Stake Conference weekend

Our stake is the Hamilton stake 3 hours away from our home. Imagine, in Utah, traveling three hours for church! However, 12 of us from the Whitianga Group made the trip and even came Saturday, stayed overnight, and attended sessions. We had 10 over to our little apartment for lunch. Here's a picture of this place they give us to stay in whenever we make the trip into Hamilton.

It's small but the price is right (free). After everyone left and drove back to Whitianga (except us), we were invited over to a senior missionary couple's (The Parkers) house across the street for dinner and dessert. We told them we weren't hungry at all but they still wanted us to come over. They are actually residents of Temple View, the town that surrounds the Temple. They are Maori descendants and have been assigned by the Church to compile a history of the island. They have been doing that for about 30 years and now are close to having a museum of history open up in a huge building being constructed across the street from the temple. Anyway, I did get a picture of the view from their glass porch:

I am daily amazed at the beauty of this Island. Kia Ora Elder and Sister O'Neal