Another Full week of changes. We entered a mission with a brand new mission president, new office couples and transitioning requests from the area. All of us are gradually adjusting and adapting, with regular "tweaks" each cycle. Just as we think we're getting into a pattern, we get a few mid month incoming missionaries and a few mid cycle departing missionaries. And then President Erekson decides to change things up and not have our regular zone conferences, but to try a new holiday routine. We can see we're in for a constant movement. We do enjoy their association and are both grateful when we can sneak away for a quick dinner or hike.
Seeing missionaries leave before the completion of their mission is heart wrenching and has given us new insight. What great young adults these missionaries are. They strive to live in an entirely new set of boundaries without many of their familiar gadgets, none of their familiar friends or family and a desire to learn, preach, teach and invite others. They reach out of their comfort zones to talk to people of all economic and social classes, and many different cultures. This is a full immersion study that sends many of them into contemplation and reflection of life's questions only answered by pondering and studying the word of God.
The optimist in me wants to believe that we were front loaded with many of the hardest situations. The realist says, we live in hard times and have to continue to lift others the rest of our lives. We're so grateful to have Elder Rojas and his mom home safely. Our goodbyes were temporary and full of hope. They are amazing people full of faith.
There other missionaries who leave that are great individuals as well, and whom we pray for and look forward to their progress and learning.
We had plenty more doctor visits and challenges with Islander comfort with medical treatment. Deep infections are treated with IV antibiotics and some of them would rather use their own tree leaves to treat it. We honor their traditions and have even attempted pressure point massage that pushes away pain at the request of some. However we're grateful for a good network of healthcare here that treats our missionaries and works with us. We've seen more scabies, rashes, bug bites, and boils than we could have imagined.
This week we delivered prescriptions while travelling to Taranaki and then hiked to a few more waterfalls. Elder Despain is the expert photographer and captures the New Zealand country pretty well. Mount Taranaki is a dormant volcano on the southwest side of the North Island. We caught it on a beautiful day without cloud cover.
The past few weeks at church have been full of Primary Presentations. The children are adorable to watch. Most of the NZ wards have choral type outfits with matching ties and bows. We love seeing their smiles and energy. I'd love to post so many of their pictures. You'll have to imagine the adorable looks with many of the Samoans and Tongans wearing their lava-lava skirts and beautiful hair.
This weeks church meeting was full of inspiration and heartache of loss of family, and full faith. Many acronyms were suggested for staying diligent in our learning such as CPR .... church, pray, read. The bishop ended the meeting suggesting we only needed one acronym ...KTU, keep turning up.
Sometimes it seems like a long time we have left on our mission away from our sweet family and grand kids. We miss them so much. This great advice .... "Keep turning up" is what we intend to do.
Linda's reflects and considers far more than we are capable of doing in one day. Time constraints limit us, but we push forward answering phone calls, delivery shoe insoles for tired feet, giving hope and good advice and often just a voice on the other end of the phone when they want you to know how sick and miserable they feel in the middle of the night. She'll say, "Take some pain relief medication, drink some ginger ale, and go back to bed." We love the Lord and are grateful to be serving in New Zealand.
