The KAPA HAKA

Friday, February 18th

Today, we attended the "Kapa Haka" event, which was held right outside of Gisborne. Several members had told us it would be a good idea for us to go out there and experience the "Culture" of the Maori people.  We've seen BYU do the Haka before games, but we didn't know what we were in for!

The Kapa Haka is a competition for groups from all over New Zealand to compete against each other.  It is held every two years and it hasn't been held in Gisborne for nearly 60 years.  The group consists of women and men, they sing, dance, perform with the poi balls, and the men do their own versions of the Haka. We had a great time!  Above is a picture of Elder Gubler with a man at the entrance.  If you look close, his whole face is tattooed.  This is really typical of the TRUE Maori's.  The women and men are tattooed all over their faces, and bodies.  The guy above was a member of the church.  We met many members while we walked around the festival.  Most of them told us they were baptized once, but are now in-active.  Typical.....That's why we're here!!!

This was the shuttle taking the people from the parking lot to the event! 

 Lonne loved it! It was like cattle in a cattle trailer!

The children LOVED the water slide.  They were pumping water from the river to the

 top of the hill....similar to what we have done at Lake Powell! 

These are just a few pictures I took of the competition.  Their voices were incredible! When the men were done with their Haka dance, their chests and legs were bright red from slapping them so hard!

The women have tattoos around their mouths and chins.  I'm not quite sure what it means,

 but I know it has to do with becoming a mother and grandmother.

The men make the faces with the BUG eyes and tongues hanging out...

the women aren't allowed to use their tongues, but they do the bug eyes.  It's kinda scary! 

It started raining really hard, so we moved back to a sheltered place under a tent.  

There were three huge screens for us to see the competition.  

The actual competition was held in front of this screen, on a big stage.

This is a Maori boy...not a girl.  Lot's of the boys have really long hair! 

This is where we sat to have out lunch.  There were "hammocks" all hooked together.  A whole row of them! When the kids next to us, sat down, we bounced up! Ha! It was kinda tricky 

trying to eat our lunch, especially me, being in a skirt!!!

Nice earring eh? Lot's of the men wear hats like the guy on the right...

This vineyard was right next to the parking lot for the Kapa Haka.  See the little lost sheep? Lonne made me take a picture of it. It reminded him of how he feels every day out 

here in the mission field...LOST!

 Some of the scenery in the outskirts of Gisborne...It's so much prettier in real life!! I'm always so disappointed when I look at the pictures because it just doesn't capture how beautiful it is!! :(

ANother Vineyard....there are tons of vineyards and wineries here.  

These people have nicer houses up in the hills next to their farms. 

The only nice houses I have seen so far.

We stopped to buy some produce on our way back to our Flat.  We drove down the driveway and saw this sign...it cracked us up! The man came running out when we honked! He was a crusty old guy, kinda grumpy, too! We talked to him for quite awhile.  We found out he used to be an Angus breeder! He and Lonne talked for a long time, and he wants to take Lonne on a "Walk of the Bulls" to show him all the prize Angus bulls in the area in May.  He doesn't know it yet, but he's going to see us again, and hear about the gospel! Ha! We have to build a relationship with the people first, build a trust, and then we can give them our message or send the Elders to see them! We're good at the building a trust and relationship, so we'll probably leave most of the teaching to the Elders till we get better at it! Ha! The Stake President in our area wants us out "Making Friends" right now, 

and working with Less Active Members.  

We have also been going with the Elders to teach investigators.  Above is a new investigator, Nicole.

She is a single mom, with two children, Unique and DJ.  Nicole is trying to stop smoking.  We are working with her, and setting goals.  She is doing really well!  She cut down from 14 cigarettes to 8 in one day. She wants to be baptized in March.  She says beautiful prayers and is so anxious to have a better life for herself and for her children.  She said she prayed for angels, and the Lord sent the missionaries! Her attire is very typical of all the girls in this area....lots of cleavage and bras hanging out...but they're learning! I am so excited to watch Nicole progress in her efforts to stop smoking and see her get baptized.  She is a very spiritual girl.  

This is a little boy of one of our new members in the Stop Smoking Program.  Lonne always has treats for the children.  This little guy loved the Skittles!  Notice the orange Skittle in his dirty little hand...

His mother is Charly May.  She is doing really well, and hasn't had a cigarette since Tuesday!