Adventures in Paradise Volume 2 #59

Kia ora! Our excellent adventure continues with some thoughts on the power found in one person’s actions.  There is a beautifully pristine beach on the south island of New Zealand. For many years the Abel Tasman Beach was privately owned by a wealthy Kiwi family. The family, knowing what a treasure this was to the South Islanders, allowed the public complete access, provided the area was treated respectfully. One day, several months ago, word reached the residents that the beach was to be sold and that the most likely buyer was a private land development company. The as yet unnamed organization hinted that this playground would no longer be open to the public and in fact, might be in line for some sort of holiday destination development.

Duane Major, a young and unassuming “tree-hugger” was stunned by the announcement. He realized that once private development took possession, the beach would change and so would any opportunity for the ordinary person to enjoy all that it had to offer. Duane off-handedly joked to his brother-in-law, Adam Gard’ner, that to avoid the looming disaster, maybe they should buy the beach! Their outlandish plan would include a grass roots campaign to solicit donations from other Kiwis who felt the same way about the beach as they did. The idea was to suggest that individuals could make a difference by donating any amount of money that they were able. There would be no contribution that would be too small to be helpful and if New Zealanders, one person at a time, could contribute, there just might be a way to preserve the land for the future. As the idea took shape, the two men assured the donors that if successful, their plan was to deed the beach to the Nation Park system as part of a land trust agreement, thus providing permanent access to all future visitors.

How crazy was it to think that one man, with no previous fundraising experience could, by relying on others, one person at a time and one contribution at a time, create enough public interest to compete with a corporate giant having deep pockets? How indeed? The first efforts of the two young men were somewhat comical and often tongue-in-cheek as their initial publicity offerings were stick figures drawn with markers on salvaged cardboard. The stick figure spokesmen caught on and suddenly the pledges started rolling in. Duane said that he was almost the most surprised of anyone as the campaign seemed to take on a life of its own. Finally, and in the eleventh hour, an unnamed donor came to the rescue and pledged the remaining funds that were needed and an offer was tendered to the family.

Last Tuesday morning, as the whole country turned on the news, we saw two young men in t-shirts waiting nervously to hear the decision of the family concerning the offers that had been broached. Each man’s shirt bore a silk- screen-printed photo of the Abel Tasman Beach and each of their two faces registered the stress of waiting for an answer. At eight-thirty sharp, the newsroom exploded with the decision. Duane and Adam had bought a beach! By evening, almost every front-page in New Zealand showed two grinning young men in t-shirts looking out of photos that carried the caption, “ We Bought a Beach!” In all of the ensuing interviews, mention was made continuously of the difference that one person can make and the effect that it can have on so many others.

As I have thought about the events of this week concerning the beach, I have found myself focusing on all of the people who have made a difference in my life, one person at a time and I am beyond grateful.  I only had one mother and I am so grateful for her love and unfaltering support. I only had one father and I will never underestimate the role that he played in my life. My parents were not rich or famous; far from it, but the influence they had in my life was proof of the power of one. In a particularly difficult phase of my life a decade or so ago, I found myself buoyed up by one person at a time who would leave a note or a card of encouragement and love in my mailbox. For three years, I taped those notes to the inside of a cupboard. Every time that I opened that door, I felt a rush of love and support from those thoughtful messages. Those who thought of me at that time, may have wondered if one note from one person could possibly make a difference in my life and I am here to say that it made a bigger difference that anyone could imagine. There were days when that one note saved me and I cannot express how grateful I am to this day for that thoughtfulness. My spirits were lifted by one person at a time and it made a difference.

Ward could tell much the same sort of story. When his wife, Judy was so ill, he and his family were supported and loved often by one person at a time and they still speak fondly of those who were so thoughtful and supportive. I am certain that many of those friends and family who dropped by for a visit or who may have left a meal, a hug, a card or a treat did not fully appreciate how much it meant to the Bellistons to have been remembered. Long after the suffering has subsided, the memory of a single kind gesture lingers on. It is again, the power of one. 

So, since most of us will not be purchasing any beaches in the near future, we will have to be content with appreciating the good that we can do for others as we remember that one person can make a big difference. One smile may save the day for someone. A phone call could come at the exact perfect moment. If those latest cookies you baked are not perfect share them with someone anyway. Often it truly is the thought that counts and long after the receiver forgets that the treat wasn’t perfect, they will remember that you were perfectly thoughtful. And we all being who we are, will make a difference for someone else, I promise!

As always, we are happy and trying to work hard. We so appreciate all of you and the individual differences you have made in our lives. We have learned so much from you and have been the recipients of  much thoughtfulness over the years. If any of you cannot imagine where you have made a difference, we would be more than happy to share our thoughts with you. Just ask.

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

Beautiful Abel Tasman Beach

Duane (left) and Adam celebrating on "Their" beach.

Adventures in Paradise Volume 2 #58

Kia ora!  Our excellent adventure continues with news of a milestone birthday and how it was celebrated. In truth, this is really not a blog so much as it is two photos with a few names attached. Due to weekend plans, there is no time for my usual writings, so this is a very condensed version of our weekly message. We are excited to be leaving for Hamilton tomorrow morning to be with our little Cook Island family as one of the boys turns twelve on Sunday. Usharn will celebrate his birthday Sunday by being ordained to the priesthood and he has asked us to attend and has invited Ward to participate in that ordinance as his extra grandpa. After church, we are looking forward to a family dinner and chances to hug our favorite Kiwi kiddos.

But I digress. Ward turned seventy-five (!) last Tuesday. We all find that number a bit difficult to fathom and I always think of him as perennially going on fifteen. But his birthday arrived and with it a very sweet two days. Of course while the calendar in New Zealand said that it was his birthday one day, the fact that in Utah that date arrived a day later, gave us an opportunity for double celebrations. He was king of the house for two days and was touched by all of the birthday wishes he received from both countries.

By far, the biggest and most touching surprise of the day came Tuesday morning after our weekly district meeting with the young elders and sisters. I mentioned to them the week before that it was Elder Belliston’s birthday and asked if they could plan something special. That something special brought tears to Ward’s eyes, as the group entered the room singing Happy Birthday. The candles indicated the correct age and there was a sparkley banner and two kinds of ice cream. We thought that you might enjoy seeing how and with whom Ward celebrated a milestone that he had dreaded. It turned out that it was a day that he would not have missed for the world.

As always we are happy and trying to work hard. We have appreciated the thoughtfulness of being remembered on a special day and hope that we can return the favor. We miss you all, but for the moment, we are relishing the last few weeks of our great Kiwi adventure.

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

Ward had a lovely morning celebrating with a few of his favorite young people. Several countries are represented here: Tonga, Philippines, Taiwan, Australia, Sweden, Samoa, and America

Elder Pierce from Rexburg, Idaho is one of the tallest missionaries in our mission. Sister Boligar, from the Philippines is the very shortest. We are a study in diversity and we love it!

Adventures in Paradise Volume 2 #57

Kia ora! Our excellent adventure continues with news of a garden party. Last week, as I sat in the shade of Fejoa trees, and listened to the banter that surrounded me, I was reminded of a song by Ricky Nelson. The opening line of his 1972 hit tells of a garden party that he attended where he reminisced with his old friends. In truth, Ricky’s garden party took place at Madison Square Garden in New York, thousands of miles away from our little island. But that song kept looping through my memory as I enjoyed the lazy afternoon, the cool shade and reminiscing with my new friends.

Although we travel extensively as part of our mission duties, our assignment as prescribed by our mission president, is to minister to the members of the Manutuke branch. That little branch, encompasses several tiny villages, including, Muriwai, Manutuke and Patutahi, and we are thrilled if thirty people happen to arrive for Sunday services! You may then imagine that we were equally thrilled when over two-thirds of our little branch attended the BBQ at the home of the Browns. I thought that you might enjoy, if only from a distance, the sights and sounds of our little gathering. We would like you to meet some of the members of the Manutuke branch

Our garden party is better known here as a BBQ. Unlike the hamburger, hot dog and potato salad menus at home, there are grilled sausages served on buttered bread, cabbage salad and lots of fresh fruit. At home, we would suggest a pot luck party; here you are told to "bring a plate."  By the way, Joseph Stevens is wearing the white ball cap and he was baptized the next week. 

This is my favorite photo of the day. Samantha (who is blind) is enjoying a laugh with Ross Honey. Ross is the only non-Maori in our little branch. An interesting side note is that Samantha does not shop for clothing. As a sister missionary is leaving for home, I ask if she has any clothes that she would like to leave behind. I take those to Samantha and we put together outfits for her. She is wearing one of those outfits in this photo!

This is Samatha's son, Jimmi. I keep telling her how beautiful he is and she always replies that she already knows.

As we waited for dinner, the young Elders presented a short message. I forgot to mention that there is always an abundance of fresh fish dishes available as well.

Jenine Brown and her daughter, Ihipera are enjoying a happy moment together. They are the wife and daughter of the branch president.

Jack and his father, Mefe, were waiting patiently for the sausages. Their last name is Whaitiri. In Maori a "wh" combination is pronounced as an F sound and an R sounds like a D. I have spent 18 months totally confused and afraid to address people by their names!

This is Caleb West. He and his wife, Libby just announced that their first baby is due in the fall. The man in the green shirt in the background is our branch president and this is his garden.

And here are two more members of the West family. Mark West works in forestry and his crews  are part of those charged with planting and maintaining the timber crop. If you promise not to tell, Mark's son Eru is close to being engaged, so please keep that secret.. Also try and guess how to pronounce his name.

 Samantha shares a laugh with a new friend that she met at the garden party.

As many of you are no doubt aware, Ricky Nelson did not enjoy his time at the garden in 1972 and vowed never to return.   His disappointment over the negative response he received gave him the inspiration for his song, so at least one positive thing resulted from that experience. I have been humming the last line of that song for about a week and although it has remained a continuous recording in my head, I would suggest that Ricky was only partially correct in his sentiments.  “It’s all right now and I’ve learned my lesson well. You can’t please everyone so you might as well please yourself.”  While I know it’s not possible to please everyone, the lesson we have learned  is there is often great joy in joy in the trying. Pleasing someone else is one way to make ourselves a little happier as well.

Our little garden party was far more successful for those who attended than was the far more famous one held over forty years ago. Ricky would choose never to return, but we would do it a again in a microsecond. We will cherish  reminiscing with people who will become our old friends and although there was no song born as a byproduct of this event, there was a blog created that allowed you have the opportunity to meet our friends and acquire a small sense of our experiences here. Perhaps I should blog in reverse, and leave our New Zealand friends with the opportunity to meet our friends at home!

As always  we are happy and trying to work hard. Along with our over- sized luggage, we will be returning home with larger than life memories. We have now entered that time of a mission where we have one foot in one life and one foot in the other. As much as we look forward to gathering in gardens at home, we will always be aware that others are gathering without us here in our other home. Yet, we are grateful for the memories that please us and for the gift of reminiscing.

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

Adventures in Paradise Volume 2 #56

Kia ora! Our excellent adventure continues with thoughts on how Cyclone Pam, which decimated Vanuatu almost a year ago, could have such far-reaching effects that it would be possible last week to change the lives and schedules of hundreds of people living in New Zealand. We have been reminded in the last few days, again, just how connected we all are on our little planet.

Ward had just finished printing the baptismal programs for Joseph Stevens, when the phone rang. Joseph had traveled a very rocky road to his decision to be baptized and we were putting the last pieces in place for his Saturday service and we were anxious that all would go well. In addition to Josephs baptism, the Elders and Sisters in our zone had just finished printing their programs for the three people who also had baptismal dates for Saturday. That one phone call changed everything and threw two missions into a state of emergency.

Our mission office informed us that Elder D. Todd Christofferson, who is a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, would be speaking at a combined mission conference in Auckland on Saturday and we all were expected to be in attendance. Elders Christofferson’s arrival was a surprise to everyone, including two mission presidents! Now, Gisborne is at least seven hours away from Auckland and we were told that we would all stay Friday evening in Hamilton, in preparation for arrivial in Auckland the next morning. This meant that there was no possibility of our holding the baptism Saturday evening as planned. As the voice on the other end of the line began giving instructions, I heard myself informing him that since we had an important baptism, we couldn’t possibly make the trip with the others. I mentioned also that three other people in Gisborne would be affected as well and we just couldn’t change our plans at the last moment. The caller was sympathetic and assured me that there would be a way that everything could be accomplished and he would be happy to see us in Auckland on Saturday.

As it so happened, Joseph was at our home when the call came in, but I was in tears as I now realized that once again, there were going to be delays and changes regarding his baptism and I was going to have to be the one to share that news. I took a deep breath, said a very quick, but heart-felt prayer and left the office. By the time I reached the livingroom I had the answer. I explained the situation to Ward and Joseph and suggested that a Sunday morning baptism would be a very spiritual experience. Joseph’s face lit up and he loved the idea! Sunday morning baptisms are generally very calm and spiritual. His confirmation would follow immediately in Sacrament meeting and the spirit that was created as he was baptized would carry over into the other meetings of the day. It was the perfect solution. The Elders were able to reschedule easily, and the Sisters gave up part of the preparation day so that their person could be baptized Monday morning. So, it turned out the our baptisms were the icing on the cake of a week that was begun when approximately five hundred missionaries met, took council from and shook hands with a General Authority.

In regards to Elder Christofferson, we found him warm and charming. His counsel was taken to heart and we all felt very fortunate to be in attendance. As to the reason for his impromptu arrival, we learned that he and his wife had been traveling in the South Pacific and their last stop was to be Vanuatu. When it was discovered that their plane was too large to land on a runway still in need of repair from the ravages of cyclone Pam, Elder Christofferson turned to those with whom he was traveling and asked, “So where shall we go instead?” And as they say, the rest is history.  Many of us in attendance realized what a blessing the members in Vanuatu had missed, but couldn’t help feeling grateful that a last-minute change of plans became such a spiritual experience for us. It was a truly remarkable opportunity as all of us were each able to shake an Apostle’s hand and be thanked personally for our service.

To quote a phrase from Shakespeare, “All’s well that ends well.” That is exactly how we felt last week.  I will admit to having a moment or two of feeling like we just couldn’t do all that was expected, only to find that a calm head, coupled with a little inspiration can solve most dilemmas. It was a lovely week and we are so glad to be able to have participated.

As always, we are happy and trying to work hard. Our time here is fast coming to an end and we are wondering if we are ready to leave. Since we have no choice, we can remember to focus on the events of the past sixteen months and be grateful while at the same time look forward to sweet reunions with family and friends at home. It truly will all end well and we are grateful.

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

The New Zealand Auckland mission and the New Zealand Hamilton enjoyed a special morning with Elder Christofferson. If you look closely, you will see me sitting in front of the wall on the left, next to the door. Ward and I were ushers for the event.

This is Joseph Stevens. He had always gone by the nickname of Horby, but insisted that he be called Joseph after he learned about Joseph Smith. He was excited to have the same initials.

This photo was taken Sunday morning, just before Joseph's baptism. The rain stopped just long enough for us to pose in front of the chapel.