Temple Trip

This week was awesome!

We made the trip to Hamilton to meet President and Sister Porter, and the south end of the mission for a special temple day and zone conference.  We left on Wednesday & stayed with another missionary couple (Brother and Sister Funk, the directors of the visitor's center).  They live right across the street from the temple and have two extra bedrooms.  They offered to let us stay with them whenever we make the trip to Hamilton for meetings or the temple. It has saved us a lot of $$$ on hotel rooms!
We had TONS of fun with the Funks! We can't wait for them to come visit us in
Santa Clara when we get home!

 This is the view from the Funk's front yard!

The moon looked beautiful that night, as we left the Temple Visitor's Center.

We had a great day, an awesome zone conference, and a tearful goodbye to 

President and Sister Porter.  They will be going home in about 10 days. We have

become very good friends with the Porters.  We hit it off with them from the very beginning!

They promised us that they would come visit us next summer in Santa Clara.

Till we  meet again.....

The Main Event!

When we first arrived in Gisborne, we met Mark, Salina, and Jacob.

They are converts to the church...have had their ups and DOWNS, & have realized that life is much easier and the blessings are much greater when they are living the teachings of the gospel!

They had to hit rock bottom to come to that realization...they were homeless, living in a tent on the beach with their little boy, they lost their home, their car, and almost lost their little boy before they turned their lives around. The blessings have been pouring out to them ever since!

Their little boy, hadn't been baptized when we met them, so we challenged Mark to make himself worthy to baptize him.It was a challenge, but it happened a few weeks ago!  

It was a HUGE step for him! We have been visiting this family for almost five months now, 

and also challenged them to go to the temple before the end of June.  

We thought we would be getting transferred in June, so we used June for our goal! 

Honestly, I didn't really think it would happen... but we never gave up!! 

Well....IT HAPPENED!!!

I wish I could tell every detail of the day, but it would just take way too long, so I will just say...

It was an absolutely perfect day! We laughed, cried, ate, laughed, and cried some more!

President and Sister Porter stayed the night in Hamilton so they could attend the sealing.  They met Mark and Salina three years ago, when they first arrived in the mission.  They were thrilled to see their progression and wanted to show their support.  We were happy to have them there! 

We are so proud of the Burdett family!  We have kind-of adopted them as our own.

Salina comes from an un-happy foster home, and never really had a mother. 

It is very rewarding for us to help them in every way we possibly can! 

They appreciate even the smallest things! When we dropped them off at their temple apartment 

to spend the night, they were so thankful, and told us that "Nobody had ever 'taken care' of them before." 

  I wish we could "take care" of them forever! 

I could go on and on....

Long story short...

It was a perfect day! 

 The Burdetts anxiously made their way up the steps to the temple Friday morning!

They were all smiles as they entered into the temple....

They were soooooo nervous!

 Totally at PEACE after a wonderful experience...

A very very special day!

 Me, Lonne, Salina, Mark, Jacob, President and Sister Porter

Amy and Justin Wray, Mark Timu, Bishop Wray, Silina, Mark, Jacob, Me & Lonne

 A few members of the ward surprised Mark and Silina and made the long trip
to be with the Burdetts on their special day! Such a sacrifice and soooo sweet of them!

We took them out to dinner and then we went to the Temple Visitor's Center to watch the

newly revised version of The Joseph Smith movie.

We were all very tired after a long, emotional day!
The Burdetts were happy, humble and so thankful!
We're so thankful we have had the opportunity to know and love them!