These last few weeks have been crazy busy as we’re preparing for the ACTUAL MOVE. For those of you who don’t know, we finally got our visas back… and they were APPROVED!! Since then we’ve nailed down a solid departure date and it’s coming up so quickly! We will be boarding our flight on Tuesday, March 9th at 1:05 PM and from that point forward, our lives will be turned upside down (and not just because we’re on the bottom of the planet either).

Here are a few of the things we’ve had to do (and are still doing) over the last two weeks to prepare:

1. BUY TICKETS:

Pretty obvious. We’re flying from Denver, to Los Angeles, L.A. to Honolulu, Honolulu to Auckland, and Auckland to Christchurch. We figured after all of the chaos of moving we could use a little time to recoup before diving head-long into the deep-end of a new culture, so we’re staying a few days in Hawaii on our way. Everyone likes to ask about travel times… if we were to do this journey straight through we’d be in the air for about 15 hours. However, with layovers and time changes, it takes almost 2 full days (we leave on the 15th of March and arrive on the 17th – 42 hours later).

2. PLAN CRATE SHIPMENT:

You’d think this would be easy… I mean, it’s just like packing a few boxes and running them down to the UPS store, right? Not even close. Before this process I’d never heard of ISPM-15 Certified Heat Treated Wood, Customs Clearing Brokers, Bills of Lading, LCL, or any of the other foreign terms commonly thrown around in the international freight business. I felt like a complete idiot trying to talk to the expediting company, but we eventually got through it.
At this point we’ve had a special crate built out of bug/fungus/mold/bacteria-free wood, it’s about the size of 2 wide coffins stacked on top of each other (sorry for the awkward visual). This Thursday, it will be filled with our remaining earthly possessions (aside from the stuff we hid in my parent’s basement – thanks Mom and Dad!) loaded in a truck and sent on it’s way. The shipment should take about a month to arrive in NZ whereupon we have to hire a Customs Broker to negotiate our crate through customs, hopefully avoiding a potential month+ fumigation quarantine and any other legal obstacles. It might sound silly, but we wouldn’t mind your prayers for the safe transport of our stuff… thanks!

3. SELL OUR CAR:

We got rid of one car a few months back (Kate’s parents bought it – thanks guys!!) since then we’ve been sharing the Xterra. Not a problem at all, but now that we have to sell that one too… it gets a little more difficult. If we don’t have a car, we can’t do everything else we need to do (see #5), but if we don’t sell it before we go we’re in a bit of a jam… you see the difficulty. We’ve spent the last 2 weeks cleaning, shampooing, fixing, taking photos, posting on CraigsList, fielding calls, showing it to unresponsive buyers… fielding more calls, showing it to more buyers… and freaking out because we only have a week left. Needless to say, we still have it. Praying that the right buyer will come along… ASAP! POSTED HERE If you know anyone in CO in need of an SUV pass it on.

4. SAY BYE TO FRIENDS/FAMILY/GUY DOWN THE STREET:

This is an ongoing process and I’m sure most of our friends are thinking “you’re STILL HERE?!”. It’s hard to believe we’re actually leaving everything we call “normal life” and we’re starting from scratch. To those of you whom we didn’t get to see “one last time”… we love you, we’ll miss you… and come visit us!! (please!)

5. A MILLION OTHER TINY THINGS:

Can’t forget to close this bank account and wire this other money to the new bank in NZ… and book that hotel… and figure out how to get the crate from this house to that warehouse at the right time… and terminate the auto insurance… and pay that last phone bill… and get a power converter… and see this and that person… and do our taxes… and get one last burrito… and…

6. OH, AND WORK:

On top of all of this, Noah is still working doing both freelance projects as well as getting started on his part-time illustration job. Kate jut put her last day of work a few days ago as well…

Beyond all of this, I think the most frustrating thing for us is knowing that though our goal in moving is to “do ministry”, right now we’re too busy MOVING to even think about what it is we’ll actually be doing when we arrive. This, of course, is normal and will only last a season, but it feels like a deviation and a major distraction from our main purpose. It actually reminds us quite a lot of the season of preparing for a wedding. It should be a special time in which the bride-and-groom-to-be are focusing on their personal character and mentally preparing for their union, but it is instead spent going mad trying to plan a huge, expensive party for all of their friends and family. In fact, it’s not unlike real life in which we all spend so much time making provisions for our lives that we forget to actually LIVE THEM to the fullest.

I’d love to have some beautiful conclusion to share… a memorable lesson that you can apply to your own life… but we just don’t yet. We’re in the middle of the madness and we’re continually looking to the Father for each breath of fresh air. We know it won’t last much longer (at least not this part of it) and that gives us much comfort… and, who knows, maybe that’s somehow comforting to you as well.

The Package from Noah Cremisino on Vimeo.

1. FREEMAIL UPDATES

To the first-timmers – “Welcome to our new blog/website or whatever you choose to call it”. We’ve got 3 key things cookin’ right now, so let’s get right down to business. If you’re not signed up for our EMAIL UPDATES, please do so, that would make us very happy (deep down inside). We have provided this “service” for a few reasons:

a. Most people will look at the site once and forget about it FOREVER (and ever).

b. YOU are probably like most people (as I know we are).

c. Therefore, if you sign up for the email updates, you don’t have to remember to check our site ever again, it will magically show up in your inbox once a month for your viewing pleasure.

If we’ve managed to convince you of the value of these 100% FREE email updates then please sign up HERE (and no, we won’t spam you to death or send you a virus or anything like that).

2. ABOUT THE BENJAMINS (AND THE MUELLERS)

We haven’t come out and asked for financial support mainly because we know that most of you are tight in the budget (uh, that sounds weird) and we want all of the giving/support that comes our way to be “inspired” and not dragged out of people. We will rarely, if ever, directly ask for money.

We’re inspired by a guy named George Müller who raised the money to build 5 orphanages (housing over 2000 kids at any given time) simply through prayer and never by asking or fund-raising. You might be saying to yourself: “They’re asking me right now, so that pretty much defeats the purpose”, but that’s not the case. Though we have been saving for over a year, we simply want to make our needs known (as many of you have asked) and leave it in your hands as to whether or not you’d like to give. With that said, here’s what we’re looking at:

INITIAL MOVING EXPENSES: $5,500.00 USD
This includes flights, crating and shipping our remaining belongings, visa application fees, and other misc. preparations.

MONTHLY LIVING EXPENSES: $1,000.00 USD
This includes utilities, property taxes, food, phone/internet, petrol (gas), hospitality, and misc. necessities.

If you feel lead to support us in any way, please go to our support page to see the available options.

3. WONDER NO LONGA

And finally… An update on our moving status. First of all, we’re still in the USA, living with my (Noah’s) parents in Castle Rock. As most of you know, we’re currently waiting on “Round Two” of our visa applications. The first round was apparently missing a small signature ACROSS our faces from each of the 3 doctors we were required to see. Very critical I’m sure and plenty enough to keep us out of the country. Needless to say, we got the signatures, an updated invite from YWAM and we’re “off the the races” again. If all goes according to plan, we hope to be on our way to NZ the first week in March. That means, we have about a month to mix and mingle with the locals here in CO and anyone who wants to come out for a quick visit before our ultimate departure.

“For Sparks, myself, and many others, organic church refers to a body of believers who are learning to live by the indwelling life of Christ together. And out of that living, the church takes on a certain expression. That expression is marked by some of the following features: the every-member functioning of the body, the centrality and supremacy of Jesus Christ, consensual decision making, open-participatory gatherings, and passing through seasons (meaning the church is not tied down to ritual, but moves according to the season she finds herself in).” —Frank Viola

Noah was among a group of guys from among the many in the relational Colorado House Church Network discussing the idea that mission is a byproduct of listening. The discussion focused in on the idea that everyone has a mission or calling, but that it must be discovered by listening to God and then acting on what He says. Additionally, the myth that foreign missions are superior to those callings lived out on home soil is discussed and the idea that all mission that flows from listening is equal and powerful.