And the Road Trip ends!

Stage Three: Picton to Christchurch - without air conditioning!

A little hard to see I know but the blobs on the rocks are seals! Driving the coast was pretty amazing. A little different to what I remember but that was about 5 years ago! The brown countryside along the way (although a little browner than usual apparently) was splotched with random patches of green which was a little weird but the views of the sea were awesome.

We stopped at a cafe in Kekerengu - the only place around for miles, in fact, the only place there at all! - and man, talk about a slice of paradise. The cafe had a wooden floor throughout and great big windows all around. The doors opened out onto a deck and the view was straight out over the ocean... put a few palm trees up and it was like you'd driven onto a tropical island in the middle of the Pacific!

An old flatmate of mine (Sarah) had been on my mind a bit of late - you know, New Year and all, time to catch up with old friends - and who should sit down to share our massive table in the shade during lunch? None other than her parents! Random! We spent some time catching up which was great and then hit the road again - without air conditioning!

The summer sun was definitely up for the trip pretty much until we were just outside of Christchurch. It wasn't too long though and we were checking out my new 'digs'! Four bedrooms, separate lounge, dining and kitchen, two toilets... more than enough room to lose myself in!

And there ended the Road Trip - without air conditioning!

Was there a funny moment you may well ask? ...many mindless laughs, which always make a road trip fun, but it would have to be the first time I have ever actually seen a driver choose to stop at roadworks lights in order to get out and walk around the car (almost 3 times!!) just to cool down because - wait!... you guessed it!... there was no air conditioning!! Ahhhhh....things we do eh?!

And the Road Trip continues...

Stage Two: Wellington to Picton Ferry - with gross amounts of natural air conditioning!

Well, no photos here. Simple reason really. The cameras were in the car... on the fifth deck... which was out of bounds once we'd set sail... and was too far to walk anyway!

Funny moment? - an almost Titanic re-run coming into Picton. No, not the prow of the ship scene!! The screaming to their death sliding down the deck scene! Had anyone on the top deck have let go of the railing, they would have been blown to the back of the deck in a matter of seconds!

Another funny moment? - standing next to someone in exactly the same top and not noticing... for AGES!

And then there was... the Road Trip!

Stage One: Hamilton to Wellington - without air conditioning!

We went the other way round the mountain and I had great fun winding down the windows and just mucking around on the digital camera to try and capture the different view.

If you look really closely, you'll see there's 3 layers - light coloured grass at the bottom, dark trees in the middle and then the snow of the mountain. Kinda cool to be able to get a different view and just as well we did as about 5 or 10 minutes later, cloud settled all around the top of the mountain and you almost couldn't see the snow.

What can I say... it's just another of the favourites really!

Funniest moment? After finally deciding to take strawberries with us to dinner do you think there would be any fruit and vege shops on our side of the road for the last 2hrs of the drive? NO! ...and I mean NO! So we end up at New World spending twice as much as intended but I must report a rather marvelous find. Has anyone seen the magazine called 'KAREN'?! I kid you not! It looked pretty cool at a glance - glossy pages, full of fashion... dead cool if you ask me but hey, maybe I'm a little biased!

 

"Untle Lenn!"

I thought it was about time for at least a photo update. This is Glenn's nephew Brandon who just adores his 'Untle Lenn'...

A regular sight over Christmas was the latte kitchen scene with Brandon sitting on the bench asking as many questions as he could until his chocolate fluffy was ready. He'll be making coffee in no time!

21 Days To Go!

...not that I'm counting or anything! Exams are over, field work is finished and now it's pretty much just carolling, in-service bits and pieces, cleaning and packing till D-Day - and trust me when I say that the bags will be packed, the car backed into the driveway and on the "Amen!" of our last meeting I'll be outta here - I'm sooo not kidding!!

I haven't really reflected on the year yet - if it's not in the timetable, it just doesn't happen!! - but I know that this has been a pretty good year all round. I'm incredibly grateful for the break that's coming up and can't wait to spend time with friends and family back home and just relax for a bit - preferably without the fear that I've missed a memo or a timetable change or both!!

I did a message on Mary and Martha just the other day (Luke 10:38-42...some light reading for you all!) and in my hunt for illustrations, I came across the title of an article that summed up the whole passage for me - not to mention the fact that it challenged me hugely. Bearing in mind that Martha was 'distracted' by her preparations which shifted the focus of her serving and that Mary chose the one thing that was needed and sat at Jesus' feet listening to all that He said, the title read:

Are you going to have a Martha Christmas or a Mary Christmas?

Challenged? I know you probably can't imagine it (although I'm sure my family can!!) but my unit is a mess at the moment! I haven't done a thing since before exams! The only washing that gets done are the essentials and only then, when they keep running out!! I was challenged about choosing wisely and about making sure that I have a Mary Christmas that includes taking time out just to sit in God's presence and get to know Him better.

Martha or Mary? What'll it be for you as we come into the busy Christmas season? I hope it's Mary for you all! If I don't catch you at Christmas, I hope I will in the New Year sometime. Watch this space... if the timetable allows there might even be another post between here and 2006 - and if not, at least a photo or two! Take care - miss you all!...

Ciao!
K.

Lily White

Well it's definitely that time of year again. The lilies are out and looking fab all around college (unfortunately there aren't any in front of my flat... just an overgrown bush!) and, of course, it wouldn't be 'almost summer' if the lily white legs didn't come out around campus to join them!

Hey, we're all in the same boat are we not?! Now's the time to get the skirts and singlets out as we try desperately to get that first sizzle on our arms and legs so that we can go into summer with some pride!

Yesterday was just soooo hot down here in the Hutt. There was nothing but a gentle breeze (a rarity for anywhere in Wellington!) so I cashed in on it, closed the books and headed out with the camera! I haven't taken too many shots recently so it felt good to be out and about. The wind did pick up so it didn't last too long but hey, around here, a break is as good as a holiday!!

For those of you that haven't heard, I'm off to Christchurch for my out training next year... a little further away than I had originally hoped for but God is good! I've friends and family in the area and there have been some divine appointments with contacts being made already so God must have a plan and a whole lot to teach me!

We're winding up to exam season soon so it's pretty much 'head down bum up' around here at the moment! If we're not in the books for our classes, we're all finishing off the last of our sermons and meeting leads... never a dull moment! I suppose you could say I'm rather chipper and relaxed about it all at the moment. Somehow I'm managing to keep my head out of the clouds (just!)... more on that another day!

In the meantime, here's my latest little snippet for you all. If decisions have been hard to come by of late, then I hope this helps:

So we have continued praying for you ever since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you a complete understanding of what he wants to do in your lives, and we ask him to make you wise with spiritual wisdom. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and you will continually do good, kind things for others. All the while, you will learn to know God better and better. We also pray that you will be strengthened with his glorious power so that you will have all the patience and endurance you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father, who has enabled you to share the inheritance that belongs to God's holy people, who live in the light.

Colossians 1:9-12 (NLT)

Photo #9

I was sitting at the desk in my room this afternoon trying to psyche myself into doing some more work... actually to start some work (!!) and I ended up spending time looking at all the photos I've got pinned to my noticeboard infront of me... I miss you all!

We've been back since July and I'm ready for another break I must admit! Just a few days away from waking up to the same view, a few days of not having to get up at 7am to mop, clean or vacuum before I'm actually in my body and just... well - a break would be awesome shall we say!

We've got a little over 8 weeks to go so I guess all I can do is count down really... one latte at a time, I'm sure I'll get there!

This photo was taken when the Faith Factory music team visited Hastings... we just had the BEST time as a team! AJ, Andrew, Siobhan and I sung hardout all the way down from Auckland. From Kirk Franklin, to Van Morrisson and on to Ron Kenoly - we sung it all... not the best idea when we all had a concert the next night but hey, it was worth the laughs! I had to pick one off the wall so this was it. It made me smile the most - hope it does the same for all of you. You just can't beat good times with good company!

Exercise Dilemma

Most of you will know that without my shoes, I'm pushing 5'4" ... stop giggling! We shorties have finely tuned hearing!

The latest dilemma to go with my height is my clothesline. For around 8 months of the year it had a serious lean... so serious, nothing could actually hang on it unless I could even it out on the other side! Even then my gracious second year neighbours commented on the 'special treatment' I was getting as a first year - to have such a unique fixture in my backyard! How lucky! Not only could I not hang anything on it, it wouldn't turn around either - no, not even in Wellington's wind!

Well, I followed procedure, put in my blue maintenance form and waited patiently... and waited... and waited... and then one day, I went to try the clothesline again, just in case it had been fixed, only to discover one slight problem - I couldn't reach it! I kid you not! Try as I might (with some serious looking around in between I might add!), it alluded me! That is, until I jumped - now there's a mental picture for you all! The kind maintenance man had done a great job on my clothesline - fixed it all up like brand new! ... and raised it an inch or two in the process!

Now, hanging out the washing (which I must say is a rarity as I'm a tad lazy and can afford a laundry room inside!) is now a sporting event! Complete with pegs in mouth and clothing in hand, I have to jump to reach the outside lines, all the while providing yet more sport for my neighbours should they look out their windows at the opportune moment!

But alas, there's hope! I'm not sure if it's due to my 'sport' or not, but the outside lines have... stretched a little!

In my zest to get the washing dry on the first fine day we've had for a while, I psyched myself up to hang the washing outside this morning only to find that I could reach the line on tippy toes - hence the blog... I kinda miss the exertion, though few and far between the moments may have been! Now I have to find something else that counts as exercise as - at the peak of physical fitness (hard to believe I know!!) - walking up the 'hill' to class ("It's a slope!" quips Nicky!) no longer counts!

Photo #8

While women weep as they do now

I'll fight

While little children go hungry as they do now

I'll fight

While men go to prison in and out

I'll fight

While there remains yet one dark soul without the light of God

I'll fight

I'll fight to the very end.

General William Booth

Founder of The Salvation Army

Activities Week

Wow! What a whirlwind month it's been! During the second week of the holidays, College stop classes and we have an Activities Week which has been a bit of a blessing for me.

There was a First Aid Course for everyone on Monday and Tuesday, but thanks to my boss at school last year (may God bless you abundantly Howard!!), I am already certified and did not need to attend - 2 days all to myself, thank you Lord! So the first part of the week helped me to catch up on my work after being sick a few weeks before and meant I could feel a little bit more human... no classes, no uniform, no pressure!

Wednesdays picnic was put off until Thursday and that was a good chance to get out (albeit into a pooey sheep paddock!!) and mix'n'mingle for the day. Some great photos should come out of it hopefully.

And Friday you may well ask? Well Friday was the tramp...uphill, sleet, hail and lots of rain - sound like fun to you?! Well, despite my determination to enjoy it, I must say I came home a tad cold... actually freezing would better describe my general well-being on arriving back at college! The feeling of success on completion wasn't quite the same but alas, I can at least say I have conquered (some of) Mt Holdsworth! The walk definitely blew out the cobwebs and I must concede this time (to the aging Major Noakes) to having wet socks! I was so cold my toes weren't just pruny they were blue as well! A 20min shower followed by a night in front of the heater almost cured all.

Well, despite my fairly relaxed week, I've still a little bit more to do tonight on some assignments but it will all get done! The holiday week is over and its back to uniform, classes and structure tomorrow. Exams are fast approaching and the workload will continue but its all good. We find out our out-training appointments for 2006 in just over a week so I'll make a special blog as close to the date as I can.

Dan & Rach, thanks for dinner the other night. It was great to see you both again and I thoroughly enjoyed the conversation. It's always nice to have a little bit of home down here in Wellington!

Don't hold your breath, but I'll do my best to pick a photo or two and put them up... it's just so hard to choose now! And it just wouldn't be me if I didn't leave you with a little something... hows this for challenging lyrics from Kate Wray (I'm assuming they're public domain by now!):

I make a vow
My life will always honor Christ
Whether I live or die

I belong to Him
He bore my sin
I owe this life to my saving King

I am not my own
You are in control

For me to live is Christ
And to die is gain
No matter what price I pay
I choose to give this life away

Challenged?