Adventures in Paradise Vol. 2 #7

Adventures in Paradise  Volume 2    #7

Kia ora! Our excellent adventure in New Zealand has been more of an adventure that we could ever have imagined.  During the last four weeks since arriving, we have been taught lessons that we will never forget. There have been instances of great frustration and disappointment and we have learned from them. We have been tutored with great kindness and we are grateful.  We have been reminded what it must have been like for our ancestors to leave everything and say good bye to everyone they loved, knowing that for most it would likely be the last time. We now appreciate their great courage in moving towards the unknown. We have gained new empathy for those who relocate not understanding the language or culture of a new land, and we are also mindful of those who cannot, for whatever reason, find a home and know that we have gained a new perspective.

Four weeks ago, we arrived in Auckland and were greeted by our mission president and his wife. Our first few days in New Zealand were crowded with appointments, dinners and tours of the area. It felt like Christmas (actually a very good one) as we were given a cell phone, lodging and even a new car! We were told that a lovely furnished cottage awaited us in Gisborne and we were sent on our way. We were excited…………………..

Gisborne, New Zealand is advertized as a lovely beach town, which resembles Napa Valley in the fact that there are vineyards and wineries. It is a quaint city full of old Victorian homes. It is a vacation destination city and by Christmas, tourists will flock to its beaches to spend the summer in the sun. There are palm trees lining its main street and quaint shops for the avid shopper to explore. It’s lush and green and once out of the city, you will find that the countryside is breathtaking. Sheep and cows dot the hillsides and the sunsets are to die for. We had been assigned to heaven and we were thrilled………………………………………………………………..

Pulling up to our “cottage” that first Saturday evening, left us feeling a tad uneasy. That little house did not look much like its photo and something did not seem quite right. It seemed so not right that Ward suggested that I stay in the car while he found the key. He went in and took the first look. Uh oh. It was less than two minutes later, when Ward rounded the side of our new home wearing a very grim look on his usually very sunny face. The dreaded words, “You do not want to go inside”, were not too encouraging. How bad can it be, I wondered and soon enough I found out just how bad it could be as I stood in what served at the living room and was afraid to touch anything. To make a long story much shorter, the home that we were to spend 18 months in found us not lasting 18 minutes. To say that the booking agent had misrepresented the property was an understatement, and being anxious to find us a home, the Hamilton office had accepted the word of the agency without ever having seen inside. We knew that it would not be possible to stay. We were now homeless and tired.

Ten minutes later while we were still sitting in the car in front of the cottage, and as Ward was attempting to stop my sobbing, young Elders Jones and Christy came to our rescue. We will always be grateful for their thoughtfulness. They took us to the same motel that our mission president uses and luckily, there was one room left. We spent the next ten days there as the hunt for a new flat began in earnest the following Monday. Those two young men, knowing full well the condition of that cottage, talked it over and offered to move out of their flat and into the home that we had rejected! We were touched by their kindness, but in talking with the Hamilton office about the situation, Ward said that if the house was not habitable for us, it was not habitable for the young elders.

Now one could argue that living in a nice motel on the beach is not a curse. The fact that housing was so difficult to find, made that beachfront view less enjoyable. Every day we were trying to find a housing solution in a place where we were strangers. Each property management firm had its’ own set of rules and some neglected to even call us back. The clock was ticking and the cost of the motel was adding up. To further complicate matters, we have been unable to access the internet and we were feeling cut off from the world as we knew it. Finally, the Hamilton mission office decided that the Elders would move in with other young Elders and that they should vacate their flat in preparation for our moving in and we were heartsick over taking their home.

Just before they were to move and after a thorough cleaning of their flat (which was not a bad thing) there was a stay of execution for the Elders as Ward and I found an apartment. The housing Elder from Hamilton, who, with his wife, had come up to help us, brokered a deal with yet another management agent. All was saved and we were excited. The next day, as we were preparing for our move, we were stunned to receive a call informing us that the owner of the apartment had decided to “take it off the market”. While we can’t be certain of why this happened, we were quite certain that we now, once again, had no home. Meanwhile, the Elders had moved back into their now very tidy flat and were blissfully unaware that once again, a move might be in their future.

Elder and Sister Saunders, who had driven five hours from Hamilton pulling a trailer full of household goods for us, were stunned at the news. It was now Friday afternoon and they were returning to Hamilton on Sunday. I am not ashamed to admit that my tears started flowing again. We were tired and beyond frustrated.  We were still unable to communicate with those at home, whom we assumed were wondering what in the world had happened to us. Sister Saunders suggested that we have a prayer asking for direction. Immediately after the “Amen” Sister Saunders opened the phonebook and placed her finger on the ad of a management company that we had not visited, nor even noticed before. It was 4:30 and the office closed at 5:00. We quickly drove to the office and asked if by any chance, there was anything in our price range, and the agent said that a new booking has just opened up and she took us to see it. Might I mention here, that many agencies only have open house hours once or twice a week , but we managed to find one who was willing to show us the house immediately. The house was rented on the spot, with the promise to have it ready for occupancy the following Wednesday.  Our new home is not new at all, having been built in 1910. It is not fancy, and we had to wait four days after moving in for the shower to be installed , but it is clean and it is ours. There are Hydrangeas blooming next to the house and wild Geraniums and Lillies growing in abundance in our backyard. We moved in last Wednesday and again it was Christmas!

I watched in gratitude and a fair amount of relief as a washer and dryer, refrigerator, microwave, beds, dishes and boxes of brand new household equipment were brought through our front door. We also did a little thrift shop (they call them op-shops) cruising and scored a couch, two arm chairs and a dining room set.  We now have a home that we are thrilled with, although I must say that my level of expectation has been lowered and I have learned once again, a lesson that I learned in the Cook Islands. I can live with a lot less than I thought I could and I now count my blessings very differently.

Houses here in New Zealand do not have central heating, so we will just wear sweaters. The bathrooms are not as updated as we are used to, but we now have a shower and we will be fine. Christmas will be celebrated with picnics and beach parties, but we will manage. Once again, we have met generous new friends who are keeping us well stocked with fresh oranges and grapefruit while our old friends at home just celebrated Thanksgiving. We had our own version of Thanksgiving with young missionaries who are missing their own homes and families and we will make a new little family with them while we are here. Life is good and we are truly thankful. Our internet was connected yesterday and we are so relieved to be able to communicate one again. We are feeling so much more settled and that is a very good feeling.

 As usual, we are happy and trying to work hard and find our way in a very beautiful new setting. When I mentioned that we are trying, Sister Saunders said that yes, we certainly were “trying”! We have been touched by the help and kindness of others and have been reminded of the goodness that exists everywhere. We have also learned to rely a little more on each other and I for one am grateful that I have a husband who remains calm when things are not going well. I have learned a lot from him this week and I am grateful for his concern for me. We are excited to share our continuing adventures with you all and promise much shorter installments in the next few weeks.

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

 

 

  Sadly, this little cottage was not habitable. Good bye house number one.

The young elders offered to give us their house in trade for ours. We were grateful, but wanted them to stay in their own home. Good bye house number 2.

This mixed-use building contained businesses on the bottom floor and four modern apartments on the top level. We were all set to move in until the owner changed his mind. Good bye house number 3. 

 





Welcome to house number four. 159 Clifford Street. This home, built in 1910 is being restored by the owner. Homes in New Zealand do not have central heating so we are grateful for two fireplaces as well as two portable room heaters. The little window high up on the right side of the house is original stained glass and the light that comes through it in the morning is lovely.

 



We are now settled in our new/old home and photos of the inside will be included in another blog. We are thrilled to have so many fresh flowers growing in our yard. Should you like to drop us a note, we would be so pleased as we now even have our own mail box!

 

Elder and Sister Belliston

159 Clifford Street

Whataupoko

Gisborne, New Zealand  4010