July 29 - Aug 4, 2019

Green onions continue growth by topping,
and Lemon tree in Background.

"There is beauty all around!"  New Zealand is beautiful.  It is winter and sometimes cold, but flowers abound, lemons, grapefruit and oranges are on trees everywhere.   Because we have both grapefruit and lemon trees in our yard, we are enjoying fresh squeezed lemonade and citrus.   There are good vegetable and fruit stands, which are still more money than we're used to paying.   A bunch of green onions is $2.50, and a small pint of tomatoes is $5.99.  Thankfully, my daughter taught me how to put a glass of water in the window and just clip off the tops of the onions and they regrow, so we're harvesting and re-harvesting the same onions all the time.

We also have a glass greenhouse in our backyard.   We tilled in mulch and new soil, and planted tomatoes and peppers.  We also have several small starts of tomatoes that we're hoping grow so we can give them to missionaries and encourage them to plant in their flowerbeds.  People say, whatever you stick in the ground will grow, you don't have to do anything .... We're hoping that's true.

Planter with Strawberries, Raised beds in
background with herbs, lettuce and onions,
and Look at the grapevine that we look
forward to producing ....

We enjoyed a couples conference this week and were able to mingle with couples all over the mission.  There are some inspiring people that are helpful and making a difference in peoples and missionaries lives here.   How we need more couples to lift and inspire these young men and women out preaching and struggling to do what they've been prepared to do.

The woman with me is Sister Baxter, from Longmont Colorado, but living in Lexington KY for the last 15 years. (Where Linda was born), and she is wearing 2 identical necklaces that I have as well.  They're from a little village in Kenya where her sister is serving a mission.   My parents sent my girls and I the same necklace.... She wears it so well that I had to take a picture for inspiration, I didn't bring mine to NZ with me .... but I'm sure to don the same necklace on my return!

Purple Swamphen
 locally known as the pukeko. 

Maori greetings

Last week, we drove around most of Lake Taupo, and it took almost 2 hours.   This past week, we walked around the entire Lake Rotorua in less than an hour.  There are Native NZ birds and Some amazing playground areas, We can't wait for the grandkids to come enjoy them!

We're also getting introduced to some Maori words and traditions.  There is a large diversity of culture here.  The church congregations are well integrated.  The people here are welcoming and anxious to share their traditions.  Here are some fun words you can hear:  https://nzhistory.govt.nz/culture/maori-language-week/100-maori-words

It's been a most interesting week on the medical scene.   Some missionaries are amazing, and some of them are struggling.   We remind ourselves that we are immersed in the struggles and that there are some missionaries that are here to learn.  We are striving to lift and encourage them.   We're so grateful for great members and leaders.  President and Sister Erekson have been welcoming and are a blessing to this area.  As they said, "We've left 'all that we love', to come to an area and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ."  How we miss our family.  Search, Ponder, and Pray and the blessings and windows of heaven will open.

Islands of the Oceanic Area