Sister Hazel Kaese

Hazel (in pink shirt) with her husband Mitchell and their three children.

Hazel's family converted to the Church when she was 9 years old:

"My mother was very, very ill.  We thought she could die.  I told my best friend at school in Grade 3, and she told her Mum - who was Carol Bentley, who was the ward Relief Society president.  Carol believed that everyone within the ward boundaries should be taken care of, whether or not they were members of the Church.  She organised support, (food and other help), so all these meals were turning up.  Carol told her husband, Tom, and he came too, saying, 'we just want to help.'  The missionaries did yard work, and kept coming around and offering to help.  Carol was packing lunches and looking after Mum at home, for several months, without any expectation.  It wasn't like - you can only have this if you come and listen to our beliefs. It was just done with kindness and love.  Dad recognized that these were good people.  He finally said to the missionaries, 'You keep coming around; you might as well tell me what you believe.'  Dad had a question that he asked everyone religious who came to the door: 'What's heaven like?  Do you work there?  How do you get your food?'  He liked the missionaries' answer that heaven is a beautiful place, but that we continue to work, learn and serve others there.

"My mother also had a question.  Her father was disappointed with religion because my mother had a sister who had died when she was 6 months old.  The minister wouldn't give her a Christian burial because she hadn't been Christened, and he said that she was 'full of sin'.  My grandfather studied the scriptures and he spoke to (my mum) when she was leaving home, saying:  'At some point you will want to discover religion. You need to look for one that has a living prophet, because that is what the scriptures taught.  Also, knowledge should have witnesses to it, so when you are taught, it should be two people teaching.  You should believe that children are born without sin.'  The missionaries still came around teaching for 6 months before they were baptised, because my parents really wanted to know."

Do you have any advice for the sisters?

"Go with your passion in life.  When I entered Uni, it was so I could work with 'normal' children, but I discovered that my passion in life is working with children with disabilities."

Original art by Hazel

What would you like the sisters to know about you?

"I am a mother and a wife.  And a teacher for anyone who wants to know about looking after children who have disabilities.  The thing that got me through university and some other trials in life, is knowing that I am a daughter of God."

   

Original art by Hazel

Hazel was born in Tingalpa, Brisbane.  When she was very young her family lived in Canada for 2 years, then spent 6 months in England, before coming back to Australia.  She and Mitchell married in the Sydney temple 25 years ago, and have three children.  In 2010 Hazel commenced a 'Bachelor of Child and Family Studies' degree at Griffith University.  While currently studying for her 'Masters in Autism', she also loves her work as an Inclusion Support Facilitator at Noah's Ark, providing special needs support.  Hazel's past callings at church include a 15 year stint serving in Primary as the Primary Music Leader.  She and Mitchell now serve as Nursery Leaders in the EMP ward.  Hazel loves reading her text books, singing, and bush-walking with her family, but her special interest is in Aboriginal painting and art - something she has loved since she was a little girl, even before she learned that her grandmother was Aboriginal.  Previous to university, Hazel taught Aboriginal art and behavioural management, as a teacher aide and Cultural and Indigenous Arts teacher aide.

Hazel describes herself as:

"Generally happy, love helping people, love working with children, love sharing the knowledge I have learned with other people."

By Sandy Munro