April 28, 2024

In the Beginning. . .

Day one:  Paul and Irene Rytting hosted lunch after we dropped luggage in our apartments, showered, and didn’t sleep.

Logan and Ruby Hugo sit with the MacLennans.  Ruby runs our office.  She can do everything!! We can attest to her endless patience.  Her professional calculations predict we will remember 10% of what we learn in the first two weeks.

A splendid walk on Takapuna Beach followed our delicious lunch.  This beautiful part of the world will be our home for one year.

Gina Truman from St. George, a dear friend to Jennifer Stevenson, serves in an office near ours.  She lights up every room she enters.  Her youthful energy ignites a crowd of “older” missionaries.

FHE – These “Seniors” are COMPETITIVE.  We divided into three teams for some simple games and the inner athletes emerged.  Rick and Elder Bailey raced to place skittles in a bowl using chopsticks. 

Sister Baldwin won the race by eating a fruit roll in less than one minute.

Rick required more than a minute to consume his fruit roll.  Yum!  At least he had a few seconds to savor the experience.

Sister Bailey and I try to beat the other teams at putting a puzzle together.

Sister Sherrie Smith made lemon-raspberry and double chocolate trifle cakes.  FABULOUS!!  MaryAnne would enjoy sampling both cakes.

Pacific Area President, David F. Meurs, stands with the new seniors invited to his home for lunch.  Elder Meurs served in the Area Presidency in Hong Kong.  It was a pleasure to serve with him there and we know it will be delightful with him here, if we can keep up with his aggressive agenda.

Most of the Area Presidency joined the gathering: Sister Wakolo, MacLennans, President and Maxine Meurs, Amy Jaggi (Elder Jaggi was on assignment) Hafens.  Photographer – Elder Wakolo

Elder Wakolo always carries a Book of Mormon.  On our return to the office he gave the book to this couple, Vikash and Vinita.  This proves to be a big step for someone who forbade his newlywed member wife from reading “that book” in their home.  Elder Wakolo is now a favorite speaker for YSA groups.

Elder and Sister Hillier invited us to dinner one night.  The XO restaurant featured an Asian Fusion menu.  This sweet Thai waitress made the evening memorable.

Pihu Beach with MacLennans, Ryttings, Hafens, and Amy Jaggi.  A perfect ending to our first BUSY week.  Paul actually required us to leave the office by 3:00 our first Friday.

The scenery seems too good to be true.

These unique shells covered the beach

Kitekite Falls

A beautiful family was also enjoying the beach.  Grandma and Grandpa came to New Zealand for a visit.

The twins, Reef and River, smiled as we talked to them and Mother begged us to take photos of the babies smiling together for the first time.  She now believes senior missionaries are magical.

Paul is quite the photographer.

We’ve been assigned to the Mt. Albert Ward in Auckland.  It takes 15-20 minutes by car when all goes well driving on the WRONG side of the road with the steering wheel on the WRONG side of the car. 

We stepped into the small chapel our first Sunday greeted by piano prelude music played by a young man of about age 14.  Then, a young woman replaced him for the Sacrament meeting hymns.  The spirit felt so tangible before a single prayer was offered.  The composition of our ward is mostly Polynesian.  They sing with robust energy.  We feel angels surround us.

Four YSA sisters spoke first.  Two had received their temple endowments the week before.  We were in awe of their ability to express the powerful impact of their experiences.  Rick and I were asked to introduce ourselves and share testimonies.  My goal was to not detract from the spirit in the chapel.  These genuinely friendly members accepted us with open arms.  We feel honored to worship with them.  We excitedly await our next Sunday.