Week 16
With a Thankful Heart
November 30, 2024
Hello Everyone and Happy Thanksgiving!!!
New Zealand does not celebrate Thanksgiving. They say they are thankful all year round and Americans are only Thankful one day a year. But, being American, we couldn't just let the holiday slip by, so we celebrated. In fact we celebrated Thanksgiving twice. We had a big turkey dinner with our Zone a couple of weeks ago. (Picture below is of mission missionaries and area missionaries combined.) We also invited K.C. & Judy and Paul & Irene Rytting (Legal for the Pacific) to our home last Sunday for a chicken gravy, mashed potatoes, and everyones favorite dishes. A frozen turkey costs $75NZ which is about $50US so we had chicken instead. It has been wonderful to have K.C. and Judy here. We have also made some wonderful friends and have enjoyed getting to know so many people.
Not that we are any less grateful for our traditional blessings of family, health, and the gospel, but missions tend to point out other blessings in our lives. Things like garbage disposals, comfortable shoes, low humidity, round-abouts, video chats, sea glass, and American food at the grocery store.
On to Christmas. I saw a sign the other day that said black Friday sale. Just wondering how you have a black Friday sale when you don't have Thanksgiving in New Zealand. Hmmm. New Zealand doesn't commercialize Christmas like America does and it very refreshing. Christmas decorations are just starting to go up. Next week we will show you a picture of our Christmas tree. Just saying, don't get your hopes us. It is definitely a mission Charley Brown tree.
Launette had a first this week. She wrote a script for a production video. We will go to Hamilton NZ again in a 2 weeks with the church video production crew to video a Light The World event at the Hamilton NZ Temple. We have a behind the scenes view of many of the Church's messaging efforts. You would be amazed at the amount of time and the resources the Church uses to get the message of the Gospel and the Savior out to the world. It is amazing. Hundreds of church employees, missionaries, and countless dollars go to making sure we spread the message of Gospel Joy. We got a preview of the city lights of Light the World. It comes out tomorrow. What do you think of it? Thcy combine the 5 cities into one video. I see things so differently know after listening to our video crew.
This week we had a meeting with the editors of the Church Liahona, For Strength of Youth and Friend. Once a quarter they do a video chat with each Areas CD in the Church. They are looking for inspirational events that build testimony in a global church. We enjoyed sharing some of the inspiring people and events that we are involved with in the Pacific. Such good people doing such good things.
After talking with the sister in charge of the Friend and it's Facebook page, I had to repent. I usually avoid talking pictures and interviewing children because of the legality and the release forms we have to fill out. From now on I will be more inclusive. Everyone loves children.
We were challenged with week with two goal as a Pacific Communication team. The two goals are:
Name----Next Experience
Audience----Next Message.
The "audience---next message" is a challenge specific to the communication department but the "name---next experience" does apply to everyone. The goal is to think of a name every week and then prayerful consider the next experience you should have with them. It could be someone in or out of your family, in or out of the church, or anyone that you are prompted or comes to mind. Then consider what the next experience with them should be. A text, a call, a visit, a dinner, a gift, a prayer, a thank you, an invite, a smile. We have been challenged to seek inspiration on how to have a next experience with someone. I thought I would pass it along.
Homemade Christmas tree decorations in the process.
Today was our ward singles linger longer but the whole ward turned out. The missionaries help run it every month.
Though it is a Tongan ward, 4 islands were represented singing a Christmas special number. This one was beautiful, in Polynesian style with 2 guitars and 1 ukulele.
They treat the missionaries so well. Look how sweet. This was our Merry Christmas/appreciation gift. We haven't done much yet. The bishop gave us a list of 10 families to visit and love. We have taken cookies and brownies around every Thursday this month and my smile isn't working. I don't know what has happened.:) We will keep trying. One house we crossed of the list when we pulled up a pitbull was standing guard on the front porch. :l
Launette: In my studies this month, I am studying Christ's attribute of faith. I love Pres Nelson's talk in 2021 called Christ is Risen, Faith in Him Will Move Mountains.
In the talk he said, "A nonbeliever might say that faith is for the weak. But this assertion overlooks the power of faith... Truly, faith is the power that enables the unlikely to accomplish the impossible." Isn't that beautiful. He also said, "The more you learn about the Savior, the easier it will be to trust in His mercy, His infinite love, and His strengthening...power."
That is what I am thinking about this week. I don't just have faith but I have faith in Jesus Christ and His love and strengthening power.
We love you and miss you. It's hard not to be home for the holidays, but I love what we are doing and where we are. We are very blessed.
Much love,
Elder and Sister Shaw
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