Wood Carver Turns Hearts to Carpenter's Son

When wandering the corridors of Shoalhaven Apartment complex in Takapuna, New Zealand, one can easily identify which flats are occupied by senior missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They each have a hand-crafted wooden sign on their door with the phrase, "Kia Ora," a traditional Māori greeting for welcome, good health, hello, cheers, good luck, best wishes, etc.  

These signs were all made by Jiries Giacaman, known to many as “The Wood Carver.”

In 1987, he moved from Bethlehem, where his family has lived for over 700 years, and made New Zealand his home. His brothers and son own a wood shop "just across the road from the Nativity Church" in Bethlehem in which his father used to work.

When asked how he learned his craft, Jiries said he "learned from my father and skilled old carvers of Bethlehem--hard workers that have been following the footsteps of Jesus, and these carvings became part of us."

In answer to how long he has been doing this, he noted, "Total of 55 years of carving--22 in Bethlehem with my parents and 33 in Auckland."

Jiries starts his days at sunrise, (5 a.m. in summer and 7:30 in winter), as he says that is the best time to work. His shop is filled with his original creations, many of which are religious in nature, reflecting his Christian beliefs.

Jiries scours the countryside looking for available wood, which is often stored in the bed of his old pickup truck. He notes, "I always look around for New Zealand native wood to recycle, and it breaks my heart to see it sold as firewood with the other exotic wood. Sometimes I have to buy the whole lot to save some pieces for my work."

He also grows his own wood, including olive trees, which he prunes, then dries for use in his carvings.  He likes working with olive wood, because of its grain, smell, ease of cutting, and the reminder of home.

Jiries says, "You have to work according to the piece of wood. You have to respect the movement."

He and his wife, Marcelle, make a good team. She traces the patterns onto wood which he cuts out. She also writes "New Zealand Made" in neat cursive on most of the finished items and runs the shop. 

As a signature finishing touch, Jiries carves two small ferns on many of his pieces, representing the national plant of New Zealand.   

Many Latter-day Saint missionaries have visited Jiries and Marcelle over the years and count them as friends.

"There's an affinity there," says Alisa Gubler, a senior missionary serving in the Pacific Area office. "It's not just the beautiful carvings, and it's not just because they are delightful people. Their focus on creating beautiful things for others really strikes a chord."

Church Apostle Dieter F. Uchtdorf said, “The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul. No matter our talents, education, backgrounds, or abilities, we each have an inherent wish to create something that did not exist before.

"Everyone can create. You don’t need money, position, or influence in order to create something of substance or beauty.

"Creation brings deep satisfaction and fulfillment. We develop ourselves and others when we take unorganized matter into our hands and mold it into something of beauty." (full talk: Happiness, Your Heritage, September 2008)

For 55 years, Jiries Giacaman has been doing just that--taking unorganized matter in his hands and molding it into something of beauty.