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 Week 51

UNICEF Interfaith Dinner

1 August 2025


Hello everyone! What a great week. This week was a our big UNICEF dinner that we have been planning for a couple of months. 60 people invited. You have no idea everything that should be considered in a seating chart. Then we had Kosher and Halal diets. Interesting!

Kelly helping Elder Meurs, Area President,  prepare his presentation for the UNICEF inter-faith dinner.  The Pacific Area works with UNICEF to fund and manage a number of child nutrition programs and Giving Machines here. UNICEF suggested we sponsor a dinner bringing together leaders of different faiths to talk about how we can work together more effectively to help and care for the less advantaged in the Pacific.  We had leaders from the Anglican Church, Catholic Church, Protestant, Muslim, Jewish, Baha'i, and a few others attend.  The presentations were inspiring. Such great people trying to do great things to help others. 

Elder Shaw and I are trying to encourage more of these events. This is exactly what we should be doing as public affairs missionaries. We don't develop the relationships because that is for full time employees and church leaders that live here, but we enjoy all the behind-the-scenes work. Launette: Sometimes I find myself wondering out of the kitchen and talking to people. I can't help it.



These are not appetizers. They are called "Nibbles". :)


Prior to the dinner we arranged for everyone to participate in a service project.   We put together necessity packs (hygiene kits) for a local shelter.  Everyone had a great time doing it.   We even arranged for the Muslims to have a dedicated room they could use for evening prayers.



Good morning!#*? Smoothie gone wrong.  


Our favorite breakfast; pumpkin chocolate chip souffle.


Dinner with two employees we work with in our department.  We were invited over to Candice's house for dinner and it was a wonderful evening where we shared life experiences and testimonies.  Candice is a single mom who is doing an amazing job at raising her high school daughter. They joined the church 2 years ago.



Candace's daughter and friends.



I have decided I love Indian food. Isn't it beautiful?!?


Isn't this awesome!! I am in love with this plant. I named it the zip zag plant. Candace gave me a start. I'll just have to pass it the next missionary in our flat.


This picture brings us great joy.  One of our favorite things to do on our mission is family counsel. Technology is such a blessing! What did we do with out it? When I asked Kelly, he reminded me of the paper letters he wrote home that he had to fold to make an envelope. Those were the days!  We are so grateful for your love and support. This would be a lot harder without it.

This week was the groundbreaking for the Wellington New Zealand Temple.  You would be amazed at the amount of work that goes into making these events happen.   Media notified, political and interfaith leaders invited, detailed arrangements, set up, and the broadcast.   In the Pacific Area, our department sent 6 employees with tons of equipment to cover the event and do the live broadcast.   Then as soon as the broadcast was done our translation team kicked into gear to translated it into Maori, Tonga, Samoan, and French for the re-broadcast in the islands.  The Pacific Area has 11 temples active and 11 more announced or under construction.  To watch the miracle of temples and how it changes lives, communities, and countries is wonderful to watch.  More on that another time.

One other miracle, we had 3 days of sunny blue skies this week.  It has been beautiful.

We love you and miss you!!!!!

Elder and Sister Shaw






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