1/22/2017 First week at New Zealand Mission Training Center

We made it to New Zealand. The flight from Salt Lake to LAX was uneventful. Once we got to LAX we had to claim our luggage, take it to the International Flights Terminal and then check in with New Zealand Air, go through customs (had to have our paperwork verified by a New Zealand Customs Manager), and then head to our terminal. Only had to wait 15 minutes before we boarded the plane. As we were going through Customs we met 3 Sister missionaries that were on our same flight to New Zealand. Once we landed in Auckland the MTC drivers were there to pick us all up. There were about 15 of us they had to take to the MTC. First order of business was to get signed in and get assigned a room.  Then they gave everyone their name tags and room keys. We then went to an orientation and was given information on what to expect during our stay at the MTC. By then it was getting close to lunch and we all went to the cafeteria to eat. We then went to our first training class with the other Senior Couples and met our trainer/facilitator. Sister Nutua is our trainer and is a wonderful sister from Tonga. The other Senior couples are Bro & Sis Ferris and Bro & Sis Pittman. They are both from Australia and will be serving in Australia. We were finished about 4:00 and were able to go to our room, unpack our bags, and then go to dinner. After dinner we had a devotional and were given our schedule for the following day. It was a busy first day.

We have our name tags

Our room

The days are full of classes and meetings. Each day goes by fast. Our longest day was Sunday. Here was our schedule for Sunday.

Susan spoke Sunday during Sacrament meeting and I spoke at the Book of Mormon Devotional. On Sunday we were all gathered together for a MTC photograph and then we could take other pictures. Here are a few. These are the 3 sisters we travelled with from LAX. They are from the USA but are Tongan and Samoan. They will be serving in the Islands. 

Sunday I was not feeling well so I asked for a blessing. These Elders gave me the blessing. I was feeling good by Monday morning.

The joy that the Island people have is just amazing. There are missionaries here from Zimbabwe, South Africa, Japan, China, England, USA, Australia, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Tahiti, Samoa, Tonga. It is truly a blessing to be serving here.

MTC President, Pres. & Sis House from Australia

Some additional info about Tarawa.

Tarawa sits just north of the equator in Gilbert Islands chain. It is the capital of the Kiribati Nation.
Below is a map of the different Island Nations in the South Pacific.

The following pictures are from Google Earth that zoom in to the Island of Tarawa which is the capital of Kiribati.

Our island is the star under the words Google Earth

As you can see Tarawa is a long skinny island shaped as a backwards L. It is a coral atoll. The lagoon in the middle is shallow compared to the ocean around it. The high school we will be serving at is between the villages of Bikeman and Bonriki. Our blog header picture is actually a google earth closeup of the high school. It is the large white roofed cluster of buildings. The missionary apartments are the smaller white roofed buildings along the shore.

So as you can see the island is very narrow, widest place is less than a mile. The highest natural point on the island is about 12 ft. We will pray for no tsunamis. We are just north of the equator so the days will be 12 hrs long all year, sunrise at 6 and sunset at 6. Temperatures will be 85 - 90 deg F year round with some days getting into the high 90s. You would think that it rains all the time but they do have long periods of time when there is no rain which poses a problem for fresh water. All food is shipped in on freighters. Most of it is seconds or rejected food out of Australia. There are times when food supplies can become low on the island. The staple local food is fish and coconut. Fish and rice is the common meal on the island. There is very limited fresh fruit and vegetables. So because of all this Susan and I are taking enough vitamin supplements to carry us through our mission.
Health care is also limited on the island. The Church only allows senior couples who are in good health to serve there. Many medical issues that would require a hospital would take days to transport to a hospital in Fiji or Australia since the only way off the island is by boat or plane. The planes only fly out once or maybe twice a week. There is a hospital on the island but the level of medical care is low. So it is best to start with missionaries that have no preexisting conditions. The Church does have Doctors and Nurses that are on medical missions and visit the islands on a regular basis.
Well there you have it, a little info for you to help understand what Susan and I are heading to.

Last week in the States

We are a week out from leaving to go on our mission to the Marshal Islands Mission serving on the Island of Tarawa in the Nation of Kiribati. We will be serving at Moroni High School as TVET missionaries serving as counselors and support to the faculty and administration at the school. It will be a 23 month mission. We are so excited to finally be leaving. We started this process clear back in May of 2016. As our paperwork was being processed we were asked if we could be in the MTC on August 29th. Then they called and said that because of visas the soonest would be October 10th. When our official call came we were to report to the MTC on November 28th. Then just 2 weeks before we were to report we were asked to change our MTC date to January 9th. This change was needed to get us more on the school schedule. The kids will be back to school the second week of February. Then we were contacted and asked to change from the Provo MTC to the New Zealand MTC and report to Auckland New Zealand on January 19th. So it has been a long preparation period for Susan and I. We are both excited that the time is finally upon us.
This last week has been busy getting last minute details done. I still have my truck to sell but Susan and I got a Power of Attorney for Douglas so that he can finalize the sale of my truck if it doesn't sell before we leave.
We did spend one day packing our luggage to balance our weight out.

We still will have to repack next Monday to insure we have everything and that the bags aren't over the weight limit.

We have a laundry bag that my sister Nanna made for me when I went on my mission back in 1975. Then as each of my sons severed their missions I had their names added to the bag. Well this week I had Susan's name added to the "missionary laundry bag". This bag has become kind of a family tradition/heirloom.
Our days and evenings are spent visiting with kids and grandkids, building puzzles, playing games. We have been very grateful that our son Douglas has let us stay here in his home as we get ready to leave.
I have done a few projects around the house for Douglas and Amanda.

These projects have been fun to do with Douglas. It has added a little customized touch to his home.

This Sunday we will be set apart as Missionaries. Then afterwards we are having our son Robert give us a blessing.

Our next post will be from Auckland New Zealand.