Visitors from Home

Our daughter Sara and her husband, Jac, came to visit us on Sunday, March 15, 2015.

Jac and Sara arriving at the Auckland Airport

We had several mini trips planned to show them all over the North Island.  Unfortunately mother nature had other plans.  Cyclone Pam hit Vanuatu on March 13, 2015.  That put a damper on all plans and adventures.  Being well acquainted with emergency response we knew what to expect.  Monday was filled with meetings and phone calls.  Tuesday morning was more of the same.  Tuesday afternoon we drove down to Hamilton and visited the temple.

Susan, Jac and Susan at Hamilton New Zealand Temple

Wednesday morning we rented a car since Jac could not drive our church vehicle.   Susan's hand is still in a cast so she cannot drive a car either.  Gary flew to Vanuatu while Sara, Jac, and Susan drove to Waitomo to see the glow worm caves.  On our way we had to stop at Pokeno for ice cream.  

Waitomo is about 3 hours South of Auckland.  The Waitomo Caves were beautiful.  We actually toured 2 different caves and then drove back to Auckland.

Inside the caves

The glow worms

The next morning we returned our rental car and headed out to Matamata with another senior missionary couple, the Bennetts from Boise, Idaho.  Elder Bennett could drive our church car so he could take Gary's place on the next part of our adventure.  Matamata is the home of Hobbiton.

After our tour of Hobbiton we were back in the mini van and off to Rotorua.  Rotorua is a town with lots of geysers and hot pools.  They have nightly dinner shows where you can learn about the Maori culture.  

We spent the night in Rotorua.  Then the next morning it was back in the van and off to Turangi.  Turangi is nearly 5 hours from Auckland, but only a two hour drive from Rotorua.   It is near the Tongariro National Park and home of some of the best fly fishing in the world.  Gary and Jac had hired a guide to take them fly fishing.  (This is why we had Elder Bennett along - to take Gary's place on the river.)  We stayed in a fishing lodge which backed the Tongariro River.  Jac and Elder Bennett had a good time.  All the fishing gear was included in the price.  We think Jac is ready to come back to New Zealand again just to go fishing.  

While the boys fished we went on a hike.  Sunday morning Elder Bennett cooked us french toast on the outdoor grill before we went to church. 

A Panoramic view of the Tongariro River with the mountain range in the background

We went to church at the branch in Turangi.  Some of the members did not show up that day, so they asked for volunteers to help in the Primary.  Sara did a wonderful job.

After church we drove back to Auckland and met back at our apartment with Gary who had returned from Vanuatu a few hours earlier.

"Often we don't realize that the trial is what enables us to reach the destination the Lord has in minds for us.  He will not let it destroy us, but He will let it move us in the direction we need  to go."  Emily Freeman,  21 Days Closer to Christ

Hamilton Temple Trip

On December 30, 2014, we went to the Hamilton New Zealand Temple.  We left early hoping to make the 11:00 AM session.  We were almost there when the GPS lost satellite connection and the next thing we knew we were headed back to Auckland.  After we got turned around we drove back toward the temple.  When we arrived at the Hamilton Temple, Susan realized that she did not have her temple recommend and would be unable to enter without special permission.

Prior to coming to the temple, Gary had done some family history research and had brought the family names so we could do special ordinance work for our family at the temple.  The temple placed a phone call to a member of the Area Presidency to verify that Susan had a temple recommend so she could go in.   The person Susan did the proxy work for was a sister to Gary's grandfather.  Over 25 years ago we thought we had done her temple work, but we hadn't.  We know now without a doubt that this great aunt of Gary's was delighted to have her temple work done.  She is now on the path to be sealed to her family.

pacificareamission.blogspot.com

pacificareamission.blogspot.com

After the temple session we went across the street to visit the mission president,  Charles Rudd.  President Rudd is the son of Elder Glen Rudd.  For those in our ward, President Rudd's wife is Bryant Lancaster's sister.  We had a delightful visit.

Gary, Susan, Sister Rudd, and President Rudd

After our visit with the Rudd's we drove to the Hamilton Gardens and enjoyed all the flora and trees.  Our favorite was the English Garden.

After our stroll through the gardens we put "Home" as our destination in the GPS.  The satellite connection was lost again in the same location as before, but we ignored it and followed the signs back to "Auckland".  We did make one stop at Pokeno on the way for an ice cream.  This place is the stop for everyone who returns from the temple.  When the young missionaries stop there,  we have been told that they get much more than the standard double ice cream scoop.

"When we have conscientiously done all we can to locate records of our anestors, the Lord will direct our attention to obscure records in unlikely places where ancestral information has been preserved."  David B. Haight, Personal Temple Worship, General Conference, April, 1993.