Hamish Taylor and his wife Molly (along with their two boys, Liam and Dillon) flew to the States today for their 2 and a half month furlough.
Furlough is basically a period of time where missionaries and church plant leaders go to their "sending" country, visit all their supporters (individuals and churches), and give updates on their church plant in hope that their current supporters will continue to support them in the future. This is extremely important since early church plants, including Rechurch, don't provide staff members with salaries. Most finances are given from outside supporters and that's the money that Rechurch uses for all of their funding. Pretty big deal.
I know I only have a few more weeks left here, but it is going to be super weird not to have the Taylor's around. I mean, Hamish is our head teaching pastor and Molly, although not an "official" staff member, is a huge contribution to the church from morning tea set-up to helping out in Sunday School. Hamish was also one of my supervisors... I met with him fortnightly to discuss topics in the books he assigned me to read for my internship, he led one of the Bible Studies I attended, and we spent lots of time together debriefing and just talking about my internship experience as a whole. He's been a really encouraging mentor to me and guide as I have just started to get a taste of what church planting is all about. Not to mention, Molly and him have been extremely good to me as friends and fellow believers. They let me live with them for two weeks (fee of charge by the way) after the February 22 earthquake. They also let me use their showers when Neil and Yo's water was cut out for a week. I also can't even begin to count the number of times they made me meals and drove me around when I needed a ride.
They are two of the most generous and selfless people I have met and I have been so grateful to get to know this wonderful couple of the five months I was able to spend with them. I am so thankful for their kind hearts and hospitality. They will be dearly missed by Rechurch over the time they are gone... I just hope I get to meet up with them in the near future!
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Poop. Literally... POOP.
Here's a fun little story to share with you all.
Since all of these ridiculous earthquake shenanigans started, things that were normal previous to the shakes are now goin' crazy.
Example: Power. You'd think this would be pretty consistent, but no. I sleep with a torch (flashlight) next to me just in case, because t's been cutting out frequently. Pain in my butt. And CHCH in the winter is COLD, so no heat? Also not fun.
The real focus of this post, however, is about the plumbing.
Water mains break and the plumbing underneath the city in places has literally been exploding. After the February 22 quake, we went to the bathroom outside (not kidding) for a few days until portaloos (portapotties) were delivered around the suburbs. After a couple weeks, houses around CHCH were being administered chemical toilets. Ours lasted for a good while... and then it broke and leaked all over the floor - YEAH, SICK. Because of the plumbing and sewage that was leaking into water mains, we had to boil water for about two months. We were finally at the point where it was safe to drink the water and use the toilets regularly and then the June 13 quakes hit. There was more water main damage and we were on boiled water alert once again. However, the council told us it was alright to use our toilets in the area I live... so naturally, we did.
Fast forward a week and a half...
It was in the middle of the night and I could hear Neil and Yo up and about and talking loud/making lots of noise. I woke myself up a little bit more and could hear water and I noticed their voices were pretty frantic. I walked out of my room to see what was up and all I smelled was sewage. They were in the toilet and it was EXPLODING. Not kidding. Geyser of sewage out of the toilet. I rushed to their aid and when we tried to close the lid, it just sprayed out the sides. Poop... EVERYWHERE. All of the walls and all over us. The same thing was happening in their toilet as well. After a couple of minutes it stopped, but the nasty sewage water was everywhere. It was one of the grossest things I have ever experienced. And I think I scrubbed my skin raw in the shower to try and get rid of the stench.
It still smells so bad that when I have to pee, I literally do it in record time so I don't have to stay in there too long and smell it.
Man... out. of. control.
Since all of these ridiculous earthquake shenanigans started, things that were normal previous to the shakes are now goin' crazy.
Example: Power. You'd think this would be pretty consistent, but no. I sleep with a torch (flashlight) next to me just in case, because t's been cutting out frequently. Pain in my butt. And CHCH in the winter is COLD, so no heat? Also not fun.
The real focus of this post, however, is about the plumbing.
Water mains break and the plumbing underneath the city in places has literally been exploding. After the February 22 quake, we went to the bathroom outside (not kidding) for a few days until portaloos (portapotties) were delivered around the suburbs. After a couple weeks, houses around CHCH were being administered chemical toilets. Ours lasted for a good while... and then it broke and leaked all over the floor - YEAH, SICK. Because of the plumbing and sewage that was leaking into water mains, we had to boil water for about two months. We were finally at the point where it was safe to drink the water and use the toilets regularly and then the June 13 quakes hit. There was more water main damage and we were on boiled water alert once again. However, the council told us it was alright to use our toilets in the area I live... so naturally, we did.
Fast forward a week and a half...
It was in the middle of the night and I could hear Neil and Yo up and about and talking loud/making lots of noise. I woke myself up a little bit more and could hear water and I noticed their voices were pretty frantic. I walked out of my room to see what was up and all I smelled was sewage. They were in the toilet and it was EXPLODING. Not kidding. Geyser of sewage out of the toilet. I rushed to their aid and when we tried to close the lid, it just sprayed out the sides. Poop... EVERYWHERE. All of the walls and all over us. The same thing was happening in their toilet as well. After a couple of minutes it stopped, but the nasty sewage water was everywhere. It was one of the grossest things I have ever experienced. And I think I scrubbed my skin raw in the shower to try and get rid of the stench.
It still smells so bad that when I have to pee, I literally do it in record time so I don't have to stay in there too long and smell it.
Man... out. of. control.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Parachute
I absolutely love music. It is one of the few things in my life I truly believe I could not live without. I have a really diverse taste in music, too - I like most genres and give most music a good listen before I decide if I like it or not.
Right now, I am a pretty big fan of the band Parachute. I enjoy the mellowness of most of their songs and I really appreciate their overall musicianship. Not to mention, I think the lead singer is a babe.
Here is one of my favorite songs of theirs right now:
Right now, I am a pretty big fan of the band Parachute. I enjoy the mellowness of most of their songs and I really appreciate their overall musicianship. Not to mention, I think the lead singer is a babe.
Here is one of my favorite songs of theirs right now:
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
On Working Out
I really enjoy working out... I am just honestly not that great about doing it.
I would describe myself as the "Workout Flake". I am the person that goes on a big workout kick for a couple months and then will stop going for a few weeks... and then start again... and then stop again... And then sign up for a class... but then I won't do anything else... I'm just not that consistent. This is one of the things about myself that annoys me the MOST. The worst thing about it? I have COMPLETE control over it... I'm just not consistently disciplined. And I also look for excuses on why I shouldn't go work out... It's really rainy, I'll slip or I don't have anyone to run with or I just don't have time to go to th gym today or I am so tired! Bad excuses... HORRIBLE.
Living in NZ doesn't help either. After three weeks here, I went to the gym that's right across from the office and signed up for a membership. I was super excited to have a place to go work out in - especially convenient being right next to work... I didn't have an excuse NOT to go! But then... wah wah wahhhh... the earthquake. The whole mall (gym included) was munted (destroyed) and won't be open until September. SUCKS FOR ME.
I figured I could still run outside... but until I signed up for my 10k, I wasn't THAT consistent with that... at MOST once or twice a week. Once I signed up for my 10k, I was pretty golden for 6-7 weeks... but once the race was done? Oops. Maybe I should just continuously sign up for 5k and 10k races so that I keep running...
Anyways, I was just thinking about how I need to go run this afternoon when I stumbled across this video (typical...). I think it's hilarious... hope you enjoy it too and get motivated to go have a good workout ;)
I would describe myself as the "Workout Flake". I am the person that goes on a big workout kick for a couple months and then will stop going for a few weeks... and then start again... and then stop again... And then sign up for a class... but then I won't do anything else... I'm just not that consistent. This is one of the things about myself that annoys me the MOST. The worst thing about it? I have COMPLETE control over it... I'm just not consistently disciplined. And I also look for excuses on why I shouldn't go work out... It's really rainy, I'll slip or I don't have anyone to run with or I just don't have time to go to th gym today or I am so tired! Bad excuses... HORRIBLE.
Living in NZ doesn't help either. After three weeks here, I went to the gym that's right across from the office and signed up for a membership. I was super excited to have a place to go work out in - especially convenient being right next to work... I didn't have an excuse NOT to go! But then... wah wah wahhhh... the earthquake. The whole mall (gym included) was munted (destroyed) and won't be open until September. SUCKS FOR ME.
I figured I could still run outside... but until I signed up for my 10k, I wasn't THAT consistent with that... at MOST once or twice a week. Once I signed up for my 10k, I was pretty golden for 6-7 weeks... but once the race was done? Oops. Maybe I should just continuously sign up for 5k and 10k races so that I keep running...
Anyways, I was just thinking about how I need to go run this afternoon when I stumbled across this video (typical...). I think it's hilarious... hope you enjoy it too and get motivated to go have a good workout ;)
Monday, June 20, 2011
Getting A Wee Bit Old
These earthquakes... not gonna lie... I'm pretty over them. The whole boiling water, having an emergency pack by your bed at night, getting woken up way too often, feeling dusty and dirty every time I go outside, and not being able to just take a bus with a normal schedule thing is getting a wee bit old.
As some of you probably know, last Monday, there were two more big shakes here in Christchurch. The first one, a 5.5 magnitude, was at 1 pm and the second, a 6.3 magnitude (same as the February quake) was at 2:20 pm. I was actually gone on holiday for both, which is such a bittersweet thing. I know, silly, right?
SWEET because I didn't have to feel the big shakes... which are SO frightening. This eliminated my personal anxiety and all the flashbacks I have to the February 22nd quake.
The biggest thing I fear though is the liklihood of another big earthquake hitting Christchurch when I am not here. At least if I were in CHCH I could be of assistance and help with relief work (which we are doing right now after these other quakes). Once I am back in the States though, the opportunities to come back will be limited. My heart will be broken because I can't be next to my loved ones here... knowing how much they are struggling and I can't be with them to share in both pain and hope for a restored city. I will have to offer as much of myself as possible from a distance... which I hate thinking about.
I know... being of assistance from afar is better than not helping at all... but CHCH is my second home. These are my family members. Just.... struggling I guess.
Pray for the continued restoration of the city. Yes, it is in pretty horrendous physical condition, but I ask you to focus your prayers on the people of this city. That hope is not abandoned. That believers, guided completely by the power of the Holy Spirit, can be a light. That ReChurch can continue to offer the support that people in the city need. Pray that HEARTS are enriched by scriptures and trusting in how faithful the Lord is. Pray that people find positive ways to relate to every situation. Pray that families are united and not emotionally broken. Pray that people would leave selfishness behind and aid their neighbors in any ways possible.
Thank you to everyone being such an encouragement and prayer partner to me as I have embarked on this adventure through "Quake City."
As some of you probably know, last Monday, there were two more big shakes here in Christchurch. The first one, a 5.5 magnitude, was at 1 pm and the second, a 6.3 magnitude (same as the February quake) was at 2:20 pm. I was actually gone on holiday for both, which is such a bittersweet thing. I know, silly, right?
SWEET because I didn't have to feel the big shakes... which are SO frightening. This eliminated my personal anxiety and all the flashbacks I have to the February 22nd quake.
BITTER because I still am impacted and influenced by the effects. Beyond the physical implications of earthquake damage, it's just SO emotionally draining. I hate having to watch people NOT handle the shakes well. All I can do is listen and be present... and that's good and all... but I can only do so much. I really have to leave it completely up to the Lord and trust that he is going to take care of His beloved's in every case/situation - emotionally and physically. I hate being witness to a city so devastated by things completely out of their control. I am trying to remain positive and light-hearted as the most positive people in my immediate environment struggle with what to do next...
Should we move?
What about my family?
I just can't handle it anymore.
I am fearing for my life.
The biggest thing I fear though is the liklihood of another big earthquake hitting Christchurch when I am not here. At least if I were in CHCH I could be of assistance and help with relief work (which we are doing right now after these other quakes). Once I am back in the States though, the opportunities to come back will be limited. My heart will be broken because I can't be next to my loved ones here... knowing how much they are struggling and I can't be with them to share in both pain and hope for a restored city. I will have to offer as much of myself as possible from a distance... which I hate thinking about.
I know... being of assistance from afar is better than not helping at all... but CHCH is my second home. These are my family members. Just.... struggling I guess.
Pray for the continued restoration of the city. Yes, it is in pretty horrendous physical condition, but I ask you to focus your prayers on the people of this city. That hope is not abandoned. That believers, guided completely by the power of the Holy Spirit, can be a light. That ReChurch can continue to offer the support that people in the city need. Pray that HEARTS are enriched by scriptures and trusting in how faithful the Lord is. Pray that people find positive ways to relate to every situation. Pray that families are united and not emotionally broken. Pray that people would leave selfishness behind and aid their neighbors in any ways possible.
Thank you to everyone being such an encouragement and prayer partner to me as I have embarked on this adventure through "Quake City."
Saturday, June 18, 2011
South Island Holiday
Last Wednesday, J.D., a guy I went to Creighton with, and I began our adventure around the South Island for holiday. J.D. has been living and working on a golf course on the North Island since January. Since he doesn't have much work during the winter months, he decided to do a bit of traveling. As for myself, I wanted to travel before leaving this beautiful country, I just didn't want to go by myself and have to maneuver my way around alone... perfect opportunity for the two of us to connect and have an adventure together! AND since neither one of us knew each other that well in Uni, it would be a good opportunity to formally meet and get to know the other better.
Here is a brief outline of our trip and what we did!
Day 1: Drove from Christchurch to Queenstown! We basically took the scenic route through Linnis Pass and stopped in a couple small towns to get petrol and grab some food at cute little cafes. Driving through the Canterbury plains doesn't look like much, but as soon as you start driving through the middle of the country, you start seeing more dryer mountain terrain. Really pretty and nice colors around this time of year. Once we arrived in Queenstown, we basically just parked the car and walked around the town square. It's a really touristy town, so we just explored shops and sat down to relax and have a coffee before finding a hostel to stay in. That night, we stayed in a hostel right outside the town square called Bungi Backpackers - I highly recommend this place to anyone staying in Queenstown. Super affordable, private, and clean. J.D. and I both slept really well this night after a long day of driving.
Day 2: We got up nice and early, got breakfast and coffee, and headed to the A.J. Hackett Bungy office in Queenstown. Yep... we were both headed to our first bungy jumps! There are heaps of places around Queenstown people can bungy and do adventure sports, but both of us decided that if we were going to do a bungy jump at all (and pay for it), we might as well go big or go home. Compared to the 35-43 meter jumps one could do around town, J.D. and I booked the Nevis Bungy Jump - a 134 meter jump out of a cable car in the middle of mountains and a valley. 8 second free fall. Second biggest bungy jump in the whole world. Was I nervous before jumping? Nervous would be a huge understatement. I was never planning to do a bungy jump EVER... but I did... and it wasone of the greatest experiences of my life. I don't even know how to fully describe the feeling of free falling toward the ground, but it is beyond exhilarating. I was seriously speechless for a good 20 minutes after the jump. INCREDIBLE. I would recommend this to EVERYONE. That afternoon, we walked around Queenstown some more and then took the Skyline Gondola up the mountain and did the luge track. Really chilly and cold up on that mountain, but the luge was so much fun - plus, the view was worth every penny! This night, J.D. and I left Queenstown and drove to our next destination Te Anau.
Day 3: Left our hostel early in the morning to meet up in downtown Te Anau with our tour group/bus that was going to take us to Milford Sound! Turns out, not very many people want to travel to Milford Sound in the off season... there were only four of us (plus the bus driver) on the bus. J.D., a cute Irish couple, and myself. It was kind of awesome though... had some good chats and got to stop heaps along the way, seeing lots of beautiful landscapes and sites through Fiordland National Park. We even got to drink glacier water from a stream... probably some of the best water I have ever tasted. Once we got to Milford Sound, we got on the boat, had lunch, and just enjoyed the rest of the afternoon exploring the beautiful fiord. This is definitely one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. Massive mountains just coming right out of the clear water with cascading waterfalls everywhere. Better in person than I ever could have pictured in my head. We headed back to Te Anau this evening and just walked around town a little bit. This night, J.D. and I went on a tour of the Glowworm caves - super interesting even though we had the WEIRDEST tour guide ever who yelled at the two of us for talking too loud and too much and disturbing the glowworms. Big surprise there... not.
Day 4: Left Te Anau and drove south to Invercargill. This part of our trip was spontaneous and not planned at all... we just figured if we are traveling, we should see it all. The south is a lot of farmland and rolling hills... really really beautiful even though there wasn't much to do! Stopped for lunch in Invercargill and then we drove to Bluff, the southernmost city of mainland NZ. We continued east and drove along the Catlins Coast to see some spectacular ocean views, including Nugget Point. We ended our day in Dunedin on the east coast where we stayed with some incredibly gracious and hospitable friends of mine - Thanks David and Phillipa!
Day 5: Went to Tunnel Beach off coast in Dunedin, explored downtown Dunedin a bit, and climbed Baldwin Street, the steepest street in the world! J.S. was a jerk though and made me walk all the way up the hill while he drove it. Loser... kidding... but not really. That afternoon, we decided to make a big move and drive all the way to Wanaka, which is not far from Queenstown. Once we arrived in Wanaka, we drove straight to Puzzle World... WHICH IS AWESOME. I love puzzles and mazes, so I thought this places was great. They had illusion rooms filled with puzzles and other crazy mind blowing things... kind of cheesy, but good fun. Htowever, the coolest thing about this place was the giant maze/labyrinth in the courtyard. Once you entered the maze, you were challenged to find the four corner towers and they estimated it would take between 30 minutes and an hour. Apparently it is only about 1.5k to get through, but most people walk anywhere between 3 and 5k. It took J.D. and I over an hour to complete the task/maze and I am guessing I ran (yes, RAN) about 7k. We thought it was going to be some simple, light-hearted maze, but oh no, this was the maze of death. What started as a little competition and race between him and I turned out to be a race for our freedom since there was no way to leave except to get back to the start of the race... which proved to be much more difficult than we both anticipated. As tiring and confusing as it was, it was still heaps of fun. This night, we bought our dinner at the grocery store, watched the sunset at Lake Wanaka, and headed to our next hostel.
Day 6: We hiked up Roy's Peak in Wanaka near the Diamond Lakes. Afterward, we continued our journey west toward Haast. We had heaps of time on our hands, so we stopped a lot at different points a long the way, like the Blue Pools and various waterfalls. It was fun going on a lot of little hikes and walks throughout the day and exploring the vast, mossy, green temperate rainforests of the West Coast. We were going to stop in Haast for the night, but when we SAW Haast, we laughed and decided to move on. we were expecting a bigger village with heaps of interesting things to do... Nope... not at all. We drove through it and it took less than 30 seconds. No joke. We ended up further up the west coast in Franz Josef for the night.
Day 7: Hiked to the Franz Josef glacier this morning! We had the option of hiking ON the glacier itself... for $125... so we skipped and just decided to hike to it. When I come back to NZ, I would love to hike on it, but it was still gorgeous and super cool from what we got to see. This afternoon, we decided to make our way back to Christchurch... which meant another long day of driving. We got to see some incredible things along the way back. The west coast beaches, mountainous landscapes, Knight's Point, Aurthur's Pass (where we met some very eager Kea birds), and Castle Hill. Castle Hill is probably my second favorite spot in New Zealand now. Later this evening, we finally made it back to CHCH exhausted but thankful for a busy and event-filled holiday week!
It was so great being able to travel around and see so much of the country. I have basically seen 85% of the South Island and I am just blown away by how beautiful it all is. You really can see every type of terrain here... Mountains, rain forests, beaches, snow-capped mountains, rural farmland, dry deserts, etc... it's just unbelievable. I can't wait to come back, see everything else, spend significant time on the North Island, and get to do a lot of the adventurous, outdoors stuff I didn't get to this time around (Ski in the mountains, paraglide, skydive, hike Franz Josef) and probably bungy again, ha ha!
Here is a brief outline of our trip and what we did!
Day 1: Drove from Christchurch to Queenstown! We basically took the scenic route through Linnis Pass and stopped in a couple small towns to get petrol and grab some food at cute little cafes. Driving through the Canterbury plains doesn't look like much, but as soon as you start driving through the middle of the country, you start seeing more dryer mountain terrain. Really pretty and nice colors around this time of year. Once we arrived in Queenstown, we basically just parked the car and walked around the town square. It's a really touristy town, so we just explored shops and sat down to relax and have a coffee before finding a hostel to stay in. That night, we stayed in a hostel right outside the town square called Bungi Backpackers - I highly recommend this place to anyone staying in Queenstown. Super affordable, private, and clean. J.D. and I both slept really well this night after a long day of driving.
Day 2: We got up nice and early, got breakfast and coffee, and headed to the A.J. Hackett Bungy office in Queenstown. Yep... we were both headed to our first bungy jumps! There are heaps of places around Queenstown people can bungy and do adventure sports, but both of us decided that if we were going to do a bungy jump at all (and pay for it), we might as well go big or go home. Compared to the 35-43 meter jumps one could do around town, J.D. and I booked the Nevis Bungy Jump - a 134 meter jump out of a cable car in the middle of mountains and a valley. 8 second free fall. Second biggest bungy jump in the whole world. Was I nervous before jumping? Nervous would be a huge understatement. I was never planning to do a bungy jump EVER... but I did... and it wasone of the greatest experiences of my life. I don't even know how to fully describe the feeling of free falling toward the ground, but it is beyond exhilarating. I was seriously speechless for a good 20 minutes after the jump. INCREDIBLE. I would recommend this to EVERYONE. That afternoon, we walked around Queenstown some more and then took the Skyline Gondola up the mountain and did the luge track. Really chilly and cold up on that mountain, but the luge was so much fun - plus, the view was worth every penny! This night, J.D. and I left Queenstown and drove to our next destination Te Anau.
Day 3: Left our hostel early in the morning to meet up in downtown Te Anau with our tour group/bus that was going to take us to Milford Sound! Turns out, not very many people want to travel to Milford Sound in the off season... there were only four of us (plus the bus driver) on the bus. J.D., a cute Irish couple, and myself. It was kind of awesome though... had some good chats and got to stop heaps along the way, seeing lots of beautiful landscapes and sites through Fiordland National Park. We even got to drink glacier water from a stream... probably some of the best water I have ever tasted. Once we got to Milford Sound, we got on the boat, had lunch, and just enjoyed the rest of the afternoon exploring the beautiful fiord. This is definitely one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. Massive mountains just coming right out of the clear water with cascading waterfalls everywhere. Better in person than I ever could have pictured in my head. We headed back to Te Anau this evening and just walked around town a little bit. This night, J.D. and I went on a tour of the Glowworm caves - super interesting even though we had the WEIRDEST tour guide ever who yelled at the two of us for talking too loud and too much and disturbing the glowworms. Big surprise there... not.
Day 4: Left Te Anau and drove south to Invercargill. This part of our trip was spontaneous and not planned at all... we just figured if we are traveling, we should see it all. The south is a lot of farmland and rolling hills... really really beautiful even though there wasn't much to do! Stopped for lunch in Invercargill and then we drove to Bluff, the southernmost city of mainland NZ. We continued east and drove along the Catlins Coast to see some spectacular ocean views, including Nugget Point. We ended our day in Dunedin on the east coast where we stayed with some incredibly gracious and hospitable friends of mine - Thanks David and Phillipa!
Day 5: Went to Tunnel Beach off coast in Dunedin, explored downtown Dunedin a bit, and climbed Baldwin Street, the steepest street in the world! J.S. was a jerk though and made me walk all the way up the hill while he drove it. Loser... kidding... but not really. That afternoon, we decided to make a big move and drive all the way to Wanaka, which is not far from Queenstown. Once we arrived in Wanaka, we drove straight to Puzzle World... WHICH IS AWESOME. I love puzzles and mazes, so I thought this places was great. They had illusion rooms filled with puzzles and other crazy mind blowing things... kind of cheesy, but good fun. Htowever, the coolest thing about this place was the giant maze/labyrinth in the courtyard. Once you entered the maze, you were challenged to find the four corner towers and they estimated it would take between 30 minutes and an hour. Apparently it is only about 1.5k to get through, but most people walk anywhere between 3 and 5k. It took J.D. and I over an hour to complete the task/maze and I am guessing I ran (yes, RAN) about 7k. We thought it was going to be some simple, light-hearted maze, but oh no, this was the maze of death. What started as a little competition and race between him and I turned out to be a race for our freedom since there was no way to leave except to get back to the start of the race... which proved to be much more difficult than we both anticipated. As tiring and confusing as it was, it was still heaps of fun. This night, we bought our dinner at the grocery store, watched the sunset at Lake Wanaka, and headed to our next hostel.
Day 6: We hiked up Roy's Peak in Wanaka near the Diamond Lakes. Afterward, we continued our journey west toward Haast. We had heaps of time on our hands, so we stopped a lot at different points a long the way, like the Blue Pools and various waterfalls. It was fun going on a lot of little hikes and walks throughout the day and exploring the vast, mossy, green temperate rainforests of the West Coast. We were going to stop in Haast for the night, but when we SAW Haast, we laughed and decided to move on. we were expecting a bigger village with heaps of interesting things to do... Nope... not at all. We drove through it and it took less than 30 seconds. No joke. We ended up further up the west coast in Franz Josef for the night.
Day 7: Hiked to the Franz Josef glacier this morning! We had the option of hiking ON the glacier itself... for $125... so we skipped and just decided to hike to it. When I come back to NZ, I would love to hike on it, but it was still gorgeous and super cool from what we got to see. This afternoon, we decided to make our way back to Christchurch... which meant another long day of driving. We got to see some incredible things along the way back. The west coast beaches, mountainous landscapes, Knight's Point, Aurthur's Pass (where we met some very eager Kea birds), and Castle Hill. Castle Hill is probably my second favorite spot in New Zealand now. Later this evening, we finally made it back to CHCH exhausted but thankful for a busy and event-filled holiday week!
It was so great being able to travel around and see so much of the country. I have basically seen 85% of the South Island and I am just blown away by how beautiful it all is. You really can see every type of terrain here... Mountains, rain forests, beaches, snow-capped mountains, rural farmland, dry deserts, etc... it's just unbelievable. I can't wait to come back, see everything else, spend significant time on the North Island, and get to do a lot of the adventurous, outdoors stuff I didn't get to this time around (Ski in the mountains, paraglide, skydive, hike Franz Josef) and probably bungy again, ha ha!
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
An Exciting Week Full of Firsts!
This past week was very very exciting! For the first time in ages, HEAPS has happened and kept me on my toes! Here is what I have been up to:
1. I got a job! This for REAL - unlike my April Fool's joke. Two Fridays ago, I had my first EVER screening teaching interview with an elementary school principal in Papillion, Nebraska. This phone call was basically answering questions about my teaching philosophies. 45-minutes after that interview, she emailed me and told me she would like to have a "personal" interview (over Skype) with me. So last Wednesday, I got all dressed up, and had an interview with her, another principal, and the current art teacher from one of the schools I would be working at. I had never had a personal interview before, so I was pretty nervous... I felt a little bit better after I made them all laugh a couple times though ;) 45-minutes after THAT interview, they emailed me and told me that although they couldn't give me the official offer, they were recommending me to HR for that position. The next day, I got the official job offer... which I GLADLY accepted. Starting in early August, I will be the elementary (K-6) art teacher at three different elementary schools in Papillion-La Vista Schools. I am SO excited... nervous as, but excited nonetheless. I am so thankful for this job and having something lined up for when I return from New Zealand. Praise the LORD! My FIRST big girl job... WHOOO!
2. I ran a 10K! This was my first race ever - how AWESOME to be able to run it in New Zealand, too! It was a really fun run... good distance, great crowd, heaps of runners. ReChurch even had a water tent at the 3K marker, so it was fun being encouraged and cheered for by my church family! I didn't have a goal time in mind, I just really wanted to finish it without stopping/walking. I ended up finishing in 1:01:08... Not too shabby if I do say so myself. It was the fastest time I had ever run this distance, so I am pretty pleased. Except, since I was so close to one-hour flat, I am definitely going to run and train so I can beat one hour. I will. I will.
3. I saw my first sunrise and sunset in one day... not any old sunrise and sunset though... I watched the sun rise in Christchurch (east coast) and then a caravan of us drove through the southern alps and watched the sun set in Punakaiki (west coast). Such an incredible opportunity. Even though it was quite rainy and dreary, it was still beautiful and I got to see some great sites along the way! I was able to see the famous "pancake rocks" and blowholes on the western shores. Man, God created such a beautiful country.
The next week will be filled with all sorts of 'firsts' as well, so make sure you check back next Wednesday. I am going on a Southern Island adventure with a guy I went to Creighton with. We have all sorts of crazy as things planned... just you wait for THOSE updates :)
Love you all.
1. I got a job! This for REAL - unlike my April Fool's joke. Two Fridays ago, I had my first EVER screening teaching interview with an elementary school principal in Papillion, Nebraska. This phone call was basically answering questions about my teaching philosophies. 45-minutes after that interview, she emailed me and told me she would like to have a "personal" interview (over Skype) with me. So last Wednesday, I got all dressed up, and had an interview with her, another principal, and the current art teacher from one of the schools I would be working at. I had never had a personal interview before, so I was pretty nervous... I felt a little bit better after I made them all laugh a couple times though ;) 45-minutes after THAT interview, they emailed me and told me that although they couldn't give me the official offer, they were recommending me to HR for that position. The next day, I got the official job offer... which I GLADLY accepted. Starting in early August, I will be the elementary (K-6) art teacher at three different elementary schools in Papillion-La Vista Schools. I am SO excited... nervous as, but excited nonetheless. I am so thankful for this job and having something lined up for when I return from New Zealand. Praise the LORD! My FIRST big girl job... WHOOO!
2. I ran a 10K! This was my first race ever - how AWESOME to be able to run it in New Zealand, too! It was a really fun run... good distance, great crowd, heaps of runners. ReChurch even had a water tent at the 3K marker, so it was fun being encouraged and cheered for by my church family! I didn't have a goal time in mind, I just really wanted to finish it without stopping/walking. I ended up finishing in 1:01:08... Not too shabby if I do say so myself. It was the fastest time I had ever run this distance, so I am pretty pleased. Except, since I was so close to one-hour flat, I am definitely going to run and train so I can beat one hour. I will. I will.
3. I saw my first sunrise and sunset in one day... not any old sunrise and sunset though... I watched the sun rise in Christchurch (east coast) and then a caravan of us drove through the southern alps and watched the sun set in Punakaiki (west coast). Such an incredible opportunity. Even though it was quite rainy and dreary, it was still beautiful and I got to see some great sites along the way! I was able to see the famous "pancake rocks" and blowholes on the western shores. Man, God created such a beautiful country.
The next week will be filled with all sorts of 'firsts' as well, so make sure you check back next Wednesday. I am going on a Southern Island adventure with a guy I went to Creighton with. We have all sorts of crazy as things planned... just you wait for THOSE updates :)
Love you all.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Laundry Day.
Kiwis don't own laundry dryers... Well, a couple do, but about 90% of people don't. I didn't realize this until after I arrived here when Yo and Neil were showing me around their house and how to do different things. They have washing machines (thankfully...), but yeah, no dryers. I've been without dryers before... pretty much go anywhere outside the U.S. and dryers are just not a way of life. But for 6 months? This has been a new experience.
When I first got here and did my washing, I absolutely LOVED drying my clothes on the line. First of all, laundry is my favorite chore anyways, so hanging laundry on the outside clothesline was super therapeutic for me. And it was blazing hot for the first month, so my clothes would always dry super fast. The only downside to line drying is the fact that my American clothing was definitely not made for it... a lot of my stuff is pretty stretched out now and I will probably have to get rid of things before I leave. Besides that though, it was super easy just to hang clothes out and let them dry when I had a free afternoon.
Four months in and I am kind of over it. It's a normal part of life now, but since it is flippin' cold out, everything takes FOREVER to dry. Why? Well, it basically rains everyday so I have had to leave my clothes out to dry on clothing horses throughout the house. Laundry isn't just an afternoon thing every week or two anymore... It's a necessity to do your washing at LEAST once a week since it takes about two days for your clothes to fully dry. If I don't keep up, I'll run out of things to wear (who knew THAT was possible)... Not to mention, Ethan goes around and takes my laundry off the clothing horses... and NOT the items I would like him to personally be carrying around the house.
Must admit that I am excited to go back to the states and have dryers.
When I first got here and did my washing, I absolutely LOVED drying my clothes on the line. First of all, laundry is my favorite chore anyways, so hanging laundry on the outside clothesline was super therapeutic for me. And it was blazing hot for the first month, so my clothes would always dry super fast. The only downside to line drying is the fact that my American clothing was definitely not made for it... a lot of my stuff is pretty stretched out now and I will probably have to get rid of things before I leave. Besides that though, it was super easy just to hang clothes out and let them dry when I had a free afternoon.
Four months in and I am kind of over it. It's a normal part of life now, but since it is flippin' cold out, everything takes FOREVER to dry. Why? Well, it basically rains everyday so I have had to leave my clothes out to dry on clothing horses throughout the house. Laundry isn't just an afternoon thing every week or two anymore... It's a necessity to do your washing at LEAST once a week since it takes about two days for your clothes to fully dry. If I don't keep up, I'll run out of things to wear (who knew THAT was possible)... Not to mention, Ethan goes around and takes my laundry off the clothing horses... and NOT the items I would like him to personally be carrying around the house.
Must admit that I am excited to go back to the states and have dryers.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Redefining 'Normal'.
I have been living and working in New Zealand for over four months now. I am well past the point of feeling uncomfortable or uneasy. And I am way past the honeymoon stage. Honestly, as flexible and adaptable of a person I am, I am surprised about how fast I have truly settled in here.
Currently, I am at the point in my 'Kiwi Adventure' where things are... normal. The language. The food. The earthquakes. The wildlife. The people. It's all been so ingrained in my daily life since day one, that now I honestly don't remember what certain things are like back at home. Actually, maybe 'normal' isn't the right word. How I feel about my time in NZ and what stage I am in is so much more emotional than the vibe that the word 'normal' gives off... maybe I should say: My heart is in New Zealand.
I have heard people say this on numerous occasions about the different places they've been to. When someone comes back from a mission/service trip, an incredible vacation, or a really great experience abroad, I often hear, "My heart's in __________." To be honest, I have said this before... but I really didn't know what it meant. I am still trying to figure it out.
I've spent the past four months DIGGING into realms of my own heart I didn't even know existed. Confronting past sins that I've purposefully tried forgetting. I have come to face, overcome, and even fall to challenges against me. Never before in my life have I experienced so much joy, loneliness, happiness, confusion, doubt, confidence, fear, sadness, humility, humor, acceptance, love, passion, and most of all grace. Just listing all of those things makes me exhausted. My experience here so far has been more than good. More than positive. More than an opportunity to work and live abroad... It has sucked. It's brought me to tears more times than I would like to admit. It's been stressful and difficult... and I wouldn't have it any other way. I've fallen in love.
I am not just talking about enjoying my time and wanting to come back one day. I am talking about LOVE. I am not saying that I hope I will be back... I will be back. I will be absolutely heart-broken when I leave. Not just because I experienced so many unexplainable emotional highs here, but because I've hit bottom here. Through the brokenness of the city, the brokenness of the people, the brokenness of my own soul, God has open my eyes to see how beautiful He is.
My experience in New Zealand has been a death to myself like I have never imagined. That's what I see as love. Death to oneself. It's not just enjoying the times that make you feel comfortable and at ease. It's not even enjoying those trials you experienced because you learned so much about yourself and grew because of them. It's actually not about you at all. It's about the other.
I can't wait to go home and see my family and friends. My heart is not bound to one place... I feel more free to love now no matter where I am. Love the country because God loves the country. Love the people because God loves them. And even though I have fallen madly in love with New Zealand and will be so so sad to leave, I need to remember that God loves NZ more than I ever could and ever will and He is with these people. He is healing the broken. He is the source of all the joy. He is the creator and sustainer of the abundant beauty. No one is more joyful and brokenhearted over the world than God... no one is more in love with any nation, people group, or person than God.
This new 'normal' for me... this love... it's not going to fade. The death to myself must continue. Even when things seem monotonous and stereotypically "normal", I must remember that my new normal is a changed heart full of love and trusting of how loving our God is. My new normal is longing to have a heart like God's... a heart that both weeps and rejoices with creation.
|| This song has nothing really to do with this blog post... Whenever I am in a uber emotional state, I just need a really good healing song with some great lyrics. This is the one I chose for tonight. I hope you enjoy. ||
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