I was talking with Debbie the other day in the office. She is the new secretary for Elder Haleck. She moved up from working in seminary and institute to our floor. She is a nice lady and will take over a good part of the work in the area presidency's office. She was telling me that it is finally spring in New Zealand. Then she said: "...but I just heard that it really isn't spring yet." I commented that she was right. Not for another three weeks until it was spring equinox.
Well the short of the long here is that they think spring starts 1 September. I then asked when fall started. She told me that it was on 1 March. It seems Kiwis do not know about when the seasons really happen. To me it was just a bit strange but at least it explains to me why everyone has always talked about the changing of seasons on the first of the month.
Just a random thought to share with you.
September 8, 2013
September 3, 2013
A Cool Story
This past week I received a recommendation from a young man who is from Papua New Guinea. I always shudder just a bit when I get them from there as they are never filled out completely and I have to wait forever to have photos other information sent so I was not surprised when I found that the membership number was not correct. I went down and visited with my friend Stacey to have her help me. We had to look pretty hard to find him. Sometimes they are found with just their name but oftentimes we need to go into the ward memberships itself and go through all the names until we find one that matches. This was one of those but we finally were secure in the knowledge that we had the right record for the right man.
When I went to enter the recommendation with the membership number it came up with the prompt that he already had a recommendation in the system. So I then went into the part of the program where I can see all of the recommendations that have been started. Some are three years old but they have to be cancelled by a bishop before they disappear from the system and since bishops always hope, they remain. He was not in that file. The next are recommendations that have actually progressed to be in the bishops offices so to speak. Then there are those that are with the bishop but not complete, those with the stake president and those with the stake president that are no complete. I looked through all of those.
Then I sent a message to the service center and the mission office in Papua New Guinea to see if he had ever started one online and of course the answer was: NO. But I really knew that. There just is not access to computers there. So I gave up looking and called the missionary department. This is when it got really weird!
The woman I talked to seemed a bit mystified when I asked about him and then she said: "Not only has he done another recommendation but he is a full-time missionary right now serving in Papua New Guinea." You can well imagine my response. She gave me the details that he had had a date for the MTC in December 2011 but did not show up and she had no other information on what had happened.
That was when I wrote to the current mission president, President Kaufusi and asked. Not only is he the mission president that this young man was supposedly serving with he was also the priesthood leader who had signed his new papers as he lived in a district. In my message to the president I asked about this elder, did he show up in the online system that he was serving, who did he not go etc etc etc. He wrote back that night.
This young man had a call to serve in Papua New Guinea starting in the summer of 2011 but because he was on another island seeing family he missed the first MTC intake. They gave him another one for November 2011 and he missed that one too. The final one he was given was for December 2011 but his priesthood leader, President Fata said he could not serve. He never asked that the recommendation be cancelled and SL was never notified. President Kaufusi then inquired as to why he did not serve. What it a worthiness issue? The answer was: he could not read and the mission president/priesthood leader would not set him apart and let him serve. But nothing was done in the way of cancelling the papers or the call. President Kaufusi asked him if he could read now and he said: YES. I know how to read. I used the Book of Mormon. I have read it five times already! I can read! President told him then he could serve.
Elder Bertasso is in the process of getting all the information gathered up and it will be presented as a reinstatement and no new call will be made. He could be out way before anyone else putting in papers now. I am so excited for this elder and about this elder. I wonder if he will be assigned to a different mission too?
When I went to enter the recommendation with the membership number it came up with the prompt that he already had a recommendation in the system. So I then went into the part of the program where I can see all of the recommendations that have been started. Some are three years old but they have to be cancelled by a bishop before they disappear from the system and since bishops always hope, they remain. He was not in that file. The next are recommendations that have actually progressed to be in the bishops offices so to speak. Then there are those that are with the bishop but not complete, those with the stake president and those with the stake president that are no complete. I looked through all of those.
Then I sent a message to the service center and the mission office in Papua New Guinea to see if he had ever started one online and of course the answer was: NO. But I really knew that. There just is not access to computers there. So I gave up looking and called the missionary department. This is when it got really weird!
The woman I talked to seemed a bit mystified when I asked about him and then she said: "Not only has he done another recommendation but he is a full-time missionary right now serving in Papua New Guinea." You can well imagine my response. She gave me the details that he had had a date for the MTC in December 2011 but did not show up and she had no other information on what had happened.
That was when I wrote to the current mission president, President Kaufusi and asked. Not only is he the mission president that this young man was supposedly serving with he was also the priesthood leader who had signed his new papers as he lived in a district. In my message to the president I asked about this elder, did he show up in the online system that he was serving, who did he not go etc etc etc. He wrote back that night.
This young man had a call to serve in Papua New Guinea starting in the summer of 2011 but because he was on another island seeing family he missed the first MTC intake. They gave him another one for November 2011 and he missed that one too. The final one he was given was for December 2011 but his priesthood leader, President Fata said he could not serve. He never asked that the recommendation be cancelled and SL was never notified. President Kaufusi then inquired as to why he did not serve. What it a worthiness issue? The answer was: he could not read and the mission president/priesthood leader would not set him apart and let him serve. But nothing was done in the way of cancelling the papers or the call. President Kaufusi asked him if he could read now and he said: YES. I know how to read. I used the Book of Mormon. I have read it five times already! I can read! President told him then he could serve.
Elder Bertasso is in the process of getting all the information gathered up and it will be presented as a reinstatement and no new call will be made. He could be out way before anyone else putting in papers now. I am so excited for this elder and about this elder. I wonder if he will be assigned to a different mission too?
What Is In A Name?
One of the most interesting things are the names here. It always takes me longer to enter in names of people and places because they are names that are not familiar to me. None of the rules of grammar or spelling seem to hold true. In the last two weeks I have found some really interesting names. Just let me share two of them with you.
Logoitinomatagilelei. This is a first name. Each vowel needs to be pronounced for it to have been said correctly.
Tongkalanapuangalagivave Lene. This young man is from New Zealand and he is a very fortunate and blessed missionary because he has been called to the Brazil Sao Paulo North Mission. I have sent just such a message to his stake president to have him let this Elder know that he is going to the very best mission in the world!
So, if your kids (or you) happen to dislike the moniker you hung on them just remind them: it could have been worse!
Logoitinomatagilelei. This is a first name. Each vowel needs to be pronounced for it to have been said correctly.
Tongkalanapuangalagivave Lene. This young man is from New Zealand and he is a very fortunate and blessed missionary because he has been called to the Brazil Sao Paulo North Mission. I have sent just such a message to his stake president to have him let this Elder know that he is going to the very best mission in the world!
So, if your kids (or you) happen to dislike the moniker you hung on them just remind them: it could have been worse!
August 19, 2013
Favorite Photos from the Funeral
We had not taken any official photos at the funeral when a cousin of mine asked if we would like her husband to take some for us. We all agreed but after a bit of being lined up we wondered. Actually we are very grateful Merrill took them for us. I did have a couple that I really liked that I wanted to share.
This is a photo of Grandpa and his younger sister Marilyn and his younger brother Garry. It was so sweet to see them together like this.
This is a photo of Grandpa and his younger sister Marilyn and his younger brother Garry. It was so sweet to see them together like this.
We had taken maybe 14 or 15 shots of this one pose. Steve rested his head on mine and said he thought we were done! It was just nice. We loved being together.
These flowers were on the top of the casket during the service and at the cemetary. Maurine had placed this little ballerina figurine in the upper corner of the casket during the viewing. Grandma did not want it to be buried with her so Maurine took it out and placed it in the center of the flowers. So much was said about Marilyn dancing down the streets of Paradise that this seemed so appropriate.
Thoughts of Home
Although I went back to Utah to attend my sister's funeral it was a joy to be in my own home and surrounded by my own things and to be with some of my children. On Tuesday night before I left on Wednesday Carrie and I went out for dinner. We had spent so much time together during the week I was there but the majority of it was spent dealing with and taking care of and arrangeing for Marilyn's funeral. I loved having her with me and so appreciated her help. It was nice, however, to have a night to talk and think about other things.
As we came out of the restaurant I noticed the mountains. Now some of you know that I love beaches but I also love mountains and sunrises and sunsets and snow storms. They all bear witness to me of my Savior and the love of my Heavenly Father. So, seeing a beautiful mountain spoke peace to my soul. I wanted to share it with you.
As we came out of the restaurant I noticed the mountains. Now some of you know that I love beaches but I also love mountains and sunrises and sunsets and snow storms. They all bear witness to me of my Savior and the love of my Heavenly Father. So, seeing a beautiful mountain spoke peace to my soul. I wanted to share it with you.
A Heating Pad?
At times New Zealand is really old school and sometimes it drives me nuts. Michael has been having trouble with his neck and shoulders lately and I really thought he would benefit from a heating pad. Well, their idea of a heating pad and mine are pretty far apart on the spectrum. When we first arrived I had notices that we had a hot water bottle on the shelf. Given I thought it would be a good idea to have some heat sooner than later I would fill the kettle (an electric one that boils water in less than two minutes) bring it to a boil and fill the hot water bottle. It made an acceptable alternative, sort of.
It is smooth on one side and the other side has ridges all over it I guess to help it stay on whatever part of the body it was on. It is very heavy rubber and stays warm for a good 20 minutes or so.
Well, the new building across the parking lot from our apartments that used to be a bowling alley turned medical building has a chemist (pharmacy) so I went over there to see about getting a proper heating pad. Again I was amazed at the alternative. It is called an electric hot water pad!
It is filled with some sort of gel that heats up and stays hot for about 6 hours. The biggest problem is that it take about 6 hours to heat up and then it is not very hot at all. Oh, what I would do to have a nice, flat, plug-in heating pad like the one I have at home on my shelf.
It is smooth on one side and the other side has ridges all over it I guess to help it stay on whatever part of the body it was on. It is very heavy rubber and stays warm for a good 20 minutes or so.
Well, the new building across the parking lot from our apartments that used to be a bowling alley turned medical building has a chemist (pharmacy) so I went over there to see about getting a proper heating pad. Again I was amazed at the alternative. It is called an electric hot water pad!
It is filled with some sort of gel that heats up and stays hot for about 6 hours. The biggest problem is that it take about 6 hours to heat up and then it is not very hot at all. Oh, what I would do to have a nice, flat, plug-in heating pad like the one I have at home on my shelf.
Have you missed me?
I cannot believe it has been nearly an entire month since I wrote last. I do have a couple of excuses but now it is time to rectify that situation.
One thing I have found fascinating that I keep forgetting to mention is public transit here. There are many people that ride the bus each and every day. And there are just as many that ride the ferries from one part of the island to another. We were told when we first got here that seniors get a major discount to use mass transit. Only problem is we are too young! You have to be 65 but then there is a great discount if you take advantage of it.
The thing that I think is great is that at each motorway (freeway) exit there is a big bus station. They all have huge parking areas. The terminal, if you call it that, is covered so you don't get wet waiting outside. There is a covered bridge that goes across the motorway because the station is only on one side of the road but buses go both directions from the one station. The neat thing is, when the bus leaves that one terminal it has its own road to travel to the next station. They do not even get on the motorway. They are never in traffic jams!
I know it is a bit different when you cross the harbor bridge but it is still so much faster than driving a car here. And they really don't want you to use your own personal car. The environment is sacred to them in a totally different way than it is in the states. That is a topic for another post I think though. At the office we have very limited parking. There are maybe 22 spaces under ground. We are one of three senior couples that has a space. There are less than 20 spaces above ground. There is always discussion on who gets a space and who gets to use your space if you are not there. The one sure fired way to have a space is to carpool. If there are four in a car they will have a space for sure.
One thing I have found fascinating that I keep forgetting to mention is public transit here. There are many people that ride the bus each and every day. And there are just as many that ride the ferries from one part of the island to another. We were told when we first got here that seniors get a major discount to use mass transit. Only problem is we are too young! You have to be 65 but then there is a great discount if you take advantage of it.
The thing that I think is great is that at each motorway (freeway) exit there is a big bus station. They all have huge parking areas. The terminal, if you call it that, is covered so you don't get wet waiting outside. There is a covered bridge that goes across the motorway because the station is only on one side of the road but buses go both directions from the one station. The neat thing is, when the bus leaves that one terminal it has its own road to travel to the next station. They do not even get on the motorway. They are never in traffic jams!
I know it is a bit different when you cross the harbor bridge but it is still so much faster than driving a car here. And they really don't want you to use your own personal car. The environment is sacred to them in a totally different way than it is in the states. That is a topic for another post I think though. At the office we have very limited parking. There are maybe 22 spaces under ground. We are one of three senior couples that has a space. There are less than 20 spaces above ground. There is always discussion on who gets a space and who gets to use your space if you are not there. The one sure fired way to have a space is to carpool. If there are four in a car they will have a space for sure.
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