A short trip to Gisborne

This week, we had a zone conference in Hamilton. Whenever that happens, we try to pack as much as possible into the time away from our Peninsula. We left Monday and arrived in time for me to get a haircut and stop at a craft store for some thread and then buy a bit of food from the store. We then checked into our home away from home at the “Nunnery” (called that because many years ago, single women traveling to attend the Temple would stay there)

Tuesday we spent most of the day at the Temple and then went out for dinner with a member that Kurt introduced to us 3 years ago when we were here, Grant Pearse. Wednesday was our all-day conference with a visiting General Authority, Ian S. Ardern. We were also delightfully surprised to meet up with a missionary we served with a year ago when he and Elder Osborn were living in Thames, Elder Mortensen 

We loved getting to catch up with him. He’s now serving in Cambridge and will be out until September and then go home to Hawaii. On Thursday, we picked another Sr. couple, the Mumfords and headed to Gisborne.

We saw a sunset and then a sunrise the next day. At that place in Poverty Bay, they claim to be the first people in the world to see the sun rise. We had a delightful trip and ended up by stopping at Rere Falls on the way home.

This country never disappoints!  Kia Ora, Elder and Sister O’Neal

Our new Branch Presidency

After a month without a Branch President, we finally had a new presidency sustained and set apart. On March 25th, we attended the Coromandel Branch where Samuel Napia was sustained as the President with Kohai Renate as first counselor. President Napia actually lives in Thames about an hour away from Coromandel Town and was going to a different branch until our Stake President called him to travel up to our branch for his new calling. He and his wife, Robyn are a wonderful addition to our little congregation. Kohai (on the left) was a first counselor for President Hammon too and he is a great assistant. 

Our second counselor to President Napia is Steve Higgins. He attends the Whitianga Group and will also be the new Group Leader. He was sustained the same day but while attending in Whitianga so he is not in the same picture.

It is great to be correctly structured again. Our group in Whitianga will even be returning to the 2 hour block and new callings have been made to have a Primary president and a Sunday School teacher again.  And here’s a beautiful picture of the road between the two towns, lined with Gum trees, as we travelled from one to the other.

Kia Ora, Elder and Sister O’Neal