Haere ra Aotearoa (Goodbye New Zealand)

Our last week consisted of training the Maughans, a week long of goodbyes and parties and a nasty cold.

We spent a delightful weekend showing the Maughans some of New Zealand. We took them to church on Sunday at the Takapuna Ward and then went back to the apartment for a late lunch/dinner.

Dave and Gary with Rangitoto in the background

Dave and Anne Maughan and Susan

Monday we began training with the usual Monday morning devotional.  After the devotional we had a staff meeting with Hans and Luisa.  By the time we were finished with our staff meeting it was time for lunch at one of our favourite lunch places - Habitual Fix.  They serve sandwiches, salads, and wraps.  After lunch the Maughans went to the mission office to meet the mission president, President Balli.

By 3:00pm, Gary commented that he needed to go back to the hotel as he was not feeling well.  He went to bed and Susan went for one of her last walks on Takapuna Beach.

Tuesday we worked on the computers.  Susan went to lunch with some of the office staff.  Upon returning she took Sister Maughan to train her in "shopping" in the town of Devonport.  They rode the bus down and back.  After returning from Devonport, Susan learned that Gary had gone back to the hotel.  When she got to the hotel, she learned that he had been in bed all afternoon.  In fact, he slept till the next day.  While Gary was resting, Susan and the Maughans went to the local Internet store in the mall to see about transferring her Sim card and the Internet service into the Maughans' name.  They then returned to the apartment and Susan did some more packing.  Most of our things were packed, but we did not pack the clothes we would be wearing every day.

Wednesday we had our exit interview luncheon with the Area Presidency, minus Elder and Sister Pearson, as they were in Australia.  We had gone to dinner with them on Wednesday night the 2nd of March.  Our luncheon was wonderful.  Elder and Sister Seamons (Executive Secretary to the Area Presidency)  did a great job with the meal and decorations.  After lunch Gary again went back to the hotel to bed.  Susan stopped at an Asian restaurant later that evening and got him some hot and sour soup for dinner that he said helped.  This was the only illness he had on our entire mission.

Sister Seamon, Sister Debbie Buckner, Brent Buckner, Elder S. Gifford Nielsen, Sister Peggy Haleck, Elder O. Vincent Haleck, Susan (with her eyes closed) and Gary

Thursday our department together with the self-reliance department planned a potluck lunch as a goodbye to us and a celebration of the birthdays of Hans Sorensen on the 13th and Luisa Valifale on the 17th.   We then spent the rest of the day turning the reigns over to the Maughans - we even changed out our picture on the map.

Our little welfare corner - Luisa, Gary, Elder Maughan, Susan. and Sister Maughan

Gary and Elder Bennett

Sister Susan Preator and Sister Arendje Whidden

Sister Preator is Susan's third cousin.  They were both Susan Wakefield growing up

Susan and Sister Nada Spencer 

Renee Solomon, Susan and Sister Spencer

Changing the photo on the map

Thursday night we had to get serious about packing.  Somehow the same clothes that we had brought to New Zealand had multiplied and we left many things behind.  Clothes, hair products, you name it we left it.  We each had two large bags, one carry-on and our backpacks.  There were lots of things we thought we would take home, but they found a new home in New Zealand.  Friday was just a series of goodbyes - we have made some wonderful friends here in the Pacific Area and we already miss them terribly.  

Luisa,  Susan, June Anderson, Arendje

Luisa and Susan

Gary, Susan and Hans

About 3:30pm we did our final hugs and farewells as Elder and Sister Whidden were taking us to the airport.  (The Maughans were still learning how to navigate on the left).

We arrived at the airport about 5:00pm, checked in and went to the Lounge to wait for our flight to board.  It was to be a "very long" night.

"Real friends never pull you down, they always lift."  Russell M. Nelson, "The Power Within Us."