11 March 2020

CORONOVIRUS, LOOTERS, AND NO TP

Each morning we wake up and count our blessings. There seems to be quite a bit of unrest in the world these past few weeks. While we were in the MTC we met a couple from Missouri and became instant friends. We trained with them in the MTC for two weeks for our current callings of Office Specialists in different missions. They flew out to Korea, we flew to New Zealand. Last Wednesday, they flew back to the United States after 6 months out and they were called home. All missionaries that did not live in Korea were sent to other missions or home. There are only 15 missionaries left to man their mission. They taught the young missionaries how to handle the affairs of the office. 

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They will be in isolation for 14 days and then reassigned to another mission when their tests come back that they are well. I can't imagine leaving our mission right now. Not knowing what the future is going to hold, everything is up in the air. I am so grateful for a living prophet, Russell M. Nelson, who always seems to know what to do at the exact right moment. With no church gatherings on Sunday in so many areas, isn't it quite curious that the "Come Follow Me" program was implimented FULLY by January of 2020. JUST. IN. TIME. 

This has become the new norm for our missionaries. Our biggest concern is how we would feed 174 young uns if commerce comes to a halt. Most everything has to be imported into New Zealand. But then again, I look at how the missionaries in the Korea Mission were taken care of at exactly the right time. All is well.  Our gas BBQ grill that I bought for Elder Clayton for his birthday was STOLEN last week. And there is no TP in the country. Or hand sanitizer. Or bottled water. 

On a lighter note, our grandson, Jackson, sent us a FLAT JACKSON. We took him to a few favorite places in New Zealand. I had so much fun putting a book of experiences together for him. Then we sent him back home with sea shell rings for his classmates. I hope they make it through customs...

So this is a picture of our postie. He rides a bike to deliver our mail. He takes the PARCELS around in a mini van first then gets on his bike and pedals his little heart out. Everything is up hill in this country. (Even the downhills...) He is a really good guy. He's the one that used to own a bakery and brought us TWO carrot cakes for Christmas!

Miracle of the week:

Elder Clayton received a call 25 Feb at 5 p.m. These two had been involved in a hit and run car accident. Their car was totaled. Some guy didn't yield and if it would have been a mili second later, they would have been T-boned. We rushed to the scene of the accident and took them to the ER. They both had mild concussions and got to take a day off the next day. 

We sat in the emergency room for hours, not quite sure what disease we were going to bring home with us before the night was over.  These Sisters had angels round about them protecting them during this accident. They should not have walked away from the accident mostly unharmed. 

So I found a New Zealand knock off of Poopouri.
Lu-Mist. 

The directions made me giggle. 

Every Sunday on our way to church, right in the middle of the highway, are all these wild chickens. There are no farms, no homes, just wild chickens. When we buy eggs, they are not refrigerated. They are sitting on the shelf. Full of feathers and chicken poop. Brown and just like on the farm. We can buy caged eggs or free range eggs. These guys give FREE RANGE CHICKENS a whole new meaning. 

You recall that we have to BYOB when we shop. (Bring your own bag) So as you shop you look at other people's bags. Mine are functional, cheap, black and no fun. One lady had the CUTEST bags and I was coveting them. As she was loading her groceries I walked up to her and asked where she bought her cute colorful fun bags. She told me. I walked out and was having a bad hip day, so Dwight went to get the car because the store is always so busy, we had to park almost in Australia. Well the lady with the cute bags comes out and goes to her car parked right in the front row. She loads her cute full bags in the car, looks over at me, and comes running back to me and hands me THIS CUTE BAG and tells me to keep it! Just an example of the kind hearted people in this beautiful land. Such a lovely place to be. 

The horses here wear these horse capes. For several reasons. They keep mold from growing on the horse hide in the rainy season. (For reals) They keep the horses from sunburning in the hot weather. And they keep the bugs off them. Nifty huh. 

Kiwi's have it right. You can always find a toilet because they are in every parking lot, park, city center, etc. It's quite convienient. Don't forget to bring your Lu-Mist and proceed as normal...

So I went to buy celery the other day and they were all cut in half. It's so smart! How much celery have you thrown away at  your house because you had too much and it wilted?

So I have learned when I order a soft drink, I ask for a large Coke with LOTS of ice. (emphasis on LOTS OF ICE) This day, I received a 12 oz cup and it was FULL to the top with ice. I rejoiced! Until I took three sips and the 3 oz of liquid that was in it was gone and I had LOTS OF ICE with NO DRINK! Never happy.

 Let's talk about another problem we have in New Zealand.

SHOES

There are random shoes all over this country. If you are not looking where you are walking, you might trip over a shoe! I'm still trying to figure out why. 

I could have taken 20 pictures of random shoes along the roadway. I really don't know why!

Elder Clayton went on a work project. Most homes do not have heat or air. We are so LUCKY to have both. He was helping members of the Branch collect their wood supply for their winter heat. When he came home with his shirt looking like this, I was quite sure it was not going to be used for anything other than chopping wood again. 

There is a laundry bar soap here that is amazing. I will be only be bringing 250 pounds of shells home now, 30 bars of this soap and 30 jars of New Zealand Tuscan seasoning that I can't live without.

I tried a new fruit. Feijoa's! They remind me of skittles! Quite a delicacy!

We walked out out door on Sunday morning and we could almost touch these hot air balloons. I sooooo want to go on one. Our Branch President, President Higgens bore his testimony on fast Sunday. He used a hot air balloon analogy.

He went on a hot air balloon ride. He asked the pilot where they would land.  His response was, "I don't know. Where ever the wind takes us." How many times in our lives does the world takes us places where we don't know where we will land. We have no direction, just aimlessly floating through life. We are all born with the light of Christ. This is our conscious. But, when we are baptised, we recieve the gift of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is like a light in the night and when we listen to the Holy Ghost in our lives, there is no question as to what we need to do, where we need to go and where we will land. Unlike the hot air balloon...

Elder Mulholland said I could blog this. He and his companion went to Hobbiton to visit  Bilbo Baggins and share the message of Jesus Christ with him. Of course, Bilbo wasn't home. He was on an adventure. 

So you may be wondering about this picture. We don't even want to know where he got the sheep. In our mission, our mission motto is:
Knees on the floor
Boots on the ground
Sheep on our shoulders
Elder Lebo took it quite seriously. We love these wonderful young people. They have strong testimonies, happy hearts, even when rejected. They want to share the message of Jesus Christ with you. If a young person with a black name tag comes knocking at your door, take a minute and let them in. They won't force you to do anything, and they might have an answer to questions you have always needed answers too. 

A bunch of us ELDERLY sisters went out to celebrate Sister Erekson's birthday. (Mission President's Wife) We went to a movie. The seats were RECLINERS! Hard to stay awake in such comfort...

The Wright's came to visit from Auckland! It was so fun to be with family. 

They brought Tom, Bree, and Emma who were visiting from Utah with them. They all spent the night with us. Kelly and Lisa, (Elder and Sister Wright) do the same thing we do just in a different mission in New Zealand. We just loved having them with us. Emma is a gem! Look at that cute face! We didn't want them to leave.

Best thing that has happened since last post.
Henry Steele Stockton!
Doesn't that face need some grandma kisses?
Have felt a stab in my heart missing out on Little Ruby and Big Hank. Thank heavens for Facetime.

Well, in a few days, we will only have 11 months left until we go home. Time is going sooooo fast.

Kia Kaha,

Elder and Sister Clayton