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 Week 22

Christmas and Shaw Family Visit

12 January 2025


Merry Christmas Everyone and Happy New Year!  It is going to be a great year, I can tell already. We have had a great start meeting a serving new people here in the Islands. I don't think I can ever get tired of meeting new people. I feel our Heavenly Father's love of them. How can that get old??  

Sorry we missed the last two weeks of blogs.  We have been occupied with our children and loving every minute of it.



This is what Christmas Eve looks like on a mission. We invited a few couples over for dinner, Christmas carols, the Nativity story, Christmas memories, and a white elephant exchange. It was a great night. We love the missionaries we serve with. They are like family. (OK, some are family.)


Yes, we are singing "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" and "I'll be Home for Christmas".


White elephant exchange.




Here are 2 pictures at our ward Christmas Party. Kelly corners the missionaries every chance he gets. I found a great sister, Sister Lameko, who is in charge of all of the FSYs in the Pacific. Big assignment. 

We have been covering as many of the FSYs as we can. We love the energy, unity, fun, and spiritual development that is taking place at these events. It is summer here and all the youth are out of school so this is FSY season.



These 2 agreed to interview with us. They did a great job. SLC asked us to video youth answering the question, "When have you needed to Look Unto Christ"? I have been so impressed at the depth of their answers. Today's youth have been through some tough situations. Everyone one of them have been able to express their dependance on the Lord and His atoning power.


Family Fiji Fun


The 10 day visit with our children was magical!!! It was perfect in almost every way. Our time together included: love expressed, adventure with 13 people in our 12 passenger van, adrenaline at Canopy Tours zip line course and bridge bungie jumping, a cultural experience at the Maori dinner and entertainment, the miracle of finding Nicole's phone at the bottom of the ocean with our snorkel gear (thanks to Kiri's prayer), and testimonies shared at our family council. 





Snorkeling is one of my happy places! Rainbow Reef goes through the Fiji Islands. We took a boat taxi out to Malamala Island just so we could snorkel. It took us about 15 minutes to find what we were hoping to see. I learned the best way to snorkel is apart from the crowd and then just hover and let them come out.




Happy New Year dinner and fireworks.



Golf in Fiji was great. What you don't see with our smiles is that it was 200 degrees and 200 percent humidity. But other than that, it was great fun.


New Zealand Travels


This is Takapuna Beach and about 100 yards from our home. We had everyone looking for sea-glass for a jewelry making activity.



Mt Victoria overlooking Auckland.


For you Hobbit fans out there (Kiri is a major fan), Hobbiton is a fun stop to see where the movies were filmed.



You will notice that there is no picture of Launette on the Zip-Line Tour. Her fear of heights is very real and she couldn't have done it. I will say that there was one zip-line that even made me think about how high we were off the ground. Great time.




This is Zorbing. You climb in a huge clear plastic ball, they add 20 gallons of water, and then roll you down a hill in the balls. Turned out to be everyone favorite activity.

We missed Braiden and Morgan terribly on this trip because they were home anticipating the birth of their baby girl that will be born shortly.   

Everyone we talk to that are senior missionaries have various reasons for serving missions, but almost without fail they will mention they are serving for their family. There is simply great faith among senior missionaries that their service will bless the lives of their children and grandchildren in very special ways.   We are no different in that hope and faith. What made this week so sweet is that we were able to be with our family and they got a flavor of what our mission is about and the people we serve. Nothing is better.   We love our mission and we love our family. Combined, it is a very happy place.

We love and miss you all!

Elder and Sister Shaw

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