Our Island Christmas - Part II

JM: Enjoying an evening of dinner and games with our young friends. We're so glad these young people invite us over to the "Frat House".  Front (L to R): Quin Pinson, me, Maurice (Mau) Melligan, Chris, Tom Swain. Back (L to R): Janet Pinson, Shirley, Shilo Kino, Tanya.

Rich Hunter and his family invited us to join them and a few friends for Christmas Eve. We enjoyed finger food and games. Rich and his family were so kind to invite us into their home, especially on Christmas Eve.

Opening presents on Christmas Day. Even with a tree and gifts, Christmas without family just doesn't seem to be Christmas.

This Pukeko filled with candy was a special gift from Brother and Sister Paki (who also attend the Glen Innes Ward). It was so kind and thoughtful of them to think of us.

Several missionary couples gathered for lunch and "Farkle" on Christmas Day. Good company, good food and a good game, it doesn't get much better than that. L to R: My sweetheart, Sister and Elder Rowberry, Sister and Elder Williams, Sister Streeter (Elder Streeter took the photo), Elder and Sister Pinson and me.

We joined Leah, Derek and Ellie Couch and Elder and Sister Harvey for dinner on Christmas Day. Originally we were going to have dinner at the home of the Couches, but Elder Harvey's back caused him not to be able to travel. So, the Couches brought dinner to Harvey's apartment. Couches are our friends in the Glen Innes Ward and Sister Harvey is Leah Couch's first cousin.

Pavlova, one of our favorite New Zealand treats!

On Boxing Day (the day after Christmas) we hopped on a plane and flew to Queenstown. As we landed, the terrain and landscape reminded us of Utah. The following day we boarded the BBQ Bus for Milford Sound. To our surprise, at one of the stops to pick up additional passengers, Elder and Sister Henshaw and three of their children got on the bus. That made the 13 hour trip a lot more fun!
 

The field behind me was used to film one of the battles in one of the Lord of the Rings movies.

Enjoying being together at a beautiful campground where we stopped for our BBQ lunch

Kia birds have beautiful green and yellow underwings. You don't want to mess with them, though. Their beaks are very sharp. One of these was pulling out the rubber gasket between the top of the door and the roof.

The tunnel leading to Milford Sound is one-way. Cars line up waiting for a green light indicating that it is their turn.

On the boat in Milford Sound

A classy lady in Milford Sound

Henshaw's son had served a mission in Norway and said that if you have seen Milford Sound you have seen the fjords of Norway. The only difference he mentioned was that the Norway fjords are longer. It was a warm, dry summer day in the sound. We were told that it rains two-thirds of the time and normally the faces of the mountains are covered with waterfalls.

In spite of the dry weather, there were still a couple of waterfalls

Returning to Milford Sound from Tasman Sea

Seals sunning on the rocks in Milford Sound

Sun setting over Lake Wakatipu

In line for the gondola to Bob's Peak

The stunning view from Bob's Peak (Queenstown in foreground)

We took the TSS Earnslaw from Queenstown to Walter Peak. It was an enjoyable, relaxing one hour cruise each way.

We had a barbecue lunch in the restaurant at Walter Peak

Dogwood at Walter Peak

After a fascinating sheep shearing demonstration we were treated to a sheep dog demonstration

Enjoying the sun at Walter Peak

Queenstown is the only place in New Zealand (and perhaps the world/) where Shark Attacks are commercially available for rent. They are quite fast and they change direction quickly. In addition, though, they submerge a little and then pop up out of the water almost vertically. Pretty cool!

This is the view we see while walking on Takapuna Beach. The red blossoms on the tree at the top of the photos are Pahutakawa tree blossoms that only appear in December. Their beautiful red color and the green leaves of the tree are the reason these trees are called New Zealand's Christmas tree.

From the deck of our apartment we watched fireworks being shot off from the Sky Tower in Auckland. It was a bit disappointing, though. They lasted only about five minutes! HAPPY 2018!

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