New Zealand Hamilton Mission

Hello to all of our friends and family,  The locals are complaining about how "hot" it is.  Today is going to reach 28 C(about 86 F).  We find it quite comfortable compared to a typical mid-summer day back home.  I guess it is all what you are used to.  Although the air temperature is quite comfortable, the direct sunshine is quite intense.  The locals say it is because there is a hole in the ozone centered over New Zealand.  It is amazing though how the beautiful green pastures of just a few months ago are quickly turning to brown.  That is very typical for the summer months here.  The rain we were getting multiple times per week in the winter and spring is now only every couple of weeks.  There is no irrigation, hence the brown fields. Since we missed doing a post last week, I will be covering multiple weeks of activities.  The big event 2 weeks ago was our zone conferences presided over by a member of the area presidency, Eld...

                                                 Nature paints the best pictures!                             Elder Clayton is worn out at the end of transfer week! We've had some special times during the holidays the past month.  We missed the tradition of being with family and the special things we do around the holidays, but we have enjoyed being here in New Zealand.  It is a special time in our lives that has given us so many opportunities---to concentrate on service to our missionaries, to meet and mingle with people who have a distinct culture, to live in and get to know quite intimately a different country and its traditions and customs. We had another missionary go home this past week who became very dear to us.  He was an assistant to the president of the...