One month down!

hello from our home in the suburb of linwood, where graffiti donees each fence and signpost, but where the sun shines beautifully as the summer slowly turns to fall. our yard is slowly building up with crumpled leaves, but several bushes are still very much boasting their beautiful flowers. our doors and windows still remain very open during the days. the fresh breeze is delightful. our little windchime that was left behind tings quietly as cars whiz past on the other side of our tall, white brick wall.

we have survived one month in our new country. it’s been kind to us, compared to what some missionaries/volunteers face… such as was described in the book “near the far bamboo”, which i just finished reading yesterday—life and service through the eyes of missionaries 30 years ago in nepal (thanks for the book, mosely’s). however culture shock is still quite alive for anyone residing in a new country different from their own. i need not go into all the gory details… but yes, it’s out of our comfort zone…. each week brings it’s new challenges, ups and downs, prayers, guidance from the lord, good conversations, laughs, travels, revelations, and tears. but the reassurance of god bringing us here is the anchor that keeps us moving forward in anticipation and faith. we know a day will come when all the new things will be quite normal, and going to the states will seem less familiar (it’s also hard to imagine having children who call new zealand home… where the usa will be that far off land mom and dad always refer to as “back in the states”).

our post box has been quite empty, though we have received mail from a few (thanks!). i guess the internet causes one to forget about pen and paper. … with the internet generation rapidly using email less and facebook more, even a short email or card has so much meaning for us.

i have taken a break from facebook/twitter recently and found myself more centered, more productive at home. less connected with everyone, but talking to god more… and writing deeper, longer emails to friends. the posting of a short message on the facebook wall just aint sufficing. i need depth. i also sent out 10 postcards recently… hoping they arrive safely to their destinations sooner than later! mail delivery time to + from here seems quite inconsistent.

we’ve enjoyed some things around the area, including a rugby game, a drive to timaru, reading in hagley park, prayer walking around the neighborhood, meeting with pastors/house church folk, visiting different churches, spending time at the ywam oxford base, attending an easter service at the christchurch cathedral, running along the avon river…

we are slowly moving forward with cleaning up and furnishing the house. our crate is in new zealand but no word on when it gets shipped to christchurch. customs tends to take awhile, but it gives us an opportunity to focus on other needs here before we start unpacking more things… (but we are so excited to unpack our crate. it will be like a a huge birthday present!)

we have hosted 6 people in our house thus far, most of whom are either current ywam staff or ywam postgrads. some staff from the YWAM DTS Around the World in 80 Days came over for dinner Sat. before Easter. two slept over and went to an easter service with us at a local church. last night we had 4 more students over, who participated in the YWAM Oxford AW80D DTS last year. They are back in NZ to travel—two Americans, one Canadian, one German. Fun!

last monday 8 ywam students came to our house to help clean up the yard + wash all the windows in the house. a part of ywam is daily duties of some kind. this house is a ywam property, but i still felt strange to have them come and help clean up our area. it was a huge, huge blessing. there were americans, an irish girl, a danish guy, a kiwi, an australian and a brit. it was lovely to spend time with them and get to know them!

Please keep us in your prayers in regards to health, both physically + mentally… please pray for  safety … for our marriage.. for protection from the ugly, lying cohorts of that tiny bug called satan… please also pray for continued direction + provision as we listen + hear our Father!

thanks for reading + praying. love you.

view from our garage rooftop

beach north of timaru

canterbury crusaders vs. australian team

the colorado store here is not really about colorado… just a name of a clothing company.

but cool none the less.

speaker at ywam, frank naea, former president of ywam and i think he currently oversees the oceania region of ywam .

he is samoan + maori. really neat guy. awesome story teller.