New Zealand Temple Trip

We were able to go with our Branch, for our Stake Temple Week, to the Hamilton Temple. We got permisson from the Area Presidency, because Kenny had taught the Temple Prep class to some of those going. We left on Oct 17th and flew to Auckland and then rented a car and drove to Hamilton, about an hour south. Auckland is a lot like Seattle, right on the water with lots of boats and a very big city, and everything is very green, with flowering trees and bushes. Hamilton is a big and beautiful city too. The temple is out in the country, up on a hill, and is very beautiful. There was a church college there once, and now the dorms are used for housing for the temple visitors. 28 people went from our Branch (that included kids that went with their parents). One very special family, who were baptized a year ago, went for the first time and were sealed - and that was an amazing and wonderful experience. They were so thrilled with the temple. The teenagers were able to do baptisms. It was a wonderful experience to be there with the members of our little Branch, and to be able to attend the temple in New Zealand. It certainly makes us appreciate how blessed we are at home, to have temples so close. It is very expensive to get to the temple here, and people are only able to go once or twice a year.