Princess Shakyla

Kindergarten graduation for  Princess Shakyla! She made her own crown!   Since her grandparents all live in Australia, we got to be “honorary grandparents”! Very fun. We also took their good friend, Andrea, and we got to meet Anne’s sister.   The next day, they were leaving to go to Australia for 2 months, to be with her dad who is over there shearing sheep for a few months.  I have been called to be the “acting Relief Society President while Anne (who is the real RS President) is gone.  Her counselo, Tasi, r also moved to Wellington the same week, to live. The other counselor, hasn’t been able to come to church for a couple of months, so the secretary, Vickie and I, are holding down the fort!  

Good Friends

This is one of the families, that Elder Neider and Mark, (standing with Vickie), home teach.  We had them for dinner.  Viliam (William)  has been our home teacher, since we got here! His wife Amelia, is the bishop’s wife’s sister, and is our primary president.  We love this beautiful Tongan family – they have been so good and loving to us.               

The new Mark and Vicki!

This is the new Markie and Vicki, sporting their new Sunday duds! When they first came to church Mark wore a t-shirt, shorts and crocks, and Vicki wore pants.  Since they got baptized, they have bought a new suit, new shoes, and white shirt and tie for Mark, and Vicki has a beautiful skirt with pretty tops.  They have always been beautiful, but are even more beautiful now - and are full of sunshine! We love these two!

Renaldo Kenneth !

Elder Neider has a “name sake” in New Zealand.  Our friends Penny and Tangi  have named their new baby boy, Renaldo Kenneth !  And they ask him to bless the baby today.  This is a sweet family that we went to the temple with, to see them sealed a few months ago.  That was very special. 

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!!