Learning to Identify...

Mini mazes in English Garden at Hamilton gardens

As newbies in New Zealand we feel sometimes like we're in a "maze", so we have been checking out library books, asking Kiwi’s, and working to learn to identify places, people, trees, words, food, landmarks to find our way, and all kinds of things.  As we pick up the “what’ and “how” we understand more about where we are and even where we should be headed to find our way.  We dubbed the skyline and Sky Tower “OZ” because of the often-emerald green of the water and when we see it we know our way home.  It takes a bit of time but we are slowly getting better at “identifying”.

A new tree we have identified is the Manuka Tree (manuka honey and tea tree oil).  An incredible tree that gives so much, we were surprised that it is just a scruffy bush-tree that is often seen growing in poor soil and on the road side.  One more proof that circumstances don’t designate worth.

My roadside snapshots leave much to be desired so the top picture credit is nhc.net.nz, bottom one of the flowers is just me.

This week we started by meeting with some YSA’s at the Institute building to watch a live “Face to Face” broadcast with two apostles, Elder Dallin Oaks and Elder M. Russell Ballard.  In a casual and even sometime jovial setting, they identified a whole host of “what” and “how” items to help us understand where we are, where we should be, and where we are headed.  Loved the chemistry between them and their witness of the Savior.   It was amazing!

We had a wonderful 4 days in Hamilton at an S & I training.  We stopped off first to go to the temple.  The Christmas lights were lovely but seemed a bit odd surrounded by flowers instead of snow.

Flowering bush at New Zealand temple grounds.

We had a late afternoon free so we took in the Hamilton Gardens, an incredible place!  There are themed international gardens as well as herb, kitchen, rose, and others specific flower gardens.  Had fun identifying places and plants.  And met some great people wandering the gardens along with us.

The Italian Gardens

One corner of a huge, beautiful rose garden

Maori gardens.  The mounds are newly planted sweet potatoes (a great way to plant them)...called them kumara here.

Indian Char Bagh Garden

Small lake at the gardens

Italian garden arbour

Two old missionaries wandering the gardens

An easy plant we could identify...the trusty marigold.

Grandpa identified the perfect theatre in the children's playground for "dancing" granddaughters!  

More rose garden

Looking out at the Waikato River

Our CTC Training Family.  The Mumfords, far right front row, from Sandy, Utah and are good friends of my sister Kathy & husband Clyde...small world!

 One of the “take-aways” at the training was identifying mountains, those big things that loom in your way.  We’ve been taught for years how to “Climb Every Mountain.”  We also spent a bit of time on another way to conquer mountains that block our path, to MOVE them.  “Sometimes we use the phrase “move the dial” or “move the needle” to represent small needed improvements, but the Lord has not invited us to just “move the needle”.  He has invited us to “move mountains”.  He said, “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say to this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible to you.” (Matt. 17:20) -Chad Webb 2017 “Faith as a Principle of Action and Power”  

We had lots of THOTL moments in the training, "aha" moments where we got little messages, answers, and reminders. As you know, sometimes those messages are ones you just tuck away and ponder.  We'll do that.

True to all serious conference settings, we made paper airplanes and had a little “fly-time”.  A few great one-liner from the training that stuck: “Comparison is the thief of JOY”-T. Rooselvelt, and (appropriate for a Thanksgiving week) “Being grateful in our circumstances is an act of faith in God.” -Dieter F. Uchtdorf

We got to spend one of the evenings in Hamilton with dear friends (who shared their home in Farmington with us) Lynn and Ann Summerhays.  They serve as the directors of the Matthew Cowley Pacific Church History Centre and Museum in Hamilton. Dinner at the Helm was good, but not nearly as nice as the company!  

After hours walks took us along the trail by the Waikato River.  We decided it would be nice to have a home on the banks.

More Waikato River walk.  We see THOTL around every corner of this beautiful world.

Smitten by this old survivor Pohutakawa tree.  Gnarled and broken, getting plastered by wind and surf constantly, but resolute and determined.  The little bit of foliage that is left is even getting ready to blossom with its blood red blossoms. 
Bless it's heart!

We send our love.  We thought much about Thanksgiving and all we are thankful for, which includes each of you!

We hope you have great adventures identifying things that you need to identify, 

the strength to climb the mountains you need to climb 

and the faith to move the mountains you need to move.  

THOTL will help you, we KNOW it!

Love, Elder and Sister Downs

Vance and Louenda