WELL, WELL, WELLINGTON

It seems like I’m always writing to catch up when writing this blog. It’s certainly not the most timely blog out there. It’s rather like waiting for a letter that was mailed over-sees—delivered by boat. The news we have, thanks to apps like What’s App and FaceTime, is almost old news. The photos posted may have been posted before. But though late in posting, our intent is to share our mission with those interested—and to keep something of a record of it for ourselves. (That said, the main record of our mission is being engraven upon the large plates of David—my journal.)

Our Transfer

We had discussed in times past whether we would get transferred from Dunedin. President Hudson had confided in us a couple of times that he was considering the possibility of transferring us to Greymouth when Elder and Sister Snow leave in May. So the possibility was on our radar, but I never felt like we would be transferred to Greymouth. In time I began to feel that this confidence was a sign of sorts, confirming our stay in Dunedin. JannaLee wasn’t so sure. She’d fight on occasion feelings of misgiving and, at times, premature loneliness for the hugs and snuggles of our grandkids if we were transferred. For JannaLee the transfer was more real than for me. I just didn’t realize what my assurance was all about.

Wednesday night, after a successful Institute Recognition Dinner—a dinner, by the way, that JannaLee cooked and prepared for 40 people all by herself, though others contributed marvelously to its outcome—we were basking in the relief and bless’d success of the evening when the phone rang. That call changed everything for us! It was President Hudson. At first I thought he was calling to invite us to pray for the Kronmillers who needed to leave the mission office due to medical reasons concerning both of them. 

Elder and Sister K

I had been told by others that they were struggling. But I was struck with the intensity of a thunderbolt when we heard President Hudson inform us that the Kronmillers were leaving the mission. He then stated: “And there's one other thing. I’m quite sure the Lord wants you and Sister Ward to come to Wellington to serve in their place.”

JannaLee and I looked at each other in disbelief. Did we really hear the President calling us to move to Wellington? We laughed. He said he was thankful that we were taking the news so positively. Little did he know both of us had serious doubts about his revelation. Was he sure the Lord wanted the “Wards” and not the “Woods”? And yet the more we talked with the President, and then with each other; the more we prayed and pondered the call; the more we tried to wrap our minds and hearts around leaving Dunedin and our children and grandchildren—not to mention the members of the Dunedin Wards we had come to love, and the people of Dunedin we had yet to know—in a word, the more we dealt with this reality, the more the Spirit confirmed to us that it was God’s will that we move to Wellington to serve in the Mission Office. 

Elder Hjorten, Sister Hjorten, Sister Ward

The calming assurance that God was behind this transfer made it possible for us to look toward our move with a peace that, under the circumstances, made little sense to our minds, but perfect sense to our hearts. That peace has continued to sustain us while we’ve been learning our responsibilities over the last month. God’s peace is real. It’s not simply an influence that wipes away fear. The peace of God which passeth all understanding is a presence that resides in one’s heart each time one looks to Christ humbly: even in every thought. This we are learning to do more than ever before. And the blessings are beginning to come.    

Ward Bookends: Elders Parkinson, Simper, Shaik (APs)

Wellington Bay, our new home

Lake Tekapo and Mt. Cook

We had enjoyed overseeing the seminary and institute programs for the stake while serving in Dunedin. Not only had we been blessed to interact with good people, members trying their best to serve the Lord through their teaching; we had been blessed to view the beautiful scenery while traveling throughout the stake boundaries to support our membership.

Sister Haua's Early Morning Seminary Class (Timaru)

 So it was that after visiting an early morning seminary class in Timaru, we took the Furnisses with us to drive to Lake Tekapo and the Mt. Cook Village, making a loop through places like Twizzle (pronounced Twyzzle) and back to Oamaru. The trip was only about 165 miles long; yet it took all day. That was due partly to the windy, narrow, up-and-down roads we traveled on. Another reason was that we stopped at various scenic sites long enough to take them in: one might say, to breathe them in.

Our first stop was Lake Tekapo. All the way to the upper valley where the lake is located it was cloudy with rain falling here and there. It didn’t look like we had chosen the best day to go site-seeing. 

But then, as we drove up the hill and onto an expansive “flat land area,” the clouds began to part. Before we knew it, they had disappeared and we were drenched in the warmth of the NZ sun and utterly surprised as we gazed at a piercing blue NZ sky. 

Lake Tekapo is more touristy than other lakes we’ve seen. 

Lake Tekapo

On one of its shores stands the most photographed Protestant church in NZ: The Church of the Good Shepherd. 

It was quaint. Elder Furniss asked the attendant to pull on the bell rope. He did. The next thing we heard was a lovey bell tolling across the water, awakening us to our Christian duties.

After this, we ventured to Lake Pukakaha. (Say that 10 times as fast as you can.) It was a pretty lake. In fact, some of it was more blue and turquoise than Lake Tekapo. 

Lake Pukakaha

From there we headed to see Mt. Cook. We pulled off the road a bit after Lake Pukakaha to look at Mt. Cook standing over and above the water. 

Mt. Cook (Tallest Peak in New Zealand)

We had heard so many people say that when they got closer to Mt. Cook, the clouds would come in, guarding it from “unworthy” onlookers. We must have become worthy, for every time we looked at Cook, clouds may have been surrounding it in places, but they didn’t block our view.

We drove a half hour to the Mt. Cook Village. 

Toward Mt. Cook Village

Here we could see Mt. Cook and some smaller, but majestic mountains that stand at her side. 

We stopped in at the I-Site Center. In the center there were various historical displays and geographical models that helped explain hiking on Cook and surrounding terrain. It was a comfortable, informative visitor’s center. 

Mt. Cook I-Site Center Grounds

We then drove to the trailheads at Hooker Point. We walked an hour “hike” to and from the Mt. Cook and Tasman Glacier Lake look-outs. 

Two Roads Diverged in a Desert. And I . . . I Took the One to the Right
Elder Ward, Sister and Elder Furniss

The view from the look-outs allowed you to see the magnificence of the mountains you were looking at.  One lake was being fed by a glacier not more than 300 yards from were we stood. The color of the lake was milky grey. This was Lake Tasman. 

Lake Tasman

Glacial ice floated in the water. It was clear the glacier was melting. It was different from what I supposed a glacial lake would look like. One other thing, notwithstanding the beauty of the mountains and some of the lakes we hiked to see, the surrounding area was dry and arid—Otago terrain, like that surrounding Lake Wanaka. On the way back, Lake Pukakaha brightened things up a bit, with its brilliant blue color contrasted with the brown and hay-colored plant life.

Lake Pukakaha

On the way back we drove through Twizzle. Just past Twizzle is a reservoir, the water of which was a blue color I have never seen before in a lake. It was deeper blue than the other two lakes we had seen. 

It was a “delicious blue.” Lake Aviemore. I felt that if I could have drunk from it, it would have tasted like an Icee of some delectable flavor. I was mesmerised by it. While driving along its shore, Elder Furniss said he couldn’t quit looking at it, “It was so mesmerizing, he said.” I laughed within myself when I heard him exclaim this.

From Twizzle we wound our way around through Duntroon and onto Elephant Rocks. It was interesting visiting that area again—this time with the Furnisses. 

This is the spot JannaLee and I took our picture first time around.

The grassy area wasn’t as green as when we first visited this memorable place last year in November. Another difference was that the sheep had been grazing there a few days earlier. So we had to be careful about where we stepped. Even so, the rocks were amazing. I took a picture of one that resembled a large skull from the side, 

The Skull

a hornless bull or ox, 

A Hornless Bull or Ox--or What? What's in the Foreground? A Wingless Bird? Not a Kiwi.

another of a fox. 

A Fox?

The dog we saw before was gone. I couldn’t find it at all. The elephant-like rock was still there, however. 

Elephant?

The wind was whipping up, so the air was cool—almost uncomfortable. But we stayed on, not wanting to leave. There is a spirit that attends this area. No wonder the Maoris felt it was a sacred place.

We went to Fat Sally’s for dinner. The fish and chips were fine—nothing to shout about. We were so tired it didn’t matter much. 

On the way home the Furnisses said they wanted to fix us French toast for breakfast in the morning. We told them we would love it if they did, but we had one request. We would let them make us French toast so long as they got the ingredients JannaLee would need to make her buttermilk syrup. “Buttermilk syrup?” they questioned. Both of them were skeptical—until the next morning after they dipped their finger into the pan in which JannaLee had made the syrup. After that, they were asking for more, drenching their French toast in it, pouring it on their sausages and bacon. I think you could say they were addicted at first taste.  No surprise there. The syrup is that good.

Tutored by the Spirit

Not a day goes by on our mission but what we are learning something more about the basics of what we casually refer to as the Plan of Salvation. There is so much to know about all the doctrinal aspects that make up that plan. The interesting thing is, we’re not gaining what may be referred to as “more knowledge” about the Plan. That is, the doctrines we’ve been taught before our mission are the doctrines the Spirit uses to instruct us now. But the instruction is a deepening of past knowledge, rather than a bestowal of new knowledge. How significant we’ve come to appreciate agency to be in the Father’s plan! How powerful our choice is in all matters! How all-encompassing is Christ’s redemptive reach! How merciful is God through Him! We know more than ever that the purpose we’ve been born to fulfill is that of becoming like our divine parents. All we experience in this life is designed to give us the opportunity to choose to become like them, or like someone else. There are no neutral options.

We love you all. Thank you for your prayers in our behalf. We certainly pray for you.

Kia Ora,

Elder & Sister Ward