Mt. Roskill Stake Training

On many Saturdays we have gone out sight seeing or enjoying some sort of adventure on our usual "day off".  But today we had an opportunity to participate in the Mt. Roskill Stake Family History training.   It went really well.   There was a good turn out of Consultants and Priesthood leaders (Bishops and High Priest Group Leaders).  Everyone seemed very engaged in the training and enjoyed the way the various topics were presented.   

Larry met with the Priesthood leaders to talk about the role of High Priest Group Leaders in supporting Family History in wards and branches.  I did a segment to the family history consultants on the way partner sites like Ancestry.com work together with Family Search.  The whole morning came together great and we were glad to be a part of it.  

Bush walks are nice and I'm always up for discovering another waterfall.   But THIS is why we are here.  We love teaching this stuff.  It feels so good to be a part of something that matters, to know our efforts are contributing to things of eternal consequence.  It truly is a privilege to be serving this mission.

Larry and Brother Hillbourne setting up chairs for the meeting

The Mt. Roskill team; Sister Wihongi, Sister Hillbourne and Sister Leung Choi

Putting the FAMILY in Family History - Mt Roskill FHC Director Sister Hillbourne talked about the importance of making the centers a welcoming place for all family members.  This FHC keeps a toy box for little ones to play with while Mum & Dad are busy searching out ancestors.

President Otukolo - Counselor in Stake Presidency over Family History & Temple Work

Art & Heather Schwencke, new Area Family History Advisors for the Auckland region

Sister Leun Choi talking about where information about Family History callings can be found online

Sister Schwencke teaching about the "Memories" section of FamilySearch

Sister Hillbourne shows how to keep microfishe sorted by using place markers whenever you remove one

Sister Wihongi did a brilliant job of illustrating how we all need to work together to have a strong family history program in our wards and branches

 People were divided into groups.  Each group was given a set of paper strips with words on them. The group I was in had a list of ingredients - things like sugar, flour, eggs, chocolate chips, etc.

 Another group had bowl, spoon, baking sheet, spatula,   The next group had words like stir, mix, bake.    The final group had pinch,  teaspoon, 2 cups.

By ourselves, none of the groups could put together a batch of biscuits (the Kiwi word for cookies).  But when she had us all get together to bring what each of us had to share, we were able to build a proper recipe.

 Likewise, in the  wards and stakes of the Church it takes Family History Consultants, Priesthood leaders, Patrons, and the Spirit all working together to make Family History programs really come together.

Afterward we got to eat some of the real biscuits from that recipe.

Brother Collins, High Priest Group Leader for Mt. Roskill Stake gave the closing remarks

A good time was had by all!

Jane emigrates to Australia

We have continued to teach our weekly English class to the Chinese students whenever we are in town.  It has been a fantastic experience.   However, I did have one very sad thing happen.

A couple weeks ago, one of my favorite students, "Jane" (on the far right in this picture), came to me with a gift - a lovely orange silk scarf.  She said to me in her somewhat halting English.  "I go to Australia.  I get this for you.  You very good teacher".  I was deeply touched by her kindness and thanked her sincerely for the present.  At the time, however, what I THOUGHT was that she had taken a trip to Australia and had felt prompted to bring me back a gift.  I had no idea she meant she was actually about to move to Australia and I would never see her again.  She was telling me goodbye, but I did not understand that at the time.

When I showed up for class this week and she was missing I was disappointed.  I always look forward to seeing her as she is a bright student and very much a joy to work with.  I asked some of the others where she was.  They said "She moved to Australia.  She's not coming back."  I was stunned.

Suddenly it dawned on me the mistake I had made.  I felt terrible that I had not properly acknowledged her leaving.  SHE got to say goodbye to me, in her own way.  But I simply didn't recognize that at the time. So I did not get to properly say my own goodbyes to her.

I will miss this sweet woman who was in many ways the bright spot of our class, always encouraging others.  This also serves as a reminder to me that we never know when we will lose the people in our lives.  I want to be sure I acknowledge the people I care about while they are with me so there will be no regrets when they are gone.

Auckland 2nd Ward Family History Night

We had the best time ever tonight teaching members of the Auckland 2nd ward how to do Family History. The room was filled with laughter, tears and love. One of the sisters said "I had a feeling tonight I've never had before. When I opened up the tree and saw my family's names there and knew I was part of that, it made me cry with love for them". If I EVER doubt for even one instant the truth of this work, may I forever remember this night.

Sisters from Samoa, Niue, Cook Islands and New Zealand.

We have also worked with Brother Harry Vete in his home to help him get his 15 in 15.

Oh how I love these ladies!

Growing Older - Missionary Style

Last night we had another Senior Missionary Family Home Evening.  It went GREAT.  Elder Cotterell taught a fabulous lesson based on chapter 6 in Preach My Gospel, about how we can develop the attributes of Christ.  We had a wonderful discussion, with various people sharing ideas about the various attributes they were working on and talking about what it means to allow our very natures to be changed through the atonement of Christ.

I have been working very specifically on the attribute of patience, particularly as it relates to how I respond to the challenge of my broken wrist.  I have had many nights when I was not able to sleep well because of the pain and discomfort of this injury.  When it really gets hurting, I have gotten up in the night to read my  scriptures, to pray, and to ponder the larger concept of coping with adversity in our lives.  I've learned heaps in the process.

After the lesson we had a delicious meal of lasagna and salad that Sister Cotterell had prepared and had a good time visiting with the various missionaries - especially those who live in Manukau that we don't get to see very often.

When we came home, Larry and I enjoyed talking about all we had learned that evening.  Then we decided to watch a movie to relax before heading off to bed.  We are able to stream a lot of different films with our iPads and connect that to our TV, so that is what we did.

The movie we watched was "I'll See You In My Dreams" with Blythe Danner and Sam Elliot.  The film portrayed a group of older women friends - all on their own (most widowed, one divorced) and how they lived their lives.  Most of the women knew each other from all living in the same retirement community.  Blythe Danner's character, Carol, is the exception, preferring to live alone in her own home which is near by.  

While I enjoyed the performances of the actors (including a great line up of supporting cast - June Squibb, Rhea Perlman, and Mary Kay Place as the loyal friends, Malin Ackerman as the daughter and Martin Starr as the pool guy who befriends Carol) I struggled with the lifestyle I saw portrayed.  These women spend day after day playing cards, playing golf, and passing away the time with no apparent deeper meaning or purpose than their own amusement.

I could not help but compare that to the lives of the Senior Missionaries I had just spent the evening with.  Among our cohort we have people in their 50's, 60's and 70's.   We have a broad range of people from those with modest means (like us) and people with significant wealth.  However ALL of us have other things we could be doing if all we cared about was our own comfort and amusement.   We have left behind families, homes, and a few rewarding careers.  We have each come to the mission field at some level of sacrifice in order to dedicate a period of our lives to service.  We are missing out on significant births and deaths, graduations, baptisms, weddings, recitals, reunions and all manner of  important family events.  We are doing it because we believe our lives should be about something larger than our selves.  We are doing it because we be believe in the words of King Benjamin from the Book of Mormon when he said "When ye are in the service of your fellow man, ye are in the service of your God."

I am so grateful we have the opportunity to spend this season of service here in the South Pacific.  I am grateful for all the many lessons we are learning, even those that are really hard.  There are times I weep with homesickness and longing for my familiar family and friends.  There are times I worry about how uncertain my career future will be after taking this extended break away from the world of working.  There are plenty of things about living in a completely different culture that  are a challenge, every bit as big as the blessings and the beauty of being here.  But I would not trade this experience for anything in the world.

Muriwei Beach with the Olsens

We had an opportunity to spend some time with Elder Gary and Sister Linda Olsen today.  Elder Olsen is the mission doctor and his wife is a nurse who helps him with his assignment screening missionary applications and consulting with any missionaries in the field who get sick or injured while they are out.  He can't actually practice medicine here in New Zealand, but he can give them referrals of who needs to see a doctor and who can just take care of simple things on their own.  He also is the one to decide that some missionaries need to be sent home if their health status warrants it.

We took a drive over to Muriwei Beach on the west coast, overlooking the Tasman Sea.  There are lovely dark sand beaches there and a beautiful drive through lush bush.  There is a colony of gannets that live in the cliffs we always enjoy seeing whenever we are there.

It was a chilly, blustery day since the seasons here are reversed from North America. Back home late August would be dog days of summer, but not here.  We are at the tail end of winter now, just approaching spring.  The gannets have spent their winter apart from each other, over in Australia.  They are just now arriving back here at their New Zealand nesting grounds.  It was fun to watch the mates looking for each other.  They are fascinating birds.

Community Outreach

In addition to the work we do with Church leaders, we also have had several opportunities to work with non-member community groups.  Right now I'm putting together a  PowerPoint for another presentation to the North Shore SeniorNet group.  Last time we spoke there it was specifically  about FamilySearch.  This time I will show them how they can use personal blogs as an alternate way to record and share personal or family stories.

We also recently did a FamilySearch presentation in Orewa to the Hibiscus Branch of the NZ Genealogy Society.  We had a wonderful time meeting with their group.

The place where the meeting was held was right by the Te Ara Tahuna Estuary so we enjoyed walking around there a bit and also spending a little time in the small art museum that was in the building where we were to meet.

Me with, Myra Frew, Margaret Poole, Patricia Dobbs, Maggie Chan, Wendy Fitzpatrick, Wendy Inskeep (leaning back), Levina Cuthbert at lunch before the meeting.

Me presenting to the group...broken wrist and all.  Photo by Roger Shearer

It has been a delight to get to teach so many varied groups of people - especially since the role I have now does not require me to spend any time or energy on tests or grading that I had to do during my 20 years of adjunct sociology work in various community college settings.  I genuinely enjoy following the flow of whatever people are most interested in and/or ready to learn about. Even though I always go in with a specific plan, I like to stay alert and flexible so that if questions and interest go off in another direction I'm ready to follow whatever that path may be.  It's sort of like mining for gold, never knowing before hand where the vein will take me.
Besides, I learn heaps of new things myself as I prepare to teach each new seminar.  FamilySearch is a dynamic program that is constantly changing as the developers add new features and functionalities.  There are also other genealogical tips and tools that I need to keep current on to share with each new group.

After each session Larry and I do a debrief to talk about what worked well and what things might have been improved on.  I love the way we work together as a team..

I never dreamed when we first decided to go on this mission how rewarding this would be.  Yes, at times it is hard are there are most definitely some big sacrifices.  But the opportunity to be so completely engaged in giving service has brought us so many blessings.  Sometimes I have to pinch myself to be assured this isn't all just a dream.  Feeling very grateful for this mission!  Looking forward to whatever may come next.

  

Goodbye to the Perrons

One of the inevitable factors of mission life is that we have lots of good byes.  Not only do we have to say goodbye when we leave each area where we travel to give trainings,  we also have to say goodbye to the other missionaries we serve with as each couple is on a different schedule to rotate back home.

This week Elder Bill and Sister Debbie Perron completed their time of service and have gone back to America.    We didn't see them as often as some of the others since their assignment was to teach Institute and work with the Young Single Adults.  Rather than being in the Pacific Area Office like we are when we are in New Zealand, they were in downtown Auckland much of the time. Still, through our shared Senior family home evenings and other all-mission events we had gotten to know them and always enjoyed their sweet spirits.

One of the nice things about knowing the Perrons is they also live in Boise, Idaho so it is very possible we could connect with them when we get back home!   So many of the other missionaries live in Utah or come from other states.  It's nice to have someone else in our area that we could get together to reminisce with about our New Zealand life.

The Perrons were such great examples and a wonderful positive influence in the lives of many of the young people they served with.  They will definitely be missed!

Here is a video they posted showing them with some of the great YSA they worked with.

We Are NEVER Alone

I want to be sure I remember a special experience I had while attending the Time Out For Women (TOFW) event in downtown Auckland yesterday.

I very much enjoyed listening to the various speakers and musical presentations.  It was a great event!  I especially enjoyed listening to Brad Wilcox talk about dealing with challenges in life. He did a great job of using humor to address important subjects. He wasn't just trying to be funny, but by getting us all laughing he prepared us to hear his message in new ways. He said:

I also really liked hearing David Archuletta perform.  He is a talented young man. I particularly enjoyed his cover of the U2 song Pride-In the Name of Love.

But the most significant thing I experienced didn't happen during the conference at all.  It was something that took place over the lunch break.

All of us Sisters from the mission (both seniors and young ones) walked a few blocks from the conference center over to the Institute Building where we shared lunch of sub sandwiches and fruit that had been prepared for us.   At that point I was not with anyone in particular.  I chatted a bit with various people who were there,  but I arrived on my own and left on my own.  

When I walked over there it was a pretty simple path with lots of LDS women heading in the same direction, so I had no problem finding where to go.  Also the streets and parking area we passed through were fairly open when we headed over there about noon.  When I went to go back right before 1:00 PM, however, everything had changed.

For one thing, it was beginning to rain.  But of more concern, there were now masses of people in what had previously been an open square.  What none of us knew was that there was a major political rally scheduled for the downtown area at 1:00.  Literally THOUSANDS of people showed up in Aoteara Square - the very place between the Institute building where we were having lunch and where we needed to be for the TOFW event - to protest the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA).

Not being very familiar with downtown Auckland to begin with, confronting this huge crowd was very disorienting.  I got mixed up about which direction I was was supposed to go after crossing the street.  I felt utterly lost and not sure how I would ever get back to the group I needed to be with.

The whole vibe of the protest was uncomfortable for me to be around.   I just wanted to get out of there.  But I honestly had no idea what to do.  For a few minutes it felt really scary!

All my training as a missionary kicked in.  Whenever I feel uncertain about ANYTHING, I know it is time to pray.  I bowed my head and silently pleaded with my Heavenly Father to tell me what I should do.

In that very INSTANT a wave of calm swept over me.  Even though I was still surrounding by crowds of strangers chanting slogans and waving placards, I felt a level of peace and confidence with such a sudden force it left me stunned.  Without audibly hearing a particular voice, these words came with absolute clarity to my mind.  "It's ok.  I'm right here.  I'm with you.  Stand over there.  Watch in that direction.  In just a few minutes, one of the other missionary sisters is going to walk toward you coming down that sidewalk.  When she does, you will recognize her and she will tell you which way to go".  So I did that.  The whole time I stood there instead of feeling awkward or nervous or at all concerned about the crowd or being lost as I had previously, I just stood there KNOWING with absolute certainty that I was a beloved daughter of Father in Heaven and that He was aware of my needs.   The complete sense of His love and protection wrapped all around me as if I were in a bubble.  It was surreal, unlike anything I had ever experienced before.

After about five minutes, sure enough, one of the senior sister missionaries came walking toward me, just like the voice/thought had told me she would.  I approached her and asked where I should go.  She pointed the way and off I went, soon getting back to the conference center where I once again joined the group of ladies that I had ridden with to come to the TOFW event.

As I took my seat the thought kept coming to me, no matter where I go in this great big word, I am NEVER alone.  I may not always feel God's presence quite so intensely as I did that day in Auckland, New Zealand.  But He is ALWAYS there.   All I need to do to tune in to His presence is to seek Him in prayer having faith and trust that my prayers will indeed be heard and answered.  It was such a powerful feeling.  It's one I hope I never forget.

For videos of some of the talks and music from Time Out For Women, click HERE.

The Power of Questions: (TOFW)

On Saturday, 15 August I attended Time Out For Women (TOFW) in Auckland with several other Senior Missionary sisters who work in the Pacific Area Office.

This year the presenters and performers who came on this part of the tour included Sandra Turley, Elaine Dalton, Heidi Swinton,  Brad Wilcox,  and David Archuleta

All of them were great.  My favorite, however, was someone who wasn't there at all.

Sherri Dew did her presentation by Skype due to conflicting commitments back in Utah.  (As President of Deseret Book she has an understandably full plate). 

Sherri shared, among other things, the story of helping one of her nieces come to terms with some questions the girl had about the gospel.  Sister Dew made it clear in no uncertain terms that it is okay to have questions.  The important thing is how we conduct ourselves in order to get answers  to those questions.

So many people seem to think that having a strong commitment to the church means forfeiting our own power of reason in a foolish adoption of blind faith.   Nothing could be further from the truth.

I am so grateful that I have been taught to trust in James 1:5, the very scripture that Joseph Smith studied that led him to walk out to the grove of trees where he experienced the First Vision.

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."

We are taught in the scriptures and through the council of our leaders that we don't have to take any person's word for what we should believe or how we should live.  If we have questions we are encouraged to take them to God and to expect our own personal revelation.   

Throughout the 30+ years that I have been active in the LDS faith I have had lots of questions.  There are still some things I do not fully understand.  But this is what I know for sure:  God is real.  He knows me personally and cares about my thoughts, feelings, fears and needs.  Time and time again I have seen evidence of that.

I hope I can always have enough faith to take my questions to the Lord and the patience and diligence necessary to wait for and work for the answers that will surely come according to the Lord's timetable and according to His chosen way.

Sometimes answers come through quiet impressions.  Sometimes they come through dreams or through the words or actions of others.  Heavenly Father has all sorts of ways that He communicates with me.  My job is to learn to recognize when my Creator is communicating with me and then to promptly take action to obey....even when I do not fully understand.