Lots of Computer Work, Library Issues, Matariki Celebration, Temple, and Hospital

Monday was supposed to be a very relaxing day with nothing to do. Hahaha. What started out to be a few things to do Monday morning turned into a whole day of computer projects. We also had Elder Cockbain with us the whole day. He stayed in our spare room and slept most of the day. He was doing better, but still under the weather. The day ended around 6:00 pm. So much for a nice relaxing day. 

Tuesday morning, we headed to the library after Seminary to finish up looking at the Electoral Rolls to find our lost members. We found that they had moved the books. A worker got someone show us where they moved the books. We started looking people up, when a library worker came by wanting to know what we were doing with the books. We explained what we were using them for, and she asked if we were copying any of the data out of the book. We told her if we found someone, we would copy the address so we could update the records with a current address.  She then told us we were not allowed to copy any information from the books. She took my name, phone, and email and said someone would reach out for more explanation and get back to me if we could continue to use them or if we have to cease. We are to let all the other missionaries know we can’t use them until further notice. So, we went home.

In the afternoon we had the Elders over for Elder Moyes' pathway class. After they left, I did some work on a new spreadsheet for Elder Wilcox to work on the Sacrament program. It took several days, but I added a few buttons to automatically save it as a PDF, print, and then add the speakers a history sheet. It works pretty slick.

Wednesday was a fun day. Seminary was the last in-person class before the school term end. So, after a short lesson, Sister Paratene played games and had food. The game had good prizes and booby prizes. Most of the students got the booby prizes. I think that was by design. The booby prizes were things like choosing three other people to help you, wearing silly glasses, and dancing to some silly music. Another one was to act like a gorilla talking on a cell phone and have the class guess. Silly things like that. The kids had fun and we all laughed a lot. We got to play too.

After Seminary, I quickly put together a training for our DCM meeting. Elder Bailey chatted with me at 6:30 am to see if I would be willing to do the training. I figured I could come up with something. As we walked out to our cars after Seminary, I asked Elder Dixon and Elder Lea'ana what they wanted to be trained in. Elder Dixon said to just do something with a Seminary lesson I already did. So, I modified the lesson I gave on Tuesday, and added a couple more slides with what was talked about that morning and came up with a lesson on how important service and our example is in missionary work. It turned out very well... especially since I already had a PowerPoint presentation. Lol

Just before we left for DCM, the Bishop stopped by to see if we could help him with a letter he wanted to deliver later that night with Elder Wilcox. So, he and Elder Wilcox dictated, and I typed it up. It needed a little tweaking and we needed to go, so I told the Bishop, I would have it ready when he came by later to pick up Elder Wilcox. After DCM, I tweaked his letter and worked more on the spreadsheet for Elder Wilcox. I used artificial intelligence (AI) to help me with the code I needed for the buttons. It worked perfectly. After they got back from their visit, the Bishop took us to a Matariki Celebration. The Matariki is the Māori New Year. We went to an elementary school not far from our house. They had a beautiful display of artwork by the kids. It was all done with paint and colors that glow under a black light. It was quite pretty. The Bishop then picked up dinner for us and took us home.

After our Seminary lesson on Thursday morning, we started packing for our trip to Hamilton and the Temple. The Bishop chatted us that the mother of one of our members passed away and asked in any of the Ward Council could stop at the mortuary sometime before noon to visit the family. After noon, they took the body another 4 hours south to a marae for the funeral. A marae is the Māori Community Center. Anyway, I looked up the address of the funeral home and realized it was on our way to Hamilton, so we took a slight detour to stop in and see the family. The Bishop and another couple from the ward were there. It was actually near where we used to live in Bream Bay. I'm so glad we stopped and visited for a while. 

After our detour, we headed to Auckland to stop at the Mission office. The construction was finally done on the highway, so we saved almost an hour off our normal trip. The highway detour has been here since we arrived. I was surprised to see some much grass growing on the side of the hills that were on the side of the highway. I wonder how they cut it. Hahaha.

At the office we swapped out the washing machine for the Elders. We also picked up several packages that needed to go up north. Then we headed to our motel and got there around 5:30. We had a nice relaxing evening.

We were up early to attend a sealing and an endowment session. We had a special treat with that session. I kept looking at one of the sisters in the session. She looked so familiar, but I couldn’t think of who or where I knew her from. When we got to the Celestial room, another brother and sister came up to us. They also looked very familiar. They reminded us of our connection. Elder and Sister Welsh were our next-door neighbors for a couple of weeks about two years ago in Utah. They were visa waiters for New Zealand. Just before they left, we connected on Facebook and have kept in touch. They contacted another couple that was joining their mission in Hamilton about the same time we were coming to Auckland. They told the couple to look for us, and they told us to look out for them at the MTC. The first day we were there, we did introductions in our first class. We were on the front row. When it got to the second row, the Hansens introduced themselves, and then looked at us and said I think we’re supposed to get together. Right after we got to Auckland, the six of us got together at Costco and had lunch together. Both couples ended up on our same session. To add to the tender mercy, neither couple knew they were going to the Temple today. So, all three of us “just happened” to be there at the same time. Heavenly Father knew we needed to make that connection again. The Welches will be going home in a couple of weeks so we won’t see them again.

We stopped at Costco on the way home. We needed to stock up on brownie mix to accommodate our Family Home Evenings and all the times we have the missionaries over. They all love brownies. Once we got home, I contacted all the people we brought packages to coordinate times to get them picked up. All of them are in Kaikohe which is much further up north. It is another 2.5 hours from our house. Sister Garner said it wasn’t our responsibility to deliver the packages. I contacted our Zone Leaders, as I know they coordinate with the Zone Leaders in the Kaikohe Zone. As luck would have it, they were able to deliver all the packages for us. I let all the Elders know and everyone was very happy. We did have one in our Zone, and they came by not long after we got home and picked their package up.

Saturday was not at all what we expected. We headed over to the Elders' flat first thing so we could install the washing machine we brought from the mission office. When we finished up we visited with the Elders for a while. Elder Cockbain was still in bed as he was still sick. The doctor told him there really wasn't much they could do for him except that he get lots of rest and drink plenty of water. Then Elder Sanders told us that Elder Bailey was in bed with severe back pains. A few moments later, we were taking Elder Bailey to the Urgent Care center.

I was surprised we were able to get him in right away because he was in so much pain. After a while, a nurse came and got us to go back with Elder Bailey. He has had some serious medical issues in his young life. He has done well since he has been on his mission. The Urgent Care center didn’t have enough equipment to test everything they wanted to so they could rule out some serious issues, so they sent him by ambulance to the Whangarei hospital. 

When we got to the hospital, I checked to see if we could go back to see Elder Bailey. They asked if we were relatives and I explained that he was a missionary, and we were as close to family as he had in New Zealand. They took us right back so we could be with him. They did several scans and bloodwork, and other tests on him. They were able to tell him his heart was fine and the thing they were most worried about was NOT the problem. We were very relieved.

Then they did some more tests to try and determine the cause of his excruciating pain. They finally determined that he had a blockage in his left kidney that is probably a kidney stone. They are keeping him in the hospital for a day or two until he either passes the stone or they can remove it. They wanted to keep him so they could manage his pain and wait for the stone to pass. It was determined that we could go home for the night. His companion is in a threesome, and he could be at the hospital without a companion. The Zone leaders went to go see him later as well as the bishop of the ward he is serving in. Please keep Elder Bailey and Elder Cockbain in your prayers.

Before we left, Elder Bailey thanked us for being his grandma and grandpa. I’m so glad we were able to help and serve him. He is a wonderful missionary, our District Leader, and so conscientious of his work. We LOVE him. I was able to keep the mission doctor as well as President Allen informed about what the doctors were finding out. President Allen is a cardiac doctor and wanted to talk to the doctor, so when they came in the last time to explain the plan, I called President Allen so he could talk to the doctor too. When we left, they were giving him more pain medication so he could go to sleep. He had been able to talk to his mom a couple of times during the day to let her know what was going on. She was relieved with the final prognosis as well. We are sorry he is in so much pain, but the alternative would have been far worse.

Sunday was a wonderful day. We had a wonderful Fast and Testimony meeting. Elder Dixon, Elder Lea’ana, AND Elder Cockbain were at Church this morning. Elder Cockbain looked a lot better, but he is not completely well yet. It was so good to see him. I told him to not overdo it and strongly suggested he go home after Church. That is what they did.

Steve had a Bishopric meeting after Church, so I hung out and visited with several people. After Church, we headed to the hospital to visit Elder Bailey. He had a good night. The hospital kept his pain under control, so he slept very well through the night. His appetite was back, and he actually ate something. He was sleeping when we arrived but woke up shortly after we got there. We had a very nice visit before we headed home. The Elders visited him later in the day. We are hoping they will extract the kidney stone tomorrow so he can go home.

On the way home, we got a chat from Elder Dixon asking us if we could have Elder Cockbain for the evening so he and Elder Lea’ana could go to the devotional in Bream Bay. At home, I worked on my recap. The Elders showed up around 4:15. Elder Cockbain was tired so I’m glad he didn’t do anything during the afternoon. We fed him some dinner and then he crashed in the spare bedroom again. The Elders picked him up after the Devotional.

All our Love,

Elder and Sister Wilcox