Adventures in Paradise Volume 2 # 50

Kia ora! Our excellent adventure continues with some thoughts on an American folk legend and how that legend applies to life in general as well as how it fits in with the sweet ending to our week in particular.  John Chapman was an orchardist who was born in the 1700’s. He spent his life planting apple orchards as he moved from one place to another. He taught others his craft as well as an appreciation for horticulture. He really did not become famous until becoming a folk hero at the hands of Walt Disney. John Chapman became Johnny Appleseed and those of us who are old enough to remember have images in our mind’s eye of a lanky young man tramping through the American Midwest dropping apple seeds randomly as he traveled. Johnny was sometimes depicted barefoot and was often pictured wearing his cooking pot on his head instead of a proper hat. The folklore that surrounds him gives Johnny much of the credit for the beautiful apple orchards that we now appreciate and for the delicious fruit that we harvest from them today.  In truth, the apples that John Chapman planted were not really edible, rather they were intended for the production of hard cider, but that point is quickly eclipsed as our folk hero becomes larger than life in our minds.

For the purpose of this blog, it doesn’t really matter what kind of apple John planted or what they were used for in the end. What matters is the point that someone planted seeds and there was a harvest. It matters that someone’s hard work resulted in a positive and lasting benefit for so many. It matters that once again, we learn that from very simple beginnings great things can come to pass. We are reminded that whatever sort of seeds we plant may have lasting effects on others in the future. Sometimes we are in a position to personally experience the positive results of our sowing. Often, we may never know what sort of harvest we have created, and either way, we find that there are simply blessings in the planting.

Five years ago in the Cook Islands, we met a  father of two beautiful young daughters. We invited this little family to our home and many meals were shared as we got to know each other better. Gustav loved his wife and daughters, but was not particularly interested in coming to church with them or in participating in any church-related activities. He was pleasant enough with us and sometimes seemed genuinely happy to see us. There were other times that we can now smile about, as we recall seeing him attempt to hide as we approached his home. Nothing makes one feel more welcome that knowing that someone is trying to find a place to disappear rather than speak with you! Ask any missionary and they will be able to relate similar instances as it is a universal experience. In the end, we maintained a very loving and friendly relationship with Gus and he even cried as he bid us farewell at the Rarotonga airport.

We learned last year that all of the seeds we sowed with Gus did not fall on rocky ground or blow away as we had assumed they had. At least one small seed germinated and last year Gus decided that it was his time to listen. We were thrilled when we heard from friends on the island that Gus had been baptized. We also smiled as we fondly, well for the most part fondly, reminded each other of the tactics that Gus employed to avoid us. He actually sent word through friends that he was sorry that he had ditched us and he wished that he had listened sooner. We sent word back that it was all good and there were no hard feelings. We even jokingly congratulated him on his elusiveness.

This week our mission president gave us permission to travel outside of our area so that we could spend a little time with our Cook Island friends who were visiting Hamilton and serving in the temple. We were aware that many of our favorite people would be in attendance and we looked forward to spending some hours in the evenings with them. We desperately needed hugs and kisses on the cheek from our friends and we could hardly wait to hear them singing and to join in with them. To our delight and utter joy, some of the first faces that we saw as we entered the room were those of Gustav and his wife, Elizabeth. After the initial bear hugs and teary kisses, we learned that their little family was going to be sealed together in the temple for eternity the next morning! What timing! We had no idea that this was happening but luckily our schedule worked out perfectly so that we could be with them on their special day.

As we tearfully observed Friday morning, Gustav, Elizabeth and their now three beautiful little girls, all dressed in white, surrounded a holy altar in the temple and were sealed together as an eternal family. There was not a dry eye in the room as many of us reflected back on another earlier time where this scenario would not have been possible. Seeds had been planted and without our realizing it, some had taken root and the fruit of that sowing resulted in the very sweet morning that we experienced on Friday.

How odd it seemed to me that as I sat observing the ceremony that morning, suddenly thoughts of Johnny Appleseed came to mind. I had always loved that story, but as a young child, could not quite grasp the concept of doing something that I might not receive credit for, or even worse, not be available to see the way things turned out. The legend seemed to indicate that Johnny randomly threw seeds in every direction with no real planning. In truth, John Chapman did have a plan. His plan was directed, and focused. The seeds and trees that he planted had a very high probability of survival because he took care with them. The extra factor that made such an undertaking successful was that he taught others how to take care of the trees in his absence. We planted the seeds with Gus, then left him in the capable hands of others who went about the business of watching over and tending to him. Many of those same tenders were in the temple with that family Friday and they will continue to watch over them in the future.

As always we are happy and trying to work hard. We are grateful for the experiences of this last week. Ward laughingly joked with Gustav, as they were hugging each other, that  he could run, but in the end could not continue to hide. Gus has no intentions of hiding any longer. We are also grateful that our particular life’s harvest includes so much love and thoughtfulness produced from seeds that you all have planted. We are, most especially at this time of year, grateful for the place that each of you occupies in our lives. Our association with you are the fruits of lives well lived and we wouldn’t change a thing.

Love, Ward and Susan        Elder and Sister Belliston, serving in Gisborne, New Zealand

This photo of Gustav and Elizabeth with their girls was taken Friday evening after their sealing. There is no mistaking how happy and peaceful they are. xoxoxoxoxo

We spent the end of a perfect Friday surrounded by some of our Cook Island friends.