New Zealand: the Missionary’s Wonderland

New Zealand— the Missionary's Wonder- land.

BY ELDER E. P. PECTOL.

The cut herewith shows all but two of the elders who were laboring in the Wairarapa Conference last August.

ELDERS OF THE WAIRARAPA CONFERENCE, NEW ZEALAND.

Back row: W. C. Harper, J. A. Erickson, A. E. Anderson. Front row: H. H. Crouch, E. P. Pectol, J. J. Godfrey.

I wish to briefly explain a few of the many good features of New Zealand, showing it to be a field of labor to be desired by earnest missionaries.

226 IMPROVEMENT ERA.

The Wairarapa is one of the beautiful valleys of New Zea- land, situated in the southern part of the North Island, stretching northward from Cook's Strait, a distance of sixty or seventy miles, and contains many beautiful streams and woodland scenes, and a lake on which countless numbers of ducks and swans may be seen the whole year round. In width the valley proper is

about four miles, and is bounded on the west by the beautiful and densely wooded Rimutaker range, whose noble forests lie majes- tically mirrored in the calm lake at its foot, and on the east by the low coast range. Attached to the valley and lake is this Maori legend: You will observe that the North Island is fish-like in appear- ance. As the legend goes, while out fishing, Maui's hook became fastened to some very large object. Being a very strong man, he succeeded in bringing to the immense fish— the surface an North Island, as we now have it. Wairarapa valley, situated in the extreme southern part, between two mountain heads that fall sheer into the ocean, and the lake, twenty miles long, is directly connected with the sea from the fish's head and open mouth, in which Maui's hook became fastened. Cape Kidnapper, the southern point of Hawke's Bay, represents the hook Maui used in bringing up New Zealand. This is only one among the many beautiful valleys in New Zealand. The mountain scenery, for its kind, cannot be surpassed elsewhere. It has no eternal snow-clad peaks, like the Rockies or Himalayas, nor has it an abundance of precipitous, rugged, glaring, weird scenery, which is so fascinating to some; but it is that beautiful, green, picturesque, wooded and vineclad scenery, en- livened by the sounds of the laughing rills and the songs of birds, that awes one into admiration; and that causes one to exclaim, with a new inspiration, "Chance cannot be the author of such beauty! It required a master mind, with a complete knowledge of the forces of nature, to produce in reality this beauty that skilled artistshave only succeeded in feebly portraying upon canvas." Do elders enjoy legends or scenery, there is no better place than New Zealand to gratify their feelings. In size, Wairarapa district is thirty-five miles wide and one hundred miles long. To enhance its value, eight cities and many

NEW ZEALAND— THE MISSIONARY'S WONDERLAND. 227 small towns dot the land. In all, about thirty-five thousand Europeans, and one thousand Maoris, find homes and shelter within these boundaries, with but four elders to proclaim to them the gospel's message. There are many such districts. You ask, what kind of people? As good as in any land. People with souls to save. All are God's people, and he values one soul not less than another. Do elders have in their hearts, first and foremost, their missionary work? There is no better field than New Zealand. "But," says one, "I want to come in contact with the best in the world, — the educated, the learned, the scientific. I prefer England or Germany." Let me say here: this government has a splendid educational system of her own, and one can do well to study it. Does it oppose your theoretical idea of an educational system? You, then, are better off for having met its opposition. You may become an originator, instead of an imitator. Do you wish to develop your psychological study? Do you wish to become a leader and an organ- izer? If so, no better oppor- tunities offer elsewhere than in New Zealand. Four na- tive schools are now in ses- sion, and one more is soon to be established. Then, plans for the building of a college are being executed as fast as possible. The New Zealand Mission is coming to the front. All we need is more good elders. We often hear at home that the climate of New Zealand is very unhealthful. This is not so. It is true that The Writer in his Garden, with a few of his Maori School Children elders occasionally get sick in the Background. here, but is this not the case in every mission field? 'Tis

true we are subject to very sudden changes, yet there are no great extremes to fear. The temperature ranges betwee

228 IMPROVEMENT ERA.

twenty degrees Fahrenheit in winter, to ninety degrees in

summer. Snow seldom falls except on the tops of the mountains. I wish to say here that I am writing about the North Island only; the South Island being subject to heavy snow- falls and, naturally, a lower N*~ rt ; m-i »»c. — -alt temperature. While I think proPv. due caution should be used and the physical condition of ute the elders well understood ;i-''jj^5l before assigning them to their fields of labor, yet

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believe the call is the main

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thing to heed, and trust to

H the One whose work we ara doing. People affected with asthma, bronchitis, consump- tion and various other lung

Milking Force at the Taumata Sheds and throat troubles, have been greatly benefited here, while others, not affected, have contracted these maladies. Disease exists everywhere. Have faith in the work we go out to perform; and remember the promises that Jesus made to his seven- ties and apostles are in full force today. New Zealand is noted for its dairy products. Large dairy farms and milking sheds are seen on every hand, and our Saints are not behind in this industry, one family milking one hundred and twenty-five cows through the summer, and seventy-five in winter. The above cut shows a group of milkers at one of the many farms where our elders find a home, warm friends and loyal Saints. The one who represents himself as foreman, takes a leading part as general roust-about in the shed, among the pails, and at the churn, and is one of our good "Mormon" boys. If elders have hesitated, in deciding where they should like to go, let them do so no longer. Swing the battle ax aloft and shout, "New Zealand for me!" Masterton, New Zealand.