been kept busy with several events, beginning with a Hamilton Mission Conference the day after we arrived, with David Archuleta and Brad Wilcox as the guest speakers/singer. It was really wonderful. And, being the event “press,” we were privileged to be “backstage” with them, where the Area Presidency presented each of them with a copy of the newly printed Maori Hymnal. Both guests were so gracious and warm, and we very much enjoyed our time with them. Their messages were moving, uplifting, and memorable.

Greeting President Nielsen

Archuleta speaking

Archuleta and me

Two days later, I was able to attend the day-long Time Out For Women with many other Senior Missionary Sisters (the Senior Elders called it Time Out From Women!). It was also a wonderful event. We heard from Sisters Elaine Dalton, Heidi Swinton, Hillary Weeks, Sandra Turley, Melanie Riwai-Couch, and Sheri Dew, along with Brad Wilcox and David Archuleta. Just great. I wasn’t familiar with Sandra Turley but purchased her “Broadway” album during the lunch break because she has a gorgeous voice and her person is even more beautiful inside and out. We were able to get more acquainted with her and her handsome husband the next day at church where they had been assigned to visit and speak to the ward we have been assigned to by our mission president (Balli). Awesome.

As wonderful as church was, the three highlights were…being able to sit in the chapel and watch the sailboats bobbing out in the harbor; hearing “Oh How Lovely Was the Morning” sung in Samoan by the ward that meets after ours; and being invited to eat lunch after the block with the ward leaders in a classroom that held a banquet table of food prepared for the Turleys. We learned it was a last-minute idea and the sisters had somehow managed to rush home and return with all this food. Very impressive and enjoyable to begin getting acquainted with members of our “home ward.”

That night we joined hundreds of others in a packed stake center for a missionary “Come and See” fireside. Hosted once a month by the Auckland Mission, missionaries bring their investigators to learn more about the church. A cute little Vietnamese family, new members of the church, each spoke about their conversion and testimonies. Even the children did a wonderful job of expressing their feelings. We served punch and biscuits (NZ word for cookies) to all present.

We have each written our first articles for the mormonnewsroom.org.nz website, so look us up! Mine was on the Kaikohe Stake’s Relief Society multi-cultural evening and Barry’s was on the Genealogical Society’s meeting. We are responsible for covering public affairs in the Auckland area, part of the Wellington area, and the islands of Fiji, Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga, Kiribati (pronounced kitty-bus!) and the Marshall Islands. It promises to be exciting and interesting as we travel to the various areas and learn more about them. We hope to help open the doors for the missionary work to continue to go forward.

Our love to you all…