Final Week 77

Saying Goodbye to the Pacific

8 February 2026

Well, this is our last post. We are leaving truly wonderful people and going home to truly wonderful people. Win-win, but certainly is a dichotomy and rollercoaster of feelings and emotions.

Communication Publishing Department

This is an awesome picture! Our whole department. I'm so glad we did this. Only 2 people are missing, but the picture includes 2 guests from SLC.  There is a huge amount of talent and dedication in this picture.  

Kelly giving a teary thank you speech.

We have been blessed with some amazing relationships in and out of the office during our mission. We were able to spend some time with them to express our appreciation for their example and goodness. 

The next few pictures are some "last" meals and meetings. Definitely times we will treasure. 

Ducshon (office employee) and family

Dinner at the bishop's home with a few YSA.

Escape room activity and dinner with missionaries.

The next few pictures are about people, places and experiences we will miss.

We will miss everyday office life. Most office pictures are of "the boys" but I love this pictures because it is of the the girls. There are just 2 employees in the CPD department, and 20 men. Veronica was social media but is now a project manager. Candace (to the right) is also a project manager.

We will miss these amazing communication directors who accepted a calling to proclaim the gospel in their country.

(Just so you know we are still working...) We interviewed this couple, Ana and Siope. They support the Area Presidency's initiative of encouraging YSA to marry in the House of the Lord.

We are going to miss talking with and learning about the beautiful lives of the Polynesian people.

We will miss this beautiful skyline.

We will miss this Takapuna coastal walk. We did it one more time with Elder and Sister Leach to show them where it is. It's a little unknown treasure to sea glass beach.

We are going to miss the Auckland House of the Lord.

This last time at the temple, we kept seeing people that we knew. It was a perfect place to say goodbye. We saw 3 of our institute students. Two of them endowed and one (on the temple grounds) told us she is going through for herself next week. It just gets better.

We might miss the wind, but probably not.

We will miss our YSA ward and this amazing ward council.  What is amazing about this ward council is that they do just that, they council together.  It is really inspiring.

Last day of office life.

Elder and Sister Hancey for Layton, Ut. They were great partners in crime.

Jeremy Higgins, an amazing project manager that we become close to.

Candance McNabb, a project manager who is moving to Hawaii next month.

Rich Hunter, our boss and director of public affairs. I hope he isn't cheering that we are going. Could be.

Laura and Bart Barrus, from CA, executive sec to Area Pres.

Last beach moment with Amy Jaggi. What a dear friend. I hope to see her again.

I finally received permission from Sharon, our neighbor upstair, to take a picture with her. Sharon has been a delight. She is everything you would think an 80 year old flat neighbor would and should be. Kelly was able to give her a blessing when she fell a few months ago. She appreciated it with a warm heart and felt miraculously healed, but is a devout Baptist. She adopted our house plants with pleasure.

We spent our last evening with Paul and Irene Rytting and John and Linda Leach in Auckland. It was a perfect evening to end our mission. The weather was beautiful and the conversation up-lifting. Relations mean so much more to me.

Once again, everything we own in 6 bags. 

Grandchildren are the best! We felt the support and love that is needed to service a mission.from our family.

What a warm welcome.

Launette - Our mission has far exceeded my expectations in every area:

Beauty

Frustration

Increase of knowledge

Humbling

Relationships

Spiritual enlightenment

Appreciation & gratitude

Love for my mission companion

Feeling God's love for His children

I am grateful for this experience to serve the Polynesian people. I am a changed person and hope I can remember these feelings as I return home. The word "Vanuatu" is our trigger word if we start to forget the priorities we have incorporated here. 

Living in a small flat with one bathroom (no vanity), no disposal, and a dish washer drawer, has helped us to realize we don't need much to be happy.  It leaves time for so many other good things. 

I hope this feeling of love exists beyond our mission. It should, right?

Lastly, I have a testimony of Christ's sanctifying power. That is the power to change me. His love and mercy are perfect for each of us.

Kelly - If I were to list the things I have learned on a senior mission the list would be very long.   Here are just a few.

• Senior missions are wonderfully uncomfortable. Missions get you outside of your comfort zone, you are forced to rely on the Lord and He compensates for what you lack.
• The Lord is in the details of all of his children's lives.
• The rewards of a senior mission far exceed the sacrifices.
• The gospel plan is simple, honor your covenants, love the Lord, love your neighbor.

We have grown to love so many people here and will miss them.  Most of all we love our Savior and are so grateful for the privilege we have had of serving our mission in the Pacific.  I shared a Winnie the Pooh quote in our goodbye at FHE that sums up leaving.   "How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard."  That really encapsulates our feelings of leaving. But, I would also add, "How lucky am I to have something so wonderful to go home to."  

We love you and we will see you soon!!!!

Elder and Sister Shaw