Driving, Driving, and More Driving

It’s been a wild week and a half.  We have traveled from the southern tip to the northernmost part of this island to attend seminary graduations.  They have been hurried trips with no time to stop and take well-planned pictures.  The only photos have been shot from the car window as we drove 100 km per hour (that’s 60 mph and the maximum speed limit in New Zealand) down the road.

Nothing but blue skies, fluffy white clouds, green paddocks, sheep, and gorse.

Gorse, the yellow plant covering these hills, is a major invasive weed that covers almost 2,000,000 acres of this country.  It was brought by the early settlers from Europe in the 1800’s who intended to use the plant for hedges.  However, the climate here caused it to spread so rapidly that it has become a big problem; impossible to eradicate and costly to control.  The seeds can lie dormant on the ground for 50 years and methods for removal like burning or bulldozing create ideal conditions for its germination.  Big problem—reminds me of Dyers Wode and the wonderful family outings we had chopping that nasty stuff.

Although the distance between Christchurch and Nelson is only about 240 miles, it takes a good 5 or 6 hours to get there.  The roads are winding and narrow with slower speed limits through every small town.  We also ran into many one way bridges.

The bridges are approached very slowly to make sure there are no vehicles coming in the other direction.  They are barely wide enough for our Toyota Corolla and I’m wondering what happens when a big diesel truck needs to cross.  It must be quite the squeeze.

Seminary graduation in Nelson was wonderful and I got to meet up with four of my online students.  These kids were consistent, dependable, and thorough in their seminary work and I love each one of them.

Jeron Prasad, David Schaumkel, Justin Prasad, and Laura Taylor

I believe I mentioned Jenny Reneti’s son, James, who reminds me of Jonathan.  Here he is—Jonathan with a Maori body…

I have loved being surrounded by all these beautiful brown people; Maoris, Samoans, and Tongans.  Pakehas are definitely a minority here within the church.  Some of my kids will say to me, “It’s okay.  You can’t help it that you’re white.”  They are all proud of their heritage. They can laugh at some of the more comical characteristics of their culture, and they certainly don’t wish they were white.  I, on the other hand, am jealous of their beautiful brown skin, mops of thick black hair, and their warm and colorful personalities.  We seem washed out and colorless beside them.

Sister Yu spent several nights with us last week as her companion, Sister Posala, was in the hospital with an infection in her leg.  I got a chance to learn a little more about her life.  Sister Yu comes from a city in northeastern China.  She is an only child and much loved by her parents.  The limited exposure she had to Christianity, came from her mother’s older sister.  This aunt had spent some time in Colorado where she was converted to Christianity.  She took her devotion with her when she returned to China.  When this aunt became seriously ill with cancer, Sister Yu took care of her everyday after school.  Sister Yu and her mother did all they could to make the woman’s final days as comfortable and peaceful as possible.  When the aunt asked them to go to her church to pray for her and give some donations, they gladly did it.  They noticed the peace this simple act brought the dying woman.  Her other exposure to Jesus Christ was not as positive.  One of her uncles was also married to a Christian, but this woman caused such trouble in the family that no one considered being a Christian a positive trait.

When Sister Yu finished high school, her parents learned of a school in New Zealand.  They saved and sent their daughter to Auckland.  Upon arriving, she found that the school was a sham.  Crying and homesick she called her mother for guidance.  Her mother made a strange suggestion, “See if you can find a church.  Someone in a church will help you.” 

Sister Yu said that she prayed to “God” the next morning, “If you’re really there, help me find your church.”  She walked down the street a short distance and saw a Chinese man (she spoke very little English) sitting on a bench at the bus stop.  For some reason, this man looked up at her and smiled—something quite unexpected.  With all the courage she could muster, she said, “Could you help me find a church?”  The man said that he knew two young men who could tell her about a church and introduced her to the Mormon missionaries.  She studied, she boarded with a Mormon family, she believed, she was baptized, and then she wanted to be a missionary herself.  She had a problem though, telling her parents was not going to be easy.  She prayed and talked to her parents every night for several days, but never found the right words.  Finally, her mother said, “Are you trying to tell us that you want to be a missionary?”  When Sister Yu answered in the affirmative, her mother said they would help her.  Her parents, neither of them members or even Christians, work and pay for her to fulfill her dream of being a missionary. 

She told me that she dreams that one day her parents will go to the temple to see her married there.  I have confidence that this dream will come true.  Sister Yu is full of simple and profound faith.     

As we head into this Thanksgiving week, I just want to express my thanks to my Heavenly Father for every single person in my life.  I love my family; my faithful and unselfish husband, my marvelous children—no mother ever had better ones, my adorable and perfect grandchildren, my fun-loving and entertaining brothers, sister, and in-laws, my nieces,  nephews, and cousins.  I have been blessed with some of the best friends in the world, kind and helpful everyone of them.  I’m also thankful for the new people in my life.  I may have only known them for a year, but my love for them is eternal.  You have all enriched my life and made it worth living.  I cherish each and everyone of you.  Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.  We will be thinking of you with much love.