What goes up must come down!

What goes up must come down!

This is a fun video of our Big Adventure on the way to New Plymouth this weekend. I must add we went there to move two sisters from one place to another. We will also be checking the cleanliness of the other missionary flats in the area, that’s one of Elder Saunders responsibilities. He doesn’t have to do the regular flat inspections but he does do spot checks to make sure they are keeping the accommodation clean and tidy.

Lemonade Lemon

Lemonade Lemon

At the beginning of this week I went into the office and found a lemon on my desk.
“Who left that dirty ugly lemon there”?  I said. So I threw it into the bin. A few days later one of the men who works for the building department who has an office at the back of the mission office asked me if I got my lemon?  My face said it all. He said “You threw it in the bin didn’t you and you wondered who had left that ugly lemon there”?
“yep” and I felt so embarrassed about the conversation we had had the previous week. We were talking about lemons, as you do.
I told him that “We have a lovely lemon tree in our neighbour’s garden and we can have as many as we like."
Then this man said “Have you tried a lemonade lemon?”
 “Never heard of them.” said I.
“I’ll bring one in for you.” he said.
Well he kept his word and my bin that is emptied every day, ate my lemon! I should add so did some lemon thief as he left two that first time.
So when this lemon appeared on my desk I treasured it and placed it with pride on my counter top.

The reason I have not named this man is because I am having a terrible time remembering all the names of the people I meet. So much so that when I phoned up Les this week and asked him to collect something for me I did not realize that this was the man I spoke to most mornings but couldn’t remember his name!!!!! So now I will always remember him because he is Les the lemon man!

By the way the ugly lemon was delicious or luscious. So this is a picture of Les’s luscious lemon with a note underneath to remind me that it is mine.

Transfer no. 1

Transfers are amazing. We were told to expect it to be hard work but I did not realise how amazing it would be. Elder Saunders had a lot of running around with the mini bus and trailer to do. On Wednesday he first had to take the new missionaries to the Mission Presidents house then later he had to take them from there to the hotel. On Thursday morning he picked them up from the hotel with their luggage and took them to the Presidents house and dropped their luggage at the church. A few hours later he collected them again and took them to the church. Phew, in between that he collected some items the missionaries needed, such as saucepans, hoovers, ironing boards, iron. I should explain transfers are when missionaries companionships are changed, it happens every six weeks, but they are not all changed at every transfer. Also at transfers we have new missionaries starting their missions. I was involved in the paperwork and also getting missionary letters, parcels and missionary supplies boxed and taken to the chapel. I also have to write letters to the missionaries who have been given leadership responsibilities. Then after transfers I have to update all missionaries’ new addresses and writing letters to the missionaries parents about their son or daughters new responsibilities.

So why was it so amazing? When the missionaries first arrived at the mission office we greeted them and then gave them a short presentation on our responsibilities. Elder Saunders talked about housing using a power point presentation. The funniest thing was looking at the faces of the new missionaries when he talked about what might bug them!!!! He literally showed pictures of dust mites, fleas, bed bugs and cockroaches. But he also showed them how to get rid of them. The three office senior couples then met with the new missionaries, the Assistants to the president, and the mission president and his wife (President and Sister Rudd). We had a most delicious meal, although I must add we office people were nearly an hour late because of all the preparations we had to do!!! We then had a testimony meeting and finished by singing the mission song. I must record it sometime and post it on the blog, it’s fun.

Today, Thursday we had an early start, I’ve explained what Elder Saunders did, but I went to the office about 7.30 and did some more paperwork before the assistants helped me load my car up with stuff which I took to the chapel. Then it was all ready for each Zone (that’s what they call each area the missionaries live in) Leaders to collect and give out to their missionaries.

When the new missionaries arrived at the chapel we were all waiting to start our meeting. I was sitting at the back feeling all relaxed when President Rudd asked me to come to the stand. WHAT! My face certainly was a picture but when I saw some of the missionaries turn around and laugh I put on a serious face, well sort off. Thankfully he quickly followed by asking Elder Saunders to come to the stand as well as another missionary couple who are going home in just over a week. We were asked to give a short talk to introduce ourselves. I must share with you some of what I said. I told them how long we had been members of the Church and that “we have 5 children and 18 grandchildren. All of whom we love and miss so very much. But I also now have almost 250 adoptive children whom I am growing to know and love more each day.” Wow!   Next it was the meeting where each new missionary was introduced to everybody with their companion who would train them. Sister and President Rudd spoke and it was so special. From the stand I looked out at all the missionaries who filled the chapel about 160 of them, my heart just raced as I thought of each of them leaving their loved ones behind, like us, to share the most important message of our lives, that we have a Heavenly Father who loves us and has a plan for each of us to return back home to him.

We then had lunch and chatted until all the missionaries left to go home. So special to meet and greet so many wonderful dedicated young men and women and being instrumental in helping them to stay physically, emotionally and spiritually healthy and happy.

The Story behind this picture, well. Elder Saunders wanted to dry his hands and could not find a towel so the Elders told him that they used the 'heated dry your hands rail', so he believed them!!!!!

Dog tired after an exhausting day. This is a genuine photo and not a recreation.

Mangapapa

Today we went to Mangapapa Ward. You pronounce it without saying the g, so Manapapa. I will get you all speaking Kiwi by the time we get home. It was a lovely Sacrament meeting where a Young lady who is leaving to go on her mission to the Philippines on Tuesday spoke. She said things that I could certainly relate to about challenges she has gone through in the last few months. Next her parents spoke and it was so moving. We were also greeted by other young missionaries that we have been visiting these past few days while also dealing with the ‘trying couple’s’ saga. It’s exciting to think that Elder Saunders and I will be dealing and helping these special young people for the next seventeen months. Now I must explain about the ‘trying couple’ again. They are trying their very best to live the gospel and help all those around them and feel blessed to have spent the last few days in their company.

Sea Views

 

Elder and Sister Belliston

 

also the view from our room

Food Glourious Food

Well as I mentioned in my last post we were hungry!!!!! With all the events of the day going on we hadn’t eaten all day and only had a quick snack of fruit for breakfast so the four of us when in search of somewhere to eat. We stopped at Carl’s Jr. We will start with me as I was the first to order. Hmmm never been here before so what do I choose? A healthy salad of course, do I want to make it a combo? Well yes I am hungry!!!! What drink? Now choose??? The ice cream Oreo milk shake is screaming at me!!!!!! With cream? Well yes, I’ve only ordered a salad! Now what sort of fries do I want? There’s a choice? I go for the ones that are big and chunky, crisscross fries. Next Elder Saunders Double burger with no lettuce, no tomato, no cheese, no sauce, no, no no, no. Now will they get it right not many places do? Ordinary fries for him and a fizzy drink. The Belliston’s order a healthy salad and water!!! Did I feel like a pig?? The salad was enormous enough for me to save some for tomorrow. The crisscross fries were delicious and I shared them with Elder Saunders who at first said there was onion in them! I had to get the waitress to tell him what they were made of before he would believe me that they were just potato. But I didn’t share my Oreo milk shake drink with anyone. It was so nice that the next day, Saturday, we all went out in the evening for an ice cream, probably to celebrate that nothing horrid had happened that day and guess where we went…………………… Carl’s Jr for an ice cream milk shake. Delicious.