Reminders

January 15, 2018  This week we have been reminded…

How much we loved and appreciated dear President Monson and his endless example of Christ-like service. And that it’s the Lord who stands at the head of His church, prophets are called to serve Him. (President Russell M. Nelson speaking at President Monson's funeral).

We were also reminded this week how much we love and miss our grandchildren.  Greyson William Godfrey was blessed by his daddy far away in Ohio.  Our family is dear, but we know the Lord has them in His Hands. 

In visiting the Manakau Memorial Gardens, we were reminded of the importance of honoring those who have passed on before us.  

And you can easily taste the NZ culture with different headstone, from koru’s (the Maori circle of life's beginning...Moana symbol), to marbleized rugby balls, anchors, and flags to declare your allegiance.

The folks here seem to decorate and visit the resting places of loved ones much, much more than most do back home.  We see lots of these little fences surrounding Polynesian graves...little courtyards of sorts.  Many graves have permanent plastic chairs nearby for loved ones to sit on. 

There are areas where under trees you find many markers of those who have passed on, not sure exactly what the type of memorial it is.

Our YSA Leonnie was set apart and left on her mission this week.  She reminded us to stay busy while you are waiting for your “ship to come in” or depart.  She tried to make the 2 hour drive to the temple nearly every other day for peace and inspiration and answers!  You go girl!   

At Leonnie’s setting apart we met Martha and Martha Johansen (mom and daughter).  They are living in Fiji with dad and husband Elder Adolph Johansen serving in the Area 70 for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  Young Martha reminded us to always be prepared.  She is an incredible pianist and soloist... 

. She was playing early prelude in the Fiji temple the day it was to be dedicated.  Because of the terrible typhoon that hit the island, the man who was to play for the dedication and the special choirs couldn’t get to the temple.  So Martha was asked right then and there to play for the choirs and songs at all three dedication sessions!  She’s in high school and she was awesome.

Growing up our moms were always reminding us to be clean, from our underwear to our bedrooms.  We helped the Takapuna YSA ward deep clean the church this week and we think our moms would be proud.

Where there are YSA's there is food, and heaps of it afterward.

Summer on the beach is full of everything from concerts to swim schools...

Reminder to wear your swim cap and goggles in the salt water.

One day when it was incredibly hot and muggy (our flat is not air conditioned) we went for an exploring drive in our air conditioned car.  We ended up on a new beach, called Narrow Neck Beach (sound familiar to Book of Mormon fans?) near  Devonport and on the narrow neck of beach before you enter the Auckland Harbour.  

This well-positioned beach is the home of the Fort Takapuna Reserve and the site of early lookouts, ammunition magazines, tunnels, and military defense structures from the Maori, to the later Europeans, and on to the NZ military in WWI and II.  The fort structure was built in 1886. Today new structures house a Naval Officers Training school.  

Entrance to a bunker

It’s a hot spot for weddings and we caught pictures with a bride and groom as well.  It was a reminder of the past here in New Zealand, as well as a reminder of our gratitude to soldiers and servicemen and women everywhere who give up much to protect home and homeland. 

We had a first-hand reminder of the many blessings available living in freedom.  Arthur and Zoe are our good friends here in Shoalhaven apts.  They invited us to come for a Chinese/Korean dinner!  Peanuts, garlic, tofu, shrimp, rice…It was awesome!  They left family and mainland China almost a year ago, working, going to school, trying to save to buy a house, and learning more English.  We talked for quite some time and Arthur told us about his childhood growing up in Communist China.  It was an “aha-ha” moment when THOTL spoke volumes about the blessings of agency and freedom.  We are counting our blessings and we will never be the same.  

We have much to learn still about the fine art of chop sticks

These three young ladies, Mearana, Nicola, and Isabella, reminded us that you don’t have to be a grown-up or rich or even native to New Zealand to make a difference.  They had a little bake sale in our lobby and raised $150 for World Vision to bless the lives other children elsewhere in the world.

We had another reminder never to get completely comfortable in bed and always wear nice jammies. Another fire alarm destroyed our dreams, but on the brighter side we got to chat with our apartment mates in the parking lot and we finally caught up with the Pinson’s daughter Natalie!  Sweet

More fire alarm fun with Arthur, Zoe, Ethan and Sister Stosich and Vance

We returned this week to teaching Institute at AIB.  Summer quarter is much quieter but getting back in the classroom reminded us how much we love these YSA’s.  We even got to substitute teach Institute on Thursday night in the Harbour Stake.  My brain forgot to remind me to take a picture…yikes.  But above is a picture of the YSA Sunday class in the Samoan Ward in Redoubt.  Although we don’t understand a word of Samoan, we find THOTL steps in and we sure feel the spirit of what is being said even though we don’t recognize the words. 

A reminder of one of the talents of the Polynesian people is to "carve"...so they carve designs into the covers of their hymn books.  This is a Samoan Hymn book, hand carved.

Our moms reminded us it’s good to remember birthdays so we did for our Institute assistant Tafi.  And what makes it even “sweeter” is the birthday person usually shares their cake.

And our moms reminded us to take time to stop and look at the sunset…so we did.

We remind you to stop and look too, and look for THOTL (The Hand of the Lord), look for people you can serve, wear clean jammies, and count your blessings.

We love you,

Vance and Louenda

Elder and Sister Downs