Kia ora! Our excellent adventure continues as we combine the
name of a favorite Disney attraction with a modified version of the title of an
old comedic movie. “It’s a Small, Small,Small, Small World” aptly describes our
experience of last Sunday and we are left amazed and smiling at the events that
unfolded here in Gisborne a week ago. In a rapidly shrinking environment, we
were once again reminded of just how small the world really has become and we
have been delighted by that reminder.
Life was hectic last week and there literally, was no time
for a blog. In retrospect, that
over-scheduled week is exactly what caused us to be in the exact right place at
the exact right time last Sunday and we are thrilled with the results. We were
caught up in the cosmic timing of things and we couldn’t have planned it any
better if we had tried.
Three weeks ago, as we were attending meetings in a small
village an hours drive from our home, we learned that a cruise ship would be
docking in Gisborne on January 17th. One hundred and thirty
passengers, most of them Latter-Day-Saints, would be disembarking so that they
could participate in a special church service and cultural experience. The
congregation of the Nuhaka ward had invited these travelers to attend church
services with them. In addition, the village had invited them to participate in
a hangi (underground oven cooked meal) and as a special treat, the guests were
invited to visit with them at the local Marae, where the meaning of the
stunning carvings would be explained and local customs and culture would be
shared. This sort of experience is very uncommon among visitors to New Zealand as
the closest one usually gets to a Marae would be in a reenactment village
especially created for tourists. Unfortunately for us, we had other obligations
on that Sunday, so we knew that we would be unable to participate in the
activities and we were disappointed, to say the least.
Due to the timing of our Sunday schedule and our
disappointment over missing the adventure, another idea was formulated. We
decided that if we could not spend the day with the travelers, we could at
least meet them at the dock and welcome them to our beautiful city. Although we
did not know whom we were looking for, our badges would be recognizable and we assumed
that those little black plastic name tags would draw attention, which is
exactly what they did! As we stood on the dock, next to the transports that had
been hired for the occasion, passengers noticing our badges waved and shouted
greetings to us. We waved in return and positioned ourselves so that we would be
able to personally greet everyone as they were loaded onto the coaches.
It might be of interest here, to note that Ward and I have a
standing wager. The Belliston family is so large that it is not at all unusual
for us to meet someone, no matter where we are in the world, who knows one of
them. The premise of the bet is that
regardless of where we might happen to be, it will be less than ten minutes
before Ward makes a connection with someone. This has happened countless times
in airports, restaurants, exotic locations and gatherings of any kind, so as I
stood on the dock in far away Gisborne, New Zealand, I knew sooner or later
that once again, a stranger, seeing the badge, would approach Ward and ask the
question that we always expect; “Excuse
me, but are you related to……..?” What I
could not have expected was that morning would hold a few surprises for me as
well.
In just under a minute after positioning ourselves near the coaches, the expected happened. A man approached Ward and asked if he was
related to Pete Belliston! Arnie Garr was a a friend of Ward’s brother, Pete,
and had been since childhood. He introduced us to his wife, Cherie and we had a
pleasant little chat before they boarded their bus. As they disappeared inside,
we wished them a lovely day and shared with them that they were in for a treat.
Ward and I looked at each other and smiled as neither one of us were surprised
by the encounter. Rather, the surprise always involved exactly whom we would meet,
not if we would meet. Standing there, I suddenly became aware that a familiar
face was staring at me! She was not staring at Ward, this woman knew me!
To my utter delight, I recognized a colleague from my
teaching days at Bountiful
High School Cook Islands , I
received word that Barbara was very ill and was facing an uphill battle for
recovery. But there Barbara was looking healthy and happy and greeting me with
outstretched arms! After hugging and a whispered assurance that she was well, I
turned to her husband and reminded him that in my former life as Susan
Norgaard, I had grown up in Bountiful just
three houses away from him! Having heard that exchange, the man behind Barbara
and Lynn Porter spoke up and said , “Well, if you remember him, do you remember
that you and I were also classmates at Bountiful High?” Peering closely into a
face that I had not seen for almost fifty years, I greeted Bert Winegar, who
was also waiting to board the bus! As the last stragglers arrived, I had one
last touching encounter. Recognizing the name on the tag as the brother of
someone who used to visit my home in high school, I had a chance to reconnect
with a member of the Flack family. I was able to offer my condolences on the
passing of a brother and to tell Eric Flack how much I still enjoyed using a cookbook,
“Wheat For Man, Why and How” written by his mother, Dora Flack. As we waved to
our departing visitors, Ward and I remarked on what a sweet morning we had just
experienced and we were so happy once again for the gift of perfect timing.
Today, we again found ourselves in Nuhaka, this time as the
Sacrament Meeting speakers. During the course of our visit, we heard touching
stories of just how taken the travelers were with their experiences in that
little village. They were grateful for the thoughtfulness and hospitality
extended to them and many remarked that this little community carried a remarkable
spirit within its confines. It had been an experience of a lifetime and they
were grateful. It was said that the group left with a much keener appreciation
and understanding of the Maori culture.
As always, we are happy and trying to work hard. We have
learned that in order to better understand a person, it is so helpful to
experience and appreciate that person’s culture. That is what we try to do
every day and what our friends from the cruise ship experienced last Sunday. We
want you to know that we have learned to appreciate you for who you are and
what you represent. We have adopted customs, recipes, stories and more ideas
than we care to admit from you. We do this because we know that your ways have
made a difference in our small world and we would like to do the same.
Love ard and Susan
Elder and Sister Belliston, serving in Gisborne , New Zealand
Last Sunday's view of the cruise ship from shore. The statue in the foreground depicts the first sighting of the harbor by young Nick, the twelve-year old son of the Endeavor's doctor.
The Nuhaka chapel
This is the Nuhaka marae. Before the current chapel was built, this was the meeting place for the LDS congregation. When they moved into their new edifice, the church deeded the marae to the community. Each intricate carving has it's own special meaning. The beautiful door mantel was carved by an Elder Fairbanks who served in the area. Elder Fairbanks was a nephew to the well-known sculptor, Avard Fairbanks.
If you look closely, you can see the ship as it leaves Gisborne headed for Tauranga. The island you see can be accessed by foot during low tide, but you must remember to plan your return according to the tide schedule or be a very good swimmer!
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