October 27, 2024

Auckland Promenade and North Head at Devonport

Walking along Auckland Bay on a cloudy spring day.

There are countless beautiful boats moored in the harbor, many are for sale.

This quaint seaside café doesn’t display the real coastal feeling due to my poor photography.

The colorful sailboats make it feel like a holiday.

New blooms appear on the hedges surrounding our apartment complex.

Rick stands by the big guns on North Head Peak.

A portion of the military bunker remains.

The view is spectacular.

Rick enjoys examining these areas of defense.  We gain a new appreciation for those who defend our country.

The military location is breathtaking in its strategically placed perch along the bay.

Underground.

Irene Rytting and I share October birthdays. 

Sister Sherrie Smith created this magnificent cake.  I didn’t want to cut such a beautiful dessert.  Sherrie bakes by profession.  Her culinary masterpieces grace many special events related to her service in Auckland.  This chocolate raspberry special was a feast for the eyes and the palate.

 

 

October 20, 2024

Israeli Wood Carver

Jiries Giacaman – woodcarving artisan.  He and his wife moved from Bethlehem to New Zealand 27 years ago.  They gladly share their memories of Palestine and the tedious process of creating beautiful carved pieces from precious wood from New Zealand.  Some of his wood was retrieved from old churches, building remodels and other interesting locations.  His love of this trade exudes with each passionate touch on the wood he molds.

Gina Truman traces her small kiwi bird on a piece of wood.

Jiries then cuts out the tiny birds.

Jiries and Marcelle own this beautiful shop, home, and store in a scenic part of Auckland.  They enjoy missionaries and treat us so well.  Marcelle gave us eggs from their chickens and delicious mango juice.  Considering eggs are $10 a dozen here, that is a true gift.

View some of their splendid Christmas ornaments.  They include carvings of the temple as so many missionaries request that special creation.  I especially like the Eternity knot.

Pah Homestead Art House.  This month celebrates Auckland art.  The spectacular park surrounding the 150-year-old mansion felt serene on this windy and cool spring day.

 

We visited the park, vintage art show and then listened to the local musicians sing of Auckland life and art.  He composes the pieces and sings the lead.  His wife accompanies him beautifully on the mandolin.  We enjoyed the show.

Panelbeaters.  Seems like a strange name for auto body repair.  Brelli is what we now call an umbrella and lollies are treats.  Our Primary serves lots and lots (too many) of lollies to the children every week.

 

Early morning rowing exercise for this boatful of women.  The peaceful scene on Takapuna Beach  and the calm waters create an ideal setting for a vigorous work-out.

Elder and Sister Castleton return home this week.  We enjoyed a tearful OGC counsel meeting online where we bid them farewell after recalling joyous memories with this fabulous couple.  They served well in Sydney, Australia.

October 13, 2024

September Events

Sunday afternoon on Takapuna beach.  Spring is coming.  The constant wind reminds us of that reality as we enjoy coastal walks.

A zone activity at the Zoo.  Rick missed this adventure.  Truthfully, these missionaries provide more entertainment than any animal in the zoo.

The scenic backdrop was spectacular.

The bird show was a favorite event.  I also saw my first Kiwi bird.  They are nocturnal so all surroundings were dark.   They look more like chickens than birds.

The monkeys climbed along the ropes overhead.  Towers connected the long ropes.  If a monkey ever loses grip, the result would be traumatic for all zoo visitors – no nets, just the hard ground two stories below. 

I brought my own sack lunch.  Who knew so many beautiful salads would be an option at the Elephant Café?

Activities provide an opportunity to become acquainted with some of the senior couples who live in Auckland and serve in a different capacity.

Wednesday evening pickle ball.  Sister Smith is a serious player.  She and Elder Smith travel to Samoa and Tonga frequently and this is the evening activity with the islanders who compete seriously.  Denise (front) is a local member who often comes because her health improved when she joined the game.

Meet a few of the Wednesday evening pickle ball players.  Elder Baldwin, on the end with outstretched hands, once ranked nationally in table tennis.  He applies a deadly spin to every return.  That weapon proves to be more effective than a fast ball.

Thanks to the Temple Patron Assistance Fund, the Wano family traveled from Papua New Guinea to the Hamilton Temple to receive temple endowment and sealing blessings.  The island members take advantage of this opportunity when temples are not in their midst.  Seeing these members come so far touches me deeply.  I once tapped a sister on the back while in the temple dressing room.  She looked at me strangely.  I simply remarked of my joy in meeting her in the temple. 

The Port Moresby Papua New Guinea temple, announced in 2019, rises on a small hill near the ocean.  There is no fixed date of completion, I would guess 2026.

My love of the temple has increased dramatically during my mission.  I feel the need and blessings of these marvelous buildings for our use now.  We all need the power and fortification these covenants provide.

Christina Wano says that when their children joined them in the sealing room “it was so wonderful. I wasn’t sure if the temple would really change me, but it did. I look at things differently. Everything is more beautiful.”

 

 

 

 

October 6, 2024

Home Sweet Home

 

Shoalhaven Apartments

We’re on the 5^th floor on the left.

The door opens into the kitchen and dining areas.  Obviously, this apartment is much larger than our 600 square foot residence in Hong Kong.

The kitchen suits are needs perfectly.  The refrigerator may be small, but we easily prepare the meals of our choosing.

Our table is quite large, especially for two.  We try to host dinner frequently to become better acquainted with other missionaries.

Last week Gina Truman, Ryll and Steve Croshaw, and Grant and Penny Owen joined us for dinner.   Gina departs in November, and we have no idea how the mission will survive without her.  The Croshaws started a foundation to help those with Pornography addiction.   The mission president requested their services here.  The number of missionaries they aid is staggering, this couple works full time.  The Owens, from Australia, serve in Self Reliance and Education.  Their family lived in Papua New Guinea for a few years.  We love to listen to them speak with their delightful accents.  The specialized skills of senior missionaries have been amazing to us.  We serve with ‘the cream of the crop’.  

Rick rests in our living area.  We enjoy the view of Auckland from our balcony.

Notice the large window in the living area.  It offers a view into another tiny room.

 I’ve claimed this small space for my own use.  Welcome to my office.

The second bedroom hosts Rick’s office and his rowing machine.

Most senior couples have a bed in their second bedroom.  Imagine that.  We have a dresser and a dryer in addition to Rick's office and exercise room.  The compact washer/dryer doesn’t do the job well.  So, I’m privileged to use this blessed machine.  (I suspect a previous couple purchased it) Oh, the things we take for granted in the USA.

Our bathrooms have heated floors.  Rick greatly enjoys that perk.

We each have a bathroom, not necessary, but very nice.

My bathroom is larger to accommodate these special closets.

Voila!  The washer/dryer fits in one closet.

Door number two houses the water heater, fuse box, and cleaning supplies.

The master bedroom is simple in every way.

Thankfully, the nice closet size holds our supply of missionary clothes.  The walk-in closet in the extra bedroom serves as storage with a drying rack for our exercise clothes.

 I’ve been making bread.  Irene Rytting shared her sour dough start and we enjoy the crusty loaves.  After all, it’s not the size, shape, or décor of our home that is most important, but what happens inside that blessed space.

Our swimming pool.  Yes, it’s as small as it looks.  The facility is currently closed, awaiting a new pool deck.  I’ve been swimming laps at the city pool.  The Olympic length makes one lap feel like a major accomplishment.  We hope our pool will open for the summer months.