New Zealand!

We are in Auckland, New Zealand in the Missionary Training Center with about 50 young missionaries from all over the world preparing to serve missions in the South Pacific area including Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia, Papau New Guinea, Tahiti, and of course, Samoa.  As it turns out, we are the only senior missionaries here during this cycle so we are being treated quite special.  We have young men and women from France, Canada, The United States, and the South Pacific.  They are a delight!  Some of them are struggling with their English or are studying here in French.  They have been very kind and accepting of us.

We have a teacher all to ourselves.  Her name is Sister Langkilde.  She is of Samoan descent but was raised in New Zealand and has a charming NZ accent.  She also served her mission in Samoa and is bilingual.  She has been patient as we have practiced our Samoan with her.

We hope to take a couple hours to go shopping tomorrow.  We will leave for Samoa a week from tomorrow and be ready for the leap into the unknown.

Sister Langkilde

Just a reminder that we are 20 hours ahead of Pacific Time so while it is 9:00 PM Friday night, it is only 1:00 AM Friday Morning there.  That means when we get up tomorrow morning at 6:30 AM Saturday, it will be 10:30 AM Friday there.  When we flew here, we lost a Wednesday altogether.  We have been so busy and tired that we have had little time to think but miss you all and are praying that all is well with all of our loved ones while we are away.