Christmas 2015 is now a Christmas Past. But it was wonderful
while it lasted. We said our goodbyes to Heidi who returned to her family for
Christmas and then had John to ourselves for a few days, days that were filled
with the Christmas spirit.
On Sunday we attended the Young Single Adult ward then went
to the “Come and See” Fireside that is a monthly gathering of all the
missionaries in the Auckland area with their investigators. A young woman who
has recently joined the church told of her conversion story and the great
changes in her life as a result, finding true happiness and peace after a life
filled with negative experiences. We enjoyed listening to several Christmas
musical numbers from different groups…the islanders can really sing!
The following day we had a wonderful Family Home Evening in
the home of Brother and Sister Riwai-Couch from our ward. They invited us to
come so that John could sing for them and play the piano while we all sang
carols within a lovely Christmas program organized by Sister Couch. We shared
memories of Christmases past and enjoyed visiting with their family members and
their exchange student from Russia. They served a delicious dessert buffet, and
the Spirit throughout the evening was very sweet.
Then the party began when Brent and Stacey, with their three
teenagers, Riley, Jamie, and Sidney, joined John and us! I think that, in all, they
experienced every adventure and activity that New Zealand has to offer! At
least every one that they could fit in to their packed schedule! It was very
fun to follow them around and participate, at least from the sidelines.
While we continued to work at the office they all traveled
to Hamilton and Hobbiton (Lord of the Rings village) and the surrounding area,
returning on Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve dinner was our traditional clam
chowder, plus potato cheese soup and croissants, fresh fruits, and a Yule Log
dessert (cake) we were all too full to enjoy! Then Barry led us in our annual
reading of the nativity scriptures and accompanying carols. We opened our
Christmas pajama gifts and “bedded down” for the night. This was actually quite
a feat in our small flat (apartment), but we all managed to have a bed of sorts
except for Riley who braved our not-so-comfortable sofa.
Christmas day was filled with the usual: many wonderful
gifts, laughter, gratitude, phone calls and Facetime with dear ones at home
(who were enjoying their Christmas Eve), and lots of food—ham, “funeral
potatoes,” fresh fruit, homemade rolls, homemade apple and pumpkin pies…which,
again, we were too full to eat! The main difference in the day was our evening
visits to a few beaches an hour north of our flat. The weather was a little
cool, but it was pleasant enough. (At home in Utah, we would have been looking
out at the snow-covered landscape, not going to the beach!)
The following day was another national holiday…Boxing Day,
which we learned (from Mr. Wikipedia) originated in Great Britain 800 or so
years ago. Since the servants had to serve their masters on Christmas Day, they
celebrated Christmas the day after and received a box full of gifts from their
masters. (At least, that’s one version of this day that most people on the
street here didn’t seem to know its origin.)
We spent the day enjoying our “hometown” of Takapuna…the
shops, the beach, and the restaurants. It was a fun day, but that night we sadly
had to say goodbye to John, putting him on his plane to fly home. We enjoyed
his visit immensely, as well as Heidi’s.
With the Pacific Area Office pretty well deserted for the
next week (it is not only their Christmas and New Year’s holiday week, but also
their summer vacation), we took the opportunity to fly to the South Island for
a few days with the kids. We saw breathtaking vistas, sparkling clear lakes,
towering mountains and fjords, glaciers and waterfalls galore. The teenagers
jumped into space from the top of cliffs on bungee cords and canyon swings. We
cruised the Milford Sound and kayaked into the mouth of a glacial river. We
took a backcountry jeep tour of movie “sets,” and the kids took a horseback
trek through the hills.
We stayed a few nights at a delightful and serene farmhouse
on a 2800 acre sheep and cattle ranch surrounded by beautiful paddocks and
mountains, and another night in a house high above the vast lake spread out in
front of our view.
We flew back and enjoyed a day in the Rotorua area,
exploring a Maori land of geothermal geysers and hot pots, ending the day with
a delightful Maori dinner and show.
Barry and I returned to the (empty) office on New Year’s Eve
day to take care of some pressing business. Brent’s family continued to explore
the area, returning later that evening just in time to “eat and run” to catch
their plane home. What a wonderful,
once-in-a-lifetime adventure they created for us by taking the time and making
the effort to visit. It is a long way from home and costly to come. But
Christmas would have been quiet and lonely without them, so we were so grateful
they all came.
Since our return, we have been very busy at the office, arranging
for upcoming events, visiting Church leaders, writing articles, and attending
Public Affairs team meetings among other things. It is great to dive into the
work again and look forward to a new year and all the new experiences we know
we will have.
We hosted four young elders at dinner and had such a great
time with them. One was from Australia, one from Utah, one from Tahiti, and one
from New Zealand (waiting for his visa allowing him to go to his Utah/Wyoming
mission). We were able to encourage them in their work, express our admiration
for their willingness to serve, and remind them that they need to prepare to
keep the faith and serve, not only while on their missions, but lifelong.
We showed them our family picture and told them that the
decisions they make do not just affect them, but have a lasting impact on their
families, future wives (one each!) and children they might have,
and on all those whose lives they will touch. It was sweet.
We love the gospel of Jesus Christ! We are so grateful to enjoy
all the blessings our membership in His Church on earth brings. We desire to do
our best to serve Him and His children well while on our mission and for the
rest of our lives. We fall short too often, but we recommit ourselves to do
better.
We give our thanks to all you dear family and friends for
your gifts, your letters, your cards, your thoughts of love and Christmas. We
were abundantly blessed and loved hearing about you and yours.
May each of you seek and enjoy these same blessings. We love
you and pray for your welfare and happiness. All our love, Susan and Barry
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