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| Arriving at work in Auckland |
This past week brought new experiences as we settled down
for our first session of Saturday’s General Conference at 5:00 a.m. Sunday
morning in New Zealand! We had the same marathon day, with morning, afternoon,
and Priesthood sessions all streaming into our little flat at the exact same
moments everyone in Utah and around the world watched them. (Just a little strange to have Priesthood Session over by
3:00 in the afternoon!) And we kept the channel open between sessions, watching
the church’s World News Reports, also most interesting and inspiring. We were
up again early Monday morning to watch both Sunday sessions. Isn’t that just
amazing!! Here we are 7,000 miles away and we get to sit and watch all the
conferences sessions live. How truly wonderful!
As a young child growing up in Oregon, I remember getting
dressed in our Sunday clothes and going to our chapel where we would sit and
listen to one session of conference, brought to us courtesy of our local radio
station. Either that or we would drive twelve hours through the night to reach
our grandparents’ home in Salt Lake City so we could hear or attend all the
sessions there.
Even so, I developed an early love affair with General Conference and look forward to it each time with eager anticipation and am sorry when it is over. And the messages were so inspired…so targeted to the challenges we face today, individually and as a whole. I loved that many explained the how and why of the gospel and church. I took many notes on all the improvements I need to and can make in my behavior and thoughts. The overriding message to me was to LOVE more fully and well and demonstrate that love, and to trust in the Lord completely, believing on Him and making operative in my life His Atonement.
I also took away from Conference profound gratitude for all the blessings and joy provided through our membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Because our conference weekend didn’t start until our Sunday
morning, we were able to spend Saturday exploring again, this beautiful island
nation. We drove north three hours to Paihia on the northernmost Pacific coast.
It was lovely!
All the islands, bays, inlets, and greenery make everything so interesting and stunning. We note that the trees, bushes, flowers, and birds seem to be very different from those we know at home—something that makes this place seem somewhat fanciful. I can see why they like to film other-worldly movies here.
We wandered around the quaint village of Russell, a most charming place with the distinction of being the country’s first European settlement and port. Some very old buildings there along with really wonderful little cafes made for an interesting day. Plus…loved the ferry ride over and back.
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| Paihia, New Zealand |
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| Russell Harbor |
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| Rusell, New Zealand |
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| Haururu Falls |
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| Kerikeri Mission Station |
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| Old Russell Church |
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| Olga Joyce Bissett Who Fell Asleep on March 21, 1915 |
Barry wrote a great little article for our Mormon Newsroom
this week. Check it out. It’s the story
of a stake youth trek unlike any other trek!
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| Liahona Stake Trek Youth |
Over three hundred youth from theLiahona Stake in Tonga had to “carry their ancestors” in a very unique, and island appropriate, literal way, to the temple. Wonderful example of bringing the importance of family history and temple work alive!
We love this work! We have our moments of struggle,
homesickness, and fatigue, of course. But it is a tremendous opportunity for us
to be here, doing what we are doing, learning, stretching, and serving. Our deep
love to all of you and fervent prayers that you will continue on in faith,
hope, endurance, and love. And if we do, we wholeheartedly agree with Sister
Marriott’s family motto: “It will all work out.”
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