More Energy Give Me

Whoever wrote the lyrics to the hymn “More Holiness Give Me” thought of everything but that.  This week has been exhausting.  We have had so much to do and there didn’t seem to be enough hours in the days—even if we started at 5:30 a.m.  However, we got everything done and I only had one minor break-down.  The Lord really does magnify us when we give it all we’ve got.

Online seminary class started this morning, January 31, 2011.  We have worked very hard to round up students.  It was suggested that we have between 7 and 15 students for manageability and to provide a feeling of group membership.  When we started out, we were worried about finding 7 kids.  We ended up registering 19.  We realize that since last year was such a miserable failure, some of them are going in with a negative attitude.  We’re not sure that we can get them through to completion, but others are very enthusiastic and their parents will be great support.  We will try very hard to make it a positive experience.  We have students all over the South Island; from Waimate, Southbridge, Lincoln, Blenheim, Rolleston, Greymouth, Tapawera, and Palmerston.  We also have students on the North Island; from Taihape and Sanson.  This is a great program for students who are in isolated communities.  We know that if they have a desire to learn and to increase their testimonies, the Spirit will help them do so.  We are praying for each and every one of them.

Because we are what our children call “techno-tards”, we have needed much assistance from Salt Lake to manage the site.  Brad Boyce (Rich and Glenna’s boy from the old Logan 19th ward) has been so wonderful to work with.  He even skyped us from home when he was sick.

We did a two-day loop of the northern half of the island.  It is the first time we have gone in that direction and we spent Tuesday and Wednesday driving, driving, and more driving.  We drove about 3 hours north through dry and arid scenery, until we rounded a bend and saw this…

the beautiful turquoise water splashing against the black volcanic rock near Kaikoura.   

Just off the coast of Kaikoura are deep oceanic trenches and canyons.  These funnel cold water, rich in nutrients, up to meet warm surface currents from the north.  This mixture of temperature, combined with the nutrients, create the perfect conditions for marine life—a marine biologist’s heaven.  Seals and whales were plundered here in the 1800’s and early 1900’s.  Now they are protected and people come to spend time with creatures of the sea.  The New Zealand fur seals live in colonies on the coast.  They nap on the smooth sandstone slabs right next to the parking lot.  Visitors are told not to come between the seals and the sea, or to get too close.  They bite.

This guy didn’t act like he could be bothered by anyone.  They look friendly.

A little further up the coast we found Ohau Point seal colony. 

If you look closely at the little pond in the rocks, you can see many baby seals.

Across the street and up a little is this 5-10 minute walk to a secluded waterfall and pool.  From March to October this pool is filled with baby seals who swim up stream and stay while their mothers fish in the ocean.  Hundreds of baby seals entertain tourists with their antics. 

We will be back here when the baby seals return. 

Kaikoura is also a place to eat delicious seafood.  We stopped at this little roadside stand and ate the most wonderful, fresh fish and chips with a vegetable salad.  We shared a meal and had plenty.

Blenheim was the next stop.  Blenheim is green and lush—home to many, many vineyards.

Here we met with President Prasad, a kind and gracious man, originally from Fiji.  We met his wife and two sons who will be in our seminary class.  I can not say enough about the generosity and hospitality of the Saints in New Zealand.  The Prasads wanted us to spend the night and eat dinner with them, but we had to make it to Nelson that night. 

The next morning we met with the seminary and institute teachers in Nelson.  We met at the Well’s home, dispersed materials, and discussed the coming year. 

Brother and Sister Wells (institute teachers) and Jenny Reneti (seminary teacher) in Nelson. 

Sister Reneti and the Wells told us about Brother Wilson in Tapawera, a village about 45 minutes south of Nelson.  He is raising some grandchildren who might benefit from online seminary.  We decided to go in search of them.  Going west would mean we could hit Greymouth and the west coast on our way back.

Shanelle and Shannon McMillan in Tapawera.  Their grandfather, Duncan Wilson, really wants them to have seminary.  Shanelle seems more willing than Shannon. 

We found evidence that Paul Egan might have spent some time in New Zealand.  What do you think?

Next stop, Greymouth.  We met President Kinikini in his home and once again were greeted with warmth and kisses.  These people live in humble circumstances, yet they are willing to share and give so much.  The Kinikinis wanted us to stay overnight with them and have a big breakfast, but we needed to be in Christchurch by 6:30 that night.  They told us their back door was always open to the missionaries, and, even if no one was home, we could come in and rest and eat anything we could find.  Their daughter, Heamoni, and a neighbor, Sione, will be in our seminary class. 

The way home was through Arthur’s Pass.  Rob has been trying to get us to take a P-day and drive through Arthur’s Pass.  I can see why.  It was spectacular.  The west side of this island gets lots of rain and so these mountains were heavily forested.  The roads were VERY narrow (absolutely no shoulder) and VERY curvy.  It was difficult to take pictures because there was no place to pull over and it was raining, but John did a pretty good job with these.

I kept thinking of Todd while we drove along the edge of these drop-offs.  I’m not sure he would have enjoyed this as much as I did. 

There is a car park at the very top.  As we pulled over we noticed these birds.

Kea birds—one on the top of the car and one on a post to the right of the car.  We assumed that these were pets of the people in the vehicle and that they were just giving them a little outside time.  When we got home we asked and found out they are Kea birds—wild, mountain parrots.  Cars left unattended in Arthur’s Pass will be stripped of all the rubber around windows and doors. Windshield wiper blades and antennas will also be taken by these birds with very strong beaks.

Like every place in New Zealand, the scenery changes rapidly.  You go through wooded mountains in the Pass, to these mountains with little vegetation and giant scree slopes.

We made it home in time for an “Australia Day” celebration at the Bournes’ who are transplants from Australia.  We sang the national anthem, ate Australian food including ‘Vegemite’, and practiced our Aussie accent.  We thought of our friends the Bakers and wondered if they were celebrating also.

Thursday night we had institute and Choir.  Our choir doubled since last time. 

These boys look silly, but they really sounded pretty good.

After institute we visited with Tui Jameson-Day (I wish I had her picture to put here) until after midnight.  It has been very easy to love these young adults and the other people we meet here, but Tui is in a class all by herself.  Sometimes in life we meet people who enlarge our souls and help us to see what a great blessing life is.  Tui is one of those people.  She is 25 years old and a widow.  Tui told us of her life, of her time away from the church, and her marriage to Chris.  Chris was not a member but was a good person, and she knows that if she had gone back to church, he would have followed.  A year ago, Chris went on a motorcycle rally.  As she kissed him goodbye, she felt a deep and unexplainable sadness.  For the first time in many years she got down on her knees and told her Heavenly Father that she wanted to change her life. 

Chris had an accident that day and the next 15 days were spent in the hospital by his side.  His parents, non-members, were there, too.  Chris was an only child.  His injuries caused him to have several strokes and the decision was finally made to remove him from life support.  Tui, with tears running down her cheeks, told us of the powerful spiritual experiences she had during those 15 days in the hospital.  Chris was given a Priesthood blessing and the Spirit was so powerful in the room that everyone felt peace.  Tui was alone with Chris as he died.  She said she told him not to worry about her, that she would be all right.  As his spirit left his body, she felt his arms around her and then, he was gone. 

Her story is not different from many others, but her attitude is.  She says it was the most beautiful thing she has ever experienced and that she is truly amazed at the gentle way that God has steered her back in the right direction.  Someone on the outside looking in on her life, would think her experience was gut-wrenching, not gentle.  But, because of her experiences with the Comforter, she has felt the loving hand of her Heavenly Father supporting her and correcting her.  Tui says that she is enjoying the journey, that she feels completely protected and cared for by God.  She trusts Him and His plan for her. 

Chris’s parents have since joined the Church.  What they felt in that hospital was undeniable.  Tui is definitely my hero of the week.  I got a chance to meet Tui’s mom and Chris’s mom in Rangiora on Sunday.  What wonderful women!

Saturday we had a Young Adult activity at the Canterbury Museum in downtown Christchurch. 

It was an interesting museum with a few things we don’t have in museums back home, like…

stuffed kiwis, and

vehicles for exploring the Antarctic.

Saturday afternoon it was down to Ashburton for piano lessons.  I had about the same amount of students, but this time they came in two sessions.  Next week I’ll divide them again after I get a sense of their capabilities.  They are all so cute and so eager.  I’m still working on getting a keyboard for one of the families.

Sunday we were asked to speak in the Rangiora branch—about 30 minutes north of Christchurch.  During the combined Priesthood and Relief Society meeting they talked about 72 hour kits.  Emergency preparedness is a big topic here.  It was mentioned in the meeting that many people believe the September earthquake was only a precursor to a bigger quake yet to come.  There was also some mention of the volcanoes that we are living on.  I don’t know what they’re all worried about, we haven’t had a quake for 4 or 5 days.  I don’t think our 72 hour kit in Bountiful is going to do us much good here.  When we get a minute, we’ll start working on a new one.

One last item—a little invention of John’s that I found quite amusing.  Rather than purchase something, John always uses what is available.  That’s why he tends to be a little like a pack-rat.  He can see value in everything.  Before we went on our trip, I suggested we buy some file container to collect our receipts.  John came up with this little beauty…

a clear plastic sheet cover, cut off so that it will fit in the glove compartment.  The top is folded down and held in place by a paper clip.  Large receipts can be put in that way.  However, and here is the genius, he cut a little slot in the cover and reinforced it with tape.  (John just informed me that it is not just reinforcement, but it is a little handle that you can lift up—“Genius”, he says.)  Smaller receipts slide right in.  He won’t feel a bit badly if you want to make one of your own.

Institute gets into full swing in two weeks.  I don’t think things are going to be slowing down anytime soon.  I need more energy, more patience, and more sleep.

The Best Laid Plans…

This mission is good for me in so many ways.  I know I will go home much more flexible and able to roll with the punches.  This week it seemed nothing went off as we planned, but, as Kiwi’s say, “No worries.  It’s all good.”

We planned a trip to Greymouth to visit with the Branch President there.  We are still trying to put together an online Seminary class for kids who live in isolated areas.  There are a few potential students on the west coast that we would like to recruit.  Although the skies were clear in Christchurch, we heard the weather report for Greymouth and learned that there was flooding there.  When we called President Kinikini, he said that some of the roads had been closed due to the flooding and suggested we cancel our trip.  He was coming to Christchurch on Friday anyway, and we could meet here.  We gave him our phone number, he promised to call on Friday.  We never heard from him.  Perhaps we’ll drive out later this week. 

I have been wanting to drive west over Arthur’s Pass, and Greymouth has been much in the news lately because of the mining disaster.  Just before Christmas a coal mining accident left 29 people dead.  This week they decided to seal off the mine and terminate the recovery process.  The families were petitioning for further efforts to retrieve the bodies. 

We’ll plan another trip.

I planned to make Sarah’s cookies for Institute this Thursday night.  Todd’s daughter Sarah lived with us this past summer, and every Sunday evening she made us the most delicious cookies.  We have been going through withdrawal.  Sarah sent me the recipe, I bought all the ingredients, and I watched the oven like a hawk.  They were good, but they didn’t taste like Sarah’s.  I have written before about the differences in basic ingredients.  I can see the difference in the flour and the sugars, but I can’t figure out how to compensate.  Their butter, like all their dairy products, is better than ours, so that great buttery taste was still there.  The Young Adults loved them.   I’ve had several of the kids tell me that if I want to build up numbers at the institute, I should just keep cooking.

Sarah’s cookies.  The kids took one look at these and said, “They look like American cookies.”  I had lots of questions about how I made them so chewy and soft.  I think New Zealand ‘biscuits’ are usually dry and crunchy.

I plan to try again this week—another Kiwi version of an American treat.

I planned to teach piano to six students in Ashburton.  They were to come two at a time to the church.  I knew it would be difficult to teach two at once, but I only had so much time.  However, when I got there I found this…

Twelve kids came—all at the same time.  They varied in age from 8 to 21, and were all eager to play the piano.  I did the best I could with the situation.  Because it was the first lesson, there were several things we could tackle as a large group.  Each person got to spend a little time at the keyboard, but for next week, I suggested that they come in smaller groups.  I have no idea how many of them will stick with this--most of them do not have keyboards available for practice,  but I know they have innate talent and I wish there was more I could do for them.  I’m going to see if the church supplies keyboards in these situations.  

Look at the piano hands on this beautiful little girl.

Mata Touli helps some of the younger students practice on a make-believe keyboard.

I plan to go back again next Saturday—hopefully they’ll come in smaller groups as I suggested.

Have I learned my lesson?  No!  This week is all planned including a trip north to Blenheim and Nelson.

Just a word or two about the weather.  New Zealand weather is all over the place.  It can be very hot for one or two days, and then it turns cold and rainy.  We go from summer clothes to winter clothes and back to summer clothes all in the course of a week.  The most difficult thing to get used to is the lack of central heating and air conditioning.  There is no controlling your environment.  People keep their windows open to catch the breezes when it is hot, but there are no screens on the windows.  Luckily, there are not many flying insects.  It will be interesting to see how things go in the winter.  We have a heat pump in our living room.  People say they are great, but I’m not sure how that one little unit will effectively warm the whole house.

We all become so accustomed to our way of living and adapting takes time.  I had one Kiwi tell me that she had spent some time in America in the winter and she hated the central heating.  She thought the houses were too warm and she didn’t like leaving a warm building and getting hit in the face with the cold air.  The contrast was too stark for her. 

I’m just so grateful I’m not on a tropical island with high temperatures and high humidity.  So far, I would consider this climate very pleasant.  

Sick A Bed On Two Chairs

I’m not sure where that phrase comes from, but in our family it comes from Vere via Beaver Dam.  That and “How’d you hit ya, bite ya, scratch ya, pinch ya?” were the two things we heard as children whenever there was pain or sickness involved.  Well, I was “sick a bed on two chairs” this week and a miserable week it was—for me anyway.  It made me feel even worse that I was unable to help with all the work that needed to be done.  Wednesday I felt so rotten that death sounded good to me.  Thursday I woke up with a sore throat that hurt even without swallowing.  John looked in my throat, saw white spots, and diagnosed me with strep throat.  Elder Burton the mission doctor for the south sea islands (the Burtons were in our district at the MTC and are from Heber City, Utah), happened to be in Christchurch that day for a zone conference.  John told him about me and he said I should go ahead and take the antibiotic that I brought with me from home.  I started at once, but today (Monday) is my first day back at work.  I never would have believed I could look forward to putting on nylons and a skirt, but this morning it made me happy.

After five days in bed—that is one big fever blister.  How’d ya hit ya, bite ya, scratch ya, pinch ya?

That hairdo is truly a work of art and probably the most beautiful thing in New Zealand this week.

Thank you to my kids, grandkids, Uncle Ned, and Beverly for entertaining me on the phone and keeping me from giving up the ghost in this far-away land.  I also had a chance to read the January Ensign cover to cover.  I had a favorite article, the one by Elder Johnson. 

John not only took care of me, but he held down the fort at the institute (Brother Bell was on the North Island for the week), took care of Thursday night Institute and Sunday Night CES Fireside, and held inservice for the seminary teachers in the Christchurch area. 

Christchurch seminary inservice; Sister Clendon--Riccarton Ward, Brother Bourne-High Council Advisor, Sister Matthews—Cashmere Ward, and Sister Wood—Rangiora Branch.  John had a separate meeting with Sister Campbell of the Opawa Ward.

John set this table up for inservice all by himself.  We made the breads (zucchini and coconut) long before I got sick and froze them.  I especially like the napkins at either end—nice touch.

Lying in bed gave me plenty of time to think.  Maintaining happiness on a mission is something like walking on a tightrope carrying a long pole for balance.  One side of the pole gets weighed down and threatens to disturb my balance when things of the world become a large portion of my thoughts, but just as I start wobbling, the Lord adds something to the other end of my pole.  If I start having worries or concerns about my loved ones back home, He gives me faith promoting experiences that shore up my trust in God and His plan for each of us.  If I start feeling that I’m not qualified for all that I have been asked to do, He sends me loving people to teach me and assure me that I can.  When I am sick and missing the comforts of home, He sends Margaret Bourne to my door with a huge pot of healthy and delicious chicken soup.  I am blessed and I am grateful.

This week I have rediscovered many things about myself—mostly things I’m not proud of.  I’m definitely spoiled, whiny, and impatient (I’m sure all of these things come as a surprise to everyone back home).  John is just the opposite.  I don’t believe I’ve ever heard him whine in nearly 38 years, he’s definitely not spoiled, and he has the patience of Job.  Everything and every situation is just fine, he doesn’t waste energy thinking negatively.  He is so kind to me and so good for me, too.  I finished a book recently by Bo Caldwell called ‘City of Tranquil Light’.  It is a novel based on the lives of the author’s grandparents who were Mennonite missionaries to China in the 19th century.  Katherine wrote something about Will that is exactly what I feel about John:

“He has a gentle spirit that I admire, probably all the more so because of my own impetuousness and impatience.  At times I see my opposite in him, and being with him is like taking a cool drink of water.  He calms me, and when I am with him I feel hopeful and refreshed.”

When my Heavenly Father asks me to raise children in a difficult world, to serve a mission, or to become more like Him and His Son, He gives me John to help me and steady me when I teeter.  I could not do it alone.  I love him more each day.

On The Road Again

I keep anticipating a week with nothing to post; a week filled with only boring activities, boring details, and boring people.  However, each week is filled with new visuals, new adventures, new challenges, and people with new stories.  So, here we go again. 

I started an Institute Choir—well an Institute Double Quartet.

Elder Stauffer, Matt, Steven, David, Tui, Michaela, Laura, and Amy.

I was keen on starting (that’s how kiwis talk) next week when everyone will be back from the holidays (New Zealanders take holidays and vacations very seriously and we missed everyone over the Christmas and New Year’s break).  But, when I mentioned to our holiday-diminished Thursday night institute class that we would be starting next week, they insisted we give it a go right then.  None of the boys had ever sung before, but with John to help them with their parts, they sounded pretty good.  The girls were excellent.  It may take a while to build this choir to a respectable size, but I think we can do it.

I also started teaching piano lessons.  This week I have one student…

Amy thinks that playing the piano would be a useful skill for her mission.  I tend to agree with her.  It would also be a useful skill for her future life in New Zealand.  All of the wards could use people proficient in keyboard skills.  She seems very determined to learn, and practices more than any student I’ve ever had.  Next week I start teaching in Ashburton.  There are 6-8 people who want to take lessons down there.  Ashburton is a one hour drive south of Christchurch.  I’m using the keyboarding course that the church has developed and I think it is great. 

Sunday we started our second trip south to pass out materials for the new seminary year which begins in three weeks.  This time John and I were on our own.  Brother Bell gave us telephone numbers and addresses, and told us to make appointments and plan our trip.  Since we had already been introduced to most of the teachers on our first trip, we had a feel for everyone and their programs, or so we thought.  We found a few unexpected situations and deepened our love and appreciation for these wonderful teachers.

Sunday morning we met with Mata Touli, the seminary teacher in Ashburtton.

Mata is from Samoa and a member of the remarkable Touli family.  There are at least 12 children in the family (I counted during sacrament meeting, but I think there may be some married or on missions.)  a few years ago, Brother and Sister Touli, the parents of several small children, were visited by some friends (or family members, I’m not clear about which) who asked them to raise their children if something happened to them.  Within weeks, both parents were killed in an accident and the Touli family doubled in size.  This family is remarkable; loving, happy, hardworking, and devoted to the gospel.  Two of the boys have served missions, Mata’s sister leaves for a Missouri mission in 2 months, and Mata will put in her papers when she turns 21 this summer.  In the mean time, she teaches seminary.  She talked to us about her fears and hesitancy when the Branch President asked her to teach.  She felt that she was not capable, but finally agreed.  She told us about how much she loves her calling.  She never misses a morning, even when she’s sick, because she doesn’t want to miss any part of the curriculum.  Her students, many of them her siblings, are also very dedicated.  One of her students, Matthew, was a non-member who asked if he could come with some of the Touli boys.  He was baptized because of his experiences at seminary, and now his whole family has joined the church.   The youth in Ashburton seminary are very blessed.

We stayed for sacrament meeting in Ashburton and then left immediately for Timaru, hoping to get there before their church meetings were over.  We had been unable to reach the Lentz-Reid family who have been teaching their daughter, Ineke, at home, and Karen Strong who has been teaching her Nephew, Nephi, at home.  We were planning on leaving the materials for the two families, but when we got there we met Dallin McLaughlin and Samuel Middlemiss, both 14 years old and ready and eager to begin seminary.  We knew right away that we had a problem;  seminary students and no teacher.  We met with three of the students (Nephi, and his aunt, Karen Strong, were not at church but had left a message for us to come to her house.) and their parents.  The Lentz-Reids and McLaughlins would like to have seminary class together and invite Nephi to join them.  Sister Lentz-Reid volunteered to teach the three of them at her home which is conveniently located half way between the other two, until a seminary teacher can be called.  Knowing this could be a long process, we took her up on it and gave her the materials she would need to begin.  It wasn’t till we drove away that we realized we probably didn’t have the authority to appoint a seminary teacher—sometimes I wish Paul didn’t read this blog.  I guess he’ll have to fire us or cut or salary.  Anyway, it was the best we could do with the situation.

Samuel Middlemiss lives in Waimate, a community about 45 minutes away from Timaru.  Sister Middlemiss suggested that we contact Oliver Trainor, also from Waimate and less-active, to see if he would be interested in attending seminary with Samuel.  These two would also need a teacher—we suggested that Sister Middlemiss take that on temporarily (there we go again, Paul).  If Oliver does not want to participate, then Samuel will become a member of the online class that John and I will be teaching. 

We visited with Karen Strong in her lovely home about Nephi, and we stopped at the Trainor home on our way to Oamaru.  We talked with Oliver and asked him to seriously consider participating in seminary.  We will be calling him back for his answer.  Many things to be figured out in Timaru, but lovely families and eager youth will make it happen

Next stop, Oamaru.  Longo Kaufana is the seminary teacher there.

Longo taught 2 brothers last year.  The mother of these young men is not active and their father brings them to church only when he does not have to work on Sunday, but he sees that those boys get to seminary every day.  Their mother told Longo that she overheard her sons reminding their father to pray about something he was concerned about.  The boys are learning well from this dedicated teacher who also loves her calling and sees the Lord helping her family as she dedicates herself to her work. 

We spent the night in Oamaru and headed bright and early the next morning for Omakau to visit with Brother Kahukura who teaches his two granddaughters.  We left his materials with his wife because he had been called to help shear sheep down by Milford Sound.  We missed seeing him.  He’s such a grand old man.

We stopped in Gore to take materials to Elder Risenmay.  Elder Risenmay and his wife are missionaries from Washington.

Missionaries in Gore; Elder Philip, Elder Berryman, Sister Risenmay, Elder Risenmay

Elder Risenmay is serving as the Branch President in Gore—a struggling little branch with no priesthood.  He feels very strongly that his branch members need to read the Book of Mormon and see if that book might not change their lives.  We took him materials for the Book of Mormon Institute classes.  He said that he might need some more student manuals because when he asked Sunday who would be interested in the class, nearly everyone in the ward raised their hands. The missionaries assigned to Gore, who serve as Elder Risenmay’s counselors,  also wondered if  people from Invercargill might want to join them.  Wonderful things will happen there.  I can feel them coming.

Our final and favorite seminary visit was in Invercargill with Sister DeAnn Wilson.

 

I love this picture John took of Sister Wilson.  It says so much about this 65 year old, half Maori woman.

DeAnn invited us to her house for our meeting.  We spent two hours with her, soaking in knowledge, wisdom, and testimony.  She and her husband shifted (New Zealand talk again) to Invercargill from Auckland where she was a linguistics instructor at university.  They bought five acres of land, built an energy efficient home that my father would have loved, and are trying to incorporate the philosophies of permaculture for sustainable land use and are hoping to become totally self-sufficient.  I have never known anyone with such an extensive knowledge of plants and their effects on one another and the soil.  She and her husband named their home, “Koowhai Cottage” (pronounced Kofi—long o and long i—in Maori, wh sounds like ph) after the national Koowhai tree which has dainty leaves and yellow flowers.  Koowhai is also the word for yellow in Maori.  She gave us a tour of her home and gardens and we learned so much—we learned we will never be permaculturists, there is just too much work involved. 

DeAnn fed us banana cake and fizzy (New Zealand for pop—which she only buys for company).  I was very grateful because we were starving.

Murry and DeAnn Wilson’s ‘Koowhai Cottage’

We are impressed with her mind, but we love her spirit.  She told us of 10 years that she spent completely separated from the church.  She even had her name taken from the records.  As she studied anthropology and philosophy, she got caught up in the ideas she learned.  She couldn’t come to grips with the idea of eternal truths—truths that were for all peoples and all cultures.  She was angry at the ‘conditioning’ she had received in her youth and thought that the ultimate carrot that was dangled before Mormons was the idea of the eternal family.  One slip-up and that carrot was taken away.  There were other things she struggled with as well, but her learning had made her bitter about the doctrines. 

And then, she told about the things that brought her back.  With tears in her eyes, she told of her faithful husband who has been a bishop twice and served on the high council.  He never wavered and he never once used his priesthood unrighteously.  She said that she missed kneeling with him in prayer, but when she suggested that she at least go through the motions, he would say, “What’s the point if you don’t believe?” 

She told of a faithful home teacher who brought an article from a church magazine to share.  He knew her and knew that the article would get her thinking. 

She talked about faithful young adults at the university that came from LDS homes.  Although some of them had “renegade and rebellious” parents, and the students weren’t particularly bright or gifted, they were student leaders and exceptional people.  She knew the only thing they all shared was the gospel of Jesus Christ and membership in His Church.  She was impressed by the effect it had on their lives.

And then there were the hymns.  Some hymns effected her very deeply whenever she heard them, so she refused to sing them, and was angry that her conditioning as a child had created this phenomenon.  Finally she had to admit that it was the Spirit, carried to her through music—music is a part of a Maori’s soul.

One night in the middle of the night, she sat up and said to her husband, “I need to be rebaptized.” 

She no longer has problems with the doctrines, is willing to accept many things on faith, and is a wonderful example and teacher who never has a seminary class without a hymn.

I couldn’t help thinking about the intellectual things that interfered with her testimony and drove her from the Church.  The things which brought her back were all things of the Spirit.  The Spirit is the testifier and the true converter.  I love this woman.   Isn’t she beautiful?

This weeks sights of New Zealand; hedges…

These hedges are everywhere you look.  They are used as windbreaks for paddocks, homes, fields, etc.  They are usually well manicured by a machine with huge circular blades that can cut vertically or horizontally.  Some of them are mammoth.  Notice this one next to our car.

I must take back something I said in a previous post, that Martha Stewart has not made it to New Zealand.  She came to Karen Strong’s house in Timaru.  I loved this place; modern kitchen and yard, with, you guessed it, hedges.

This country is sheep heaven.  The animals and their friends and families get to graze all day in beautiful, fluorescent green fields.

Until this time of year when they are subjected to psyche-shattering trauma.

This poor little thing reminds me of my grandchildren’s favorite Pixar short, ‘Boundin’,  about the great American Jackalope who comes upon a very sad and very shaved lamb.  The lamb says:

“I used to be something all covered with fluff,  And I’d dance in the sunlight and show off my stuff.  Then they hauled me away in a manner quite rough, And sheared me and dropped me back here in the buff.”

Other beautiful things…

The coast taken from Shag Point.

The beautiful turquoise Manuherikia River by Alexandra.

Dusk, not far out of Dunedin.

We went to Bluff, the southernmost city on the South Island.

From this point, only Stewart Island stands between us and Antarctica.  I said, “John, we’re this close.  We’ve got to go to Antarctica.”  He said, “No!”  I said, “If Brad was my companion, he’d go with me.”  John said, “Well he’s not, and we’re not.”  He’s such a spoil-sport.

This is Tracker, an oyster fisherman and Bluff resident.  You have to be tough to live in Bluff.  It get’s mighty cold and mighty windy.

John on the top of the hill overlooking Bluff.  That is ocean in the background and the mountains of Steward Island.

On the way back up the coast, we stopped to see the Boulders of Moeraki.  Although these boulders appear to have been washed up by the sea, scientists believe they were formed millions of years ago inland as ‘mud balls’ that hardened through chemical changes.  Over millions of years of erosion they were exposed at the edge of the ocean.

The Church has some kind of deal worked out with Mobile and Shell for cheaper prices on gas.  We buy gas only from those two service stations.  After almost two days of driving, we were running low on gas. (Johnsons, see if this story sounds at all familiar.)  John pulled up to a Shell station in Alexandra, but the line was rather long and I suggested that we get some at a future town.  However, the towns between Alexandra and Gore were very small, with no Mobile or Shell petrol stations.  We were out in the middle of nowhere and…

There are supposed to be bars going all the way up to the F.  We were driving on fumes.  It was “spooky-dumb”, to quote my father.  But, we made it to Gore and it cost about $94.00 to fill up.  That was an empty tank.  From now on, we do what they told us at the MTC, never let your tank get below half full.

Our hearts are overflowing with love and gratitude to our Father in Heaven and His son, Jesus Christ.  We know they go with us, we can feel them helping us, and we are certain they are blessing our loved ones at home.