Adventures in Paradise Volume 2 #61

Kia ora! Our excellent adventure continues thoughts of another looming adventure. Ward’s father always used to ask, “Are you traveling or going somewhere” and that is the way we are beginning to feel as we hold plane tickets in our hands. We are definitely traveling as we have mixed feelings about leaving New Zealand in five weeks. But the reality is that before arriving in Utah, we are going somewhere and we are beyond excited.

The truth is that as much as we will immediately miss those whom we love on this island, we have been missing others on another island for several years. It’s a tender time for us and we have been reminded, once again, just how difficult it is to move on. When we left the Cooks four years ago, our friends told us that you never say good-bye; rather you simply say see you later. That phrase is turning into a reality as we now also possess plane tickets to Rarotonga. After leaving New Zealand April 27, we will be flying to spend a few days with our Cook Island friends and that excitement is helping to temper, if just a bit, the sadness we feel as we anticipate leaving our home here in Gisborne.

I have always said that I wished to live in another country long enough so as not to feel like a tourist. To be honest, I rather fancied myself in the South of France wearing a beret and enjoying a baguette, or somewhere in the Italian countryside riding an old bicycle with a basket of fresh herbs attached to the handlebars. I wanted to soak up the culture and hoped to learn a little of the language. Never did I ever entertain the idea of living in Polynesia. Not ever. That was not even on my radar, yet here I am tearfully facing the prospects of leaving dear friends while at the same time anticipating reconnecting with others. That is what a mission will do to you and you may view this as either an enticement or a warning! You will never be the same, nor would you want to be.

Not being the same is the reason why, after having been away from family and friends for a year and a half, we have decided to postpone our homecoming just a bit longer. We know that we will absolutely return home, but we are not so clear on when or if it would be possible to return to the Cooks, or to New Zealand for that matter, so we have created our opportunity by adding an extra week to our return date. We have dear friends who have promised to meet us at the airport, a generous offer of lodging, and children who have grown up while we weren’t looking. We are approaching our reunion with tender feelings and deep emotion.

So, the woman who once imagined herself sporting a beret and savoring a baguette, has enjoyed wearing floral head eis instead. That loaf of bread has been replaced by the traditional and delicious fresh savory pies of New Zealand and by mangos and Banana Poke in the Cooks. Cycling in Italy has been substituted with vaka (canoe) paddling lessons in the rivers of Gisborne and if I wanted anything fresh, I only had to go as far as our orchard, where mandarins, oranges, grapes, peaches and apples were found in abundance. Did you know that there is even a fruit called a Lemonade, which tastes exactly like its name?  I even learned that Rocket is an excellent salad greens base for a tossed salad. My French and Italian are non-existent but my understanding of Maori has increased dramatically and with that increase has come an appreciation for the culture and traditions of both islands. To be honest, I still love Europe and its history, but it will never feel like home. The islands where we have learned to live and love is home.

As always, we are happy and trying to work hard. We are grateful for the experiences that have been the fabric of our lives here. We cherish the relationships that we have formed and find it difficult to count our tenure here in terms of weeks or days. We will return here someday and we are grateful for the blessing of social media where we are only a mouse click away from our new forever friends. We are also grateful for your support over the years, and most especially while we have been away from you these last months. We are so excited to see your faces and renew relationships. It all just has to wait, however, as we take a side trip to another place where loved ones are waiting.

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

 

 

We hope you enjoy our sentimental journey back to the Cooks

 



Luna is now going on seven. Where did the time go? We can't wait to see her!

 

 

Ake was our first baptism in the Cooks. She was single at the time. Now she lives in Auckland with her husband and two beautiful daughters. She is in the Relief Society presidency. We have loved being able to visit with them while we have been in New Zealand. 

 

This is family transport in the Cooks! We love and miss Gus and Elizabeth and their girls. They have since had another daughter and we are not sure where they will put her! 

 

Tere and Mumsy with baby Belliston. Belliston is now almost five and we can't wait to hug him!

 

 

I taught this little family to say " See ya later alligator."

 

 

Luanne used to call me Sistabelliston as if it were all one word. I hope she remembers us, if even a little bit. We have not forgotten her.

 

Chad was our very last baptism.  We love and miss this family.

 

We can't wait to be greeted by our friends. This, I think, is the sweetest way to say hello

 

There were very tender moments during baptisms at the beach

 

 

 Ward looking pretty native in a shirt made for him by a local. You could see him coming for miles!

 

 

This was our backyard in the Cooks. In the background you can see Blackrock. That is why our blog is called the Blackrock Bulletin. 

 

Jake Numanga has greeted incoming international passengers every day for over thirty years. His singing and uke playing is legendary and he was recently named a national treasure. We can't wait to see his perform at the terminal. And to call out, "Hey Jake!"

 

 

The Georges sell the best fish at Saturday market and we hear that they will have a plate waiting for Ward. Actually, Ward told them he was coming so that they could be prepared!

    

 

  

  We last saw Ina Price and her husband, Larry in Salt Lake just before we left for New Zealand. They were serving their second family history mission. They are home in the Cooks now and we look forward to spending some quality time with them!

 

 



We have missed the beautiful sunsets in Raro and plan to spend every evening basking in their beauty. It is beyond peaceful.