A Time of Cultural Immersion

L to R: Rich Hunter (our Area Director of Public Affairs), Jim (old duffer), Elder Rowberry (Executive Secretary to the Pacific Area presidency) and Doug Matsumori (Area General Counsel) at Takapuna Golf Course. I played OK but not great.

Bethels' Beach is on the west coast (Tasman Sea side). It was unbelievably windy the day we were there. It's a pretty beach but not quite as accessible as other equally pretty beaches.

There are at least two events each year that are a "must attend"! The Chinese Lantern Festival and Pasifika (the end of March).  We enjoyed the lantern festival and ate street food amongst the masses of people. 

 The Church must consider the S. Pacific a high priority area because we are continually blessed to have General Authorities and members of the Twelve and First Presidency visiting us here.  Elder Neil L. Andersen and Elder L. Whitney Clayton were here two weeks ago. We covered the special Tamaki Stake conference (consisting of mainly Tongans and Samoans) that Elder Andersen attended.  In his remarks he noted that there is a "believing blood" in the islands. We have become acquainted with some of those very faithful members to whom he was referring.  "Every continent will have a righteous people to receive Him (Christ at His 2nd coming)."Check out article here.

At a morning devotional here in the office Elder Andersen said, referring to employees, that "we must have a spirit that exceeds common thinking."  Truly applicable to all of us.

Elder Andersen greeting stake members

Elder Clayton greeting young stake member

FHE for March was a Western-style event. Fourteen couples enjoyed a brown-bag dinner and were enticed to do a little line-dancing.  What a sight that was - a group of old-timers trying to learn dance moves. Not pretty but certainly fun and laugh-provoking!

Rowberrys, Henshaws and Matsumoris

 Seminar: Mar. 16-17. See video here.

Jim, Bills and Miekles

This was the first-ever New Zealand Public Affairs seminar. There are three coordinating councils (Auckland, Hamilton and Wellington) in New Zealand. A lively group of three coordinating council Directors of Public Affairs (DPAs) and many stake DPAs gathered in Temple View to collaborate and be trained.

Jim and Roseann Jones, the Director of Public Affairs from Tauranga

At Pasifika the various countries in the South Pacific have venues where they perform songs and dances and sell food and goods representative of their cultures.

Fiji

New Zealand

Tonga

Arriving at the airport in Samoa. Tropical Cyclone Gita had destroyed the building housing the rental car agencies, so the paperwork was done in the open right outside the airport.

Canoes along the road from the airport to Apia

Ice cream with some senior missionaries (and friends) in Apia.

L to R: Sister Lee Anne Kinghorn, Sister Pamela Cameron, Elder Scott Cameron, Elder Edward Kinghorn, Jim (eating koko Samoa ice cream).

A primary school east of Apia on the road to Saniatu. Camerons were evaluating the school for a rain water tank.

Typical of the school children in Samoa. Happy and engaging.

They love to have their picture taken

Mothers and fathers bring their children to school and wait for school to end to take them home

Elder and Sister Cameron took us to a village that wanted LDS Charities to help them get tanks and a catchment system to provide a reliable source of clean water (rain).

The village chief

One of the family homes in the village

Another family home

The village's existing water source

Lunch with the Samoa Director of Public Affairs, Sapele Fa'aogo

The grounds of Legacy Restaurant. This restaurant was recommended by the Kinghorns. We hadn't eaten here before.

Our transportation to American Samoa. It was a 35 minute flight in this twin engine prop. And of course, no air conditioning.

SM:  We hope that the work we are doing here is contributing to the establishment of Zion in the Pacific Area.  I love to hear the members in NZ pronounce the word "ZION"  -- Zi Ohn (with emphasis on last syllable).  They use the word frequently and it seems to hold special emphasis in their lives. We are daily striving to "keep my commandments, and seek to bring forth and promote the cause of Zion." - D & C 6:6. And we recognize and are grateful for Heavenly guidance.

Unfortunately, I have become a perpetrator of FAKE NEWS (as in U.S. media news manner)!  Recently one of the facts I printed turned out to be incorrect. Of course I felt terrible and have corrected it the best I can but the office had a great time accusing me. What I have to put up with! And as I feel on so many other occasions, "Oh, what I GET to put up with!"  Grateful.