One old lady gave me a kit, Clara Watene's mother. After that I went around to all the natives and rubbed noses with them all biding them farewell. There were several elders so it was a nice service. The water was very cold so early in the morning but managed and the boys fared all right. Elder Wright and I caught the 9:30 train and took two boys to Kerikeri where I baptized them. I slept with Howard Johnston, didn't get up until 7:30. In fact it used to be the mayor's barn." "April 20, 1918. He found it to be much smaller than the one in Auckland. I gave him possession of the bed which I had been sleeping in for two years, also the wardrobe which I had been in possession of. We all strolled back to Sister Johnston's home. At one o'clock we walked to the boat and waiting until 1:30 for it to arrive at the wharf. I cleaned up and wrote up my diary preparing to meet Elder Wright who is supposed to arrive today by the 1 o'clock boat. We were driven to the train in a two wheeled cart by a native. I rubbed noses with nearly 15 natives and I bid good luck to Elders Mow and Moody. In the afternoon (train time) I had to bid them all goodbye. We played the phonograph, read the Improvement Era, and jumped until we were very stiff and sore. It was raining all day so we remained at Omahu until 4 o'clock. After we had finished the Maoris talked to us telling their sincere love for the Elder's and biding us goodbye. Elder Russon and I were called on to speak, to give our farewell talk. In the evening they gave us a lovely dinner and at 7 o'clock began the meeting. Arriving there we walked 2 or 3 miles and met all the natives and latter all the elders rode in from Kerikeri. At 2 o'clock we called in at Parne Thorn's pawn shop and had a good conversation then caught the train and rode 12 miles to Omahu. At 12 o'clock we ate dinner with Billman's and at 1 o'clock I had my photo taken with Howard Johnson. So we had a Whakahihi crowd." "April 17th, 1918. Then there were other big men such as Sir Joseph Ward, one Prime Minister of N.Z., the Sect of the Navy of Australia and several French Generals. Here are some snippets: "On board ship were the Premiers of Australia, The Rt. Goodbyes said Elder Olsen boards a train for Auckland, spends a few days there and then boards the SS Niagara for the trip home. He spends much of the time with the President of the New Zealand Missions, Elder James N. The 43 page narrative begins with Elder Olsen in New Zealand spending his last weeks attending meetings, saying goodbyes and packing for his trip home. Beginning ApJames' is at the end of his 3 year mission and heading back to the United States. He married Hazel Acord on March 5th, 1919. The son of Utah rancher George Theodore Olsen and Catherine Maria Edwards Olsen. On offer is the super, original 1918 manuscript diary and travel journal handwritten by a young 25 year old Mormon missionary named James Milton Olsen who after three years of Christian outreach and preaching the Gospel of Mormon in Thames New Zealand to the Maoris returns to America.
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