Adventures in Paradise 62

Adventures in Paradise 62

Kia Orana, everyone! Our excellent adventure continues with thoughts centered around Christmas angels and miracles. Knowing that this would be our last Christmas here on our little rock, we wanted to make it special. Being aware that some of our island friends would find it difficult to provide Christmas, Ward and I decided to host a simple celebration in our home. No sooner had we determined to do this, than a Christmas angel volunteered to be a sub-for Santa. My wonderful sister-in-law, Becky told us to make a list, she would check it twice and then she would shop in Utah and send Christmas to us! What a miracle!

Having decided that we could reasonably provide Christmas for two families, Becky and I devised a basic shopping list. Becky shopped and reported back on her success. Our Christmas angel was enjoying her role as a substitute Santa and we were excitedly waiting for yet another box to arrive from America. Parenthetically, I must share the relief the parents here felt when they realized that their children were actually going to have a Christmas. While waiting for our package, I was as excited as I had been when my own sons were small. Once again, I was a mother anxiously awaiting those magical moments where I would be watching excited children ripping open packages in my living room.  After so many years, there would be children with us again on Christmas morning. What a miracle!

Angels seem to always know what to do and when to do it. Have you ever noticed that? Over the course of the next two weeks an amazing thing happened. Other Utah friends or should I say angels, sent packages to the Cook Islands. I was stunned to open a package from Bill and Christa Hansen to find it packed with beautiful children’s clothing! There were brightly colored and coordinating clothes for both little boys and girls. We found cookie cutters and a huge tin of Russell Stover chocolates. The box also contained a pink straw hat, matching mini shoulder bag, jelly sandals and an assortment of flip-flops in various sizes. Immediately, we could think of children who would be able to use each and every item we found packed inside! Ted and Paige Kimball also sent us a package. It was full of chocolate AND some cold Salt Lake air!  That package was also a miracle!

Candy arrived, as did additional small gifts. Other angels had thought of us and the people in Rarotonga. The end result was that instead of being able to provide a happy Christmas for two families, we now found that we would be able to include at least four families in our festivities. I honestly cannot explain how it happened, but exponentially, there seemed to be more opportunity to share than made sense to us. As we were filling stockings and gift bags, we did not run out of sweets. There were somehow more gifts than we had realized and my main worry became whether or not I would have enough wrapping paper! What a miracle!

The mission leader in Avarua branch, another angel, had the brilliant and somewhat crazy idea of providing a small Christmas surprise to each family that we were teaching. There would be individual gift bags for all of the children and a traditional Christmas pudding for each family to share. He asked us to come up with a short message that we could deliver to each home and oh, yes, all of this would be presented by Santa. Did I mention that Santa (Ward) would be riding atop a small sports car in a specially made booster seat? Did I mention also that there would be a flashing light at the back of the car to attract the attention of other motorists? Did I mention that Sam, the mission leader, had gained special permission from the local police to drive around the island in that manner? Did I mention that Ward ho ho’d his way through Avarua to the delight of everyone who saw him? It was a treat to follow behind this spectacle and see the smiles on the faces of those he passed. Did I mention that we delivered gift bags to more than twenty little people? We loved the varied and unexpected reactions from the children we visited and my personal prayer that Ward would not fall out of his seat atop that car was answered. What a miracle!  

Christmas morning was spent first in church, then at our home in the company of dear friends. Once again, there were wide-eyed children unwrapping gifts and there was laughter. Due to the creativity and generosity of angels, even the adults found a little something special under the tree. There was no need for any next-day  exchanges. There were no missing batteries and everything was the correct size. What a miracle!

We shared a hot turkey dinner. The discovery of a Butterball turkey on the island was a little miracle in itself. I came as close as possible to producing traditional stuffing, given the lack of ingredients on the island and I even made a trifle. People stayed and visited and we sang some Christmas carols. In the end, as the children started nodding off, we reluctantly bid goodbye to our sweet friends. It was then that we remembered that there was one more box that needed our immediate attention. There tucked away in a quiet corner, sat the box we mentioned in last week’s blog. The Yalecrest 2^nd ward Christmas stocking and its contents were waiting for us and so began the intimate evening we had been anticipating. For the next two hours, we again were touched by the thoughtfulness and creativity of our friends and neighbors from home. Many angels had taken time to remember us and to send holiday greetings and thoughtful gifts. We cannot express our gratitude for the miracle of that evening. We were once again surrounded by the good wishes of those we had left behind.

So, as always, we are happy and trying to work hard. As this year comes to a close, we are taking the opportunity to remember back over our adventures in paradise. We are reminded once again, how quickly time passes and that we need to cherish the gifts that we are given daily. We are truly grateful for the small and not so small miracles that we have experienced; not the least of which is the miracle of having such good, caring people in our lives. We wish you all a happy and peaceful new year and look forward to sharing part of that year with you upon our return. Before you view this week’s photos, we wanted to end this blog with the same message that we left with our friends as we visited with them last week.

A GIFT TO THE WORLD

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should have everlasting life”

John 3:16

We are the receivers of the world’s greatest gift.

WISE MEN WORSHIP HIM STILL

Love, Ward and Susan                   Elder and Sister Belliston, serving in the Cooks

Mr. and Mrs Claus ready to make their Christmas deliveries. 

Santa tells his driver to "Move that Miata.......oh, I mean sleigh!"

This is almost my favorite view that evening. I especially like the orange flashing light! Way to go, Santa and hold on tight!

Santa was greeted warmly...

.. 

And some were a little perplexed ...........

But the more mature kids were very glad to see him!

It was reassuring to know that Ruldolf was always on hand should there be a foggy night where Santa might lose his way. 

Unlike Santa, Ward had no problem getting this little girl to smile.

Christmas morning at the Bellistons. This time everyone seems to be happy to see Santa, but where did Elder Belliston go? Hmmmmmmm......

Caleigha modeling her new outfit complete with hat, bag and jelly sandals. Her new baby is yet to have a name, but we will keep you posted.

Baby Belliston will need to grow into his surfer shorts and "Kool Dude" t-shirt. Personally, I hope that he doesn't grow too fast! I love him just the way he is!

Ward catching his first glimpse of the contents of "The Box".

Our Christmas angels were so thoughtful this year. We know that the invisible ingredient in our box was the love of our friends. Thank you, thank you!

Laurie Little's talent shines in our 2011 Christmas stocking. She has carefully stitiched a stylized Baby Jesus resting under the Christmas star. This photo does not do the stocking justice, but we think that it's a miracle that we have two of her stockings to bring home with us! We are going to treasure them for many years to come.  Happy New Year!  We will see you all in 2012! 

Adventures in Paradise 61

Adventures in Paradise 61

Kia Orana, everyone! Our excellent adventure continues with some thoughts on Christmas stockings, the people who fill them, and what I have learned from having received one. The Yalecrest 2^nd ward has a very special Christmas tradition. Each year, well before the holidays and in plenty of time for snail mail to make timely deliveries, the ward members have an opportunity to contribute some small memento to a collection of items that will be stuffed inside a homemade Christmas stocking. These beautiful stockings are sent to each of the ward missionaries who are currently serving away from home. Over the years, I have contributed to these stockings, not ever realizing how much it would mean to the missionary who would be receiving it. As it is with so many other experiences here, I have now come to view the gift of these stockings from a very different perspective.

Last December, we were overwhelmed when our stocking was delivered. Ward and I were stunned by the size of the package and tearfully peeked inside. What we saw took our collective breath away. Not only was the stocking filled to overflowing, but so too was the package itself. We knew that this would be the highlight of our Christmas and we determined to wait until Christmas evening to open it. We wanted this to be a quiet, private time between us and our friends from home. We wanted to savor the love that we knew would be filling our evening and so we waited. With the twinkling of our tiny Christmas trees lights and the strains of holiday music in the background we slowly opened each package, read each card and laughed over photos and marveled at the ingenuity and thoughtfulness of the gifts. It was a magical time for us and we loved every minute of it. It took us over two hours to open everything!

How could someone know that Ward needed new socks? How would someone else think that I might need more lip gloss? We found a lovely new Simon Dewey calendar, packets of hot chocolate and apple cider mixes, crisp two dollar bills, which we will never bring ourselves to spend. There were tissues, toothpaste and toothbrushes. How did Santa know what we needed? How could he guess that we could use Post-it tabs, breath mints, dental floss or mint-scented hand sanitizer? Our stocking produced a beautifully framed display of all the words used to describe our Savior. There were lovely Christmas booklets, handmade cards, artificial snow, and a set of stickers depicting the Nativity. I saved these stickers for a whole year so that I could use them with the children this Christmas. There were funny cards, notes written by the primary children and CANDY. I had to laugh as one friend flattened homemade caramels with a rolling pin so that they wouldn’t take up any bulk in the stocking! We have enjoyed chilled glasses of Crystal Lite during the year and savored American soup. I told Ward that he wouldn’t really like the peppermint bark, selfishly hoping that I could keep it all for myself. Sadly, and to my dismay, I found that Ward loves peppermint bark! My list could go on, but there is no need to be more specific. Your imagination can fill in the gaps. It was a magical two hours.

We are grateful to every single person who took the time to think of us. That little phrase, “It’s the thought that counts”, took on a whole new meaning for me. I truly would not have cared what was in that stocking. What meant so much to us was that someone had thought of us. If each person had just dropped one marble into our stocking, I would have been overjoyed by my new marble collection as it would have been evidence of all who had taken the time to be thoughtful. Always after that, I would have taken pleasure in those marbles and the meaning they held for me. It would have been the world’s best and most special marble collection! We kept last years cards and have read through them over the last twelve months and in times of distress, their sweet messages have buoyed us up. They constantly remind us of those at home who remembered two friends who were absent.

So, what have I learned? I have learned that no thought is insignificant, no gift too humble, no effort is unappreciated. It truly is the thought that counts and each small, seemingly inconsequential contribution enhances the whole. I have also learned that there is always someone waiting to appreciate and be touched by someone else’s thoughtfulness. I will never again assume that what I have to contribute is not good enough, fancy enough or big enough. If it is thoughtful and comes from the heart, the gift is enough.

It is now the eve of Christmas 2011 and once again, a package has arrived from the Yalecrest 2^nd ward. This time we have been instructed not to open (not even peek) until Christmas and we wouldn’t dream of disobeying. Well, I did shake it just a tad, but no one told me that I couldn’t be a little curious. The box arrived early, so we have had about three weeks to contemplate its contents. What we now know is that it really doesn’t matter what is in the box, rather what matters to us is that the box exists. We know of the love that comes packed with the contents and we have once more reserved the quiet of Christmas evening to open our treasure. We are so looking forward to spending that peaceful time together.

As always, we are happy and trying to work hard. We are grateful for the opportunity to celebrate the birth of our Savior with family and friends and wish you all a season filled with those small sweet traditions that make up the fabric of your lives. May we say also, that over the last fifteen months, we have relied on and appreciated your love and support. We have enjoyed receiving your letters,boxes, packages and e-mails and can honestly tell you that you will never know how much each one has meant to us. Some of you may be as curious about our box as we are, so I will be sure to include photos of its contents with our next blog.For now, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and are looking forward to the time in the very near future when we will be able to say that we will see you “This Year!”

Love, Ward and Susan                 Elder and Sister Belliston, serving in the Cooks

Our humble Christmas tree with the  "The Box".

While holding last years stocking, Ward hopes to find it filled on Christmas morning. The caption embroidered on it says simply "Feed My Sheep".

Having saved the Nativity stickers from last year, we were able to share them with special friends this year. Here, the Rongo family displays their creations.

I love this box!

"The Box" and I are joined at the hip until Christmas night!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Adventures in Paradise 60

Adventures in Paradise 60

Kia Orana, everyone! Our excellent adventure continues with tales from the South Pacific, Tahitian style.  Having just returned from our Tahitian “vacation”, I have been struggling to put our experiences into words. I now realize that the better format for this week’s blog is to simply display our photos and let them speak for themselves. In saying that, please note that for the first time on our mission, we were privileged to meet and mingle with those dedicated people of all ages who have chosen to serve our Heavenly Father . We were touched by the spirit that we felt and impressed by the dedication and hard work that we witnessed. For a fleeting few days, we were surrounded by the exuberance of so many who are excited to be part of the Tahitian mission. It was our good fortune to be included in this excitement and we enjoyed every minute. 

So, sit back and relax. Please enjoy your picture postcard visit to Tahiti. Your tour guides welcome you to another little peace of paradise. 

A graceful Tahitian dancer welcomes you at the airport.

We were greeted with beautiful leis.  President and Sister Sinjoux are on the right.

This ward Christmas party began with breakfast at 8:00am and everyone stayed until almost five. Lunch was served, Santa arrived and then the music began. 

Santa passed out treats, even if the child refused to look at him!

The addition of the accordian gave the music a slightly Cajun sound.  It was lively and wonderful.

I watched this woman all afternoon.  She was finding so much pleasure in the music that she made me enjoy it as well.

When she got up to dance, she was uninhibited in her movements.

Someone tucked a flower behind my ear and this became my Christmas portrait.

Wards background is a local lagoon on the island.  Notice his sedate shirt! 

A view of the Tahiti temple from the mission home.  We stayed with President and Sister Sinjoux. 

Sunday evening the missionaries put on a fireside as a Christmas gift to the community.  Almost three thousand people attended, including the president of Tahiti!  As the touching program ended, most people simply sat in their seats as if refusing to break the spell that the evening had cast. It was amazing and touching.  We were so glad to have been there to be part of it.

We were thrilled to see one of our favorite elders who served with us in Rarotonga.  He was just released and brought his grandfather to the fireside.

Monday began with a spirited sports day for the missionaries.  They played hard so as to work up a hearty appetitie for the Christmas dinner that followed. Actually, with young people, there is no need to "work" up an appetite, as they are always hungry! 

Do you think this will be enough bread?  The French government subsidizes bread in Tahiti so that even low income people can afford something to eat.  Each of these baguettes sells for 58 cents.

My new friend, Margarete and I cooked the turkeys and made salads and rice for the meal.  Margurete is in charge of keeping the mission presidents home in order.  It's a very big job!

Each missionary (or couple) was given a gift bag during the dinner.  Ward was President Sinjoux's professor at BYU-Hawaii, so we thought our gift of chocolate covered macademia nuts was very thoughtful.  Don't ask how many Ward ate!

These gift bags were waiting for the missionaries.  Each one contained a hand-written personal note from the president.  They were filled with juice and goodies.

One of the counselors in the mission presidency invited Ward to spend the day fishing with him.  In the background, you can see the island of Moorea.  Ward did not hook any fish, but did catch a nasty sunburn! By the way, this is a homemade boat.

This is a stunning view of Tahiti as seen from the boat.

The French have controlled Tahiti since the early 1800's.  You can see the French influence in most of the buildings and roadways. This is a view of the harbor road.  The ocean is to the left of the photo.  It puts me in mind of the picutres that I have seen of Monaco.

We spent a teaching day with another senior (I still dislike that term!) couple.  The two young women in the back row center are being taught by Elder and Sister Arnold.  Even though they celebrate Christmas and had all the decorations, they had never heard of Jesus Christ. 

Between teaching appointments, the Arnolds stopped to show us this waterfall.

This humble house is home to 28 people.

I am drawn to lighthouses and this is the last one on the island. Built in the early 1800's, it stood as a beacon for travelers looking for a safe port.

This is further proof that Polynesean children are beautiful.

The front entrance to the beautiful Tahiti temple.

Tahiti temple president Moody and his wife, Sister Moody.  They serve for three years.

While waiting for our flight home, Sister Sinjoux and I share a few moments.  My necklaces are shell leis that that were given to us as we left.  As per Polynesean custom, floral leis are presented as guests arrive and shell leis are the going-away gifts.  Our job as the new owners is to then pass these leis along to someone else.  It's a very sweet custom. 

We have a lovely view as we taxi down the runway.

Our last look at beautiful Tahiti

So, as usual, we are happy and trying to work hard. As our week in Tahiti drew to a close, we were anxious to return home to Rarotonga. Yes, this is home and we missed it. We hope that as you viewed our photos, you were able to at least in some small way, catch the spirit of Tahiti and it's people. We found our new friends to be very much like our old ones. We saw dedication of spirit and love of family. We met people who found joy in serving and in working hard for common goals. We found that we all have much in common and our commonalities tie us together.We also missed home and know that home is wherever your heart is.

Love, Ward and Susan              Elder and Sister Belliston, serving in the Cooks

Adventures in Paradise 59

Adventures in Paradise 59

Kia Orana, everyone! Our excellent adventure continues with thoughts on the view from our backyard. This morning as I turned yet another page of the calendar, I couldn’t help having a few moments of nostalgia for the year that has passed. The new year will bring many changes for us, and we now find ourselves torn between two very different worlds. As it is inevitable that we must face the reality of leaving our little island paradise, we find ourselves treasuring the experiences of a lifetime. These experiences have been life-changing and many, if not most of these moments have taken place in our very own backyard.

My son, Jared, says that you don’t need a camera, as that is what memories are for, and while I agree and am grateful for my memories, I am also very happy that we have had the opportunity to solidify those memories with our photographs. Even now, as I scanned our collection of photos, I found myself recalling moments that were lost to my short-term memory. While I know what you are thinking, it is not permanent memory loss and I can still recall what I had for breakfast yesterday! It is simply that we have had an amazing last fifteen months and we are overloaded. So, this morning, as I enjoy the view from our veranda I am grateful for the memories and the experiences that have taken place in our backyard over the last months.

Today, I have been reminded of the weddings and baptisms that have taken place on our beach. We have enjoyed the company of new friends and have learned to appreciate exotic foods that have been cooked on our beach as well. There have been  kai kais, and parties complete with fire dancers. We have been honored to host visiting General Authorities, who have been awed by the view from our home. We have enjoyed sharing our backyard with the children during our Easter egg hunt and most recently, our Halloween party. We have reveled in glorious sunsets and been lulled to sleep by the sound of the crashing surf. We have been thrilled to watch as whales pass by our beach and to wake up some mornings to see a cruise ship or sail boat doing the same thing. Recently we had the best seat on the island for the “Round Raro” vaka (canoe) races. We sat on the rocks under our palms and waved as they passed! We have shared our view with friends and family who came to visit and they too came to appreciate what we enjoy here. Our backyard is amazing!

So, please imagine as you view our photos, that you are with us in our backyard. Suspend reality for a few moments and put yourselves  in our shoes…..oh, I mean flip-flops and enjoy the view and our experiences.

A New Years Day gathering. The men are grilling out of camera range.

Our second baptism. Kristina wanted to be baptized here because the first baptism she witnessed took place on this beach. It was beautiful and peaceful.

Christmas dinner with hungry elders (including Ward!)

A passing cruise ship

A visit from Elders Costa and Hamula

A spirited volleyball game with the island's teenagers.

Nothing is on fire, this is a sunset!

 Little friends having fun in our ocean

Ward getting into the swim of things!

Clifton Femoni, our local rock star.

Another breathtaking sunset

Watching the vaka (canoe) races

As usual, we are happy and trying to work hard. We hope that you have been able to enjoy our backyard view, if even for a moment. We are pleased if you caught the flavor and local color that we have been privileged to experience for the last fifteen months. We also want to tell you how much we miss many of your backyards. We have fond memories of shared dinners and quiet gatherings. We treasure memories of evening chats under the stars with you and the hospitality of your homes. There have been garden parties and birthday gatherings, bridal and baby showers and I miss them all!  We have enjoyed grilling and eating homemade ice cream. We have laughed and been enhanced by each others company. Many of you have gardens to die for that include whimsical touches that make me smile. I love the wind chimes and birdhouses, the flower beds and the trees that make up the fabric of your backyards. This all speaks of home to me. A well-known garden expert once said that the perfect backyard should include three elements: water, motion and sound. There is a fourth element of fire, but that is optional. I would add a fifth, that of good friends. Well, we certainly have the water, the swaying palms will be our motion and the sound of the crashing waves will complete our picture here. What completes my backyard picture at home is seeing the Creer children playing in their own backyard to the north, the rooftop of the Baker’s house peeking over my apple tree to the east and knowing that my neighbor, to the south Jeannette, is keeping watch over me. My wind chimes, motion sculpture and birdbath are just the finishing touches on what is already a perfect picture.

I always try to put my best foot forward. See you next week!

Love, Ward and Susan                 Elder and Sister Belliston, serving in the Cooks