More November in NZ

 Sunday November 11 we attended an amazing fireside with Elder’s Juan Uceda & his wife Maria, and Craig Cardon & his wife Debbie.  I was smitten by Sister Uceda! She didn’t speak much English so her husband translated for her but she is a little humble spit-fire. She said morals and standards of God don’t go out of style.  When the worlds skirts get shorter and clothes get tighter and more revealing, God doesn’t change His standards to fit in, just like His ageless universal commandments. She also hit one of the 10 commandments pretty hard…Keep the Sabbath Day Holy.  She said in her home there was rule to honor the Lords Day…(She said it in Spanish 3 times) ”WE NEVER BUY ON SUNDAY!”  Her candor was firm and refreshing, and a reminder.  Elder Uceda told of the huge, timely, and costly sacrifice they made as a young couple to save and marry in the temple, pretty tender story.  Great fireside!

Elder or President (One of the Presidents of the 70) Juan Uceda.  He is one of the truly happiest people I have ever met!

The days are getting warmer so we’ve gone on a few adventures in our free time.  We went to the Auckland Botanic Gardens, did lots of walking and got lost (really lost) in the Cyprus and Norfolk Pine trees (it was a lovely place to get lost but we were grateful for the man walking his dog who knew the way out).   Someday we’ll learn the names of all the different “flora and fauna”.  Its beautiful.  We did recognize the “Rose Garden” - one of the few plants we knew the name of..."A rose is a rose is a rose" (-Stein)

The Cyprus and Norfolk pines where we got lost...

A flowering flax-type plant big enough for Vance to walk under.

We had a great adventure in the Auckland Maritime Museum.  The boats used by the South Pacific Islanders and stories behind them were fascinating.  Saw old Maori fishing boats, immigration boats, and sailing boats along with the America’s Cup when the NZ Kiwi's won it.  

They wove the sails of these Moana-type boats out of the flax fibers of plants like the one Vance was standing under.

The sleeping quarters below deck of an immigration boat (they had this segment rolling back and forth Disneyland style so you could feel what it was like to sail ...whoa!

PIHA

We were able to find Piha Beach on the West Coast, a renowned surfing beach in the black sands of the Tasman Sea.  Wow, when we drove around the bend out of the fern forest all we could say was “Wow!” A photo doesn’t do it justice.  It’s beautiful and rugged and powerful.  The big rock is called Lion Rock.

The surfers here and this one fisherman were brave and fit and knew what they were doing.  This fisherman kept getting POUNDED by waves but he kept fishing

The sand at Piha really is black, full of iron we understand.  Shiney and very soft.

HALF MOON BAY

Our dog friend we met at Half Moon Bay..."Sandy"

Look like the small mother hen and chicken plants back home but heaps bigger!

Found we love not just teaching but even when we are out and about we love to meet and talk to people.  For those of you who are type A personalities (and others), we highly recommend taking the time to talk to real people.  People are really cool. We met a store clerk, Brandon, who plays basketball here in NZ, is 6”10” and he and Vance became fast friends.  We talked to a delightful man, originally from Ireland, John Taylor (in the above picture) at the wharf at Half Moon Bay.  John and his wife moved here 16 years ago when both of their daughters married Kiwis.  He saw our name tags and we talked about family history and the genealogy center in Belfast Ireland.  The only thing he doesn't like about NZ is the HAKA.  He said that seemly nice Polys all of a sudden get violent and mean faced and contentious and try to show you that they are meaner and stronger and more powerful than you.  Hadn't looked at it that way before.  Sure made us stop to think...hmmm.  

John also took the time to show us the NZ/Auckland Metro station at Half Moon Bay that is a wharf…the ferries are just as much a part of the Metro as a bus or train.  Why not?!

Half Moon Bay Metro Station

This is a picture of our lovely ladies in the Tamaki Institute class on Wednesday night.  They got their white grad gowns for institute graduation so they are "modeling" them.  We LOVE these ladies!!

We also attended Otara Institute again on Tuesday night, we love these YSA too.  We already sent you their picture and they haven’t changes much in 3 weeks so no picture. A great quote from the evenings lesson that stuck a chord was one by Jenkins Lloyd Jones: “Anyone who imagines that bliss…is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he has been robbed. The (fact) is…most beef is tough.  Most children grow up to be just people.  Most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration.  Most jobs are often dull than otherwise…Life is like an old-time rail journey-delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed.  The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride”.

A day working hard at the Institute, but having time for a “paper-skills challenge” (our director’s paper skill (airplane) proved to be greatly flawed).

Panmure Institute 

One of our graduations.  The young man in the middle is the same young man below but lost under heaps of  "lolly leis"

Not a surprise that NZ doesn’t celebrate our Thanksgiving, but our Senior Couples FHE group in the Mission decided we ought to celebrate it so we had turkey and pumpkin pie and everything that goes with it.  It was comfort food and so good!  

Loved the creative crafts...they used the abundant shells we find here to make Poly turkeys and tiny cornucopias.  

Had to pay dearly for the cans of pumpkin at the American store but we all agreed it was well worth it!

We bid our friends the Stahle’s (she's in blue) good-bye, they head home in a few weeks (will work on the selfies).

Attended several seminary graduations this week and were asked to speak to the graduates. These are all programs that meet at 6:00 am or earlier 5 days a week, so these kids have sacrificed for 4 years to complete the program.  Great kids!  They go all out here, especially in the Samoan, Tongan and Maori areas. Some even have the kids wear white caps and gowns.    o   SH

One of those rare days when the ocean was calm enough to have a reflection of the city. 

Every week (every day) brings adventures where we see The Hand of the Lord (THOTL) in our lives and the lives of those we love.  From the bus that didn't see us already in the round-about (yikes...too close for comfort! Had we been a second later we would have been "toast") to the promptings to leave early ahead of a traffic incident and on and on, we see THOTL more each day.  We gratefully see it in the lives of our loved ones too.  Truly, "He's Got The Whole World in His Hands" and  if you are looking its not hard to see Him.  We are so blessedl!
   We have grown pretty endeared to Auckland and these people...and this mission.  We love the Lord and love each day in His service!
We love you too!

Love, Elder and Sister Downs
Vance and Louenda