My last Sunday in New Zealand

It is so hard for me to believe that today was my last Sunday in New Zealand.  I am going to miss it so much. I am kinda sad that I didn’t get to be in Auckland for my last Sunday, but I did get to go to the Maromako ward in the Bay of Islands. A bunch of James’s family was in the ward and it was a fist Sunday. I like how my last Sunday in New Zealand was on a fast and testimony Sunday. James bore his testimony and told about the piper fish we saw yesterday and how the bigger fish had chased them into the rock pools and how we had to save them. His story reminded me of President Monson’s motto to go after the “one” or as it says in the scriptures to leave the 90 and nine to save the 1 sheep who has lost its way. I feel like all of us are that one lost sheep at some point in our lives or another and it is our responsibility to help each stay close to the Lord and grow in the gospel.

I am so grateful for the time I have had in New Zealand. My faith has grown so much over the past 3 months. I now trust the Lord more than I ever have before. Coming to New Zealand was one of the best decisions I have ever made, and it has been one of the best, but also one of the hardest experiences I have ever had. I have learned to communicate, talk to and live with so many different types of people with different personalities and values. I have become more sure of myself and the Lord’s love for me. I have learned so much about the natural beauty of the world and how much I have to be grateful for. Even though I have been far away from family and friends, I feel that through this experience, I have grown closer to my family and some of my friends. I have also gained a clearer perspective of what is most important to me, not only now, but in the long run and for eternity. I feel like I am leaving New Zealand as a completely different person than I was before, but I am not.  I am still the outgoing, happy, kind, thoughtful Hannah that everyone knows, but I am coming back having learned and grown a lot and gained a clearer perspective of life.

After church we went and looked in the original Maori chapel for the ward. It was pretty cool. They are renovating it to use it as an area for ward and family get togethers, but including family history of the original members of that ward when it was established on the walls. We made Hawaiian haystacks for dinner tonight with everyone, which were pretty good. A bunch of us then went to watch the sunset. The sunsets in New Zealand are amazing every night. I am really going to miss them so much I feel like we have pretty ones at home, but not every single night. The skies are just so gorgeous here. I loved watching the beautiful sky on the beach and talking with all of the girls. I also watched heaps of Gilmore Girl episodes with some of the girls. I really love that show and am so glade Whitney brought her DVDs so we could enjoy them.

As grateful as I am to be in New Zealand this Sunday, it also makes me sad because I am missing general conference. I love general conference, and I have attended it in the conference center every year I have been at BYU so far. I really miss being there for it. Conference is not broad cast here until a week later and by then I will be in Australia, so I don’t think I will get to see all of it until I get home. I cannot wait to get to watch conference though because conference really is one of my favorite times of the year and something I look forward to. I am so grateful that we have living prophets and apostles on the Earth today that continue to receive revelation from our Heavenly Father and I am grateful for the opportunity to hear from them twice a year a conference.