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 Week 8

Gleaning, Gifts and General Conference

6 October 2024



A slower week in the office this week.   The Area Presidency and many of the employees are in SLC for conference this week.   It is really the time for the managers in the Area Office to have meetings and coordinate with SLC on the needs of the Pacific.   We worked on gathering some government contacts in each country. We posted a couple of stories on the Newsroom encouraging friends and members to watch and receive inspiration during General Conference. We worked on "talking points" for coordinating council communication directors. We prepared a presentation for the 2025 CPD's (Communication and Publishing Department) annual planning meeting and of course did English Connect with about 15 students. We travelled to Hamilton to have dinner with a Just Serve director but my favorite part of our mid week was we were able to do a session in at the Hamilton Temple. When the temple film began, I started crying. It felt so good to be in the temple. I have missed it. 



Gina Truman, one of our favorite office friends. She keeps noticing that we match. She takes our picture every time. I love her. Her brother, Dan Truman, is the piano player for Dimond Rio. Talented family and Gina is really a wonderful person. Everyone loves her and the spirit she brings when she is around.  Such a good person.  Gina is one the original DoTerra founders. Our office smells great!


How many mornings do you think I can pass this bakery without stopping? I am weakening.


I don't know about you, but don't you think this parsley right by our apartment is for the taking? Kelly said missionaries with name tags shouldn't steal things but I told him it's not stealing when it's growing wild. I think it is called gleaning. Anyways, that is what my mom called it.


A few stores are below the car park (parking garage). They have this magnetic trolley (shopping cart) conveyer belt system that takes you down and up. The carts are stuck to the belts. Very interesting.



I went on a field trip with 2 office friends, Gina and Susan. We were looking for gifts for the Area Presidency to use for visiting dignitaries. Shopping, somebody has got to do it. We visited this adorable Palestinian couple from Bethlehem. They made all kinds of wooden Christian gifts. We did our best to share a message but they were more interested in our wallets. 





For our pday activity this week, we went on a 4 mile hike/walk around Shakespeare Park Lookout. It was breathtaking. You can't really get the perspective with these pictures. It's really a sheep farm on the top of a high peninsula. The path takes you around the top with great views looking down over the cliffs.


You can kind of see the trail in the background of the picture. It snakes all around the top of this cliffed peninsula. Always watching our step with the adorable sheep grazing nearby.


Notice the cloud gathering. At this point it is began to rain and we still had a mile to our car.



The minute we stepped foot into "Fuelburger" it started a down pour of rain and hail. It was definitely a tender mercy that we were not on the back side of the exposed cliffs when that happened. I love our adventures together every pday.


Now this is my favorite part to the week! We get to extend conference for another week. Everyone around here watches Saturday this Sunday and Sunday next Sunday. (Just think about it, you can get it.) The time difference is an issue with many things. Speaking of time difference, adorable Caden (Tiffany's son) told his friends, "My grandparents are serving a mission in New Zealand. They live in the future!" Jaxon asked us who won the BYU game. They are a little confused. Sometimes I am too. 
Anyway, what a wonderful first day of conference. I have also felt the urgency that Elder Bednar expressed in recognizing the Book of Mormon is for us in our day.  "If I don't feel like I can be affected by pride, then I am in danger". What a great talk. I felt like the theme for today was: put off the natural man and avoid things of the world. How about you? I wish we could hear your thoughts. I love learning from you all.

We love you and miss you immensely.

Elder and Sister Shaw









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