EASTER...2011

There's no better way to start off the Easter week-end than with a BAPTISM!

LeVoni was baptized on Saturday. We haven't been in on teaching her, but we spoke at the baptism.

We were invited to a Luau for the Lloyd's 40th Anniversary.
It was held at a "Marae" (Maori meeting place) in a town close to Gisborne.
 It was a wonderful party! They had it decorated to the hilt!
There were lots of people there, and TONS of food! We didn't eat some of the stuff...like the mussels and taro, but we tried everything else.  We ate taro in Samoa and didn't like it, so we didn't try it here.  It looked just as bland and just as dry as it had been in Samoa.  I guess it's an acquired taste?

These are two of the young women in the Gisborne 3rd ward.  They are so sweet to always give us a hug and make us feel special! The girl on the left is Natalia, she is a recent convert to the church.  The girl on the right is Olea.  She is a grand daughter of the Lloyds.  We just love these girls!

Mike (in the black shirt)   A year ago, Mike was totally in-active, walking the streets, and on drugs!
He was in the bishopric when we got here, and is now the Stake Clerk! I'm telling you...the gospel makes amazing changes in people's lives!!

More of our little friends!

This poor little pig was running around yesterday!  

He had no idea he was going to be the centerpiece and the meal for the big luau!!

The serving table

The interior of the Marae is amazing!  It's all hand carved and weaved.  

Some of the Tongans from the Gisborne 1st ward performed for us

Some of the Maori men came up and gave a speach in Maori,

 then performed a song. They were awesome!

This was an older lady sitting on the table next to us...I just had to snap a picture of her hair!

Yes, it's real!  We see alot of this kind of hair here!

Our cute bar tenders...they were making the yummiest drinks out of sparkling lemonade,

ginger beer (I'm not sure what that is, but it's non alcoholic), orange juice, and raspberry punch.

I couldn't get enough of the stuff!!

back to front
Elder Keyes (our new Elder from South Africa), Elder Jenkins, Elder Webb, and Elder Fiu

Easter Sunday 

We had the Elders over for Easter Dinner.  I fixed fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, candied carrots, rolls, and salad.  It was the closest thing to an Easter picnic I could come up with for  Sunday dinner!  The carrots were our "Rabbit" food! Ha!  We used the cute paper plates that my friend LeAnn sent to us!  They were so festive for Easter (even though it's Autumn here!)  I only have four place settings of dishes, so when we have all four Elders, and the two of us, we use paper plates!

Another big THANK YOU to LeAnn for sending them, to us!  We can buy glass plates as cheap as paper plates here...or let me re-phrase that....paper plates are as EXPENSIVE as glass plates! It's crazy!

Just one more thing we take for granted in the states!  I am finding A LOT of those little things that I take for granted at home.  We are sooooooooooo blessed!!!

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!!!!