.

.

Monday, March 28, 2016

Lessons from Alma about coping with challenges

One of the blessings we have working for the church here in the Pacific Area Office is we get to start each work week with a devotional on Monday mornings.  Each department takes turns assigning someone to lead an opening song and another person to give a brief spiritual message, then we close with prayer.  Many of  the talks we have heard in these devotionals have been powerful indeed.   One recent devotional message that touched me was given by Chrissie Barrett.   I asked her for permission to share her message here and to be able to send it to some of my own family and friends who I thought might also benefit from it.   I really appreciate her letting me do so, as this message really taught me a lot!

Chrissie Barrett
Area MLU Analyst |The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - Pacific Area|

What Alma teaches us about coping with challenges
See Chapter 8

When Alma preached in the land of Ammoniha, the scriptures tell us of his labouring much in the spirit, his wrestling with God in mighty prayer, his persecutions, and eventual expulsion from the city.   Samuel the Lamanite experienced similar persecutions as he attempted to preach to the Nephites within the land of Zarahemla.   How easy it would have been for them to give up.

Alma, upon entering the city of Ammoniha, had already fulfilled the command to go to his bretheren and teach the word.  He tried his hardest, but their hearts were hard and the people would not listen.   Defeated, Alma left the city and begun to journey thither. 

Picture Alma.  He has given them everything he had to hive.  His exhausted effort is apparent as he was weighed down with sorrow, wading through much tribulations and anguish of soul.   We might imagine this great man thinking of the ways he could have done better, the words he wished he could have said, how things could have been different if he would have known at the beginning what he now knew.

On the road as he was leaving the city, an angel appeared to him commanding him to return, a second chance he so willingly accepted.   His second attempt at this wicked city demonstrates a significant attribute, an attitude that should be mirrored in our own lives when we are asked to do something which is difficult.  In Alma 8:18 it tells us that Alma returned speedily to the land of Ammoniha and “entered the city by another way….”  He found a different way, a new way, perhaps even a better way to achieve his goal.   He sought after a more effective way, now with more preparation and experience under his belt.   Alma met his wingman, Amuleck, and subsequently preached of the greatest doctrine we have in the scriptures, with great example to us of the power of testimonies to change the hearts of those we serve.

When leaving the city of Zarahemla, Samuel the Lamanite was also commanded to go back.  He also found another way, a more effective way, to achieve his goal.  Samuel became resistant to death, neither arrow nor massive drop off a city wall could take this scriptural legend.   He was mentioned by the Saviour himself when He came to visit the Nephites, and will live on as a Book of Mormon hero and primary children’s favourite. 
Both of these great prophets of old sought a different way, an improved way, to achieve what they had been commanded to do after their initial efforts did not give them success.

The point I want to emphasize is when we feel like we have tried everything, only to see our best efforts fail, instead of giving up we can seek to enter in by another way, find a new approach.   Sometimes the old methods simply don’t cut it anymore.  We are entitled to inspiration from the Lord in our callings, in our work life and in our personal lives. 

When Elder Bednar came to New Zealand he spoke of the need to change.  He warned us not to get complacent or comfortable, but to have an intense hunger to improve.   When we think we have everything under control and all is going well, we will be faced with new challenges.  Nothing stays easy for long.   We are constantly being stretched and moulded into the person that Heavenly Father knows we are capable of becoming.   He will not ask us to do something that we are not capable of doing.  He will always provide a way. 

We can all think of the story of Alma returning to Ammoniha when we are asked to do something difficult or when we feel the approach we are taking is simply not working.   We can use this example when we need to go about the problem from a different angle or from a different perspective.   As we remain faithful and strive to have the attitude of Alma, we will have the Holy Ghost to inspire us with new ways and new ideas to accomplish what we have been asked to do.

Saturday, March 26, 2016

Patricia Comes to Visit

One of the blessings I never expected when we came on our mission is that at Senior Missionaries we are allowed to have visitors from home.  My friend Patricia Valentine has traveled much of the world, but had never before seen New Zealand, although it had long been on her bucket list.  Once she knew we would be living here for two years she decided this would be a good time to come.



She spent most her time here traveling on her own.  Knowing we have a busy work schedule as full time missionaries, she did not want to interrupt our reason for being here. So one week she rented a car and went up North to see Cape Reinga and hike among the giant Kauri trees.  The second week she took a bus south to visit Hobbiton and then go on to Rotorua.

On our weekends between those trips, however, we got to enjoy showing her some of the lovely scenery round here. We took a day to go to Murewei Beach and then from there went on to the Waitakere Ranges Regional Park.   It was fun to see the beauty of New Zealand through fresh eyes.  We have gotten so accustomed to the lush tropical bush and gorgeous beaches that we have unfortunately lost some of our wonder and amazement.   We still appreciate it all very much, but not with the sheer awe we felt when we first arrived.









I hope she had a good visit.  I think she did.  However, two weeks goes by mighty fast.  It made me realize all over again what a priceless opportunity we have to actually live in this magical place, to get to know the people and to explore so many of the nooks and crannies.

We've had the time to fully experience the North Island from the Northlands and Bay of Islands all the way down to Wellington.  We've savored the Taranaki District, the Bay of Plenty and the Coromandel.  From the busy city life of Auckland to the sleepy rural towns tucked along the twisty, winding roads that we travel for our mission assignments, we've embraced it all.

There is so much stunning beauty in this country.   Beyond that, the kindness of the people, the harmony and peace that I feel here is something hard to capture in words.  It truly has been the adventure of a lifetime to have these experiences.  We've learned a lot.

Now that we are past the half way mark in our mission our thoughts do wander to home more often. As much as we love it here, it will be good to get home when our time comes.  In the mean time though, we want to keep taking every opportunity we can to get out and enjoy this place while we are here.  We want to relish as much of it as we can.  There is much about living in New Zealand I know I will surely miss.


Friday, March 25, 2016

Water and wind

On our many walks along the beach we often watch the parasailers, surfers or folks doing stand-up paddle board.  We are often amazed by their grace and skill on the water.   I have no idea how long it takes someone to get really good at these sports.   What I do know for sure is that it takes practise, struggle and some serious determination to go from weekend enthusiast to someone who masters these endeavors.  They go out into the sea over and over again, even when they don't particularly feel like it, even when their bodies are sore and tired.  It doesn't take long to learn how to spot those who are truly serious, distinguishing them from those who are simply out for a good time.






 Years ago I set a goal for myself that I wanted to learn to play the piano.   I signed up to take lessons. I had a decent old piano to practise on.  I got a book and started practicing. But I hated it.   I cringed at every mistake.  I couldn't stand being awful at it long enough to get past the beginner stage.  It didn't help that there was a very young Asian kid who played magnificent sonatas and classical works who was scheduled in the spot right before my weekly lessons.   I would sit listening to his performance and then follow with my own shaky rendition of Go Tell Aunt Rhody the Old Grey Goose is Dead.   It was demoralizing. Week after week went by without me being able to see any significant improvement.  Frustrated, I eventually quit.  Because of that, today I do not know how to read music or play the piano.   Had I been willing to tolerate my own fumbling mediocrity a bit longer, recognizing that early stages of any new skill inevitably has a season of stumbles, things might have turned out very differently.

As I watch the varying abilities of the many who flock to the beaches to ride the waves and air currents, or to glide smoothly on the water's surface, I cannot help but wonder what things in my life I am willing to learn now without giving up.

What am I willing to work at and make sacrifices for?  What am I willing to truly commit to, even when it feels discouraging and hard?

I've been thinking about those questions, and revising my own personal life bucket list.  It will be interesting to see where it takes me.



Thursday, March 24, 2016

Life is a Beach!

Larry and I have been spending a lot of our evenings taking walks on the beach.   One reason is that I'm working hard at getting in better shape.  Since getting my FitBit in January, I've been tracking how many steps I take each day and watching what I eat in a concentrated effort to lose some unwanted pounds.   

I've been heavy for many years, a combination of sedentary jobs and genetics.  (I have my grandmother's shape!) Then, the first year of our mission I put on even more pounds.  (New Zealand had fabulous ice cream, cheeses and hot meat pies!  Also there was all that island food on our travels.)   Now I am determined to reverse that trend.

While size and weight are the easy things to measure, what I'm really working on is my overall health.  I want to increase my strength and stamina.  I want to improve balance.  I'm feeling so much stronger spiritually these days.  Next I want to do a better job of honoring the body that houses my spirit.  Taking a walk ever day is part of that goal.

Besides wanting the exercise, our long evening walks are a great way for Larry and I to unwind and connect at the end of the day.  I love the way this mission has brought us so much closer.   We've always had a good marriage based on kindness and mutual respect.  Over the time we have been serving together though, we've grown so much more deeply connected emotionally and spiritually. We've shared so much and relied on each other in ways we never had to before.  It's amazing how our trust and intimacy has grown from these experiences.

Beyond that, however, we are very aware that we don't have a lot longer to go before we head back to land-locked Idaho.   We will deeply miss living by the ocean.   Both of us love the time we spend by the sea.
















Sunday, March 20, 2016

Samoan Saints Training

We had so much success with our special Tongan training that we set up a similar meeting for Samoan saints in Auckland.  Leaders came from Mt. Roskill, Tamaki, Penrose, Waterview and Redoubt Stakes.



We have truly learned to love the people of the islands.   Whether we are working with Polynesian people in their native lands during our travels or the ones who have emigrated to New Zealand, we love the special spirit these dear people have.  And oh, the singing!  Whether in a small group or a large one, hearing our island brothers and sisters sing is amazing.

Again we are reminded of the scripture we chose for our Mission Plaque that hangs in our home ward during the time we are gone:

2 Nephi 29:7
 " Know ye not that there are more nations than one?  Know ye not that I, the Lord your God, have created all men, and that I remember those who are upon the isles of the sea; and I rule in the heavens above and in the earth beneath and I bring forth my word unto the children of men, yea, even upon all nations of the earth?"

Friday, March 18, 2016

My Sister is Coming!

  Sharon and I - 1960 - Flagstaff, AZ
It is now confirmed.  My sister is coming to visit us here in New Zealand.  I am SO excited!

One of the blessings of Senior Missions is that the rules for us are totally different from those of the young elders and sisters.  The young ones  email their families once a week and only get to talk to them on the phone twice a year - at Christmas and Mother's Day.   For us, there are no restrictions whatsoever on contact with home.  We can use FaceTime, FaceBook,  MajicJack or other means to call as often as we like.  Best of all, family are also allowed to come and visit.  Several of the other Senior Missionaries here have had kids/grandkids or other family come.   We had a blast when Larry's sister, Toni, and her friend Sheryl were here.   Now I get to have MY sister come too.  I've been grinning so much my face hurts!



Sharon is three years younger than me, the caboose of our pack of siblings.  Our lives have been very different indeed.  We don't actually have that much in common in terms of what we believe or how we live our lives.   But the love bond between us is huge.   I'm really tickled that I get to show some of the beautiful places here to her.  I can't wait!



Boise, ID  July 2010


Having Sharon in my life is such a blessing.  When we were young, we were not all that close.  For a while some years back we were estranged, not so much angry at each other, but both choosing to limit contact for reasons that are no longer important.

But somewhere down the line we found each other again.  For the past several years we have shared reglar phone calls, notes, visits when we can manage it since we live in different states.   She means the world to me.  To be able to show her this experience is icing on the cake.

Taken at Valli Hi (Eagle, ID) 2014

Thursday, March 17, 2016

Seminary & Institute Coordinator Training

Seminary & Institute (S&I) Coordinators from all over the Pacific Area are gathered in Auckland, NZ this week for meetings with their department. As part of those meetings, the Family History department provided a training session on FamilySearch with emphasis on the importance of sharing the Find / Take / Teach  message with youth and YSA they work with. Helpers from eight different stakes came together to provide one-on-one assistance with FamilySearch. Several of the S&I coordinators found family names to take to the temple for ordinance work.

We had expected to be just getting back from the trip to Fiji which was cancelled because of the cyclone there, so rather than have us run the training Mike had asked Karen Howard, Area Family History Advisor from Te Awamatu, to take the lead.  She did a great job!

She definitely presented things differently than we would have.  It was interesting to see what she emphasized and what she didn't.  We are so used to being in front doing the presentation that it was a good experience for us to get to sit back and watch for a change.

Larry got to be one of the helpers assisting the leaders.   I took on the role of "runner", helping problem solve with any issues that came up and taking a flash drive back and forth from the various laptops folks were working on up to our office on the third floor to print out the cards since we weren't connected to a printer in the training room.  By the end of the training I was pooped!   But it was a great day and we were glad to be part of it.

Karen Howard

The Helper group

                                                   Scenes from the training with S & I




It was great to see Brother Piutau, our dear friend from Tonga, again.





Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Training for Tongan Saints in Auckland

We had a great opportunity to give a presentation for a special training for Tongan saints in the Auckland area who are catching the vision of Kumi, 'Ave, Akoi (‪#‎FindTakeTeach‬). Members from four different stakes (Redoubt, Waterview, Mt. Roskill, and Panmure) came together for a "Tongan Tuesday family history night" at the Mt. Roskill Stake Center. The event was organized by Area Family History Advisors Art and Heather Schwencke.  Many thanks also go out to helpers Brother and Sister Hillbourne and Sister Leung Choi from Mt. Roskill Stake for assisting members in setting up new accounts in FamilySearch and identifying family names for temple ordinances. There are 14 Tongan language wards in the Auckland area and many Tongan members who attend the English wards. President Otukolo from Mt. Roskill Stake bore strong testimony about the power of family history. President Cocker from Waterview Stake also attended and assisted.





President Otukolo and Elder Bennett


President Cocker from Waterview Stake (NZ) embracing the AKOI (Teach) aspect of
Find / Take / Teach 
during the Tongan Tuesday event in Auckland.

Brother Hillbourne (in plaid shirt on left) had his first experience with helping someone sign up for a new account in FamilySearch. After the meeting he said it was one of the best experiences he had ever had. He acknowledged that he is no expert with the program, but he saw the need and wanted to help with what knowledge he did have. THIS is the spirit of we love to see in these trainings.




I'm not sure which was more exciting...seeing the enthusiams of the members, some of whom were submitting family names for the very first time, or that of Brother Hillbourne who had his first experience with helping a member set up a new account in FamilySearch.   It was a great night.  We went home so happy we felt like we were floating on clouds!



I took this photo of Brother & Sister Hillbourne at a different training last year

Sister Leung Choi