NEW ZEALAND - DAY 7

Day 7 - Sunday, March 24
Sabbath!  This Sabbath had started off in an awe-inspiring manner.  We got ready for church, lazed around for a bit, then off we went to be there at 11:30.  I had checked on the church's website, and it said church began at 11:30. We went into the building and the assembly room was empty.  We saw no one moving about, so we started to go back out.  A sister came out of a room (Primary I assume) and I asked her what time services started.  She said 9:30.  We disappointedly left the building and returned to our car.  As we got to the parking lot, another family arrived.  He asked if we were going to church.  We told him we were too late, that it began at 9:30.  He had also checked on the internet, so thought 11:30 was the correct time.

As we were standing in the parking lot chatting, we learned that this was a family with 4 young children and had decided to visit an old friend by coming to his church.  The young mother was from Washington State, the young man, Brother Skee,  was from one of the Polynesian islands.  They had met at BYU-Hawaii.

Soon the members of the small Branch came into the parking lot.  As an aside, the parking had spaces for 12 vehicles.  The Branch President came to us and introduced himself as Toi Walker.  President Walker walked away just a moment then came back and asked if we would like to partake of the sacrament.  We and the Skee family said we would like that.  We went back in to the building and visited with some of the sisters while President Walker and Brother Shamas set up the sacrament table.  We  were invited to take a seat and Sister Walker led us in a sacrament hymn.  President Walker knelt at the sacrament and offered the prayer and Brother Shamas passed the sacrament.  President Walker offered both prayers at the appropriate time.  The Stake High Councilman was there.  After the sacrament, President Walker offered us the opportunity to bear our testimonies, which we did.

President Walker then bore his beautiful testimony.  He said his family had come to Turangi on a working holiday.  The were building a vacation home and had come to finish up their log house.  When they attended church, the Branch President said that they had been praying for people to move in to the area to help build up the church in Turangi.  Brother Walker and his wife both felt the spirit stirring within them and within the next few months had sold their house in the Southern part of the North Island and moved to Turangi.  He said his daughter, who was 13 at the time, cried for three days.  However, after moving that daughter brought three other girls into the Church.  One is preparing now for a mission and one is preparing to go to BYU-Hawaii.  Perhaps, he said, the reason they were inspired to move there was for those three girls.  So now, the Branch is again praying for others to move in to the area.

So actually, the Branch President and Stake High Councilman had an entire second sacrament meeting for their 8 visitors.  The total membership of the Branch is 4 families.

So began our Sabbath Day.

Paradise Duck

We spent the afternoon driving through Tongariro National Forest.  We pulled over at one spot that said "Two Maori houses".  We didn't see the houses, but we did see a Paradise Duck.  Another couple was taking pictures of the Duck.  The man said the ducks usually are in pairs and that they mate for life.  They gave it some crumbs and we all took pictures.  I then took pictures of a volcanic mountain across the way with billows of smoke rising up into the sky.

These were dams we found on a gravel road on Genesis (Electric Company property.  The ladders are so the trout can get upstream.  New Zealand has a law than any obstruction in any stream must have ladders to enable the fish to go upstream.

 

  We then returned to the condo after stopping for some Chinese take out.

The Chinese food was edible - barely.  Virgil said it was better than a lot of people got in the world today.  Good point.  Time to be thankful.

Ahhh, time to relax and enjoy a restful evening.