Autumn in New Zealand

I have just a few days left of our autumn holidays and I am enjoying rest as well as time spent with good friends and time spent growing deeper in my relationship to God. Last week I went to cafe with my friend Joanne and we enjoyed getting out of town, seeing some beautiful autumn coulours, and finding some of the best apples I've ever had in New Zealand at an orchard store. 

The next day I went up to Wenderholm Reserve just north of Auckland for a day of reflection and to enjoy the beauty of creation. I spent of good part of my day thinking about discipleship and mentoring and how those are key elements in why I think I'm in New Zealand. God has reminded me over and over again that I am right where I need to be right now. One thing I spent the day thinking about is being qualified to do what I feel God has called me to do. I don't feel qualified to mentor or disciple others but I know God has put this passion in my heart for a purpose. I also realize it is a key element in the Great Commission, which is one Scripture that God used repeatedly to remind me that New Zealand was the place for me.  I don't think I've come to any solid conclusion with all of this just yet, just that I need to be obedient and continue in the work that God gives me, whether I feel equipped or not, I know God will continue to equip me and teach me as I walk through life with Him. 

I also spent a few hours reflecting on the Book of Ruth. I spent the time of Lent studying and writing a reflection on this book. I came to a realization on Easter morning that I had a wall around my heart as I had been studying. There were many things connecting with my mind and I was learning many things about the culture and context of the story, which was great, but it wasn't connecting with my heart. On Easter morning I was singing for my grandparents (via skype) when I realized this wall had been keeping me from realizing God's love and overwhelming persistence to reach me through this study. It was a beautiful moment really and a freedom that I haven't felt in a long time rushed through my heart and mind. 

On the lighter side, I spent this past Friday and Saturday learning how to surf! I absolutely loved it. On Friday we (me, Emily, Evy, and Brent) went out to Piha beach and the surf was reasonable and relatively safe so I jumped in and practiced catching waves and balancing with the board for several hours. 

This is a photo of me and Emily after our first day of surfing, Evy is the crazy guy eating sand:) 

By this point Em and I were incredibly sore and finding muscles we didn't know existed, haha. We were also ready for another day of it down at Raglan beach on Saturday. 

Above: Piha

Below: Raglan

This is the first board I actually stood all the way up on! It's a massive 9ft long board! Let's just say it's great to ride but not very maneuverable in the water and definitely a challenge to carry. I managed to get up and fall off this board a number of times as well as an 8ft and 7ft board. All this to say, I might have a new adventure addiction:)  

Saturday we had a good sized group come down with us to Raglan including most of our cell group from church-this is an awesome way to learn and build relationships with people. Praise God for creating adventure and opportunities to enjoy His creation! 

Good Friday in New Zealand

Good Friday in New Zealand is bit different then Good Friday in Holland, Michigan. For one, everything closes... all stores, most restaurants, all schools, and most businesses are closed as well, there are also no commercials on TV. 

As I reflected on this through out the day, I was surprised. Honestly, I haven't met too many Kiwis who are strongly religious outside the church community. Which even I wrote that sentence seems like common sense, but different from where I'm from. Most people you meet in Holland have some type of church background or are believers and yet the town doesn't close down in respect of the death of Christ which is remembered on Good Friday. Many Kiwis I've met outside the church are indifferent to Christ. The most common attitude I've noticed is, "My life is fine the way it is, why do I need to change anything, what I'm doing works for me." People are blind to the need for Christ. So the fact that almost the entire country shuts down on Good Friday is surprising. 

On friday evening,  I went to a Good Friday service at Cession Community and went through the Stations of the Cross. The church community put together an experience of the stations that allowed the viewer to meditate on the process Christ went through during the week of the crucifixion. I submitted a painting. I am not a wonderful artist, but I enjoy being creative and expressing my relationship with Christ through art. To be honest, I was not really impressed with my finished product, but the process was invaluable. I used multiple elements on canvas to express the first station of Jesus washing the disciples feet. In the first section of the painting I put literal nails in the hands of Jesus. This was the most powerful part the experience. The nails did not go through the canvas easily and I had to use a hammer as well as my hands to force the nails through the painting. As  I was doing this, I was speechless at the sacrifice that Christ made and the pain he endured to pay for my own sin. My heart was broken for the first time in a long time. 

Today, life resumes in New Zealand and all the hustle and bustle of life carries on. Tomorrow will bring great celebration in the Church, as we rejoice in the resurrection of Christ and the rest of the population will embrace commercialism as the search for chocolate eggs continues. The solemnness of Good Friday has passed, but while it was here, the acknowledgment of Christ's sacrifice was known throughout the country. That in and of itself is huge for the people of New Zealand (and all of us) as God works to grow His Kingdom in the ends of the earth. 

Sunset at Bethells