New Flat - Suitcases stowed away

loading our car with suitcases 

We have been living out of our suitcases since we arrived in New Zealand.  Today we moved into our Flat.

The kitchen area

The bathroom - noticed the shower has no door - we love their designs

One of two bedrooms

The living room - this is where we study

It is really very nice.  I think even Chip and Joanna Gaines would approve.  It seems that the church takes good care of the Senior Missionary Couples.  We have been in three different flats where couples live and each is very nice, clean, modern and well equipped.


It felt so good to take all our clothes and other items out of our suitcases and find places for them.  It should save time getting dressed each day as I have spent lots of time trying to find things that I knew were packed somewhere in one of three different suitcases.

We are all moved in as of this afternoon and ready for visitors. There is a spare bedroom just waiting for you.

It seems we moved at a good time this morning.  No sooner did we get the suitcases out of the car and into the flat then the skies opened and it rained as it never rains at home.  We were thankful to be safe and secure in our little place.

The downpour - you could definitely wash you hair in this!

Yesterday  was once again Temple day with the MTC Missionaries.  We love Thursdays when we all go to the temple together.

There is a meeting before we leave where President Howes teaches something about the temple.  They are great  meetings.  Yesterday he spoke about 'Holiness to the Lord', a phrase that has been on every temple since ancient times.  He took us to the scriptures where it talked about Aaron the High Priest and what he wore in the temple. Sounds very much like what we wear today. There was a robe that he wore, (a little fancier than we are used to), a mitre or cap, and an embroidered girdle.

vs 30 And they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote upon it a writing, like to the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.  And shall put it on a blue lace and on the forefront of the mitre it shall be.  

President Howes taught us when we go to the Temple the Lord makes us Holy by taking on himself our sins.  He taught this much more clearly than I am stating it but we all went to the temple grateful to be in that Holy place.

We all load on the bus and take the beautiful hour and a half drive to Hamilton and the Temple.  I was able to take some pictures from the window of the bus this week.  The windows weren't so foggy.  Here is some of the beautiful countryside we pass through on our way.

 quaint, charming cemeteries on the hillsides

The skies are alway majestic with the long white clouds

Beautiful Rivers that we cross

But nothing is as beautiful as the land around the temple.  I wonder if the New Zealand Temple has the largest lawn of them all to mow.

The Temple grounds are the best manicured grounds we have seen in New Zealand

Beautiful flower beds and all the land you can see is owned by the Church

The neatness and order lends to a beautiful feeling of peace

Such happy flowers

President Briggs and President Thatcher Temple Bound

The temple fixes a wonderful meal for all of us after the session.  Sister Briggs always leads the missionaries in a song they sing for the cooks.  This week they sang 'Armies of Helaman'.  Our 56 missionaries sounded like an army and a strong one full of courage and faith at that.

The head cook is a cute older lady who talked to them for a moment after the song telling the missionaries that she hoped they would live up to the words they had sung.  She told them her parents had taught her to respect the missionaries and she always had.  She was happy to feed them every week and then told them to have good missions and then all come back to the temple to be sealed one day.

We took a few pictures in front of the Temple.  The wind was blowing but the rain waited for us to finish.

Our Beautiful Sisters

Our Faithfull Elders 

The Briggs were with the missionaries - we need to get all three couples

Elder and Sister Thatcher 

The missionaries then went to the Visitors Center where they watched a video.  We understand it is a great one and hasn't been released yet other places.  We didn't watch because there are only 40 seats in the theatre.


The missionary couple at the Visitor Center looked very familiar.  I realized it was Morris Poole and his wife from Cache Valley.  We had a nice visit.  He told us he remembered driving my sister Janice back and forth to BYU in their college years.  It is a small world in the church.

One of the lovely displays at the Visitor Center.  The sheep are so fitting for New Zealand

The ride back was peaceful.  Many slept while some sang in the beautiful almost haunting voices of the Polynesian people.  I love listening to the missionaries sing.  They sing with all their hearts.  I can close my eyes and believe that I am on a beach in Samoa or Tonga listening to them.  It is beautiful.  The hymns have never seemed more soothing to me.

Back at the MTC we ate dinner with the missionaries and then were off for our Motel room for one last night.  The motel has been very nice.  We have slept well and it has been close to the MTC for us but we are so happy at the thought of being able to unpack and feel like we have a home here.

Hope all is well with all of you.  We love you all.  You are in every prayer.