While visiting down in Turangi this week, we had some extra time, so we took a short little drive to the National Park right above the town. We stopped at the first look out point to take a couple of pictures.
This is another view from the look out point. Lake Taupo is in the back ground.
A little further up the road is the Chateau. It has a restaurant and hotel in it. In the olden days, this was an insane-asylum! It is now a beautiful resort next to the ski resort.
I knew there was a ski resort up in the mountains behind Turangi, but for some reason, this is not what I expected it to look like! It is nothing but a big huge lava bed! I cannot imagine skiing here! There were tons of snow making machines, so apparently they don't get enough snow to cover the rocks! It looked like the moon! No trees, no plant life, just plain ugly!! There were some huge houses built up in the rocks. It was just NOTHING like I thought a ski resort in New Zealand would look like! This is probably the ugliest part of the North Island that we have seen so far. I'm sure the ski resorts on the south island are a lot prettier....but as for me...I'll stick to skiing in Utah! The greatest snow on earth!
Elder G at Tongariro Ski Resort
The volcano looks alot like something we would see in Utah! It is so much bigger than it looks in this picture...pictures really are deceiving.
This is the Welcome to Turangi display as you enter into the small town of Turangi.
Is it even a question why this place appeals to Lonne so much??? He loves it here!
Nara and Reuben drove to Taupo to see us last week-end! We were so happy to see them again!
We had dinner and just talked and talked! We are so glad they made the trip!!
They are going to drive to Auckland to see us off at the airport in five weeks.
They are soooo good to us!
Chelsea and Nicky...
both are new members in the Taupo ward. They have been bringing their friends over for lessons.
It has been so fun to teach all of these girls! Chelsea is preparing for a mission and Nicky has been less active, so the lessons are helping her a LOT! She was recently struck with Bells Palsy and it has caused her to make some good changes in her life.
Kathleen is Chelsea's cousin...we are teaching her, and it has been an awesome experience!
She is really soaking it all in, and loving it! She's a little apprehensive to get baptized and we hope we can resolve any of her concerns so we can see her be baptized before we leave!
She is such a fun girl, and we have had a lot of fun teaching her!
Me and the girls!
Kathleen, Nicky and Chelsea
Chelsea was in a terrible accident as a teenager. The whole right side of her face is scarred. She is an amazing girl and such a good example to her friends and cousins. She is going to be an awesome missionary! She is so sweet to visit less active members in the ward, take dinners to people, etc.
She has given us two referrals....We need lots more people like Chelsea!!!
Visiting with the French Family
Peter and Aroha just adopted this sweet little boy Kingston.
He clings to me every time we go over there! Poor little guy has been in and out of foster care his whole life. I am so glad the French's were finally able to adopt him to give him
a stable home and family environment!
Another lesson with Kathleen!
We just love this girl, and hope she decides to be baptized!
Our newest investigator (from Chelsea) is TeRina.
She is 16, and seems to be grasping everything we are teaching! She is loving it! She came to church on Sunday and really enjoyed it. We have been praying for someone to teach in this area, and our prayers have been answered! TeRina and Kathleen have been coming over almost every night. They like to have the lessons at our house, because their families aren't real supportive of the whole idea...but Kathleen said her mom is softening, which is great news! I finally found marshmallows that taste like ours at home, so I made these girls some Rice Krispie Treats (they are called Rice Bubbles over here)
They loved them! I'll have to admit, they tasted DANG good to me and Lonne, too! I've always been a Rice Krispie Treat fan, but Lonne can take them or leave them...but he can't get enough of them over here!!! It's funny how you miss silly little things like that! Most of the marshmallows in New Zealand have a different flavor than ours do....they actually HAVE a flavor...that's the difference! So when I tried to make Rice Bubble Treats earlier in our mission, they were gross. I never knew I would get so excited about marshmallows before! Funny....
Crossing our fingers and saying our prayers that we can teach these girls well enough to baptize them before June 1st....That's the goal, but we don't want to pressure them.
We visited Mahia (the lady in blue) the other day. She has been a less active member in Taupo.
Her grand-daughters happened to come home while we were there...we had a good time with them, and they have invited us to come teach them tonight! We're excited!!! We also got a call from a girl we had kind of given up on, and she wants to continue to have lessons with us!!! Miracles are happening for us as we come to the end of our mission. We are so grateful to have 5 girls to teach!!
We are excited to get started with these girls.
Jamen, Lonne, Destiny, Mahia, and Me
1 comment:
Wow! Awesome post! From the scenery, to the people...it is so fun to see it all! I didn't know that you were working with so many people right there in your area! I hope that they will decide to be baptized while you are there! That would be a great way to end your mission! I wish that Nara and Reuban could come home with you so that we could meet them! It looks like you guys had fun together!
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