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 Week 24

New Intern, Buskers Festival, and

Bringing the Church out of Obscurity

26 January 2025


Hello everyone and happy buskers week. (More about that later.) I predict this next month will be the busiest and most exciting month of our mission. Bring it on. We really enjoy feeling productive. 

Let me introduce you to our new intern, Jasmin Balahadia, from Kaysville/Philippine. She is darling and very energetic, smart, willing, easy-going, and capably. She will be easy to mentor. She is here at the perfect time: seminar, temple open house, Rotarua trip etc.




This picture doesn't look like much but it is the beginning of about 100,000 people coming through the Auckland Temple. This is the committee that handles the actual tours. We sit on that committee and help where we can in preparations and coordination. I have learned just how much goes into planning an open house and the amount of man-hours is off the chart. Fun to watch the Lord's hand in the process.



Just trying to figure out how large the staging area is.


They grow huge produce here.


This is Buskers Festival. It's new to me but this is what it said online to convince us to get on ferry and go to Auckland to see it on our P-day.  "Buskers is blend of extraordinary talent, from thrilling fire tricks, hilarious clowning and breathtaking acrobatics." It's street performers. They are from all over the world and come here to perform once a year. Interesting and fun!


I should have taken more pictures of this. Don't know how to really explain this experience. Every night, somewhere in Auckland in a car park (parking garage) a makeshift festival happens. Vendors from all over come and sell their wares and their food. There were probably 100 vendors at this site in Papatoetoe. This is just one of the nail vendors that set up shop. It is crazy. There is a website so that you know where they are and what time they will start.  Fun idea. Of course we ran into 6 young missionaries (two from our ward) that were there giving out temple open house pass along cards. Got to love the creativity.  




Elder and Sister Shumway and Sister Hillier




The pictures above are from the same event. All of the Area Authority 70's from the Pacific are in the Area Office for training. Elder Valenzuela from SLC is here along with our Area Presidency Elder Meurs, Elder Wakolo and Elder Jaggi. We were asked to rise and shine and have breakfast ready for them at 6:30am on Sunday. The mango banana syrup was a hit. On a mission, you're asked to do a variety of interesting things. All the Lord's work. Lift where you stand.  



This is a picture from the Giving Machine Wrap-up. We brought together all of the charities from New Zealand that participated in Giving Machines and presented them with their checks at this event. The people involved in these local charities are doing such great things. The Church is a well-oil machine. I am continually amazed at all of it's the moving pieces. 

Lesson learned for the week---"Bringing the Church Out of Obscurity" D&C 1:30.  This is actually one of the tenants and commandments of our specific mission call and the department we work in---To bring the Church out of Obscurity. These last few weeks, we have been able to stand back and look at all the church is doing and the people involved in bringing the Church out of obscurity and it is an amazing view: Designer and videographer for the temple open house, to Giving Machines, to T.V. and radio and newspaper interviews, to inviting press from all over the Pacific to attend the Auckland Open House, to social media articles, Newsroom posts, inter-faith and political and media outreach, humanitarian projects, etc. We could list a hundred other things the church is involved in. It is amazing and the people involved are amazing. It is fun to be the smallest cogs in that process.

We love you and miss you!
Read this to my grandchildren!!!

Love, Elder and Sister Shaw


Comments

  1. NoreneJanuary 26, 2025 at 11:57 AM

    I look forward to your report every week AND I want the mango banana syrup recipe. (not kidding!)

    ReplyDelete

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