Wonderful family!

We invited this beautiful family to dinner and then realized it was the youngest girl's 4th birthday, so I blew up some balloons and got birthday napkins, and the Mom said she would bake a cake.The Sister Missionaries came too. (I forgot to take a picture with them all at the table). After dinner, we sat on the couch and had everyone bear their testimonies.  It was so beautiful!  The mother said, that this was the first birthday party any of their children had ever had and they were so grateful.  She said usually, they just got together and had a prayer and were thankful for the one who was having a birthday!  She said they were poor, and their children understood.  It was such a tender evening!  After that, Dawn opened a little presant from the Sisters and us, and then we had cake and ice cream, and watched the "Testaments" dvd. It was a very special evening!  What a blessing for us to know these sweet people!  The mom and dad are the Young Women and Young Men's presidents in our ward.  They are one family you can count on the be there to support every activity, smiling and happy, and do a big share of the work. They have great faith and are an example to us. We love them! 

Mark and Vicki's Baptism



A beautiful couple!





We call this the tall and short of it!  Our wonderful  Stake President, Jared Ormsby was at their baptism too!



These are our dear friends Mark and Vicki, who were baptized on July 7, 2012, by Bishop Pongia and confirmed on July 8, by Elder Neider.  It was such a lovely day, and we had a luncheon afterwards. 

There were 18 full time missionaries there, (that includes us!) and many of the ward members who came an hour's drive, to Christchurch, to show their support and love.  It has been such a joy to us to meet Mark and Vicki, and see their testimonies grow.  At first it was Vicki, who worked with Bishop Pongia, who was interested and felt the Spirit, and Mark said he would bring her to church and support her, but that he wasn't interested.  After a while, he started feeling the Spirit, and she slowed down.  But finally they both got the Spirit and it has been exciting. They will be such a blessing to the Ashburton Ward! Everyone loves them - but they are pretty easy to love! We are so happy for them!  We love them!!

This sweet family has moved here from Samoa, where they had been inactive since they were teenagers, and had never gotten married.  Since moving here, they have gotten active, and Saturday, Bishop Pongia married them, and then we had dinner for them at our house, to celebrate!  They are so lovely.  Sunday Tasi was put in as a counselor in our Relief Society.  They are a blessing to our Ashburton Ward! We love them!!