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.