Memorable

Our lives are filled with great memories and here in NZ we continue to add more and more memorable things each week.  So this week we will report on some of the latest "memorable".  NZ skies and sunsets never get old, and long after we are gone from here they will be memorable.

President/Prophet Russel M. Nelson and Counselors Dallin H. Oaks and Henry B. Eyring

Of the most memorable this week would have to be a pretty incredible General Conference on Easter weekend.   It didn’t take much to feel THOTL, from a new prophet of God to a few changes, not doctrinal changes, but in how we minister to others.   We felt THOTL in all the admonitions to bring us closer to the Lord by: seeking His revelation, loving more purely, serving more sincerely, and continuing to try our best.   We were inspired by the words of the song, “Let us all press on in the work of the Lord”.   We’re in!  

Indulge us...we think the birthdays of our wonderful children and grandchildren are almost as memorable as they are.  Happy 3^rd Birthday little Gwyneth Larsen!

On our last visit to the NZ temple and the Church Museum to see the wonderful Summerhays', they shared a plaque with us containing a great Maori saying (the favorite of the apostle Matthew Cowley) Kia Ngawari.  Its meaning is broad but basically it means BE KIND, BE LOVING, BE CARING, BE OBEDIENT, BE A FRIEND, BE SINCERE.
We need to commit that to our memories, and then try to live it.

PASSOVER Seder

Above is the plate, chair and setting for Elijah.

On Tuesday March 26^th our evening Old Testament class and other Institute classes held a Passover Feast.  

We thought it was pretty appropriate because our great, great, great….ancestors were the Children of Israel so we got out the Old Testament, 

Matthew 26 

and some copies of the Jewish Haggadah 

and, as they say in New Zealand, “learnt” a heap.  

Some of our YSA's sitting around the table Matthew 26 style...no chairs

Some of the posterity of those early Israelites...can you see the resemblance? 

The hired help. 

It was very memorable.  Now they want to celebrate Passover every semester, and Hanukkah and more.  Takes a heap of cooking, but worth all we learnt. 

Group Picture (minus a few who had to leave).  We think it was pretty memorable for the 30 or so who got to participate.

We always find our beach walks to be memorable, good times.  The dogs on the beach couldn’t agree more, chasing a tennis ball seems to be pretty memorable.  

Not such a memorable good day for two jellyfish (here's one). They were so far from the water that even “Super Jellyfish Saver” Downs couldn’t get them back in the water.

Always memorable when we meet up with the young missionaries, but even more so when its the lovely Farmington, Utah Sister Beus and her fun companion Sister Gaurela from India. 
(Sister Gaurela was so excited that there will soon be a temple in her home country of India!  Add to that our excitement for the announcement that Layton, Utah will be getting one as well! Sweet and definitely memorable!)

Can never get enough of the fascinating, memorable things hidden around every corner of Downtown Auckland.  On an afternoon "tramp" in the city we came across this old medieval looking cathedral Saint Matthew's-in-the-City.

Around one corner amid skyscrapers we discovered a little community garden,. pretty sweet!

Another "around the corner" thing is this big Egyptian statue, just thought we'd throw it in the memorable mix.

These guys are definitely memorable, our Mt. Roskill YSA Institute class (always grateful for THOTL and GPS in finding these buildings).  Great YSA teacher, back row on the right...some of these instructors are really awesome.

Memorable NZ WORDS...

We still find ourselves learning the "language".  From "heaps" for big, "mate" for friend, "auntie" for aunt, and "serviette" instead of american "napkin" (which means diaper and other things 😕).  Here are a few of the other new words for us as we try to speak fluent NZ: 

Tyre business

Another memorable sunrise.

A lighted walkway path, one of the many ways we can take when we go to the beach, 

The good looking and smart student in Lou's "Women in the Scriptures" class.  Their comments are deep thought and profound.  
Example: Caleb (back row second from right) shared a take-away from the study of Queen Esther's story: "We find throughout history that even Kings are bound by their own laws.  Ahashuerus was bound by his decree to kill all the Jews - he couldn't just arbitrarily change his law.  God is bound by His laws as well."  Loved it.
It's pretty sweet that there are so many guys in the class.
Notice that our sister missionaries, Sister Beus and Sister Gaurela (on the left), joined us!

Wooden Easter bunny (the one on the right in the green pants). These wooden carvings are some of the art in the gardens of the Lakeside Art gallery close to our flat. 

Took a memorable stroll through the gardens and admired the wooden art carvings.  Creative art from a tree stump.

More of the memorable wooden bunny. 

Maori wooden carving, we called "Big Lips".

Can't get enough of the flowers in every season, these in the arts wooden garden make the world brighter...and clearly more purple.

Far south Papakura YSA Institute with Louenda, Grace, young married teachers Shamay & Peter, Johnnie and Elijah

YSA Dance in Waterview Stake.  Here we are with some of our beautiful Chinese speaking YSA .  They are amazing, sent here without family to go to school or work.  Most have pretty amazing stories of conversion or life in general.  They are definitely memorable and loved by us!

This week for the first time we found the southern cross in the night sky!  WOW!  Actually pretty cool to really see it!  

We learned how the sailors used the southern cross (the cross is on the New Zealand and Australian flags) to find south in the night sky (4 lengths of the long side of the cross takes you to the southern celestial point).  Pretty memorable for star enthusiasts who’ve only known the northern sky.   So now if you are lost on a stormy sea in the southern hemisphere and want to return safely home you’ll know where to look up and find the “South Celestial Pole”, you smarty!  

And if you get lost on the stormy seas of life, in whatever hemisphere, turning to look up is again pretty critical.  One who desires your safe return home to another "celestial pole" has placed some celestial guides that are unmistakable if you’re sincerely looking.    

You’ll see THOTL and His Heavenly guiding stars all over the place, including His living prophets.

Easter and General Conference, and our mission and life all bring us back to celebrating the reality of and Atonement of Jesus Christ.  How empty and hopeless life would be without that. What a gift to know it’s true.

We are grateful that we do.

All our love and wishes for a memorable week of good things,

Vance and Louenda

Elder and Sister Downs