13 October 2019

We feel like we are home. We've just have different friends.

The entire Island is flowering. And the birds are so happy here.

Peace Lily's grow wild. True story

Our view out our kitchen window. The neighbor's PINK fern tree.

I don't even know what these are, but every hedge is blooming.

All the colors are fluoresant. I took the picture as we were flying past it and the sun was behind it. 

The grass even has flowers in it!

This is what you find in the middle of the streets. They put the arrow on there for us Americans who sometimes tend to forget which side of the road we should be driving on. The turn signals are on the right side of the stearing wheel. The wipers are on the left where the turn signals are on American Cars.  You can always spot an American. Our wipers are always giving the "AMERICAN  SALUTE" during a sunshiney day when we turn left and hit the wipers instead of the turn signal. Then you get so confused you look the wrong direction for oncoming cars and go through the round about the wrong way. I've driven twice and gave a prayer of thanks when I parked the car without a dent. No wonder we average 3 accidents a week in our mission. We are running out of cars...

Flowers growing out of the grass

There is no such things as straight roads. We were on our way to zone conference and had to go through the mountains to get to Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty. (on the East Coast line) There was a sign as we peaked the summit that said
THIS HILL CAN KILL
as we started going down the other side. Of course Parnelly Jones was doing 100 kilometers and we had passed the sign before I could bring up my camera on the phone and snap a picture. 

New Zealands best kept secret. Twizzlers filled with Chocolate! To. Die. For.

Unfortunately, we never did locate the Muffin Man. 

This week we went from the East Coast to the West Coast. Did I get to walk the beaches? NO. The day we could have it was pouring buckets of water. (2.5 inches that day) We would have sunk into the ocean...The next day we were too busy. Dwight keeps reminding me we have a few more months here. I just want to experience it all NOW! The drive was breathtaking. 50 kilometers of beach line. 

Note to self: NEVER  EVER touch the top wire of a fence out in the middle of nowhere. Because in New Zealand it might or might not have ELECRICITY flowing through it. All I wanted was a scenic picture. My elbows will never be the same. Wow. What a zap...We also drove by the road that goes to Hobbiton. Stopping next time is on my bucket list.

There is always a warning sign of some sorts.Some are quite clever. There is also an Exclamation mark ! on a sign. I still don't know that that means 

These trees are fern trees. The leaves are incrediably large. Sorry for the blurr. Parnelly Jones was going 110 this time...

Sister Clayton wants me to add to our blog of the busiest week thus far. This week the mission had four Zone Conferences back to back, Tuesday through Friday. Our job was to feed the missionaries for lunch which Sisters Clayton and Folland pretty much prepare.  This time we had sandwiches, chips, fruit, vege sticks and cookies. Our next set of ZC’s will be taco salad at the request of President Erekson. All four of us serve the lunch and clean up after lunch. We fed over 200 people this week.

During the meal prep time Elder Folland switches out bikes and loads into the cars anything the missionaries have requested for their flats. My job is to inspect 15-22 cars at each of the ZC’s which takes about 2 - 2½ hours. I also get to prepare awards for the Extremely Tidy Cars and one for the Most Wonderfully Clean Car of the Zone. There are many that get the first award and they get two Snickers bars plus the certificate. The Grand Prize missionaries get the two snickers bars and a large Whitaker chocolate bar…very fine chocolate.

On Monday’s we prepare for all four ZC’s and hit the ground with our boots on, running on Tuesday. Afterward we return to the office to complete the work we should have been doing, working till 7 or 8 that night. As tiring and exhausting as last week was, it was wonderful to see and be with the missionaries. Much like the youth of the church…oh wait, they are still youth…anyway they love to be together and the noise level at lunch is exhilarating. They love to catch up with former companions and with those they came out to the mission with.

We fall into bed every night tired and exhausted, grateful we are in the service of the Lord. We often have people ask us; “What is it that you do, there doesn’t seem to be much?” But there is. Every day we have more for tomorrow and we love it. Interacting with the missionaries about phones, flats, baptisms and driving privileges and more, much much more keeps us hopping with things changing every day. Our work truly supports the missionaries so they can focus on the work they have been called to do; “Invite all people to come unto Christ and be perfected in Him” and to gather Israel. The vast majority of them take this work very seriously. Pray for them; they need your faith, your prayers and your confidence.

IN the MTC the first counselor in our Branch Presidency told us that he loved us, that by the nature of his calling he had the ability to have love at first site for those of us in the branch. This has stuck with me for these 6 weeks since our MTC experience and it is true, and those who are called to missionaries also have the gift given to them and it works. I love the missionaries, all of them. Those who speak well and those who don’t. Those who struggle and those that serve with an eye single to His glory. And in our small branch in Raglan we attend, we love them. All this is because of the Love of the Father and Of His Beloved Son, Their love is infinite! And as missionaries young or old, each has that same gift. It is amazing to watch as new missionaries are paired up with their new companion/trainer and see them embrace with true love and respect and the drive to move forward gathering Israel and Inviting all to come unto Jesus Christ.

If you have not yet made plans to serve as a young missionary or a single sister missionary or as senor missionaries, then stop right now and make your plans. This is the choicest, the most difficult and very rewarding calling you will ever have. I love you all and pray for the best to come your way. Elder Clayton

 We love you all.