A Life of Streiff

Sept.

I thought we should start this entry off with a picture of our wall. Since its football season we can't be without our flag flying. Sept. 4th

We had a pretty bad earthquake in Christchurch this morning and they have had several aftershocks. I don’t know what it is about us but everywhere we go they have earthquakes. Jodi said that a doctor she works with wants to know when we are coming home so that he can take out earthquake insurance.

We have been working on a setting up a meeting for Elder Hamula and the President of the Marshall Islands. The meeting and dinner turned out very well and president of the Marshall Islands wants to be a friend to the Church. A few weeks after the meeting the Stake President was at the president’s office to have some checks signed and he told him to sit down and visit with him for a while. He told the stake president that it was the first time he had been involved with our church and how much he enjoyed meeting with our church leaders.

He then asked what he could do to help our church in the Marshall Islands. We now have a great friend there.
A fun side note as Paul was communicating with the mission president about this dinner, he asked Paul if he was related to the Streiff’s in Rose Park at which Paul said he was, and as it turned out he worked with Rick and his father was in the bishopric when he was growing up.

Our next huge undertaking was the MTC dedication. They asked us if we would plan a public affairs event. We decided to invite the ambassador’s or high commissioners of all the Pacific Area embassies . We had to figure out who they were and send invitations from the area presidency. We sent out over 17 invitations but only three said they could attend. As it turned out only two showed up. The high commissioners from Fiji and Samoa both came and it was a great evening. They took a short tour of the building and then we had refreshments in one of the classrooms.

We had missionaries there to greet them from their home country who were serving in NZ, one who had served in their country and a new missionary who was currently training in the MTC to go to their country. We had made up a little gift packet with a CD of the Tabernacle choir, President’s Hinckley’s book, "Way to Be", and a DVD on the humanitarian projects that have been done in the Pacific Area.
The missionaries gave them the gifts packet and a book of Mormon in their language. It was fun to see these cute missionaries surround the high commissioners and visit with them. They were very impressive speaking the ambassador's language and talking about their missions.

This is Mere Tora from Fiji

We then attended the actual dedication and the meeting was so spiritual that the Commissioner from Fiji said that she had never felt such a warm spirit. She was very warm and friendly and at the conclusion of the meeting we ended up taking her back to her hotel. I think we have made a great friend in Fiji.

We decided to take a journey up to Goat Island to see where everyone says the best snorkeling is. It was a windy, rainy and very cold day but there were people in wetsuits going out to snorkel. These New Zealander's are very hardy. I afraid we got too spoiled in Samoa for us to have fun in this cold water.

September 27
We were in charge of family home evening for the senior couples so Paul and I planned a bowling outing. We had everyone make a dozen cookies so we played and ate cookies all night. Paul and I both started out great on our first game but we both went in the toilet for the second game.

This picture was taken on the Tasman sea on a windy day. You can see someone in the background kite surfing. The water was so stirred up that it looked like he was in mud or chocolate milk. Its a black sand beach, therefore the muddy looking water.