SM: I don't think I've mentioned how fortunate we are to live where we do. Our apartment is cozy - there's about a foot and a half on each side of the bed. But it's home and we like it. We understand that the rent for our apartment here in Takapuna is $750/week. Property values are outrageous in this desired location on Auckland's North Shore. We have two bedrooms and two bathrooms. Though the kitchen is tiny, we seem to manage just fine. I am curious to know who lives in the apartment with the solo "red facade".
JM: Downsizing from 5,900 sf to 900 sf has been an adjustment for sure. We really don't need anywhere near the 5,900 sf we have at home but we could use a larger kitchen here and Shirley misses a bathtub.
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| Shoalhaven Apartments |
JM: Is there any question why we have gained weight here in New Zealand?
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| My new favourite dessert made by my new favourite (as of 6 months) friend!
JM: Throughout the South Pacific on the last Saturday of October each year there is a day of service where all stakes are encouraged to identify a need and have a service project to satisfy the need. We get photos and basic information for stories from some of the stakes and write stories for Newsroom highlighting some of the service performed.
The photo below was of a project in the Waterview Stake in Auckland. They wanted to plant 4,000 trees. The weather didn't cooperate so we're not sure how many they actually got planted.
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SM:A few weeks ago we visited (along with Sister Bills from Humanitarian) three different charitable organizations to determine if they would be appropriate recipients of financial gifts from the Church.
The Auckland City Mission is in need of medical equipment. These gifts are being given as part of the "Light the World" launch in the area office on Dec. 1.
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| Visiting with Alexis at the Auckland City Mission |
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| Marlene was a pleasure to meet. |
SM: We recently received a letter from a Jewish man, E. Zobel, the man assigned by Hospice to visit with my father at the assisted living center. He would drop by several times a week and talk with Dad about his many life experiences and faith. Dad would share his beliefs and testimony with him each time he came. In the letter he shared with us that he had joined the Church. He said that my father was the most amazing man he had ever met and wanted us to know that he played a big role in his decision to be baptized. What an amazing example of faithfully enduring to the end. The letter brought tears to my eyes. I'd love to meet that man someday.
JM: Each Christmas the grounds of the Hamilton New Zealand Temple are lit. We were invited to one of the meetings of the Christmas Lighting Committee. There is quite a lot of coordination and work that is involved in hosting the 40,000 people who view the Christmas lighting each year.
Part of the project includes two VIP tours, one on December 16 and the other on December 20. We will be going to the one on December 20 to do a story for Newsroom.
The Christmas Lighting Committee
Stake President and Committee Chairman, ________ Kendall, Vicki Wihongi (the Director of Public Affairs in Hamilton) and President and Sister Robertson (Temple President and Matron) L to R
The food is included in the above photo because the Christmas lighting has partnered with the Hamilton Food Bank this year. Visitors are encouraged to bring a can of food for donation to the food bank.
One of the major projects the Area Public Affairs Department is doing is shooting local scenes for insertion into the Church-produced "Church at a Glance" video. The original video is very good, but it doesn't include any photos or narration reflective of the South Pacific. It was decided that the video should be modified for our needs here by including scenes and local people from throughout the South Pacific. Once finished it will be used to give to opinion leaders and others to acquaint them with the Church in this area.
Senior missionaries, Steve and Doris Thomsen, who are serving in Tahiti, Landon Jones (a BYU intern here for 3 months) and Jarom and Lincoln Reid (consultants and photographers) have been traveling to New Zealand, Australia, Fiji and Samoa filming the interviews and scenes needed for modifying the video. We were designated drivers because we have a car.
Video Team and Tafiti Family at a Park in Auckland
Piha is a beach southwest of Auckland. The ocean is very active (hence a TV series "Piha Rescue"). Not long after this photo was taken a wave snuck up on us and soaked us both from the knees down.
Near Piha is a beautiful waterfall (Kitekite). The walk into the waterfall is easy and spectacular and takes only about 30 minutes each way. It wouldn't take that long if we didn't stop so frequently to enjoy the sights.
A lot of effort has been put into interfaith relations this year. The Panmure Stake (the stake in which our Glen Innes Ward is located) hosted a meeting with representatives of seven different faiths speaking. Great friendships were formed but whenever you bring those of different faiths together there will be a few surprises. In this case, some of the participants played guitars and the congregation clapped along with the music. Several speakers were very casually dressed. In spite of that minor discomfort, the event was well received and helped build interfaith relationships.
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| "Women in Faith" |
Elder Juan A. Uceda, a member of the Presidency of the Seventy, spoke at our Monday morning Pacific Area devotional and at our senior missionary FHE that night. He is newly assigned to oversee the Pacific area. When he spoke to the senior missionary couples he shared a fascinating understanding of the scriptures.
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| Elder Uceda |
