THE HMB ENDEAVOUR

Wednesday morning I substitute taught early morning seminary, covering John 20.  Great young people in the class asking good questions.  There was a traffic jam so the drive back to our apartment took 1 ¼ hours, usually a 15 minute trip.  Part of the traffic hold up was likely tied to the new $700 million dollar Auckland convention center catching on fire.  It took 3 days to put the fire out.  That evening Alisa and I drove over to the Redoubt Road Chapel to attend a Launching Leaders event for one of our business class students, Vivian.  This is also the site of the new Auckland temple, which will be built soon.  The sight is just off Highway 1, and will be a very visible part of the Auckland skyline when finished.  It is a great location, land that was given to the Church by the Maoris.  There is a hugh stake center and the New Zealand MTC already built on the same site.

Friday was Ed’s 28^th birthday.  We’re looking forward to his visit this coming week.  Saturday Alisa and I took it easy.  I spent some time at the office working on my upcoming Education week remarks.  In the afternoon we took the express bus into Auckland down to the port where the Maritime Museum was hosting an exhibit of a full size replica of the HMB Endeavour, the ship that Captain Cook sailed around the world from 1768-71. During that time he charted New Zealand, the east coast of Australia, and many of the Pacific islands. The ship will be in the harbour for a few days, we got to explore the entire ship, Captain Jack Sparrow would have been impressed!  After climbing around that ship we then explored a New Zealand naval ship parked in the bay next to it, then toured the museum.  We then found a food court with various Asian restaurants, where Alisa had Indian and I had Vietnamese for dinner.

After church and our business class today, this evening Alisa and I are in charge of a devotional for the senior missionaries at the Administration building.  We have invited a couple who joined the Church in Brazil and then emigrated to NZ to share their experiences, then we’ll share root beer floats.