Family Visit and temple

 The past two weeks were full of happenings. We enjoyed having our son and family visit us from Utah. The children's other grandparents are also serving a mission in New Zealand so they came, spent about a week with us and then a week with them. In between, we went with them down to the Hamilton area to attend the temple and to visit places there. It was glorious.

This shows us at the temple in Hamilton

Before going south, we explored together the ancient kauri forest and the Kai'iwi lakes, then a beach on the east coast, then falls there and then took our trip south to the temple.

Overlooking the Hokianga bay to the dunes on the other side.

Our granddaughter on the beach

Some of the grandchildren at the ancient kauri tree

Whangarei Falls

While we were in the Hamilton area, we visited the Māori experience in Rotorua — a very impressive demonstration (sorry, no pictures) and the Hobbiton filming site at Matamata.

The Green Dragon

The Baggins residence

The mill at Hobbiton

On the way back, we got this picture of the new Auckland temple, nearing completion.

Finally, a couple more photos. The first is one of my sweetheart as we were viewing the Wairoa river from the Dargaville Museum hill. The last one is a picture of a tree. These trees are known for their bright red color around Christmas time in the area here. This one is a block away from our home.

We are enjoying the experience of getting to know the people of our branch. There is quite a varied group of people, most with Māori ancestry, some of other Polynesian cultures. It is quite an education. They are all dear people and It is amazing to know them. One remarkable experience we see is at times going to the local stores, having people (unknown to us) talking with us, and we learn that they are not actively attending meetings. They are happy to see us and often invite us to visit them. The hand of the Lord is here with us!

The House Without Doors

[This is a memory, written about 3 years ago during a visit to our daughter's family in New York]

It was probably between 6 and 6:30 AM when I heard the music drift through the house. Perhaps "drift" is not the proper descriptive word. The encouraging hymn was sung with love and vigor - "Shall the Youth of Zion Falter?" I lay awake for a while and then dropped back into sleep. It had not been a particularly good rest up to this point, having begun with laying in bed, listening to the wailing of little Elijah - too tired, yet stubbornly resistant to the much needed sleep. This was the only life he knew - the house without doors.

This morning, the frantic, yet productive currents of activity swirled around me at about the same time as the music of yesterday morning. All were about everywhere looking for that book or article of clothing - a determined whirlwind of little bodies and older children grabbing and assembling what they needed for their journey to join the family activities later in the day in Pennsylvania. Other than the few plaintive cries of little Elijah, the undercurrent of conversation and connections was permeated with a love characteristic of this courageous family. The swirl of activity spoke the one message: It matters not that we live in an unfinished house - the physical circumstances that envelope us is but the current abode where we, as a family love, share, learn and grow together - feeling the hand of God shaping each precious life.

October 2016

An update about everything, including mission

I really haven't written anything for a long time. I guess it is time to put everything together for you (if any of you are still reading this blog)...

We finished our mission in the New York Rochester mission in the last part of September 2018 and then took a long trip getting home. We stayed for a few days with Mary's family in Medina (Mary, Quinn, Tova and the baby gone to Argentina at the time), then visited Montreal (the temple there), the Adirondacks, then the Boston and Hartford temples, a visit to family in Maryland, then to Virginia rto see Beth and Ray, on to Ohio, Chicago, a weekend in Sioux Falls to see Jonathan and family, then home.

We got settled in at home, then visited family in the Boise, Idaho area. After a few more weeks, we did a temple trip to southern Utah, New Mexico and Arizona. In the process of time, we prepared for and then submitted applications for our next mission.

Over the New Year's holiday weekend, we visited sunny Sioux Falls, South Dakota to see Jonathan and his family for a while. It was sunny, but below zero at times.

Through all this, we have also attended temple sessions fairly often here at home.

(deep breath)

Now we are looking for our next service opportunity.

Yesterday we received our mission call to serve in the California Carlsbad Mission, to work in the office there. We will head out on May 20th (MTC and then drive to Vista, California) for an 18 month mission there.

We miss our dear friends in New York. We hope to go see them before heading to California (just on the way, right?) and also to visit with Mary and Aaron's families there.

We love being involved in family, friends and in serving the Lord. His blessings are beyond comprehension at times.

Forrest D Buchanan - 100 years

Today is my father's birthday. He would have been one hundred years old today if he were still alive. I miss him very much. He has been gone over 38 years now.

The pictures tell his story.

You were a hard worker. Your heart and kindness were without limits. We truly had a home of love. Many lives are so much better because of you. We love you dearly, Dad.

Recap of the past two months

I have basically relied on Shauna reporting our activities in her weekly mail messages. I know that many do not see her messages, so I apologize for not posting much here. This summarizes the past two months in a lot of pictures.

We have been busy with helping the Hornell Branch members and investigators in visits to their homes and taking some to the temple. We also have enjoyed having Mary and her family close by so we can get together. We feel so blessed to be here and to share in the Lord's work here in this beautiful place.

This area is referred to as the "Southern Tier" and is really a place of beauty and a place of a much slower pace of life. The people learn to get along with little and still find ways to help those around them and show kindness to others. Unfortunately, most of the people are very cautious when dealing with us and the missionaries because of the strong bias of the local churches against us and our religion. Still there are many who welcome us and our message. The Lord will help those who sincerely are seeking to the truth.

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Our first two elders - Smith and Wagstaff, as we have lunch with one of our sisters of the Branch

The son-in-law of that sister was baptized recently. This is him and his family and the Elders who were involved.

At the Palmyra temple with one of our dear sisters. She came to do the work for her mother. It was a very spiritual experience for all of us.

This mother and her daughter come with us to church and other activities.

We help out at a weekly luncheon for the disadvantaged people of the city of Hornell. It is sponsored at this Presbyterian church and different denominations help each week. Our branch provides food and services about every six weeks in rotation.

We had a fun branch activity at this property of one of our members in Canisteo. The pond (above) and the eating area (below).

One of the people we met at the ecumenical lunches (mentioned above), and his dog, Badge, at his home in South Hornell. I did some research and found that he is my 13th cousin (the man, not his dog).

The elders with an investigator walking and talking on the Hill Cumorah.

Our current elders - Elder Larson (from Draper) and Elder Smith (from Safford, AZ)

In the Elders' apartment is this famous "Deer Elder."

Our grandson about to eat the "Mojo" burger at Rudys in Medina. Those who accomplish the feat get to write their names on the wall (see behind him for part of that). A closeup of his previously earned name-on-the-wall is below.

A granddaughter in the tree at our park near our home in Hornell.

We joined the family at nearby Letchworth State Park.

This is the Genesee River and falls in the park.

Here we are at the Stony Brook Park (even closer to our home) in the Dansville area.

A month ago, we went with other senior missionaries to Watkins Glen and on the the Priesthood Restoration site in Pennsylvania. This is Watkins Glen.

Here we also visited the Josiah Stowell and Joseph Knight homes.

On our way to Palmyra from Hornell, we pass by the beautiful Canandaigua Lake.

From a hill area north of Hornell you can see in the distance the many windmills in the Cohocton area.

Hornell is famous as being the home of actor Bill Pullman. This is the house that belonged to his parents. The owner is a member of our branch (she wants to sell it if you are interested). She has spoken with Bill Pullman when he visited the place.

 The political leanings here are fairly pronounced (below is an enlargement of the sign in front of a home at the hamlet of Loon Lake within our branch).