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.

 

 

NEW ZEALAND AUCKLAND MISSION

April 2024

We attended two days of training in the Office of General Counsel in Salt Lake City.  Cameron and Kathy MacLennan, from Lethbridge Alberta, Canada joined us.  We’ve already forged a friendship as we face the tasks ahead.

Fourteen areas in the world feature OGC teams.

Training with the MacLennans.  Doug Matsumori teaches Property Law and acquisitions.  He reminds us he always deals with the dirt.

Daffodils and tulips were in full bloom.  Ahh, the aroma of spring flowers filled the air.

I had but five minutes to walk from office to hotel and enjoy Spring in the city.

The Salt Lake Temple was almost unrecognizable.  

It was my pleasure to run into Elder Massimo DeFeo and his wife.  My Italian sounded awful but reminding him we served in the same mission was delightful.  He arrived in Rome close to my finishing date and we never crossed paths.  I was caught up in the moment and didn’t ask for a photo.  He serves as Area President in Frankfurt, Germany.  His DTA (Director of temporal affairs) is Paul Hansen.  Paul was our DTA in Hong Kong and our Branch President.  Small world! 

Our ALC (Area Legal Counsel) from Hong Kong, Marty Slater, now works with the OGC in SLC.  We were thrilled to reunite with him and share memories.  (Yes, we are a church of acronyms)

 

WELCOME TO NEW ZEALAND

Landing in Auckland after a 13-hour flight and 26 hours since leaving our home.

This stunning carved archway welcomed us to the airport.  A beautiful culture surrounds us!

No wonder we prefer traveling with just a single case.  Maneuvering with this much luggage creates stress (and muscles).  Customs proved to be fruitful, ha-ha.  We lost our beef jerky but kept the dried fruit.

Kitekite beach (pronounced Kittykitty).  We visited this amazing spot on our first Friday afternoon – yes, we played hooky.  Thankfully Paul, our fearless leader, drove the escape van.  After an especially tense week of training and jetlag he felt we needed a break.

More of this adventure next time.

Auckland New Zealand Mission

April 2024 - April 2025

 A new phase is about to begin.  

Watch for upcoming events as we join the Office of General Counsel

in the Pacific Area.

Farewell to Hong Kong

 

Tears have been close to the surface for a week.  The goodbyes seem too frequent and last so long.  It must be time to leave our beloved Hong Kong and move to the next face of life.  We feel blessed beyond belief.

       The “Seniors” met in Dockyard restaurant for a farewell dinner.

“Good morning, have a happy day”, comes from this man every morning as he waves both hands high in the air to be certain I see and return the greeting.

Near the church office building I pick up an English newspaper from this kind woman.  For months now she’s handed me six papers each day.  I deliver the news to all the couples on the tenth floor. 

We couldn’t leave without hiking Lantau Peak, the highest (reachable) mountain in Hong Kong.  The steps were steep, the humid air filled with mist.  My hair dripped with moisture when we reached the top.

This older couple wanted photos with us.  They speak no English so we just stood where she pointed.  Our nametags so often serve as drawing cards, in a positive way.

We descend the mountain on the Big Buddha side.  Rick walks toward the wisdom trail.

The drums of good fortune remain.  At New Year celebrations I recall people pounding these for good luck.

                                             The tram provided a scenic and restful descent.

The trail below reminds us of our climb to Big Buddha in January of 2020 – before the world changed.

         Although it is difficult to see, the words on this police car read, “No drink driving.”

“Time to Reborn” message greets us every morning as our bus enters the cross harbor tunnel.  One new sister thought it was a beautiful Easter message.  I didn’t have the heart to tell her it is a plastic surgery advertisement. 

Aah!  The wonderful sisters of the Peninsula Branch, this is week two of meeting in person again.

                     Jaquilyn wants a photo with Rick too.  Marty Slater stands in the background.

Beautiful pastries awaited our surprise “meeting” with the Real Estate team.  Notice the HUGE raspberries on the tasty tarts.  Also, delicious Portuguese egg tarts will always remind us of Hong Kong.

Rick works closely with Real Estate and the team wanted to honor him.   We were lured to the 9^th floor conference room under false pretenses.  Too many “goodbyes”!

 

Final Days in the Office of General Counsel (OGC)

 

Polly completed her postpartum confinement (one month).  The OGC waited for her visit to snap a few final office photos for the Area Presidency Memorial Booklet.

       Polly’s baby is one month old.  Precious!

We can’t pull ourselves away from this beautiful child and radiant mother.  No one works as we take in the sweetness of a new baby in our midst.  My thoughts turn to grandchildren and my desire to embrace them.

     The Area President, David F. Evans, couldn’t resist the scene.

Sweet Puoi Puoi (meaning positive energy) sleeps through her debut.  With two older sisters,  Sim Sim and Muoi Muoi, at home this crowd is no threat to her dreamy slumber.  I can’t pronounce her Chinese name and parents are still not in agreement on her English name.  Whatever she may be called, we all agree she is beautiful!

We waited for Polly to visit before taking an OGC photo.  We love these people and respect the countless hours invested by each in moving the legal work forward in Asia.

Steve recognized the need to socially distance in the photo to show our compliance with Hong Kong Law.

Norman swims with Rick in the harbor.  They have created a wonderful friendship.  He invited us hiking last Saturday.

We discovered this woman dancing with a hula hoop at the rest area.  Countless surprises await at every adventure in Hong Kong. 

The tree roots take over the exterior of the concrete bunker.

We reached Devil’s Peak in Yao Tong and enjoyed entering what remains of the defense fort.  The writing is on the wall, though Norman couldn’t even read the very old style characters.

The huge cemetery fills one side of the mountain.  Incense always burns near the shrines.  We respect the way they honor their ancestors.  

We finally meet inside the church again.  The sisters thrill at seeing one another.

The Ho Man Tin church stands tall with five levels.  It was one of the first buildings constructed by the church in Hong Kong.

Jaqueline (in black) has become a special friend.  Ling Ling (in black print) leads the branch choir and serves as a role model for many of these women.  I feel enriched through these humble, energetic, and spiritual sisters.