From Russia with love . . .

Last Thursday morning Elder Garlick (a.k.a Barry), found me in the workroom and said, "There is a young couple from Russia in the lobby that wants to see the Museum. (We open the Museum at noon.) I am not sure, but I don't think they are members."

I jumped up, eager to meet them. As I walked out of the office, I saw a handsome young couple outside wearing casual hiking clothes and looking at their phones. I went out to greet them and introduced myself. First thing I asked was, "How did you learn about our Church History Centre?" Leo Panfilov said in perfect English with a distinctly Russian accent, "I was watching the Conference and saw the Church News about the dedication of the building. After watching the report I had a feeling that I had to come here. That was on my mission and the feeling never left." He went on to further explain that he and his wife, Alina Panfilova had just been married in the Kiev Temple 2 months ago. They had been in New Zealand for a few days. New Zealand was the start of a 6 month, backpacking, hitch-hiking trip that would take them to Australia, the Philippians, Thailand and on up the east coast of Asia, back to their home in Russia. They pointed to two enormous backpacks leaning against the furniture. 

When I asked how much time they could spend with us they said they had planned to spend most of the day. It was my privilege to introduce them to the Matthew Cowley Pacific Church History Centre museum. I shared the focus of each of the six rooms and I did my best to convey the message of the Savior's love for all God's children. As we looked together at the evidence of God's hand in the spreading of the Gospel in the South Pacific and the faithful lives of those who embraced it, I couldn't help but think of the parallels to their own countries. Leo from the Ukraine and Alina from Moscow had both grown up in the church and served missions in the Baltic and Siberia. 

After our first quick tour, I left them to go back and discover and learn at their own pace. They spent well over an hour learning about the growth of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the South Pacific and its influence throughout the world.

Leo Panfilov and Alina Panfilova

When they finished in the museum, Leo asked me where they could find a grocery store. I forgot about the little dairy (small market), just a few blocks away. I told them the nearest store was in Dinsdale about two miles down the road. They were prepared to put on their heavy packs and start walking. They said they hadn't eaten yet. I said, "No, wait. My husband will drive you."

Elder Garlick was only too happy to drive them but not to the grocery store. He took them to his favorite bakery and introduced them to meat pies and cream buns. They loved it! When they came back I thought Alina looked like she was "all in," so I insisted they walk down to our house, (across the parking lot 100 yards) and have a nap in our reclining chairs. We promised to wake them up in 30 minutes.

The friend of a friend they planned to stay with, who turned out to Elder Ardern's daughter, wasn't going to be home until early evening. We took them to the Kabob Stop and got them dinner take-aways. We drove to our new-found favorite spot on Hamilton Lake to eat. It was a beautiful evening and they told us all about how they met and their families.

Alina was Leo's teacher in the Madrid MTC and they wrote during his mission. Leo was a bit older than most missionaries and has a law degree.

They had not planned to marry until later this year but the temple workers in the Kiev Temple told them not to wait so they prayed about and received the same answer.

Leo and Alina's wedding picture from Facebook, December 2018

Alina's father left the family when she was about 4 years old. She has an older sister who has 2 children and is a less active church member. When Alina was on her mission she said she prayed every day that Heavenly Father would send her mother a good husband. One day she felt a strong impression that she didn't need to worry about that anymore. She felt confused. When she was able to call her mother on Mother's day she asked her mother a very unusual question. She said, "Do you have a boyfriend?" Her mother said, "Actually, yes." Before she returned from her mission her mother was married in the temple to a wonderful man who is very good to her and has a strong commitment to the gospel. She knows her prayer on her mission was answered.

Leo's father left his mother when he was about 3. He was not a good father and was not in Leo's life growing up. His mother remarried to a good man and they had a daughter, Leo's younger sister. When Leo went on his mission his (step) father was less active. Leo prayed for his father while he was serving in the Baltic Mission. During this time Elder James Martino of the Europe East Area Presidency spoke at a mission conference. Leo heard him say that every member, active and less active, needed a calling. After he spoke, Leo approached him and told him he had said something that was very important to him and had touched him. He explained that his father was less active and did not have a calling. Elder Martino asked his father's name. He later made contact with the Stake President in the area and related Leo's concern for his father. Leo said that within two months his father had a calling and returned to activity. After returning home Leo went to the temple with his family and his father was sealed to his grandparents. He did not feel that it was a coincidence that Elder Martino was in the Kiev Temple that day and they had a very sweet reunion. Leo knew his prayers had been answered.


We had a magical time sitting with them at a picnic table and feeling the spirit and love that we share. We embraced when we left them at the church waiting for their friends. We promised never to forget the experience.

Leo rummaged in his backpack and brought out a gift for our table. It is made from a tree from Ukraine and a tree from Russia. He took a pen and signed it.

Side one -- Juniper (we think)

Side two -- Cedar -- for sure! Smells so good!

Leo and Alina are a very special couple and we pray for their safe travels and return to their home and families.

We never know who we will get to love next and where they will be from! That's what heaven is like and we have found it!

Second week: Settling in.

March 10, 2019
Note: This post is out of order Two weeks old, from my journal.

We had 57 visitors to the Museum yesterday.
The center opens at 10 a.m. on Saturdays so that gives us a bit of breathing time at home in the morning. Barry took advantage of it this week and went to Tommos Bakery in Melville and brought back half a dozen cream buns to share with our staff. He has been dreaming about them since the last time we were in New Zealand. They did not disappoint!

They are a yeast-raised, slightly sweet roll -- not fried-- cut and filled with real heavy unsweetened cream and a spot raspberry jam. Oh my!

Tommos Bakery Cream Buns

It was my turn to give the thought today at our morning devotional. I shared the conversion story of my 2nd great grandfather, William Morley Black. It was well received by the group.

Even though my 2nd great grandfather has thousands of descendants, he is my personal ancestor and I feel close to him. I love him and feel eternally indebted to him for what he has given me. His decisions changed my eternity. In a similar way Jesus Christ, who is the Savior for millions that have lived, now live or will live on this earth, is my personal Savior. I feel close to him, love him and am grateful that his great atoning and redeeming love has changed my eternity.
This morning, Taulia Tafiti, president of the Manukau Stake came into the Centre with some family members. After meeting him and visiting for a few minutes he invited Barry and me to come to his Stake Temple Fireside in Auckland on Sunday, May 26 and speak to his stake. At first, I thought we might be two of a number of speakers but he said that we would be the whole program. OKAY! We said we would be honored. I don't know what prompted him to ask.

Before we came I had hopes of being able to take the message and the vision of the Church History Centre out to the stakes but this invitation took me by surprise. I told Barry that I better be careful what I wish for.

Elder Johnny L. Leota area seventy, President Tafiti, Tommy Jr Laban, Jackson Sapoi, counselors and Elder S. Gifford Nielsen of the Pacific Area Presidency. January 2016

Sister Ruby Sateli came to the museum from Auckland yesterday and said she wanted to be involved. She is a single sister, highly qualified and works full time at a museum in Auckland. It appeared to be a direct answer to our prayers. The thought that came to my mind was somehow engaging her to work remotely. I don't even know how or what, but that seemed to be the prompting. At the very least she wants to come and be a volunteer on Saturday. It is a two-hour drive from Auckland! She was in the habit of coming to Hamilton at least monthly to the temple before it closed and sometimes more often than that to visit family in the area.

Update: In our weekly phone meeting with our Church History Team in Salt Lake City I mentioned Ruby Sateli and her qualifications. Almost apologetically I confessed that I had told her that we might be able to use her skills in some way by remote but I didn't really have any idea how. There was an immediate, positive response that some of our planned projects could have some possibilities. It was an affirmation that the Spirit speaks and we can hear it, even when we don't have the whole picture.

After the museum closed we went to the ward carnival. It was a lively, loud and fun event! Barry even got involved in the donut eating contest and won! The clouds looked threatening. Barry was sure we were in for a downpour but as I predicted they went around us. The man in the glasses at the bottom is our bishop, Tiwini Hemi. He is a doctor, very gentle, and at least 6'9" tall.

Koromatua Ward Party

At church today I experienced something I had never before seen. A Brother George Fruean approached Barry after Sacrament meeting and asked if he was from Auckland. Barry said yes. Then he said, "Did you play cricket?" Again yes. Then he said, "Were you the captain of the Papatoetoe High School team?" Barry again said yes. Then the brother said that he had played against him in a match with Auckland Grammar School. A discussion ensued about the outcome of that game and other shared memories.

In the 45 years, we have been married I have never heard anyone approach Barry about cricket! rugby, yes. But cricket, no! The facts are, he was a great cricket player. As a young man, his goal at one point was to make it his career. He was the captain of the Auckland City All-star team. He was one of the best players on the whole of the North Island. His picture hung for a time with another boy's in the Papatoetoe Cricket club as the players that held the record for the fastest century scored (100 runs).

When Barry was 17 he had an impression that he should leave Papatoetoe High School and attend the Church College of New Zealand in Temple View as preparation for his mission. This was a boarding school about 110 km (68 miles) south of his home. He followed that prompting and came here where we are now serving. Leaving his high school meant he never played competitive cricket again and he loved cricket. It was a real sacrifice that he seldom speaks about. That's why George's recognition of him as a cricket player was a special moment for me!

Thou Shalt Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself . . .

We just returned from a four Stake Interfaith Devotional held to show support of the Muslim community in Hamilton. At 6:50 this afternoon we made our way down the short walk from our house to the church. Cars were parked up and down our little street and on the grassy hill next to our house. Families were walking together. Some of the women were wearing headscarves as their traditional Muslim dress. Others were wearing headscarves as a symbolic show of unity.

When we entered the nearly full building one of the ushers greeted us by name and led us to seats a few rows from the front. After sitting down, I introduced myself to the woman at my left. She looked at me then beyond me and exclaimed, "Barry Garlick! I know you. You look like your dad now!" I am getting used to it. :)

It turns out that her husband worked for Barry's father Geoff at one point. Eileen Singleton Gillard is a contemporary of his sister, Jocelyn. Barry was actually an usher at her wedding as a teenager (though he has no memory of it) and was friends with her younger brother Bill.

I digress, but that's how it is everywhere we go it seems. There is always someone that recognizes his name.

The service started with a youth choir singing "He Honore," in Maori. The choir sang four numbers during the evening and each time the audience stood and sang with them.  Standing to sing with the choir was a new experience for me. Next, we sang the National Anthem, E Ihowa Atua, God Defend New Zealand, first in Maori and then in English. The opening prayer was offered followed by two youth speakers. One was an eleven-year-old Muslim girl and the other was a high school senior who is a church member and Head Girl at her high school. The conducting stake president, Todd Miller, then announced an intermission to allow those who desired, to participate in evening prayers. He announced two rooms that were designated as a quiet place, one for the men and one the women. A significant number of Muslim families arose and left to pray. Those of us who remained were encouraged to quietly contemplate. 

After the intermission, a woman from the Muslim community spoke. Her most memorable line was, "It is not us and them. It is just us." She was of Pakistani descent but she said her family had been in the South Pacific for over a hundred years.

Next, the president of the Mosque spoke. He was an Indian gentleman.

President Sutcliff from the Glenview stake spoke followed by Elder Ian Ardern, General Authority Seventy and counselor to the area president. His niece, Jacinda Ardern, is also the Prime Minister of New Zealand.

The strongest messages were:

• New Zealand has lost its innocence.
• This is not who we are.
• We must look inside ourselves for any hint of intolerance.
• We must love and accept each other and stand together against terrorism as brothers and sisters.

As we left we stopped to greet several people, among them the President of the Muslim community that spoke to us. When Barry said, "You have blessed us by being here tonight, " he replied, "I am humbled by your comment." It was a very sweet moment.

This is not who we are!

Kia kaha, Christchurch.

Friends, Friends, Friends

This past week has been a parade of friends.

Tuesday, we had the delightful experience of seeing Ray and Jitka Terry. We have not seen them in nearly 20 years and they happen to be in New Zealand for a three week vacation. We were in the Mill Creek Washington Ward with them when we lived there in 1996-1999. Their daughter Cilka was in my seminary class and Jitka reminded me that our son, Davin and Cilka went to a school dance together.  After showing them around the center and museum, we took them to lunch at Tommos Bakery and introduced them to meat pies and cream buns. Ray said it was the best food he had eaten in New Zealand.

Wednesday we were surprised to see Dawn Bailey Uyehara and her husband, here from Texas for a family reunion. Dawn was Barry's sister, Beverley's, roommate at the Church College of New Zealand. I remember meeting her shortly after we were married and had not seen her since.

Dawn also brought a small book of her late mother's to donate to the museum. It was a journal/guest book where she recorded her visitors. It had lots of missionary pictures and a newspaper clipping about the creation of a stake in Wellington.

Just a few minutes later, I greeted two women who Sister Moore had brought into the museum. When they turned to introduce themselves I realized one was Dian Thomas, author and TV Personality. I had edited one of her books when I was doing projects with Deanna DeLong in Oregon. Dian appeared as a regular on the Today show for four years. She had then been a tour guide in China and was with her friend Sharon Redpath who she met on one of her  China trips. Sharon Redpath is not a member of our church but was very interested in the Church History Museum.

Dian did not to come across as proselytizing her friend. I felt impressed that they needed to visit with Rangi and hear her sing. When they met her, Sharon asked Rangi how she got started collecting photos and stories. Sharon listened to Rangi's stories of miracles and her testimony that this work is our Heavenly Father's work. The tears ran down Sharon's face. It was so tender. Dian and Sharon asked Vic and Rangi if they could take them to dinner. It was perfect!

Dian and Sharon listening to Rangi

Dian and Rangi

Thursday we received a call in the middle of the afternoon letting us know that Elder Brent H. Nielsen, the Executive Director of the Missionary Department and his wife, Marcia, Elder K. Brett Natress, counselor in the Area Presidency and his wife, Shawna and the Hamilton Mission President, President Jeffrey Cummings and his wife, Evelyn would be coming to visit our center sometime between 4:30 and 5 p.m. They arrived right on time and we had a lovely time showing them through. Shawna Natress is the sister of Angie Vernon and Jeana Harmon who both live in our neighborhood. Another friend connection!

President and Sister Cummings, Elder and Sister Natress, Vic and Rangi Parker,
Sister and Elder Nielsen, Sister and Elder Garlick

Friday morning our friends, President and Sister Dil arrived at 9:15 a.m. with 29 newly arrived English speaking assigned missionaries to tour the museum. It was great to see Lindsay and Tina and to be able to visit with the missionaries.

About 4 p.m. we had a young single man who is a descendant of one of the early New Zealand missionaries, Ira Nathaniel Hinckley (Uncle to Gordon B. Hinckley). He was not aware that his ancestor had been to New Zealand on a mission. Barry printed a couple of pictures and stories about Ira N. Hinckley for him to take away. He was so excited and interested. He was flying out to Sydney the next morning so he could come back in on a new visa. He said he would be back. I told him he had a dinner waiting for him at our house next time he was in town.

Saturday evening John and Jenny Roberts, Barry's cousin from Massachusetts, along with John's brother, Mike Roberts and his wife Christine arrived from Wellington. Mike and Chris were released as the New Zealand temple president and matron in July when the temple closed for renovations. They are long-time family friends. It was a sweet reunion. We got take-aways from a kabob shop and took them to Hamilton Lake to eat. It was a beautiful late summer walk at dusk around the lake.

So sorry for you snow bound Utahns!

Mike and Christine Roberts, Jenny and John Roberts, and Barry enjoy kabob take-aways

Sunset on Hamilton Lake

What a week!

Now if you have made it through all that trivia here is some really interesting stuff:

The small air conditioning unit in the living room (lounge) leaked water onto the carpet. The repairman came but it is still not fixed.

We got bedside lamps!

We caught a mouse under the kitchen sink. The previous director's wife did not mention mice!

Our shipment of household goods, etc. has cleared customs. Yay! It should be delivered this next week. This is good. I am already tired of the few summer clothes I brought in my suitcase and Barry is out of vitamins. 

Notice the word SUMMER above. It has been around 80 degrees for a high every day this week. Nice!!

We are speaking in the Kawhia (pronounced Kafia like Coffee-yah) branch on Sunday. It’s an hour or more drive south on the coast.

Busy, busy, busy. We are in heaven.

This feels like home. Every one here hugs and kisses on the cheek when they greet you. 

It is my favorite thing! 

Last of all our hearts ache for the loved ones and victims of the terrorist shooting in Christchurch. Things like this just don't happen in New Zealand. At least not until now. 

Early morning walk in Temple View. This is what we see every day!

Smooth Sailing . . .

27 February 2019

Get on at night in Los Angeles and get off in New Zealand the next morning. All the anticipation and sympathy expressed for the 13 hours in the air was wasted. It was almost a non-event. Barry slept great on the plane. Me, not that great but my adrenaline carried me through the day.

The real non-event was customs! I fussed and fretted over my Rx medications and how much would be allowed. I declared it all and NO ONE CARED!!! I was almost disappointed. No questions, no bag search, no pat down, no sniffing dog. Just nothing!! What!? Let me go home and get what I left. Too late. I'm here and relieved.

Elder Lynn Summerhays (our predecessor) and Elder Carl Armstrong (our new right hand man), picked us up from the airport and took us directly to the Auckland Missionary Training Center to make a delivery from the Provo Missionary Training Center. There we had our own private tour with our friends, President and Sister Dil. They had stayed with us in Utah before their training in Provo just a few weeks before.

The New Zealand Missionary Training Center has a capacity of 90 missionaries, preparing to serve in the South Pacific Area. Many are non-English speakers and translation services are essential. President and Sister Dil speak French as a second language. It is a mini-version of Provo with no Branch Presidencies as the whole population there is not much more that some of the larger branches in Provo. Elder and Sister Dil live on site and have two local counselors. We brought them a flash drive with a library of videos prepared in Provo.

The art on the walls reflects the South Pacific culture.

I began to notice immediately that the sunlight is much stronger here in the southern hemisphere.

Our next stop was the Matthew Cowley Church History Centre. Our new home for the next two years. This was not our first visit to this 2 year old centre but we were looking at it with new eyes this time.

Sister Summerhays was not quite ready for us to unload at the house so after a quick change in the restroom at the centre we went in to meet some of the staff.

The heart of the centre is Rangi and Vic Parker. Rangi has been on a mission for the last 30+ years collecting the history of the church in the South Pacific and especially New Zealand. To talk with Rangi about her collecting journey is to hear about miracles. Faith, prayer, spiritual direction and miracles is a way of daily life for her. To meet her and Vic is to fall in love with angels.

They have amassed a large collection of photos, videos, oral histories and artifacts that constitute the largest part of the center's holdings.

Next we met Sister Summerhays and went to our new home.

Here is the passing of the keys at the back entrance--

Notice the clouds and the color of the sky. New Zealand is famous for its clouds!

This view below is looking at our house and toward the center. It is a 45 second walk to work every morning. And a 1 minute walk to church every Sunday.

This is just a bit later standing just outside our back door looking at the Stake Events Center where we attend church. You can see the spire of the temple just peeking over the trees. Notice the CLOUDLESS sky now. This summer has been the second driest summer on record. The grass looks very brown by New Zealand standards.

We are HOME! And we are SPOILED!! See Barry smile. He hasn't stopped.