June 5, 2016

It's a little hard going into our second winter here, but I'm determined to be smarter than last year and wear warmer clothes. Layering and warm scarves might be the answer, and I found some tights that are fleece-lined and so comfy. I even carry socks in my purse for homes with cold floors! Elder Martin likes his sweaters and fares pretty well. I feel sorry for our Sisters walking in the cold and rain, but they always have a smile on their faces. 

Sister Gila is going home this month and we traveled to see her before she goes back to Vanuatu. We introduced her to her first Mexican food for lunch!  We will miss her so much! Her smile transfers the light in her soul to everyone around her.  She is a true daughter of God and a great missionary! We only had her for one transfer, but she stole our hearts! 

Sister Placido and Kilgrow wanted to weave scripture cases, so they cut the flax, stripped and scraped it and Gaelene dyed it. She was generous enough to offer her home and expertise in helping them

complete the task. It was a fun night and they enjoyed the challenge, and they were good students!

Sister Kilgrow turned her scripture case into a hat! Love the colors and fringe!

We had a nice Chinese lunch at Dollie's, who is a non-member friend of a member. She is so sweet to us but not too interested in the church. We still love to visit her and share in her good humor, and she seems to like us too! In her backyard she has a beautiful garden and I noticed her huge pointsettia tree with giant blooms! Last summer she had a hydrangea bush with blooms the size of large dinner plates! 

 

Stanley is in town for his 13th birthday, coming up from the South Island where he is living with his grandmother, and we took him for mini golf with his brothers. Such a fun and crazy time, and they really had fun. Norton, the youngest won and got an ice cream bar for his prize. I love Thor's toothy grin.

I heard all this noise outside and looking out my window, saw this graduation procession from the nearby Manukau Institute of Technology. They were enthusiastically marching down the street, lead by a man in a beautiful kilt playing the bagpipes! I wanted to run down to march with them! They circled the block back to the Insistute. 

We took Alex, a 90 year old member, to see his friend in the hospital a few days before she died. After seeing where she was staying, he was able to take public transport to go see her one more time, but she had passed an hour before he got there. It was hard on him to see her go, because there are very few of his friends/family left. 

We watched "Other Side of Heaven"with the Kata's and even though I've seen it a few times, I enjoyed it so much more this time. Sister Kata is from the Cook Islands where it was filmed and she knew several people in the film and all the locations. Also, it was supposed to be a Tongan mission, and Brother Kata is Tongan and could interpret some of the language. It was just more personal to us because we are down here and closer to the Island people! What a great movie though!

We were so happy for the baptism of Norton and his older brother, Thor. This was the second time for Thor because the record of his baptism couldn't be found. Norton turned 8 two months ago. The boys clean up really nicely!

 TK Kata also turned 8 and was baptized. The best part of this story is that His father got to baptize him! What a great blessing for the Kata family that Lee was able to put his life in order to get the Priesthood and then be able to baptize his son.  His example also encouraged Maui, his nephew, to participate in his priesthood responsibilities, and the whole family is blessed! 

This is one of 5 beautiful flower arrangements for our Sunday service last week, made by the bishop's talented wife. These are flowers and greenery from home gardens in the area. Sela knows all the homes for clipping, but always asks permission first! 

We had a very moving and spiritual missionary fireside last week, with the theme, "We are God's hands".  Our very favorite and talented George sang a prelude song for it, after only being asked to sing a few minutes before it started! I thanked him and he just said, "I would do anything for the Lord!" We had several other wonderful musical numbers, along with testimonies from 3 new converts, including a 10 year old girl. There was also two other great speakers, and yummy refreshments. This is our second successful missionary fireside, with the help of our great ward mission leader and the full-time sister missionaries. We had several nonmembers and less active members attend. 

This is our first Waterlea Park Self-Reliance graduating class after their 12 week course. They all loved it and gained so much from attending, even resulting in new jobs for some! Their biggest cheerleaders are President Young Yen and Elder and Sister Jarvis (on the front row). The Jarvis' are Senior Self-Reliance missionaries. 

We had two birthday feasts and celebrations in one day! The first was our Zone leader, Elder Seelos, who turned a big19! A wonderful sister in his ward made our whole Zone breakfast, consisting of ham, bacon, chicken, fish, sausage, chicken soup, spaghetti, baked beans, scones, scrambled eggs, corn fritters, and egg foo young. There might've been more that I forgot. This breakfast reflected her great love for the missionaries! 

The second celebration was for Sonny that night, turning 39!  Millie, his flat mate, spent the whole day preparing food for all of us. She had salad, stir fry, roasted chicken, lamb, potatoes, rolls, taro, eggs, cole slaw, and more, along with a banana cake and ice cream. No wonder we've put on 10 lbs! We can't escape all the food and wonderful, generous members! 

It was time for transfers last week and we figured Elder Dalton and Sister Placido would be leaving our District! 

Goodby Sister Placido! We loved your "go get them" and "get it done" attitude and and will miss you. 

Hello Sister Fisiihoi, who is right out of the MTC and waiting for her visa so she can go to her true mission in Houston, TX. Sister Kilgrow is nervous about being a trainer, but she will do great! 

This isn't rush hour yet, but is one of those round-abouts so common here that rattle anyone from the U.S., esp. Elder Martin! Several lanes of traffic entering the center from 5 different directions, lots of traffic, and all on the "wrong" side of the street! Our mission has a ton of accidents and fender benders and Craig considers it our greatest mission miracle if we make it home alive!

We took Stanley to lunch and for his first time visit to One Tree Hill. We've been to this lovely place many times, but never stopped at the visitors center! What a great place with lots of history and info about the Park. Where Stanley lives on the South Island, the closest church is over an hour drive, and with no transport, it's impossible for him to attend church. We've wanted to give him a little fun to remember the missionaries by, and hope he reads his scriptures and stays true to what he's been taught, till he returns to his mother next year. 

Loved spending a beautiful winter day at the beach with my beach buddies, Sister Jackson and Bath! The guys went golfing and had a perfect day also! Lots of people were walking on the beach and only jet-skiers in wet suits were out in the water. We didn't mind bundling up in jackets, just to be out on the beach again. We brought our tent to crawl into in case it got cold but didn't need it. 

After golfing, the guys joined us on the beach for a few pictures. We love to go to this restaurant near the beach in Matakana, called The Rusty Pelican. They have the best pizza, and lots of different kinds. Our favorite is the Mojo, which is kind like a Hawaiin, but with a sweet chili sauce. Also, they have a spicey Mexican, with the same sauce and avocado. Yum!

There are a few Wendy's here and we never go to them, but last night chili sounded good so we gave it a try. I love Wendy's chili and it was just like at home! On a cold night, I'm not cooking and we are going back for chili! 

I will admit that it's not just member's food that has contributed to our weight gain, but going out to eat too! When we get home, no pizza, French fries, curry, Chinese food, Cadbury chocolate, etc.!

Without the gospel in their homes, our grandchildren don't have a fighting chance of weathering the storms surrounding them, and they are quickly getting worse. When we were set apart as missionaries, we were promised that our families would be blessed for our service, and we can see so many great blessings! Everyone has been safe and healthy so far, the dog has been cared for, our homes are still intact and in good repair, and we even have two grandsons coming! We are so thankful for our good health and safety over here. We have been blessed to go out each day to get some work done. 

Craig mentioned tonight how happy he is we are on a mission and we got to come here. No regrets and we wouldn't change anything! We are especially thankful for the good changes in us! "Whom God calls, God qualifies".

We love you and appreciate all your prayers for us and missionaries all over the world!

Love,

Elder and Sister Martin

May 22, 2016

Gabby and I were a little intimidated by these Maori performers at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds at the Bay of Islands, until one of them cracked a joke and I could see they were pretty nice! 

Beautiful sunrise outside our balcony. We aren't up with the sun like this most mornings but this day we were heading to the temple. 

We were happy to take Leti and Alice with us to the temple today. We had such a nice time visiting during the drive and Alice treated us all to lunch. Craig must have been a little sleepy from the drive because as the Witness Couple, I had to nudge him once to get out of his chair. That brought a little chuckle from everyone in the room. 

Stake Conference here is a weekend event! Festivities started Friday night at the Otahuhu Rec. Center. The stake rented it for the evening and there was lots of activities happening - swimming, basketball, volleyball, Zumba, ping pong, and even hip-hop dancing - and a great turnout! Craig was enjoying the ping pong, working up a sweat against alot of the men. He relaxed a little while playing Sister Kilgrow! 

Saturday and Sunday were Stake Conference meetings and these beautiful flowers were arranged for it by Sister Lawrence and Sister Ahokovi, our bishop's wife. Two talented ladies! 

Endless beautiful flowers!

Gardenia leis were presented to the presiding men and speakers at conference. A feast was also prepared for them, Tongan-style after the Saturday evening meeting, and a beautiful lunch after the Sunday meeting! Such amazing attention! 

There were many wonderful speakers with beautiful messages. We were so impressed with the humility and spirit presented from all of them! The visiting Area 70 member, Elder Aisake Tukuafu, is above (middle right) and he lives in Tonga. Also, the Favona and Primary choirs were inspiring! 

We were especially happy that Brother Kata and Brother Galu were presented and set apart as Elders today! What a wonderful blessing for their families! We love them so much and are so impressed with their diligence and commitment to the Gospel.

Gabby and Marty came at the right time, because now it has turned windy and rainy. We had a great week with them showing them some beautiful places in Auckland and north. We decided Puhoi is the best place for delicious ice cream! They make it here along with cheese and yogurt, and much more.

Gabby and I aren't riding these horses, but enjoyed watching them trot along Omaha Beach, one of our favorite places. We found a lot of sand dollars, or snapper biscuits (fish cookies), as they call them here. 

At Maraetai Beach instead of sand, we found all these shells! This photo would make a challenging  puzzle picture!

This is Ruakaka Beach and I love the reflection of the clouds on the watery sand. Craig and Marty were very patient while Gabby and I took long walks on all the beaches we visited. Gabby went home with quite a collection of shells!

We were able to take Marty and Gabby to the Bay of Islands and go on a boat tour for 4 hours. The water was too choppy to leave the protection of the little islands, so we toured around them. There are about 145 islands in the bay. We got rained on a little, but enjoyed the trip. Last time we were here, it was warmer and we took a sailboat trip, which as a very different way to see some of the islands. 

These are two small "islands". They have to have vegetation to be considered an island.

This is an embarrassing feast we enjoyed in Paihia at one of our favorite places, Jimmy Jack's Rib Shack. The best deal for 4! 

A nice view from our hotel. The temperatures were warm, although the sun hid behind the clouds most of the time. 

A dramatic and sacred welcome ceremony to the Marae at the Treaty Grounds. This is the place where in 1840, the treaty between the English and the Maori Chiefs was signed, giving power to the English to rule the island. 

This is a mushroom! There were about 5 of these along the road. It looks like a soccer ball!

The oldest stone house is in Kerikeri, and is now a gift shop. Lots of lovely things to see and buy.

We were able to show Marty and Gabby many different falls, Hanua Falls, Kitekite Falls, Haruru Falls, Rainbow Falls (above) and Bridal Veil Falls (below). They are all beautiful and different and we never get tired of seeing them. We missed the Whangarei Falls because we were in a hurry to get to the glow worm cave tour. 

After showing Marty and Gabby the temple in Hamilton, we found Mama's Donuts and had a real treat! Never again though! They were delish, but heavier than Krispy Creme at home. We loved Bridal Veil Falls, west of the temple. It was worth the extra drive, and was a short hike. 

We have seen a lot of beautiful places in our part of NZ, but we haven't seen everything. There are still many wonderful beaches, harbors, parks, etc. left to explore. We were happy to see Raglan Beach on the Tasman sea for the first time. 

Gabby and Sister Paegotau are best buddies now! Gabby and Marty got to attend church with us two Sunday's, enjoy a Mother's Day ward dinner, and a Senior Missionary Family Home Evening. This gave them the opportunity to mingle with the locals quite a bit, which they loved the most! They enjoyed a warm welcome, the testimonies, and felt the love that we feel all the time! We loved sharing that part of NZ with them! 

We were happy to get back to "work", and are so blessed for this great missionary opportunity in beautiful New Zealand! The clock is ticking and we don't want to miss any more days of sharing the message of the Gospel with our wonderful ward family! In conference today, Sister Reid told us "we should all have the courage to tell someone they would be an excellent member"! Elder Martin and I spend our time telling less active members how much the members need their service and help! Also, teaching how important the Plan of Salvation is, and keeping the Sabbath Day holy. 

A new member told us today that he left his old church for his family. They are all members of our church and he said, "I let go of what I liked to do, and joined my family." He is so happy! 

Let's all take our faith to a new level. Get out of our "Sunday routine" and do more! 

We love and appreciate all your love and prayers!

Elder and Sister Martin

May 8, 2013

The Happy Mother's Day!!!

This is my first Mother's Day without my dear, sweet mom! She is with Dad now and I am happy for her, and I know I will see her again. She is still cheering for me, and I always feel her love and support! 

With the Lord there is always a light at the end of the tunnel! We love working with the church members teaching them about the Light of Christ and how they can repent and find great hope and light through obedience and commitment to the commandments! 

We enjoyed some golf time with the missionaries in our District on their P-day. Elder Martin loves giving them some pointers and having a little competition. Not sure who won but they all had a great time!

Maui and TK had birthdays a day apart, so I made Texas Sheet Cake and we had a party!

I bought the candles and didn't realize they were the trick ones that reignite, so we had a lot of smoke and some laughs over that! We love these boys and the whole family! 

Only tech-savie Sisters know how to fit a crowd into a selfie! Such a talent! 

Craig took this picture while I was fussing about our flat. My phone battery died last week and luckily we had found a great place to fix Apple devices, so i was without it for only 3 days! I was afraid I would have to replace it, because even though Craig has an iPhone, we need mine too! I am the chief navigator, picture taker, texter, phone caller and appointment maker. iPhones make life easier! 

I started having issues with pain in my right knee, trying to slow me down, so I got an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon here. I only waited a few weeks for the appointment and he was happy to give me a cortisone shot. I hope it does the trick and I can do cartwheels again (kidding). I have to at least keep up with my companion on our walking trail!

We had a great time with the Kata family playing mini golf! Such a fun and cute course, we will have to go back! We love sharing some of what makes our family happy with this happy family!

We are happy to welcome Marty and Gabby to beautiful New Zealand! They are loving it here and we are being good missionaries with them! We have a week of places to go and see, and it's great to build strong family ties and memories together. 

We love and miss Sister Trull! She is just over the bridge in Onehunga and we are still keeping track of her! She loves her new area and companion, Sister Holt!  Two U.S.A. Sisters working hard! 

The most perfect day ever at Piha Beach! We started the day at One Tree Hill, hiked to Kitekite (kitykity) Falls, and ended at Piha! Even though we have been to these places numerous times, we always enjoy how beautiful they are! The company we are with make it the most special!

At low tide we are able to cross the beach to explore a new area, and love this cool cavity in the rock!

It makes us think of pirates and hidden treasure!

New Zealand wards know how to celebrate Mother's Day! All the women in our ward were honored with an amazing dinner, program and dance Saturday night. The men planned it all and served (although I know for sure that some great women helped too)! 

We were presented with a lei and there was even a nursery for the children! We love all of these lovely ladies and appreciate the help and support they give us! 

On Sunday, we were given a rose to wear, thanks to our wonderful Sister Ahokovi! 

A sweet man we visit gave me a box of candy and the Sisters gave me some warm socks they rolled into a cupcake liner so it looks like a cupcake, with a lollipop sticking out for the "cherry" (so cute)! 

Mother's Day evening in Devonport, enjoying the sunset and the beauty of the ocean! 

What a great Sabbath, feeling honored to be a mother, a wife and a missionary! 

We love you and thank you for your prayers!

Elder and Sister Martin