FRIENDS FROM HOME

The past few weeks have been extra busy.  We have had a long list of things that need to be completed before we hand oFf the camp to another set of Senior Missionaries who should be getting ready for the grand opening of the camp.

Amidst all this flurry our long time friends, Steve and Carolyn came for a week to be with us.  How wonderful because they were actually able to help us get some of the work done that required extra hands. We picked them up in Auckland on a Wednesday and headed for Hamilton.

Steve and Carolyn Porter

  We had to stop at Pokeno's for some traditional fish and chips and their wonderful Tip Top ice cream.  On Thursday we went to the temple before it closed for two weeks cleaning.  On Friday we went to Raglan on the coast visiting Bridal Falls on the way there and having dinner at the Old Hotel.  After visiting the beach we stopped in to visit Barry Vedder, our former investigator. He still attends church but we are sad that he has not been able to make any progress on overcoming his alcoholism.  That night we watched the video about Jackie Robinson's life which Steve especially loved because of his interest in Baseball.

Saturday morning we worked with the volunteers at the camp to plant trees, then we packed up and headed to Whitianga to spend the weekend with Elder and Sister Gordon.  We had a wonderful time collecting shells along the beach for Carolyn to take home to their grandchildren.  It was the Gordon's 50th wedding anniversary so after sunday school the branch was joined by several Lyon's Club members from the local group that really adore the Gordons.

The Porters, the Gordons, and the Olsens

 We took a different route home through the town of Coromandel and along the seaside to Thames and then on to our home.  We watched several of the Bible Videos on lds.org just before bedtime.

unusual sites coming from Coromandel

the not so square hotel along the way

On Monday after measuring windows in the cabins for the upcoming sewing bee Sister Olsen had organized for the coming Saturday,  we took the afternoon and visited the Hamilton Gardens.  Its not quite spring here yet so there was little in blossom but we enjoyed the beautiful green landscapes.

the Porters at Hamilton Gardens

we called this turtle island  at Hamilton Gardens

That evening we invited the Monsons over for FHE and we all played Farkle, a fun game with lots of luck and little skill, just right for us oldies. The following day we ran errands, including visiting the souvenior store, ate yummy Magnum ice cream bars and made pumpkin soup.

Wednesday morning we headed to Auckland early enough to visit the Auckland War Memorial Museum.   There we were treated to a live Mauri show of traditional dances and of course the famous "Haka"  followed by a guided tour of the museum then off to the airport.

Steve and Carolyn in front of the Chiefs storage building

this Mauri warrior was also of Italian, Irish, and Native American descent 

the Moa, was the largest land bird until the early Mauris killed them all

chicken leg at the top, Moa at the bottom

the Weta insect, much like the Mormon Crickets but generally larger

Wow, did that week go fast.  Now back to the work at the camp.  Dian has been washing curtains taken from the demolished dormatories at the Church College of New Zealand.  They were dirty and needed altering to fit the cabins here at the camp.  Dian organized a sewing bee with the four stake Relief Society Presidents and had a wonderful turn out Saturday finishing over 36 curtains for the camp.  I have been installing rods and will try and finish putting them together this week.  We also had a crew plant about 300 trees.  Thank goodness we are getting near the end of planting for this year.  The nursery man tells me we have planted 15,000 this first year, half again more than we expected.

the sewing bee for the cabin drapes

Being on the old church farm we get to see lots of new little calves and some sheep.  The grandkids would love these as do we.

Mom and I have just finished reading Jesus the Christ and are so grateful for our testimonies of His divinity and of his atonement.  The gospel surely is true.