Our Fiji Adventure

Our Fiji adventure last weekend was one of those life changing experiences we get every once-in-a-while. We will never forget the friendly people, the humbling spirit, or the panorama of pictures. We were on assignment to attend the first planning meeting of the Suva Fiji Temple Re-dedication Committee. And WHAT a planning meeting it was!!

We arrived in Nadi (pronounced Nandi) Friday around noon, rented a car, and drove east along the southern coast of this small island nation (approx. 7,000 sq. miles compared to Utah’s approx. 85,000). We passed through many of the island villages (as they call them) where you see small houses tucked among the tropical foliage. They are made of a variety of materials…wood, corrugated tin, plastic tarps, and concrete blocks…sometimes all on one house. Some have electricity, some do not. Some have piped-in water, some do not. Most of the cooking is done outside over a fire, the smoke wafting through the air as you drive by. Life is definitely simpler, without all the “necessities” we are accustomed to.

 After three hours of driving we found ourselves in Suva, the capital city of Fiji, with modern buildings, hotels, and houses and all the hustle and bustle of 74,400 people.The open market stalls were colorful and crazy. Our Holiday Inn oceanfront accommodations were lovely, but it was the friendliness of the staff that was truly remarkable. Everyone greeted us with big smiles and hellos (bulavinaka in Fijian), offers to help, taking every opportunity to make our stay enjoyable. (They don’t have tipping, either!) They are just generally happy, friendly, helpful people (at least all that we met). Some even commented on how that is especially interesting given their cannibalistic history (yikes!). ;)

Early Saturday morning we could hear children singing and walked out on our patio to hear them. A group of about 12 middle-schoolers were standing by the pool singing a cappella (as is the custom) and sounding so sweet. As we were finishing breakfast and getting acquainted with our cute waitress she pointed outside and said, “There is our Prime Minister [of Fiji] coming in to speak at the education conference here this morning.” Of course, that caught our interest so we slipped in behind his contingent and were ushered to our seats as if we were expected and welcome! (We later learned that church LDS Charities has been helpful in various causes and our missionary tags “made us VIPs”!) It was a fairly small audience of educators and government leaders with a nice buffet (of which we didn’t partake).

The meeting was the formal ceremony for the “Launch of the National Framework of Digital Literacy for Fijian Schools Programme”. It is a partnership with Reach 4 Your Future Foundation (Intel, HP, and Microsoft) that donates all the technology. After the “Garlanding of Chief Guest” (the PM) we got to hear the children’s choir again and a few speakers talking about this great initiative to bring their kids into the 21^st century. It only lasted an hour and then we had a chance to visit with the HP (Hewlett Packard) Global Director and of course introduce him to Imagine Learning. (Still selling!)

We then drove to the Suva Temple to see how it was progressing. It is still four months from completion date, and we were fortunate to arrive just in time to join the planning committee on a hardhat tour. It was heartwarming to see the fruits of our son-in-law Kyle’s labors as we viewed the baptismal font which he and his team built last spring. It is just now being tiled so we could still see his concrete foundation! We could also see that the temple is going to be beautiful.

That evening we joined our Fiji Public Affairs Director in a small group for dinner. The conversion stories we hear over dinner are simply amazing and faith-building. We then met with her committee where they received instructions from Salt Lake regarding their part in the upcoming temple activities. We were very impressed with both the quality of instruction and the humble willingness and skills present in the committee members called to be photographer, social media, opinion leaders or interfaith outreach, finance, etc. Pretty eye-opening to see what goes into these events.

Sunday was The Day To Remember. We were invited to join Elder Adolph Johansson, Area Seventy, (Tongan) and President Qaqa (say Gonga) of the Suva Fiji North Stake, along with members of the temple committee from Salt Lake to travel “into the bush” to attend church there. We jumped at the opportunity, though with some trepidation, not knowing what we would encounter. Words really can’t convey the many feelings, impressions, sights, and sounds of this very spiritual and sacred experience. But we will do our best to describe what we can.

We set off in three four-wheel drive vehicles. Our journey took us close to two hours, with the last hour on dirt/gravel roads through scenic tropical forests up into the mountains of Fiji. We saw many rivers and waterfalls, crops being cultivated, animals grazing without fences, and waving villagers as we passed by. When we reached our destination we were greeted warmly by a few local saints and a pair of young elderswho led us down a narrow red dirt path to what at first appeared to be an animal shelter of corrugated metal, but became to us like the humble stable where the Christ child lay. Truly, it was a sacred place.

 We left our shoes outside the door and were invited to sit on the large woven mats that covered the floor. There were no inner walls in this home, only a light fabric curtain hung in one corner to conceal the family’s belongings.

A priesthood brother was quietly preparing the sacrament on a small tabledraped with a white cloth. There were a few sisters sitting against the back wall with several children surrounding them.

They didn’t seem to speak English, but I imagine they were the home’s occupants. The little children surrounded us, sitting cross-legged on the mats, a few eager to share their hymnbooks with us as we began to sing. We arrived half an hour early, so we filled the time singing the songs we love, in common. I noticed that the vigor and volume of this “choir” was larger than our whole congregations at home. Only the language was different and we did our best to sing out in Fijian!

 Other Saints filtered in until there was a congregation of forty to fifty filling the room. The meeting was conducted in Fijian but two of the Salt Lake visitors were invited to speak with the aid of a translator. Elder Johansson also spoke in English with a translator. The spirit was so strong throughout the meeting, and at times we wept. The messages delivered were inspired and tailored specifically for those saints in that far-removed, humble setting. How can they have a sense of belonging to this world-wide, fast-moving, modern-day church? How can they reconcile their traditions with the principles of the gospel? How can they participate in missionary work, genealogy, and temple ordinances? Those who spoke to these sweet saints answered those questions in profound and moving ways.

Later that night we met a young mother (now an accountant) who told us she had grown up near there. At the time, they didn’t have a unit (what they call this smaller-than-a-branch group) and her father was the bishop of the ward they attended. It was a three hour walk each way to church every Sunday. (THREE HOURS!!) She recalled, as a child, walking sometimes just with her brother as her father had gone ahead for meetings and her pregnant mother stayed home with the younger children. Can you even imagine that kind of courage, faith and dedication?! Are we so spoiled, or what?! We complain when we have to go a few blocks to church in the rain or snow. It was indeed a humbling experience.

 As we were leaving, the youth surrounded us, and we women dug through our purses to find any treats we could leave with them…gum, candies, the small lotions, shampoos, and soaps we had snatched from our hotel room, anticipating this. We so wished we would have known the day before and been better prepared to share. But they seemed thrilled with everything we handed out and loved posing for pictures. We left there richly blessed and changed forever.

That night we met with the Temple Re-dedication Committee for four hours to discuss every small detail that goes into making each of the events the super-special events they are. Each member has a specific assignment: parking, security, food, cultural event, ushers, historian, music, dedication service, tickets, finance, etc.

 It was impressive to see the organization, level of detail, and order in all the planning. More impressive was to see the strength, faith, and willingness of each committee member as they were instructed on the very large responsibility that will be theirs over the next five months. Our small part is to help our Public Affairs committee member with the VIP and interfaith invitations and open houses, which take place the first three days before the public open houses.

Most touching was the tone of those from the temple committee who have done this so many times. They spoke of the care, tenderness, and courtesy each member was to show in all their interactions and manner of speaking as they share their temple with the guests, never speaking sharply, even if children begin climbing over the altar!

Monday, we returned to our now luxurious-appearing flat in Auckland, having experienced one of the most special weekends of our lives. We hope to never forget what we felt and our love for the good people we met.

A New Zealand Father's Day, Beautiful Scenery, and the Hamilton Temple--Week Four

Kia Ora from a land down under, New Zealand! (Kia Ora means, " . . . literally, be well/healthy in the Maori tongue and is translated as an informal ‘hi’.”)  Another week has come to an end in our missionary labors. Like the previous weeks, our time here has been full of activity and learning of every kind.  We are regularly reminded of the need for humility, attentiveness (to the Spirit), and hard work.

This past Sunday in New Zealand (Saturday back home) when we arrived at our ward in Glen Inness for Fast and Testimony Meeting, we found out it was also New Zealand’s Father’s Day. Many of the testimonies revolved around expressions of love for fathers and fathers’ bearing testimony that they wished to be “better” fathers. There was a strong spirit in the meeting, and many tears were shed regarding families, challenges of various kinds in families, and the desire of the saints here for all of their family members to be part of the restoration of the gospel and the recipients of God’s covenants with His sons and daughters.

The spirit of that meeting continued in our Sunday School lesson, and Brother Riwai-Couch, who taught the lesson, bore his testimony in an emotional, sweet way at the conclusion of class using the words from two verses of a favorite LDS hymn, O My Father:

I had learned to call thee Father,

Thru thy Spirit from on high,

But, until the key of knowledge

Was restored, I knew not why.

In the heav'ns are parents single?

No, the thought makes reason stare!

Truth is reason; truth eternal

Tells me I've a mother there.

When I leave this frail existence,

When I lay this mortal by,

Father, Mother, may I meet you

In your royal courts on high?

Then, at length, when I've completed

All you sent me forth to do,

With your mutual approbation

Let me come and dwell with you.

His testimony and the witness of the Spirit after listening to the beautiful lyrics of this beloved hymn were powerful.

We have now had an opportunity to see just a little bit more of this beautiful contry. An example is a peninsula located just south and east of where we live and work in Auckland. The area is known as the Coromandel Peninsula. We were fortunate to have a partly cloudy day for our journey where the sun could periodically punctuate the long white clouds (after which this land is known, Aotearoa, which means the land of the long white cloud), and the ever-present showers that abound.  Along the way, we visited the villages of Hikuai, Whitianga, Kuaotunu, Coromandel, Whakatete Bay, Thames, and Kaiaua.

Hills above Coromandel

Hills of the East Coast of Coromandel Penninsula

Pacific Ocean on the East Coast of Coromandel Penninsula

Lots of pigs on Coromandel

Village of Coromandel

We arrived in the tiny hamlet of Kaiaua just at sunset and found there a fish and chips shop recommended by previous senior missionaries. Their recommendation was faithful and the food was excellent.  We ate our dinner meal sitting next to a Maori fellow about our age who turned out to be a bus driver that had frequently transported Mormons and others to Hamilton, New Zealand and the Temple which is located there. Our dinner chat was fun and educational in many ways. This good man was fond of sharing with us pictures of his family and his ancestors which he had stored on his cell phone. Of course, this prompted an opportunity for us to reciprocate and share images of our family with him. In the end, we found a new friend, which is quite easy to do in this land.

We also travelled on assignment to Hamilton where the temple is located. There we participated in an inter-faith evening sponsored by the local Muslim community. At the meeting were representatives from these churches: Latter-day Saint, Catholic, Muslim, Anglican, Protestant, and Baha'i faiths. Representatives from each faith gave a presentation on humanitarian work in which they engage, in harmony with the tenants of their respective religions. Each presentation was excellent, and the evening provided a great opportunity to make new friends and extend understandings. We also found great commonalities in the service rendered to humanity.

The Hamilton Temple

We were also fortunate to visit the Hamilton Temple and Visitor Center, and do some temple work there. The temple certainly sits in a most beautiful setting, on a prominent hill which overlooks the surrounding countryside. And even though it is still winter here, the flowers around the Vistor's Center and the temple were beautiful!

The Hamilton Temple Visitors' Center

Temple grounds

It truly is a blessing for us to be here and to play a very small part in the work of the latter-day restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We feel the blessings of the Spirit each day as we go about our assignments. For that, we are most grateful.

Please know that we know: the Church is true, Jesus is literally our Savior, and we do have a Heavenly Father who loves and knows each one of us personally. We also know that He is desirous of helping us every day of our lives, if we will only let Him do so through our prayers to Him.

We hope that you and yours are happy and well.  Until next time.

Elder Barry and Sister Susan Preator

A New Assignment, YSAs, and a great Share Expo--Week Three

We’ve had a BUSY week! We were just beginning to feel like we could take a breath when we were called in and given a new assignment--coordinating the Area Communications Committee. Exciting and challenging! Just what we love… (chuckle). As we left the office Barry said, “the pool just got a little deeper.” 

But, we are too busy to even take our temperatures. We get up every morning ready to tackle another day and have new experiences, because no two days are alike. Today, for instance, Barry ended up submitting three (THREE, mind you!) articles for our mormonnewsroom.org.nz website. Good job!! That must be some kind of record. One has already been posted, and you can check it out. It’s the one on the Wellington Stake’s 50^th anniversary. He has another article below it on the Liahona Stake’s 35^th anniversary. My article on an outstanding young Mormon basketball player heading to USC is up this week also, along with my article about mobility aids in Kiribati. So we feel we earned our pay this week! (‘Course that may not be saying much, given our pay… ;))

We were also involved in plans for the Fiji Temple Rededication activities coming up in January and making arrangements for a Catholic Sister to attend a symposium at BYU next month. Never a dull moment.

Speaking of that, last weekend was jam-packed with fun and faith! We traveled with our northern New Zealand Public Affairs Directors, the Samuelas, to Whangerei (say fong-er-ay) in beautiful rural north New Zealand. Wow. Green doesn’t get any greener. Of course, the buckets of rain that fell all weekend promotes that. But our spirits were not dampened by the rain.

We set out early Saturday morning with this most fun group of young people, our YSA team from the Auckland area. They included among others, an engineering student, a civil engineer (female), a pre-med student, a young service missionary who led the group, and a young woman who has sailed the ocean from island to island with her family. (I can’t imagine getting on a little sailboat and sailing seven days, on the vast and powerful ocean, to the first island.) We watched with awe as they led training sessions for two stake public affairs committees…Whangerei and Kaikohe stakes.

Our YSA team!

Sunday evening they conducted a stake Share Expo where the members of the stake were invited to come learn (hands-on, games, and prizes for posting) how to use websites, Youtube, Instagram and Facebook to help spread the good news of the gospel throughout the world. It was well-attended and everyone had a fun and productive evening. As the scorekeeper (and lollipop rewarder) I was especially proud of the “older” generation that completed the tasks and came by to collect their prizes. I even posted my first Facebook blog complete with pictures!

A busy Share Expo

 We met early with the Whangerei stake presidency to talk about their needs and goals and how we could help. Then President Poutu invited us to go with them to the Hikurangi ward, driving even farther north into the beautiful countryside, which we were happy to do. The early spring flowering shrubs are in bloom and the camellia bush outside the chapel there was just gorgeous. President Poutu was to speak and he asked Barry and Sister Samuela to bear testimony before he spoke. They all did a wonderful job.

Sister Samuela, President Poutu, and Elder Preator

The church in Hikurangi

I just had to take a picture of Brother McDonald sitting across the aisle from me. I wish I could have videoed him with his darling three week old son, Miller, sitting on his knee while he sang just to him, “You can make the pathway bright, fill the soul with heaven’s light, if there’s sunshine in your soul.” It was the sweetest thing ever. The baby was looking right back at his daddy and trying his best to sing along.

 We arrived home late Sunday night, exhausted, but filled with gratitude for a wonderful Stake President who spent the whole weekend with us and the members of his stake (what an example!), for brilliant, fun, and dedicated YSA’s, for committed and hard-working directors of public affairs, for valiant members who accept difficult callings and do their best to perform them, and for a Heavenly Father who loves us, who watches over us, and wants all of us to live righteous lives, to bless and help each other, so that we can return to live with Him when this life is over.

Cheese and Fish-n-Chips--Week Two

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.

The Pacific Area Office with Brother and Sister Fugal

Matakana Farmer's Market

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

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…

Kicking Off Our New Zealand Mission Adventure!

It's hard to believe 7 months have finally passed since receiving our missionary call to the beautiful land of New Zealand! We are eager and excited for the new adventures, learning, growth and sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ that surely await us. We hope this blog will serve as a central place we can keep in touch with family and friends (both old and new!), and share the experiences of our mission for the next 18 months. So, POROPOROAKI to our beautiful Utah mountains and KIA ORA to the green shores of Auckland! (Better start learning those Maori greetings now, right?!)

The classic MTC photo

Lunch during our training week at the MTC