Our Island Christmas - part I

JM: I was sitting in the office one day when one of the YSAs who works in the Publishing Services Department came by to ask me to play basketball with a group of them (not all YSAs). It was one of the activities they needed to do for health month. I hadn't played basketball for 15 years so it was a sometimes embarrassing experience, especially the face plant that resulted in floor burns to an elbow and a knee. However, we all had fun and I remembered why I don't play basketball any more.

Along with the Pinsons we went to a Christmas concert at Town Hall in Auckland. A multi-stake choir joined the Auckland Symphony Orchestra. The venue was wonderful and the concert was very good. However, it was really unusual to be singing Christmas songs (particularly those that included lyrics about snow) when it was so warm outside. Shirley was entranced by the organ.

Before the concert we went to a unique grouping of restaurants known as Elliott Stables. It was perhaps 20 different restaurants all in an old building just across the street from Town Hall. We ate at a Mexican restaurant. It was the best Mexican food we have had in New Zealand (but still nowhere near as good as Mexican food back home). 

After the concert the choir and the brass section of the orchestra went out onto the plaza and performed three Christmas songs for the people outside.

The 13 senior missionary couples living in Shoalhaven (the apartment complex where we all live) hosted a Christmas social for everyone living there. It was well attended and people seemed pleased to have a social. We hope it helped people to get to know the Church a little better.

A great group of friends and co-workers! Landon Jones is a BYU intern who worked with us for three months. The Pinsons are fellow Public Affairs missionaries and Rich Hunter is the best boss a missionary (or anyone else) could ever have.

We went to Samoa on December 15 to conduct some training and see the "My Island Christmas". While there we ate at our favorite restaurant in Apia, Paddles.

The gingerbread house was in the lobby of the Aggie Grey's Sheraton Hotel in Apia. We enjoy staying there.

"My Island Christmas" was a concert organized by the Samoa Public Affairs team. Each evening for 8 days, 18 choirs from several different faiths and individuals performed on the grounds in front of the government building in Apia. It really was a Herculean effort by Sapele Fa'alogo and the Public Affairs team. They "did us proud"!

Capacity crowds gathered each night and the performances were televised on a station (TV 3) owned by a member of the Church. All of the costs of televising the performances were donated by the television station.

Using funds from our Public Affairs budget, one of the light poles on the grounds was decorated as a "Christmas tree". All of the labor costs of installing the lights were donated by Church members.

The nativity included full-time missionaries as the characters.

Read article, "Churches Raise Voices to Celebrate Christmas in Samoa,' here:

   

We love Motisha, the secretary for Samoa's public affairs coordinating council.

SM:  The day after we arrived in Samoa we attended two governmental relations events.  The first was the handover of the renovation of the women's center (Fellowship of Women) for the Council of Churches. The photo above shows Jim with Reverend Maauga Motu, the General Secretary of the Council of Churches, and the Villengas, Humanitarian missionary couple.  We were given a large morning meal that we had to quickly take with us to our next meeting.

As is the tradition in Samoa, the Council presented each of us (even though we were only there to take photos and write the article) with a customary gift of 4 cases of tuna.  We could only bring one case home with us so gave two to the security guards at the Church compound in Pesega and had one confiscated at the airport.  It was painful to have to dump it in the trash rather than being able to offer it to someone.  The one in my checked luggage was not an issue.

Read the article, "LDS Charities Improves Facilities for Samoa Council of Churches," here:

The second event was with the Samoan Head of State to present him with an official congratulatory letter from the First Presidency.  Elder Haleck, Area President, presented it to him along with Elder Fata and their wives.  Once again we were fed another meal.  Lots of eating going on in Samoa!

Read the article, "Church Congratulates Samoan Head of State on Appointment," here:

Having lunch with a few of the Samoa public affairs coordinating council
(Motisha, Sam and Sapele)

Samoan kids cooling off on a hot, sultry day

These three fellows were preparing costumes from giant banana leaves for a cultural performance at a local hotel in Apia. They invited us to come to their performance, and we went.

The falls at Sauniatu

The security guard at Sauniatu insisted that Jim take this coconut home with him.

Breadfruit slices were offered to us by the missionaries living in Sauniatu.

The day after our return from Samoa we headed off to Hamilton to attend the second Temple Lights VIP Reception.  It was attended by the mayor and several interfaith representatives.  The lights, along with musical performances, drew about 40,000 visitors from all over the area.  It was just announced that the Hamilton Temple will be closing at the end of June for remodeling and seismic upgrading that will take about 3 years. 

VIP Reception attendees for the Hamilton Temple Christmas Lighting event

Hamilton Temple Christmas lights

Everything's just "Ducky"

SM:  Each morning as we walk to the office we take the nature trail - at least when the weather is good.  A house off in the distance has an above ground pool and in that pool is a giant duck.  Actually, I think it's a swan.  Each time we see it, it makes us smile and we get to greet each day with a swan  (referring to my much earlier days of primary slogan - greet each day with a song).  It's funny how such little joys can impact us.  And we are grateful for them.    So, as Jim says, "Everything's ducky"!

We received a request on very short notice to go northward to Paihia to train new members of the Public Affairs team there.  We're always good for a road trip with this gang.  They're trying their best to keep us young at heart.

Stopping for some grub in Whangarei with Mau, Muriel, Tom and Junior.  What a crew!

Road trip to Paihia (Bay of Islands area). We work hard but have fun doing it. Muriel and Junior devote countless hours to their callings as Coordinating Council Directors of Public Affairs. They are amazing and make us look better than we are.

Glad we could join the Public Affairs team in Pahia. The Paihia chapel is in what seems to be an old office building. Other than that it is across the street from two bars, it is in a great location.

We had a great training session with some new public affairs team members.  Afterwards, Sid and Colleen Going invited us to their home for dinner. Sid is a former All Blacks rugby star and the immediate past President of the Hamilton New Zealand Temple.

Looking out on the deck of the 'Going' home in the famous "Bay of Islands".

On the Saturday following Thanksgiving Day in the U.S., the senior missionaries got together to celebrate Thanksgiving. Of course, it isn't celebrated in New Zealand.

Thanksgiving feast preparations underway!

Many were quite happy to sit and watch a football game before dinner. It was the first football I have been able to watch since leaving the U.S. (rugby just isn't the same).

Senior Elders singing "Over the River and Through the Woods".

We are one of the fortunate missionary couples that actually has a decent sized tree that was bequeathed to us.  There were a few decorations with it but I added sea shells to give it an island flair.  The weather is warm and sunny, so different from what we are used to. I have to really work to process the fact that it really is Christmas.  Thank goodness for beautiful Christmas music to enhance our thoughts during this time of year.

JM: While walking on the beach Christmas morning I told Shirley that it just didn't seem like Christmas, no family, no snow and walking on the beach.

The Pahutakawa Tree - blooms only in December and is considered the New Zealand Christmas Tree

Our public affairs team has done a lot to support the Church's "Light the World" initiative in the Pacific. We have worked with the different countries helping them know what they could do (billboards, banners, pass along cards, radio and TV spots and launches).

Banner outside of Pacific Area Office

We enjoyed  helping plan and execute a Pacific Area "Light the World" launch. Three charities (the Auckland City Mission, the Salvation Army and Monte Cecilia) were first identified as possible recipients, visited to determine what needs they had and, finally, were given things that it was felt would help them continue to serve the less fortunate in the Auckland area.

Meeting with Alexis at the Auckland City Mission

Met with Marlene at the Salvation Army

Spent time with Bernie at Monte Cecilia to assess their needs

They were each invited to join us in the Area office on December 1 where we thanked them for their service to the community and announced the things that the Church was donating to them.

We've celebrated Christmas very differently this year. Among the ways that we celebrated were; exchanging Christmas gifts with the senior missionaries, enjoying a Christmas Eve gathering with Rich Hunter and his family and neighbors, and a Christmas Day dinner with a couple in our ward and Elder and Sister Harvey (a senior missionary couple who work in Family History).

All of the ways we celebrated Christmas were enjoyable, but none replaced being with our family. It was really nice to be able to talk with each of our sons and their families on Christmas day here or Christmas day in Utah.

SM:  We found a lovely card in our luggage when we first arrived in New Zealand from our daughter-in-law that shared this quote from Anne of Green Gables: "My future seemed to stretch out before me like a straight road...Now there is a bend in it.  I don't know what lies around the bend, but I'm going to believe that the best does."  We are experiencing that bend in the road at this very moment.  Something so different from that which we are accustomed to. 

Each day is a surprise to us as we continually experience some of that "best".  We are grateful to be a part of the Lord's work in our small way and recognize the Lord's blessings in our lives and in the lives of our children and grandchildren. 

Elder Uceda

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.

Shoalhaven Apartments

SM:  We love the traditions here in our mission.  We have family home evenings together, we go on outings together, and we work hard together.  When a new missionary couple arrives, while they are getting settled in, they are invited to a dinner each night for a week at a different couple's apartment.  Janet and Quinn Pinson hosted Elder and Sister Williams (legal counsel) and we were invited to join them.  Janet made a lovely Pavlova for dessert.  Yep, it's now officially a favourite of mine!
JM:  Is there any question why we have gained weight here in New Zealand?

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.

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. 

Visiting with Alexis at the Auckland City Mission

The Salvation Army identified a need for a freezer and sports equipment.

Marlene was a pleasure to meet.

JM: Monte Cecilia (not pictured) provides emergency housing to families in need. They have accommodations for 38 families in three neighborhoods in southwest Auckland. They need a server, a computer, monitor and keyboard and an iPad.

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.

"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. 

Elder Uceda