Finishing
As we finished up classes for 2017 and examined the students
who had finished their courses and those who had not, our director at our Auckland
Institute Building (AIB) had a great poster made up. It is appropriate not only in Institute, but for
the students in their University courses (I remember discussing this same problem back home when I
served on the Weber University Board of Trustees), in your job, in parenting,
in hard challenges, in life in general, and in the eternities. It reads simply: “FINISHERS WANTED”.
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| A great reminder of another reason to be finishers, for those coming behind us. When asked why she spent so much time studying, researching, working to learn, and then sharing all she learned with her kids, Lou's mom said it was because she wanted her kids to start from her shoulders and not have to start from the ground up. Elder David A, Bednar said to YSA's in Septemebr 2017: “Your decisions affect those who come after you.” FINISHING.... We’ll share a few pictures from our “finishing” week of 2017, along with a few ways the Kiwi’s finish out their holiday. |
On Sunday December 24 it was especially nice to share church with
a great little Chinese family living here in our flat who wanted to go to a Christian
church for Christmas. There were some
other Chinese speaking folks there which really helped. We finished the evening having dinner with 5
other missionary couples at the Area Office.
Staying busy and connected is good during the holidays. (Rowberrys, Streeters, Bills, Andersons, and Williams)
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| Auckland finsihed each night during the holidays lighting the Sky Tower up like a Christmas tree |
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| We were able to go down to Hamilton and enjoy the lights at the Temple. Each night they also had choirs and music for those who came to visit. These first photo was taken by one of our great YSA's Leonnie Toki (above) and her friend (below). |
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| Not many places have Christmas lights up, few homes, and even fewer public places, so the Temple lights in Hamilton are a big deal and many, many people make the trek to see them. |
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| More temple lights |
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We started Christmas Day early at 4:00 am to FaceTime the
worlds cutest grandkids! Then went for a
walk on the beach with the masses (and the Stosichs), and finished the day having dinner with another
missionary couple and 2 sister missionaries.
Much different than usual but though the way you celebration may change,
the “Reason” never changes and it was all good.
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December 26 - BOXING DAY
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| The NZ Kiwi’s add another holiday to finish their year…December 26 is BOXING DAY in NZ (started in the UK). We thought it was a celebration of the sport “boxing” but it actually started hundreds of years ago as a day that servants, postmen, milk-men, rubbish collectors, errand boys, etc., expected to receive a “box” (or a gift) for all their services from their employer or those they served. Some even say it is tied to the “alms box” for the poor in the church. In any event it was another “holiday". |
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| We explored a new beach on Boxing Day...Long Beach. Full of the Long and Tall. Beside tall Elder Downs there were lots of tall Cyrus and Norfolk Pines. |
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| Another walk and another beach. |
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| In Hamilton we reconnected with some folks who "finished" the MTC with us last August, Elder and Sister Holyoak, serving in Hamilton in the Self-Reliance program |
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| Caught a beautiful sunrise over Auckland just "finishing" making its entrance on the day. |
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| We've been catching glimpses of lots of purple through the spring. Much of it is fading as it is finished for this year. We share a bit of NZ's "purple". |
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| Blue African Lily (agapanthus) |
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| Purple and blue Hydrangea on the Waikato River bank |
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| Purple Hydrangea This "purple" is nightly all year...the purple pedestrian/bike trail above the motorway in downtown Auckland |
 These next guys chose to serve and FINISH missions together 25 years ago in New Zealand.
One of them is David Summerhays from Farmington. He invited us to share in the reunion when he
and his family (and sister Rebecca and Stephen Richards and family) came over to New Zealand to be with his parents Lynn and Ann Summerhays
(serving as the Directors of the Matthew Cowley Pacific Church History Center.
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| Vance with some of the Summerhays and Richards kids from Farmington (some of them FJH students) who came to visit Grandpa and Grandma Summerhays in Hamilton. |
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| Ann Summerhays (Grandma) provided quite a "spread" for the nearly 80 folks who came. |
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| Red Kumara puff pizza-type dish...who would have thought sweet potatoes and feta cheese could be so good! |
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| Some of the crowd and missionary companions who came to join the night with David and family. |
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| Davis and Sharon Summerhays and family |
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| A Maori family entertained us |
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| A walk on the Waikato River Trail |
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| Even found Oleander here. |
Tonight we finish 2017…Here we come 2018!
(The Auckland harbour finishing the old year and welcoming in the new) web photo
We have learned we need to be Finishers,
we may not come in first place, but we need to come in.
Churchill admonished us to “Never, never, never give up!”
And in Paul’s words we should…1. Fight a good fight 2. Finish the Course 3. Keep the Faith.
Sometimes the hardest part is just to endure to the end,
to the end of the day, the end of the year, the end of the struggle, whatever the “end” may be.
We are grateful for finishers:
-Parents who don't give up on what may seem like the helpless and the hopeless.
-Hero's who don't give up the fight or the battle, the Washington's, Joan's of Arc, Lincoln's, Moroni's, Mandella's, Churchill's, ....
-Those who push to finish the pursuit they started, from Jesse Owens to the last struggling runner in a race to cross the finish line.
-Those who have lost much but never give up
-And most profoundly to the GREAT FINISHER, who endured to the end until He could say truly:
"It is finished."
You can finish, you can do it! So can we!
We love you!
Vance and Louenda
Elder and Sister Downs
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