We are thankful to be alive and safe, but our constant prayers and thoughts go out to the Christchurch community as they have lost many people today. I'm sure you are all aware because news travels around the world quickly: I already noticed its making front page news on CNN and FOX.
It's hard to imagine that this morning, 65 people (maybe even more by tomorrow morning's count) went to work, walked the streets, took touristy pictures like any other day. But it was their time to die and a devastating earthquake the means for this. It especially hits home because that was where we were a few weeks ago with our grandparents, during which time we also felt two small earthquakes. In fact, the place where we sitting during our second earthquake experience is now completely covered in bricks, large stones and debris from the collapsed building where we bought our cappuccinos.
I won't forget the image of a man's lower legs and shoes, sticking out from under a pile of rubble, motionless, still. It's a strange feeling when it hits so close to "home", and you suddenly get the reality check that, true, these things can happen in our "safe" Western cultures and countries.
We wanted you to know that we are safe. We live on the North Island of New Zealand; Christchurch is on the South Island. However, our country will be in mourning and we ask for your prayers for all those affected. We know the Lord is in control, but that's easy to say when you are not fleeing from crumbling buildings or finding out that loved ones have perished. Pray that those who are actually living this nightmare might be turned to the Lord and given strength to trust His plan.
For some New Zealand updates on the situation, go to this website:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
Latest News
In the last post I promised an update on the major changes in our lives. Many of the decisions we have recently made were incredibly DIFFICULT and often bittersweet. However, we continue to pray and trust God as He opens/closes doors and guides our paths. Knowing that we have not made decisions without first praying to our Provider gives us peace that He will direct our footsteps.
We truly feel at home in almost every area of our lives here in New Zealand. It's a country that has a special place in our hearts, not only for the beautiful creation and weather, but also because of the people and church community that really make it "home". Because of this, the decisions we had to make were exciting but also slightly painful.
I received a job offer from Rehoboth for a full time teaching position for the 2011-2012 school year. I had only committed to half a year at Ponatahi Christian School, so the school staff here in NZ were aware that we would probably be leaving by July of 2011. Although it was exciting to receive this job offer from RCS (especially since I am passionate about all the subjects I will be teaching), I knew that our lives had changed a lot in the past few months and we had another person to think about before making this decision - Leah.
Leah has fit in wonderfully with us and she feels like part of our family. Complete reconciliation has not happened between her and certain members of her family, making it unlikely that she would be able to move back to her family's home. We truly believe that God has placed this precious girl in our lives for a reason, and we have the opportunity to provide a Christian home environment for her. We felt that leaving her in July would only destabilize her and possibly even cause feelings of rejection. But not only that, we simply didn't want to leave her because she has grown to be a big part of our lives. So we had lots of long talks with her about her desires for her future and feelings about the choices we had to make.
One of her first suggestions was that she wanted to come with us to Canada. We knew this would be a major shift for her and weren't totally sure about how it would be accepted by her family or the community she lives in. So we first decided to talk to her brother-in-law and sister to get an idea of how they felt. Although they felt that they would really miss Leah and were worried that she might never come home (due to possibly meeting a Canadian guy. Warning: Don't get any ideas guys! She's not allowed to date until she is 30. Those are our home rules :)!) they still thought it would be a wonderful opportunity for her to experience another culture and meet new people. We were all excited to hear such a positive response to this "brainstorming".
To make a long story short: We knew we would never take Leah overseas if she didn't have permission from her parents- specifically her father. So Leah wrote a long letter to her dad, asking him for his advice. He responded immediately and gave his full permission for her to go. In fact, he said that he had moved (from Holland to NZ), so why shouldn't Leah have the opportunity? It seemed like the doors were opening for Leah to come with us to Canada!
We met with the pastor and his wife, and they suggested we look into the schooling to ensure that Leah's NZ credits would be transferable, in order to keep all of her options open for post secondary education. What a surprise and answer to prayer it was when Leah was accepted as a student at Rehoboth Christian School, with enough credits accumulated for her to be able to join the Grade 12 class and complete her last year with them! Her OSSD diploma will be accepted in NZ universities as well.
So... with this background information, a lot of prayer, consultation with family and church, Sam and I decided it would be best if I accepted the job offer from Rehoboth. It felt so great to finally make a decision so we could begin plans for moving back to Canada! We also have a house in Canada that needs lots of work, so this was another factor for going back home. Sam has a great boss and loves his job here in NZ, but its not something he wants to do forever either. Moving back home will mean that he can hopefully pursue something related to his future goals/aspirations. However, he has been very thankful for his job opportunities here in NZ and they have provided him with even more handy-man skills.
Of course, another major factor was family! We do miss our families a lot: the festive gatherings, loud birthdays and boisterous parties, as well as just hanging out and being together for no particular reason. As great as Skype is, it's still not totally the same as seeing them in person!
It's a strange feeling. On one hand, the time is flying by here and we really only have about 4 months left before we go back home! I want to savour every single experience- especially the moments with my students. I am going to miss them and the school so much. But on the other hand, we are both incredibly excited to see family and friends again! I can't wait to go to the school Bazaar, Hosanna choir concerts, family showers and weddings!
We'd love for you to prayer for us in the upcoming months. Leah has lots of paperwork to get through and we have lots of people to say good-bye to.
There you go :). Hope this satisfies your curiosity. If you have any other questions, post a reply and I will try to answer them in another post.
Cheers!
We truly feel at home in almost every area of our lives here in New Zealand. It's a country that has a special place in our hearts, not only for the beautiful creation and weather, but also because of the people and church community that really make it "home". Because of this, the decisions we had to make were exciting but also slightly painful.
I received a job offer from Rehoboth for a full time teaching position for the 2011-2012 school year. I had only committed to half a year at Ponatahi Christian School, so the school staff here in NZ were aware that we would probably be leaving by July of 2011. Although it was exciting to receive this job offer from RCS (especially since I am passionate about all the subjects I will be teaching), I knew that our lives had changed a lot in the past few months and we had another person to think about before making this decision - Leah.
Leah has fit in wonderfully with us and she feels like part of our family. Complete reconciliation has not happened between her and certain members of her family, making it unlikely that she would be able to move back to her family's home. We truly believe that God has placed this precious girl in our lives for a reason, and we have the opportunity to provide a Christian home environment for her. We felt that leaving her in July would only destabilize her and possibly even cause feelings of rejection. But not only that, we simply didn't want to leave her because she has grown to be a big part of our lives. So we had lots of long talks with her about her desires for her future and feelings about the choices we had to make.
One of her first suggestions was that she wanted to come with us to Canada. We knew this would be a major shift for her and weren't totally sure about how it would be accepted by her family or the community she lives in. So we first decided to talk to her brother-in-law and sister to get an idea of how they felt. Although they felt that they would really miss Leah and were worried that she might never come home (due to possibly meeting a Canadian guy. Warning: Don't get any ideas guys! She's not allowed to date until she is 30. Those are our home rules :)!) they still thought it would be a wonderful opportunity for her to experience another culture and meet new people. We were all excited to hear such a positive response to this "brainstorming".
To make a long story short: We knew we would never take Leah overseas if she didn't have permission from her parents- specifically her father. So Leah wrote a long letter to her dad, asking him for his advice. He responded immediately and gave his full permission for her to go. In fact, he said that he had moved (from Holland to NZ), so why shouldn't Leah have the opportunity? It seemed like the doors were opening for Leah to come with us to Canada!
We met with the pastor and his wife, and they suggested we look into the schooling to ensure that Leah's NZ credits would be transferable, in order to keep all of her options open for post secondary education. What a surprise and answer to prayer it was when Leah was accepted as a student at Rehoboth Christian School, with enough credits accumulated for her to be able to join the Grade 12 class and complete her last year with them! Her OSSD diploma will be accepted in NZ universities as well.
So... with this background information, a lot of prayer, consultation with family and church, Sam and I decided it would be best if I accepted the job offer from Rehoboth. It felt so great to finally make a decision so we could begin plans for moving back to Canada! We also have a house in Canada that needs lots of work, so this was another factor for going back home. Sam has a great boss and loves his job here in NZ, but its not something he wants to do forever either. Moving back home will mean that he can hopefully pursue something related to his future goals/aspirations. However, he has been very thankful for his job opportunities here in NZ and they have provided him with even more handy-man skills.
Of course, another major factor was family! We do miss our families a lot: the festive gatherings, loud birthdays and boisterous parties, as well as just hanging out and being together for no particular reason. As great as Skype is, it's still not totally the same as seeing them in person!
It's a strange feeling. On one hand, the time is flying by here and we really only have about 4 months left before we go back home! I want to savour every single experience- especially the moments with my students. I am going to miss them and the school so much. But on the other hand, we are both incredibly excited to see family and friends again! I can't wait to go to the school Bazaar, Hosanna choir concerts, family showers and weddings!
We'd love for you to prayer for us in the upcoming months. Leah has lots of paperwork to get through and we have lots of people to say good-bye to.
There you go :). Hope this satisfies your curiosity. If you have any other questions, post a reply and I will try to answer them in another post.
Cheers!
Friday, February 11, 2011
Crumble Surprise
Leah and I are back from a week long class trip! We survived and were happy to see that Sam did as well, even though he was on his own for an entire week. While we were away, he was invited to quite a few homes for dinner so his tummy was kept satisfied!
Upon arriving back home, I walked into the door and smelled something sweet. I looked around and saw a beautiful bouquet of white lilies and dainty purple flowers on the kitchen table! Sweet man eh?
I'm not going to post pictures from our class trip yet because I still haven't uploaded them all. Instead, here are a few pictures of Leah and I baking together. Sam was away one night and our cravings for some sweet baked goods kicked in. There weren't many ingredients left in our house, except for some fresh fruit we had received from a friend in the church. So together we concocted a home-made recipe titled "Blueberry, Rhubarb, Strawberry, Raspberry, Plum Crumble"- or "Fruit Crumble" for short :)! Leah has fond memories of a crumble topping her mom used to make, so we did our best to bring it back to life.
We really did totally wing it, but surprisingly, it turned out to be delicious, easy and relatively healthy. Yum!
Here's a video of the baking adventure:
Some blog readers have mentioned that they couldn't see our South Island pictures because they didn't have a Facebook account. I'm sorry about this confusion- I thought that it was a public album which anyone could access. The good news is that my pictures have been uploading a lot faster lately, so I might be able to add all of our South Island pictures in another post sometime soon.
Also coming soon is a post updating you on some major decisions we have had to make recently. That should keep you intrigued enough to come back again :)
Thanks for visiting. Hope you enjoy the little snapshots into our life in New Zealand. Every day we are thankful for how God has provided for us in so many ways- a beautiful and affordable cottage, Bible-believing church, health, breathtaking creation, employment in a country that has suffered from the recession, technology to keep in touch with family and friends back home and peace in a country while many others struggle with political instability. But most of all, we are thankful the precious gift of Jesus Christ, who gives all of life meaning and purpose!
Upon arriving back home, I walked into the door and smelled something sweet. I looked around and saw a beautiful bouquet of white lilies and dainty purple flowers on the kitchen table! Sweet man eh?
I'm not going to post pictures from our class trip yet because I still haven't uploaded them all. Instead, here are a few pictures of Leah and I baking together. Sam was away one night and our cravings for some sweet baked goods kicked in. There weren't many ingredients left in our house, except for some fresh fruit we had received from a friend in the church. So together we concocted a home-made recipe titled "Blueberry, Rhubarb, Strawberry, Raspberry, Plum Crumble"- or "Fruit Crumble" for short :)! Leah has fond memories of a crumble topping her mom used to make, so we did our best to bring it back to life.
We really did totally wing it, but surprisingly, it turned out to be delicious, easy and relatively healthy. Yum!
Here's a video of the baking adventure:
Some blog readers have mentioned that they couldn't see our South Island pictures because they didn't have a Facebook account. I'm sorry about this confusion- I thought that it was a public album which anyone could access. The good news is that my pictures have been uploading a lot faster lately, so I might be able to add all of our South Island pictures in another post sometime soon.
Also coming soon is a post updating you on some major decisions we have had to make recently. That should keep you intrigued enough to come back again :)
Thanks for visiting. Hope you enjoy the little snapshots into our life in New Zealand. Every day we are thankful for how God has provided for us in so many ways- a beautiful and affordable cottage, Bible-believing church, health, breathtaking creation, employment in a country that has suffered from the recession, technology to keep in touch with family and friends back home and peace in a country while many others struggle with political instability. But most of all, we are thankful the precious gift of Jesus Christ, who gives all of life meaning and purpose!
Friday, February 4, 2011
Flying Fox Adventure
I'm off for a week with my secondary students! We are on a class trip around the North Island, and I'm the lucky teacher who gets to go with them all and stay up into the wee hours of the night supervising hyper students :)!
Thought you might like this video clip of Grandma and Grandpa!
Thought you might like this video clip of Grandma and Grandpa!
Last Part of Grandma and Grandpa's Trip
So... we come to the last part of Grandma and Grandpa's trip. We miss them already, and they have only been gone for a week! I hope you were all able to see the pictures of our South Island adventure by going to the link on the previous post. Sorry that it was a bit of a hassle for you!
I have quite a few videos that I want to post, and my hubby will hopefully be helping me with that tonight! They should be up sometime this week(end).
When we arrived home, the weather was rainy and cold- enough to start a fire! It was nice that Grandma and Grandpa could experience both rainy and sunny weather. It really is cozy when we have the fire on in our little home. We enjoyed reading our books and sipping Irish cream lattes while the rain pattered our steel roof.
I went to school for a couple of mornings because I had staff meetings. Sam also returned back to work, so Grandma and Grandpa were on their own! Every time I came home from school, there they were, soaking up the sun on our front yard, looking relaxed as ever! I'm sure they got plenty of reading done without us to distract them!
While Sam and I were at work, they took the bus with Leah into a town close by to do some shopping. It was nice that they could still find a way to get around without having to drive themselves! I don't think Grandma liked the idea of Grandpa behind the wheel on the wrong side of the road! One time, we all took a ride in the car to go sightseeing. Grandma and I sat in the back, while Sam drove and Grandpa sat in the front passenger seat. Sam was backing the car out of the driveway, and Grandma instinctively told Grandpa to watch where he was going!!!! She thought he was driving! We had quite the laugh when we reminded her that the steering wheel was also on the other side of the car, and no, Grandpa was not driving!
Our Sundays together were also relaxing and a way for Grandma and Grandpa to meet people from the church. There is a picture below of us having coffee and carrot cake with the Verheis, a lovely couple from our church!
One of my favourite memories of this trip with Grandma was making soup together! She taught me how to make her famous, delicious Sunday vegetable and meatball soup! I loved doing all the typical homemaking things with her: chatting, cutting vegetables, rolling meatballs and taste-testing! P.S. Do you like my new "Sweet As" shirt?! I finally caved and bought a shirt with NZ's most famous saying on it!
Here is Leah organizing the loft so that she has a place to sleep :)!
In this picture, Grandma is cleaning out my cupboards! We had a funny incident where she left the honey in a cupboard (without putting it in a sealed ziploc baggie) and suddenly the ants appeared! When she saw the shock and horror on my face she knew that we were in big trouble :)! The ants are so aggressive here in NZ, and once they come across something sweet they will come trailing in by the thousands. So out came the RAID again and all the cupboards were sprayed! Thankfully, we caught them on time!
There are so many other parts of our trip I could write about in this post! But I am going to stop here and if you want to know more, you can ask Grandma and Grandpa who are now back home (in very snowy conditions I hear!).
Below are some random pictures of us around the house together!
I have quite a few videos that I want to post, and my hubby will hopefully be helping me with that tonight! They should be up sometime this week(end).
When we arrived home, the weather was rainy and cold- enough to start a fire! It was nice that Grandma and Grandpa could experience both rainy and sunny weather. It really is cozy when we have the fire on in our little home. We enjoyed reading our books and sipping Irish cream lattes while the rain pattered our steel roof.
I went to school for a couple of mornings because I had staff meetings. Sam also returned back to work, so Grandma and Grandpa were on their own! Every time I came home from school, there they were, soaking up the sun on our front yard, looking relaxed as ever! I'm sure they got plenty of reading done without us to distract them!
While Sam and I were at work, they took the bus with Leah into a town close by to do some shopping. It was nice that they could still find a way to get around without having to drive themselves! I don't think Grandma liked the idea of Grandpa behind the wheel on the wrong side of the road! One time, we all took a ride in the car to go sightseeing. Grandma and I sat in the back, while Sam drove and Grandpa sat in the front passenger seat. Sam was backing the car out of the driveway, and Grandma instinctively told Grandpa to watch where he was going!!!! She thought he was driving! We had quite the laugh when we reminded her that the steering wheel was also on the other side of the car, and no, Grandpa was not driving!
Our Sundays together were also relaxing and a way for Grandma and Grandpa to meet people from the church. There is a picture below of us having coffee and carrot cake with the Verheis, a lovely couple from our church!
One of my favourite memories of this trip with Grandma was making soup together! She taught me how to make her famous, delicious Sunday vegetable and meatball soup! I loved doing all the typical homemaking things with her: chatting, cutting vegetables, rolling meatballs and taste-testing! P.S. Do you like my new "Sweet As" shirt?! I finally caved and bought a shirt with NZ's most famous saying on it!
Here is Leah organizing the loft so that she has a place to sleep :)!
In this picture, Grandma is cleaning out my cupboards! We had a funny incident where she left the honey in a cupboard (without putting it in a sealed ziploc baggie) and suddenly the ants appeared! When she saw the shock and horror on my face she knew that we were in big trouble :)! The ants are so aggressive here in NZ, and once they come across something sweet they will come trailing in by the thousands. So out came the RAID again and all the cupboards were sprayed! Thankfully, we caught them on time!
There are so many other parts of our trip I could write about in this post! But I am going to stop here and if you want to know more, you can ask Grandma and Grandpa who are now back home (in very snowy conditions I hear!).
Below are some random pictures of us around the house together!
Sunday, January 30, 2011
South Island Memories with Grandma and Grandpa
We took an unforgettable trip around the north of the South Island. It would really take WAY TOO LONG to write about every single thing we did, so instead, I've simply made an album.
Because blogger is being difficult and my pictures are taking hours/days to upload, I've decided to just add a link which will take you to a facebook album titled South Island Memories. I know a blue-underlined link doesn't look as appealing as colourful pictures, but it will make my life much simpler.
A few words:
Taking this trip with my grandparents will be one of those precious memories stored in large corner of my heart. It was a time of relaxation, laughter, deep talks, and close bonding. I couldn't be more blessed. God has given us unbelievably special grandparents. Yes, there are posted pictures, but they really do little justice to the true joy of our trip- being together in health. Definitely, a trip of a life-time!!
To view some of our adventure, simply click the link, and then click through the myriad of pics!
By the way, we experienced two earthquakes while on this trip- both in Christchurch. The one was a 5.1 (bed was shaking and room was swaying) and the second was a 3.9 (loud noise and rumbling). How Grandpa managed to sleep through the first one is beyond me :)!
Enjoy!
(I think you have to copy and paste this link into your browser because it's not turning blue.)
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=268092&id=505370958&l=862373c082
Because blogger is being difficult and my pictures are taking hours/days to upload, I've decided to just add a link which will take you to a facebook album titled South Island Memories. I know a blue-underlined link doesn't look as appealing as colourful pictures, but it will make my life much simpler.
A few words:
Taking this trip with my grandparents will be one of those precious memories stored in large corner of my heart. It was a time of relaxation, laughter, deep talks, and close bonding. I couldn't be more blessed. God has given us unbelievably special grandparents. Yes, there are posted pictures, but they really do little justice to the true joy of our trip- being together in health. Definitely, a trip of a life-time!!
To view some of our adventure, simply click the link, and then click through the myriad of pics!
By the way, we experienced two earthquakes while on this trip- both in Christchurch. The one was a 5.1 (bed was shaking and room was swaying) and the second was a 3.9 (loud noise and rumbling). How Grandpa managed to sleep through the first one is beyond me :)!
Enjoy!
(I think you have to copy and paste this link into your browser because it's not turning blue.)
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=268092&id=505370958&l=862373c082
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Grandparents- Day 3,4&5 (Ten O'Clock Cookie, Castle Point and Church)
On day three (Friday), we decided to have a 'home' day where we simply relaxed and enjoyed the cottage and each other. Grandma and Grandpa needed a rest after the arduous labour we put them through on Thursday!
The weather was beautiful, so we sat outside and read in the sunshine. Grandpa enjoyed reading a book written about the start of the Reformed Church and Ponatahi Christian School. It gave him some more background about the community we live in and enjoy.
*Note about the following picture: We did not force our dear grandparents to sit on the hard wooden plank during coffee time. This was taken early in the morning. So much for sleeping in- these two young folk were up early and decided to begin soaking in the morning rays while Sam and I were still sound asleep!
Isn't Skype wonderful? Grandma and Grandpa were only in NZ for a little while before they were able to talk to their good friends, the Herfsts, online! They shared weather reports and discussed how the farm was doing back in Canada (the Herfsts are house-sitting for them).
Life doesn't stop when you get visitors, so out we went to do some grocery shopping. I love it that Grandma and Grandpa don't mind joining us on such mundane trips. To them it was exciting to compare NZ and Canadian prices. Grandpa and Sam spent some time in the electronic shop, while Grandma and I wandered around Countdown, my favourite grocery store in NZ. Grandma was astounded at the high prices of certain products (particularly the bacon, bread, coffee and eggs), but she was also pleasantly surprised to see some lower prices (leeks, yogurt and kiwis).
We couldn't go to Masterton (a large town about 15 minutes away from us) without stopping by the Ten O'Clock Cookie Company! This is a specialty coffee shop owned by some of our friends. Everything they serve is delicious- especially their authentic NZ meat pies and Dutch custard squares. It was obviously Grandpa's nap-time, as he soon conked out on the leather Dutch couches in the coffee shop!
Friday night we were invited to have dinner with the Bosch family- the ones who hosted Sam and I when we first arrived in NZ. They truly are a wonderful family and open their home to anyone that crosses their path. Even though they have plenty of their own children, they still make time to invite visitors over and often host people for months at a time. I made dessert for the evening: a modified version of a cake my Mom often bakes. I have to be creative in NZ because some of the key ingredients are not available here- most notably, Cool Whip! But who's complaining? Real whip cream isn't that bad of a substitute :). Having fresh NZ fruit on top really makes this a refreshing, summery dessert.
We enjoyed a tour around the Bosch's farm while the sun was setting. I wish I had brought our camera because it was breathtaking. I would have loved to take a video of Grandpa and Mr. Bosch comparing old farm equipment and reminiscing about antiquated engines, tractor models and farming techniques. They looked so adorable walking down the lane together, surrounded by dairy cows and green hills.
Saturday was another day for adventure. Although it was quite windy, we decided to brave the coast of Castle Point. We set out for the drive to the beach and Grandma and Grandpa soaked up the picturesque, NZ hills covered in white sheep.
Sam managed to get our car stuck in the sand. We all climbed out of the car and tried to push, while Sam reversed the car, stinking up the clutch in the process. Finally,thanks to a scruffy looking man and his rover, we were able to get pulled out. Grandpa commented, "See?! The guys who look the scariest are usually the nicest!"
The wind was mighty strong; sand kept stinging our legs as it blew across the beach, so we found a protected spot between some sand hills, and there we set up our beach chairs and blankets. I had made a massive pasta and tuna salad which we quickly devoured. We relaxed/snoozed for a bit, trying to get our energy back after the intense workout pushing the car!
Soon we were up and at it again, exploring the beach and climbing dangerously steep rocks. After we had read the "Danger" signs warning us of potential hazards, Grandma, Sam and I decided it was worth the view. Once at the top, it felt like the wind was close to blowing us off of the rocks into the ocean, but thankfully we were clinging on to each other and managed to stabilize ourselves! Grandma was able to experience firsthand how powerful the wind can be in NZ.
On our way home from the beach, we stopped at some random sheep farm to eat a few snacks. We ended up meeting the farmer. Though surprised to see us on his private property, he was kind enough to discuss farm-related topics with Grandpa and let us watch him immunize his sheep.
Grandpa "shouted" (payed for) dinner that night- fish and chips! It's a real Kiwi meal. The fish here is fresh and delicious, the chips greasy, salty and tasty like all chips should be. Nothing healthy about this meal!
Sunday we heard two sermons from our pastor and enjoyed a much needed day of rest. Grandma and Grandpa were warmly welcomed by the people in the church and felt at home immediately. I've mentioned it before, but I'll do it again- we love the hospitality and warmth in our church community. I think Grandma and Grandpa were able to also experience this and they already know quite a few people in the church and have began making all the family connections- Dutch Bingo at its best! After some homemade burgers on the bbq, we spent the afternoon reading and napping before our evening service.
And that's all for these three days. Next post will be on our South Island trip! Stay tuned...
The weather was beautiful, so we sat outside and read in the sunshine. Grandpa enjoyed reading a book written about the start of the Reformed Church and Ponatahi Christian School. It gave him some more background about the community we live in and enjoy.
*Note about the following picture: We did not force our dear grandparents to sit on the hard wooden plank during coffee time. This was taken early in the morning. So much for sleeping in- these two young folk were up early and decided to begin soaking in the morning rays while Sam and I were still sound asleep!
Isn't Skype wonderful? Grandma and Grandpa were only in NZ for a little while before they were able to talk to their good friends, the Herfsts, online! They shared weather reports and discussed how the farm was doing back in Canada (the Herfsts are house-sitting for them).
Life doesn't stop when you get visitors, so out we went to do some grocery shopping. I love it that Grandma and Grandpa don't mind joining us on such mundane trips. To them it was exciting to compare NZ and Canadian prices. Grandpa and Sam spent some time in the electronic shop, while Grandma and I wandered around Countdown, my favourite grocery store in NZ. Grandma was astounded at the high prices of certain products (particularly the bacon, bread, coffee and eggs), but she was also pleasantly surprised to see some lower prices (leeks, yogurt and kiwis).
We couldn't go to Masterton (a large town about 15 minutes away from us) without stopping by the Ten O'Clock Cookie Company! This is a specialty coffee shop owned by some of our friends. Everything they serve is delicious- especially their authentic NZ meat pies and Dutch custard squares. It was obviously Grandpa's nap-time, as he soon conked out on the leather Dutch couches in the coffee shop!
Friday night we were invited to have dinner with the Bosch family- the ones who hosted Sam and I when we first arrived in NZ. They truly are a wonderful family and open their home to anyone that crosses their path. Even though they have plenty of their own children, they still make time to invite visitors over and often host people for months at a time. I made dessert for the evening: a modified version of a cake my Mom often bakes. I have to be creative in NZ because some of the key ingredients are not available here- most notably, Cool Whip! But who's complaining? Real whip cream isn't that bad of a substitute :). Having fresh NZ fruit on top really makes this a refreshing, summery dessert.
We enjoyed a tour around the Bosch's farm while the sun was setting. I wish I had brought our camera because it was breathtaking. I would have loved to take a video of Grandpa and Mr. Bosch comparing old farm equipment and reminiscing about antiquated engines, tractor models and farming techniques. They looked so adorable walking down the lane together, surrounded by dairy cows and green hills.
Saturday was another day for adventure. Although it was quite windy, we decided to brave the coast of Castle Point. We set out for the drive to the beach and Grandma and Grandpa soaked up the picturesque, NZ hills covered in white sheep.
Sam managed to get our car stuck in the sand. We all climbed out of the car and tried to push, while Sam reversed the car, stinking up the clutch in the process. Finally,thanks to a scruffy looking man and his rover, we were able to get pulled out. Grandpa commented, "See?! The guys who look the scariest are usually the nicest!"
The wind was mighty strong; sand kept stinging our legs as it blew across the beach, so we found a protected spot between some sand hills, and there we set up our beach chairs and blankets. I had made a massive pasta and tuna salad which we quickly devoured. We relaxed/snoozed for a bit, trying to get our energy back after the intense workout pushing the car!
Soon we were up and at it again, exploring the beach and climbing dangerously steep rocks. After we had read the "Danger" signs warning us of potential hazards, Grandma, Sam and I decided it was worth the view. Once at the top, it felt like the wind was close to blowing us off of the rocks into the ocean, but thankfully we were clinging on to each other and managed to stabilize ourselves! Grandma was able to experience firsthand how powerful the wind can be in NZ.
On our way home from the beach, we stopped at some random sheep farm to eat a few snacks. We ended up meeting the farmer. Though surprised to see us on his private property, he was kind enough to discuss farm-related topics with Grandpa and let us watch him immunize his sheep.
Grandpa "shouted" (payed for) dinner that night- fish and chips! It's a real Kiwi meal. The fish here is fresh and delicious, the chips greasy, salty and tasty like all chips should be. Nothing healthy about this meal!
Sunday we heard two sermons from our pastor and enjoyed a much needed day of rest. Grandma and Grandpa were warmly welcomed by the people in the church and felt at home immediately. I've mentioned it before, but I'll do it again- we love the hospitality and warmth in our church community. I think Grandma and Grandpa were able to also experience this and they already know quite a few people in the church and have began making all the family connections- Dutch Bingo at its best! After some homemade burgers on the bbq, we spent the afternoon reading and napping before our evening service.
And that's all for these three days. Next post will be on our South Island trip! Stay tuned...
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