From the perspective of
seasons, next week in New Zealand would be the equivalent of Thanksgiving week
back home. The weather is still relatively nice, but temperatures have dropped
significantly and the rains are coming more regularly.
The past weeks have passed
quickly, especially since we said goodbye in early April to our daughter and
son-in-law, Kathy, Kyle, and the kids. We thoroughly enjoyed spending just over
a week with them here in New Zealand.
Later that month Susan and I
journeyed to Wellington, New Zealand for the first time. We travelled there to
meet with our Coordinating Council Director of Public Affairs in that area,
Tania Torea, and members of her council. Wellington is an attractive city
located on the very southern tip of New Zealand’s North Island. The downtown
area surrounds a beautiful, protected ocean bay.
We traveled there by taking
a train, the Kiwi Rail, from Auckland. Leaving very early in the morning of Thursday,
April 21. The trip took twelve hours! We arrived after dark, having wound our
way through some of New Zealand’s most beautiful country, much of which one
would only see from the train.
The time was well spent in
Wellington, including our meetings and brief sightseeing opportunities around
the city. We flew home on Saturday evening, and of course, the trip home was
much faster.
On April 27, very early in
the morning, we welcomed Brigham Young University’s performing group, the
Living Legends at the Auckland International Airport. They arrived for their
three-week tour of New Zealand, Tonga, and Samoa. The group was welcomed by a
local group dressed in traditional Māori costumes who also performed the Haka
for them. The Haka is a traditional ancestral war cry, dance, and challenge from the Māori people of New Zealand.
We had purchased brunch items
the night before and assembled 60 sack “brekkies” to tide them over until lunch
while they visited Auckland sites by bus. At Mount Eden, their first stop, we
were there with open trunk and they were happy to greet us and carry their
brekkies up the hill, munching along the way.
Over the next few days, we
toured with the group around Auckland and Hamilton where they performed to
three sold-out audiences, presented two firesides, and did outreach visits to
several organizations, including the Ronald McDonald House at Auckland General
Hospital, an Intermediate School for disadvantaged youth, and a school for
Pacific studies, Fale Pasifika, at the University of Auckland. Their activities
followed a challenging schedule that demanded the best from everyone, including
us, but yielded many new friends and admirers of the performing youth and of their
talent and goodness.
The group then departed for
Palmerston North and Wellington (toward the southern part of the North Island),
while we flew to Nuku’Alofa, Tonga, our first trip there. In Tonga, we met with
the very well run organizing committee led by our Tonga Director of Public
Affairs, Ana Ve’ehala. We enjoyed a lovely dinner meeting with them at our
charming, white Italian-like hotel overlooking the Pacific ocean. In the
morning we joined them to greet the incoming students at the airport.
In Tonga, the Living Legends
followed a similar pattern of performances and outreach visits, with two
notable exceptions: a performance for the Queen of Tonga, Queen Nanasipau'u, and
another performance for Tonga’s Crown Prince, Tupouto’a Ulukalala, his wife,
Princess Sinaitakala, and their young son, Prince Taufa’ahau. The second
gathering also included the general public, both Church members and others;
while the first performance for the Queen included only dignitaries and leaders
from around the main island of Tonga, Tongatapu. This performance had about
1,000 attending, and the larger gathering with the prince included over 5,000
people. At this show, even the aisles were
full of anxious viewers, and the railing around the balcony was also
saturated with young people and children whose legs hung down over the edge.
Earlier in the day of the
last performance, the BYU group visitied a center for disabled individuals.
That was a touching, Spirit-filled occasion. Susan and I personally greeted
each resident of the center. As we did so, it was a privilege to see their
smiles and feel their loving personalities, despite the obvious handicaps with
which each one must cope. As nearly as I could tell, each one absolutely loved
becoming friends with Living Legends cast. The closing song from the BYU group
to the residents of the center was particularly touching.
Through it all, the Living
Legends were fully embraced and loved by the Tongan people. It was a stirring
and heart-warming experience to be part of and to witness. We will long
remember our week in Tonga, and never forget the love of the Tongan people,
Latter-day Saints and others included!
While in Tonga, we also did a
session in the Nuku’alofa Tonga Temple. The session was in Tongan, and we wore
headphones, but we enjoyed it nevertheless. Everyone in the temple—as is always
the case—was most helpful and kind. We left our session filled with warm
feelings and happy to be able to help another son and daughter of our Heavenly
Father who have passed beyond the veil of life.
We also had a couple of
opportunities to drive around the island of Tongatapu and see how beautiful it
really is. Noteable everywhere on the island are lots of dogs and pigs; kind of
interesting, really! It’s part of the culture. Most importantly, we noticed the
beautiful, generally happy Tongan people. They are simply wonderful!
We are back “home” now in
Takapuna. We have been back at work in the Area Offices of the Church and doing
our best to assist there in any ways we can. We feel privileged to be there and
to have such wonderful friends and acquaintances. We continue to gather,
prepare, and write news stories for the Church’s Newsroom–Pacific website. We
also spend time working with the Area Communication Committee, under the
direction of Elder S. Gifford Nielsen of the Area Presidency. He will soon
become the First Counselor in the Presidency as Elder O. Vincent Haleck becomes
the new Area President in July. Elder Craig A. Cardon will be the second
counselor. Elder Pearson, previous president, is returning by assignment to
Utah.
As always, we miss each of
you. We love you. We are thankful for you in our lives. We have been and
continue to be so blessed.
We love the restored gospel
of Jesus Christ, and are eternally thankful for His matchless gift to each of
us. And we know that all of us are blessed with a living prophet of God in the
form of President Thomas S. Monson. We know with certainty that we all have a
loving Heavenly Father who knows and is mindful of each of us, daily, and
individually. For all of this, we are most grateful!
We pray for blessings in your
life each day. May you be safe, happy, and well.
With all our love,
Elder and Sister Barry and
Susan Preator
