Love the People!

Elder Folland and I watched and listened to the Celebration of President Russell M. Nelson's 95th birthday held in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.  Several of my favorite artists performed:  Donnie Osmond, Nathan Pacheco,                        Jenny Oaks Baker, and of course, The Tabernacle Choir.  President Nelson's life inspires me---he loves people!  He is a lifetime learner.  He is an innovative cardiologist.  Doug's Dad was blessed at his capable hands, as he performed open heart surgery, and gave Doug's Dad many more years of life.  But what inspires me the most is that he has an unwavering testimony of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ, he has a surety of God's Plan of Salavation, he knows the Savior and that He atoned for our sins, and the Atonement of Jesus Christ empowers us to live as he did and to overcome our struggles and our trials in this earthly life.  There is life after death and it revolves around eternal families. These teachings have shaped my life, given me blessings, and filled me with peace and light... even in some of my darkest moments.  I love President Nelson!  He reflects the love of our Heavenly Father and our Savior.  I feel their love from him.

We continue our work in the mission office.  Saturday is our preparation day, but many times, we need to travel somewhere in the mission to deliver vehicles and bikes to missionaries.  Saturday, we needed to travel to South Auckland to deliver a vehicle and a bike to some of our missionaries.  It was nice to see how happy the elders were to receive a vehicle!  It is a great help to be able to travel in a more timely fashion, especially during this very rainy season.  After finishing our business, we decided to explore the Coromandel Peninsula, which is the most northeastern part of our mission.  We drove to Thames, a town on the western part of the Peninsula.  We ate a great lunch there, and then continued on to Cathedral Cove.  Cathedral Cove is the setting for one of the Narnia movies.  It is beautiful!  We enjoyed the forty-five minute walk to the Cove, and basked in the lovely scenery for awhile.  On the way back to Hamilton, we stopped to enjoy some tasty fish-n-chips.  It was a relaxing, rejuvenating afternoon!

The past couple of weeks, we've had an influx of vehicle accidents and damage to vehicles.  No one has been hurt--we're grateful for that!!  But...it does take our vehicles away from the missionaries while the cars are being repaired.  Also, depending on the circumstances, some missionaries lose their driving privileges.  We need drivers!  Many missionaries from the islands are not qualified to drive in New Zealand.

In the Book of Mormon, we are taught that there must be an opposition in all things.  If not so, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad.  (2 Nephi 2:11,15)  Knowing that there must be opposition can increase our faith and endurance.  It's all a part of the plan for our growth and development.  We have a great purpose here!  We all are children of God, and are loved by Him! 

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