New Zealand Winter and the Warmth of the Gospel

New Zealand weather is baffling.  We have been prepared for a cold May, but instead we had the most beautiful warm weather.  Sunshine and blue sky as far as the eye could see.  Weather made for walking. I kept asking, “Is it winter yet?”  I was told things would get much colder and that this is a much warmer May than usual.  After this weekend,  I’ve quit asking.  I can feel the difference.  The sun is still shining, the sky is blue, but there is a layer of frost on the ground in the mornings and the windshield of our car has a layer of frost on it when we get up.  Our house is freezing cold when we are forced from our bed, and we come home to a chilled house after work.  The church on Sunday was like an iceberg for the first 45 minutes, and the clothes we put on each morning feel like we just took them out of the refrigerator.  I’m not sure it is any colder here than it is back home, but Americans take their comfort very seriously.  We take pains to remove the jarring effects of extreme weather.  We go from a warm house to a warm car.  From a warm car to a warm church.  From a warm workplace to a warm home.  It is possible here to get a building to a comfortable temperature, but it takes awhile.  In the meantime, you freeze.  You pile on layers of clothing, and shed them as the temperature rises.  Afternoons are rather pleasant, but as soon as the sun goes down (and it goes down early here) it is back to freezing.  

John went to the store this weekend to buy a scraper for the windshield.  He couldn’t find one on the shelves so he asked one of the workers and was told that they don’t make those here.  He told John that in New Zealand, you just pour hot water on the windshield while running the windshield wipers.  I told that story to one of the young adults and her remark was, “Oh no, you just use a credit card to scrape the ice off.” 

A little frost and cold don’t stop the hardy kiwis.  They still bike, wear jandals, and laugh at us when we shiver.

The past week was a difficult one for me.  There were so many lessons to prepare, so many activities to attend, talks to prepare, lessons to give, worries about home, and so little sleep.  I had a one day breakdown of sorts.  I fretted, I cried, and I moped.  When those failed to bring me relief, I had John give me a blessing, I got down on my knees, and I pled for help.  It’s amazing how quickly I found relief.  I was given comfort and assurance.  I was given strength and faith.  I was given peace and joy.  I had to speak Saturday night at a stake Relief Society fireside.  The theme of the fireside was ‘I Believe in Christ’.  It was a blessing to prepare that talk.  As I reviewed my own testimony of the Savior, I realized that my faith in Him is vital and thriving.  He does understand my sorrows and concerns.  He does send help in ways that give maximum relief.  He is always there.  This week I feel wonderful.  I feel happy and healthy.  Ready to put in the required long days.  I feel grateful.  He is my Savior, my Redeemer, my Strength.  Our windshields may be icy and our home chilled, but our lives are truly warmed by the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Matt Ziegler leaves for his mission this week.  He is going to Brisbane, Australia.  He is the first missionary to leave since we arrived.  He is a great young man.

Good luck Matt.  We will miss you!

No Raptures Happening Here

American Evangelist, Harold Camping, made headline news in New Zealand for several days before May 21, 2011, the day he predicted was to be Judgment Day.  Earthquakes were to begin at 6 p.m. local time with New Zealand being one of the first places hit.  I heard him interviewed on the early morning news.  He told the interviewer that his calculations were made after years of studying the Bible, and he was 100% positive it was going to happen.  We heard that some of his followers actually quit their jobs.  Millions of dollars were spent warning people on billboards and other forms of advertisement. 

Scepticism was rampant with people planning to fake raptures—clothes and shoes left lying in the streets.  As 6 p.m. Saturday came and went, the internet buzzed with peoples’ humorous responses. 

We believe that “no man knoweth’ the day or the hour of the Savior’s second coming, and we know there are prophecies that yet need to be fulfilled before he comes, but this whole thing has been rather sobering to me.  I have heard the atheists of the world make fun of every apocalyptic prediction.  They ridicule anyone who suggests that God has given commandments and has expectations for us.  Judgment is simply not an acceptable word.  I can hear Noah’s critics in their phrases, I can hear in their mocking voices the same tone that Nephi heard from the people just prior to Christ’s birth;  “And they began to rejoice over their brethren, saying: Behold the time is past, and the words of Samuel are not fulfilled; therefore, your joy and your faith concerning this thing has been vain.  And it came to pass that they did make a great uproar throughout the land”.

I was not worried about May 21, but I do know that Jesus Christ will come again.  I can see in the conditions of the world many of the signs given, and a great need for His coming.  I long for a world where He reigns in righteousness, where there is love and harmony, and where Satan is bound by the good lives of the people.  I know it is coming and I know that preparation is essential.  I do not take these things lightly.  I hope that in our work here, we will become more ready for that day. 

I have no pictures, no stories, no humorous anecdotes, just a somberness this week born of people’s lives filled with sorrow and worry.  Doesn’t the millennium sound wonderful?

Where Did That Week Go?

I can hardly believe that it is Monday morning again and time to write another post.  The work tends to be the same each week; prepare lessons, give lessons, prepare talks, give talks, shepherd online students, work with piano students and choir, and host Family Home Evening.  However, each week has its little surprises.

Last Monday night, we waited for the kids to show up for FHE.  At 7:00 I said to John, “Where are they?  Abby is always here by now.”  Kiwis tend to run a little late, but Abby is prompt.  Amy, who was giving the lesson, called to say they had changed it to the institute building because of an activity she planned.  When we got there, we found this…

Those darling kids had planned a surprise birthday party for me.  Amy asked me a few weeks ago what food I missed the most.  I told her Mexican.  They made valiant efforts to  cook something Mexican, they decorated the building, and they celebrated with gusto.  It was a wonderful surprise.

The food was good, the people are great.  I want to introduce a few of them…

This is Michael Lafaele.  He is one of the most sincere, faithful, and kind young men I have ever met.  He returned from a Japanese mission just one week before the huge earthquake there.  He is taking piano lessons from me and doing amazingly well. 

Sina Posala, a university student from Samoa studying engineering, and Ellen Chan, our choir director.  Ellen is also a university student studying music.

Hayley Lee has recently moved down from the north island and is studying to be a pharmacy tech.  Gabriel Fa—well, he’s just Gabe—delightful.

Nikita Peters, first year university student studying something in science, and Lurita Kurene who is studying to be a nurse.  Lurita’s father is the bishop of the Avonside ward.  They are still making a daily trek down the street to a communal shower in the back of a truck.  They are living in such difficult circumstances and enduring it with perfect grace.

Wiki Kurene, another daughter in the amazing Kurene family.

Amy Bourne, the party planner, with a piece of the colorful cake she made.

They all made me feel so loved and I love them right back. 

We took a few hours one afternoon to visit Willowbank with the Bournes.

 

Willowbank is a wildlife reserve and I was anxious to see a real, live Kiwi.  The Kiwis are kept in a nocturnal house where their schedules are reversed by turning lights on at night and keeping the house dark during the daytime.  The birds are awake when visitors come through.  It took a while for my eyes to adjust, but I did find one.  We couldn’t take any pictures in the nocturnal house, but John did take pictures of some of the other New Zealand wildlife.

This eel came right out of the water as Amy offered a spoonful of eel food.  We were careful to keep our fingers out of the way.  They bite! 

There were many strange looking birds.

This is a pukeko bird.  You see these all over New Zealand.

One of the workers brought this wallaby over so that we could pet him.

Very soft.  I wouldn’t mind one of these for a pet.

We attended our first netball game this week.  We went to see Brodie Ridler play.  I haven’t figured out the rules of the game, but I know that you cannot dribble, once you catch the ball you can not run, and the shooters have all the time in the world to set a shot with no one trying to steal the ball or block their shots.  It is usually a female sport and all the players wear little short skirts.  Although Saturday was sunny and beautiful, this is a winter sport, and they play in rain, sleet, and hail.  They never call off a game.  The courts at Hagley Park are always packed.

Brodie is the furthest to the right.

Funny hoops with no backboards.  Only two people from each team are allowed to shoot. 

My trip to Ashburton this week was especially pleasant.  Last week I taught some of the kids about chording and turned them loose on a couple of simplified hymns.  I could hardly contain myself when I heard them play this week.  Three of them will soon be ready to play in sacrament meeting.  They were just as delighted as I was.  I watch their faces as I explain, and I can see the lights going on in their heads.  I love it.

I missed my Uncle Hap’s funeral this week.  Jill gave me a full, detailed report on all of the talks, but I missed being with the Holmsteads and Johnsons.  We were one big family growing up with an extra set of parents to discipline us and to love us.  Uncle Hap called me “a rum-dumb kid”, but I always knew he loved me.  He was a great man and I will miss him.

When Andrew was on his mission, he sent us a picture with the caption, “buzz-recovery”.  You can guess what his hair looked like.  We laughed at that and have since quoted him whenever we have seen a bad haircut.  This week I sent John to the barber for a haircut.  I have cut his hair for years, but our clippers don’t work in New Zealand, John’s hair was extra long, and I did not have any extra time this weekend.  The result—BUZZ-RECOVERY!!

Today is Eric’s birthday in New Zealand.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY ERIC!!!  We love you so much and hope there are people in your life that make your day very special.     

As Old As The Hills

I turned 61 on Saturday.  How did that happen?  It seems I was just a young mother trying to get my kids to finish their school work, to brush their teeth, and to refrain from fighting in sacrament meeting.  Now here I am, one year away from social security.  It hardly seems possible, but then I look down at my hands as I type this or feel the ache in my foot that refuses to heal, and I think perhaps I have miscalculated.  Maybe I’m really 75.  At nights, as I fall exhausted into my heated bed, I fear that I will not be able to get up the next day.  However, when morning comes, I find enough energy to do another day’s work, and these are long, full days.

Each day this past week began with showers at 5:00 so that we could be at the institute building by 6:00 to teach the early morning seminary class for the Riccarton Ward.  Barbara Clendon, their teacher, was attending stake temple week in Hamilton.  She has a class of 20 kids that are wonderful to teach.  The highlight of the week came when we skyped one of Eric’s seminary classes at Mountain Crest in Utah.  The New Zealand kids were so surprised to learn that seminary was a course in school, that there were 1400 students enrolled in Mountain Crest seminary, and that everyone in Logan wasn’t a BYU fan.  Eric’s class was interested in the school uniforms, in the kiwi accents, and in the sports that New Zealanders play.  Te Teira Pitama spoke some Maori for them and Emma Lafaele told about living with earthquakes.  They talked about being Latter-day saint youth in Utah and in New Zealand.  The Christchurch kids loved it and wanted to do it at least once a month.  They didn’t realize that school is almost over in Hyrum, and that next year those students will not be in the same class.  The New Zealand students are only 1/3 of the way through with their school year and they will be together in seminary until they finish their four years.  I loved teaching them last week, but I’m rather glad that it is not something we have to do every day—not enough sleep.

This week was also the first week back from school holidays so online seminary started up again.  With the addition of the five kids from Avonside, I now have 23 students enrolled.  It takes a lot of time to respond to their work everyday, call when they are getting behind, and prepare lessons for our Friday class over the phone lines and computers.  I’m so glad that I’m given the freedom to modify lessons, because I have some students who have minimal knowledge of the most basic gospel principles.  I have students who have very poor literacy skills, and I have some who have very slow computer connections.  These lessons require kids to download videos and music, and each family has a given number of gb’s (is that how you indicate gigabytes, Mike?) they can use per month.  When they are used up, the family goes to dial-up speed and it becomes nearly impossible for them to complete their work. The kids from Avonside are still walking down the street to a large truck for their daily showers and are still living without flush toilets.   It’s a different world down here, and with all their problems, I was pleasantly surprised to see so many of them start right up again on Monday morning. 

We started a New Testament class on Wednesday afternoons.  We have five university students that come and we are having a wonderful time.  Each of these students comes because he or she wants to develop a deeper relationship with the Savior.  With only five in the class we can really have some great discussions.  Last week I tried to set the stage historically for the birth of Christ.  We talked about what took place between the Old and New Testaments.  It’s always amazing to me how many people can’t quite get the whole Abraham, Isaac, Jacob (Israel), and the 12 tribes thing sorted out.  Our class was only supposed to last 1 hour, but some kids stayed for another hour asking questions until it all made sense to them. 

Dallin Caldwell shares my birthday with me and my sister-in-law Marilyn (Happy Birthday, Marilyn).  His new wife, Rachel, threw him a surprise birthday party and they invited us old folks to join in.  I was willing to play ‘pin the tail on the donkey’ and ‘charades’, but some things I just had to observe.

Trevor Anderson bobs for apples as Tui tries to find enough space for her head.  The girls were not as aggressive as the boys and ended up losing.

The winners: Jordan, Jeremy, Maverick, and Trevor.

The losers: Brodie, Drew, Tui, and Dallin.

Jordan and Drew had to retrieve a lolly from a plate of shaving cream, and these little glasses are filled with all kinds of horrible things.  Each person drew a slip of paper telling them what they had to drink.

Maverik and Dallin got the hot peppers.

Alyse drank something with lots of tobasco sauce and Michael drank a raw egg.  My gag reflex was going and I was only watching.

These kids always make us feel welcome and loved.  They were so kind to me on my birthday and Mother’s Day.  Luckily they are all moving to Utah in a year because I would never be able to leave them.

I feel like my commitment has been tested all the way along.  I realized that a mission would involve leaving my children, grandchildren, and my comfortable home.  I went.  The earthquake and all its aftershocks left us shaken and without flushing toilets and clean water.  I stayed.  Darling Sam was born and I couldn’t hold him or kiss him.  I stayed.  I nearly failed this week’s test.  I found the largest spider I’ve ever seen in the bathroom of our flat.  I have heard talk about the Huntsman Spiders of Australia.  They say they are huge but harmless.  Harmless, my foot!  Don’t they know that heart attacks are more deadly than spider bites.  I have vowed never to go to that continent (sorry Barbara and Greg).  This spider was a very close relative to the Huntsman.  I ripped the towel rack off the wall in my haste to get out of the room and to let John in to smash it.  I have been unable to sleep since.  I know that he has brothers or sons that will be out for revenge.  It has been my biggest test so far, but I’m staying.

Every Six Months

Janice has given me the responsibility for this week’s Blog.  She says that I need to chime in and express how I feel about things on our mission every once in a while. So I will have a go at it, as they say down here.

The Week of no significant, distinguishing events.

This week of our mission is marked by no significant, distinguishing events. The schools are all out for “Holiday”, which means the Seminary students are out as well as the University students. Brother Bell was not out of town visiting the North Island; we were not traveling this week either. There were not many students coming to the Institute Building, but, we did start our first daytime Institute class on the New Testament. There were three students in attendance. We think more will attend as we continue in the next few weeks. We did have Family Home Evening on Monday night although there were fewer in attendance since many were on Holiday. We held our usual Thursday evening Institute class, which again was lower in attendance due to students being out of town. Janice taught Brother Bourne’s class on the Old Testament, (Brother Bourne was on the North Island visiting their daughter and a new grandson) and I taught a class on Joseph F. Smith, in the “Presidents of the Church” course that we are teaching. We served Scones for the refreshment afterwards. These were a hit. Here I must explain that when I say “Scones” I was referring to the fried dough kind of scones that we know of at home. In England and here in NZ, scones are similar to our biscuits, and when they talk about “biscuits”, they are referring to “cookies”. It get’s confusing, but we can talk more about this later. Any way we served these fried scones, with honey butter, and they gobbled them up.

There were no film crews at the Institute Building. As I mentioned we did not travel, so we have no new pictures to show. There were no major  earthquakes, although we are still having frequent aftershocks, we hardly pay attention to the 3.5 or lower ones. We had one at 5.2 last week and it was hardly mentioned by anyone here.

So, Janice is not writing this blog for this week. I am going to put in my two cents, with the mention of the fact that they really don’t have pennies here in New Zealand. They start out with a coin that is pretty much the same size as our penny, and is made of copper, but it is worth ten cents. Then they have a silver coin that looks like a nickel, worth twenty cents, then a fifty cent piece, about the size of a U.S. quarter, then a smaller gold colored coin worth one dollar and then a larger gold colored piece worth two dollars. I would take some pictures of their money to show you, but, I don’t have any. Oh, wait! I’ll get a picture online. Then we go to the paper money which starts out with the five dollar bill, (there are no one’s) the ten dollar bill, twenty, then fifty then one hundred. I myself have never seen a fifty or a one hundred dollar bill, but they are out there. We really don’t use much in the way of currency; most everyone uses the plastic stuff, what they call “eftpos”, or ‘Electronic Funds Transfer at Point of Sale’.

 

 

We have many times mentioned the differences between our culture in the U.S. and the daily practices and culture here among the people of New Zealand. They are a lovely and a diverse people, but of course have strong ties with Great Britain and the Crown. New Zealand is loyal to the Queen and the Royalty, and of course the big wedding of William and Kate was a focus of the country this last weekend. There are many people here with ties to Europe, Japan, China, India, Near East, and of course the South Sea Islands. I have also met people from Mexico, Peru, Argentina, Chile, Russia, Canada, and even some strange place called Idaho. The Maori people are wonderful and have a strong cultural influence. There is a Maori television station that is dedicated to preserving their language and culture. This is truly a “melting pot”. Some of the things that we had to get used to are: of course, driving on the other side of the road and the steering wheel on the right not the left. The food is similar to the food I ate in England on my first mission, so that was not as big a deal for me as it is for Janice, but, it still takes getting used to. That is especially true when Janice tries to bake or make recipes. They measure things in weight not volume. Their temperatures are measured in Celsius not Fahrenheit, their Christmas is in the summer, and their Easters are in the fall. It just seems that everything is backwards here, and I know it is not, it is just different from what I am used to. It is like the old debate I used to get into with people about which is better, Macintosh computers or PCs, they are both good, they are just different. What you get used to is usually what you like because of the familiarity of it.

What I want to talk about now, is what I have found that has a familiar spirit. The members of the Church here in New Zealand have a definite familiar spirit. That same thing hit me very quickly when I was on my first mission in England. I quickly (during the first Sacrament meeting I attended near Bambury, England) learned that the saints are the same everywhere they gather and worship God. That is a testimony to me of the truthfulness of the Church. I can also remember being shocked when I found that there were such great differences in the basic doctrines of two village parishes of the Church of England.  I read an article in the local paper about the differences that two local Vicars were having over some doctrine. They were both left to interpret and teach what they wanted to teach. There was no direction from authorities above them, they could make whatever they wanted, their doctrine, and could debate the teachings of others in the same faith. That does not happen in the LDS faith, if it does, someone gets set straight very quickly. The doctrine is the same here in New Zealand as it is in Zimbabwe, and as it is in Utah. It is taught the same now as it was when Christ taught it, and when it was restored by Joseph Smith, and when it was taught from the pulpit and in the classrooms yesterday in church. The members here express strong heartfelt testimonies. They are well versed in the scriptures, we have learned so much from them, and have been strengthened by them.

The question might be asked, “What can you contribute to those that you serve there?” We are trying to answer that question every day. I know that each member can contribute to others if they are humble and seek the spirit. We try to do that. With the spirit we can share our testimonies and the things that we have learned over the years with these wonderful young people. We can encourage, and love them, and they love back. When they know that we love them and want to help strengthen them, they are open to the spirit, and we can teach. Janice has so many great talents that she can share; teaching piano, sewing, sharing recipes, and sharing her wonderful knowledge and teaching capabilities and the spirit of her testimony. She is wonderful to watch. I can’t keep up with her. These young people are drawn to her and her warmth and love. Therefore, she is able to give so much to them. She has a great ability to connect with them and influence them in wonderful ways.

What we want to do here is strengthen. We both want to have these YSA and young Seminary students find what the Gospel of Jesus Christ offers each of us, and that is joy. They will find joy in the Gospel when they can have the private religious experience that each of us needs to have in our lives to sustain our testimonies. The Holy Ghost needs to touch their hearts and minds with the knowledge and strength necessary to sustain them throughout their lives. They need to know that they are the future of the Church here in New Zealand. The Church will only be as strong as their testimonies are. The Church is true, it will not fail, and they need to be a part of it. These young people are influencing each other here in remarkable ways. We see that every day. They reach out, and are kind; they reach out and share testimony; they reach out and comfort when comfort is needed. Each one strengthens others in ways only they can, and it is remarkable to see. It is the way all members need to be. Love and charity. These earthquakes here in Christchurch have steeled these people, they are shaken, but they will triumph. We love these people.

Ok, I have some news for the sports fans out there. This past week the New Zealand Breakers, a Professional Basketball team here just won the equivalent of the NBA Championship. This is the first time they have done that. The team happens to have a former Utah State Aggie basketball player.  Most of you will remember Gary Wilkinson, a red headed Center that played for USU a couple of years ago if not last year. He contributed greatly to their success during the season, the playoffs, and the final game. The Breakers beat a team from Australia. They are the only team from outside of Australia to compete in their National Basketball League, an Australian League. Last week, the Breakers won their first NBL championship title, becoming the first New Zealand first-grade team in any sport to win an Australian-based sporting championship.

Also, it goes without saying, that Rugby is BIG in New Zealand, I mean Huge! New Zealand is hosting the World Ruby Championship this year, and the Kiwis are stoked about it!  It was interesting to read in the Deseret News that the BYU Rugby Team is one of the best Collegiate Rugby teams in the U.S.. They dominate their league, and are one of the favorites to win the National title. One of the reasons the team is so good is the Rugby Program at Highland High, and another one in the Provo area. The other reason they are so good is because many Islanders from N.Z., Samoa, and Tonga and Fiji, want to go there and play, even though there are no Scholarships for the Rugby program at BYU, Go Cougs!

Next week we’ll be back to your regular writer, Janice.