WHAT A FuN NIGHT!!!!

So preface: my keyboard is broken so some letters don’t work. So I have to write everything on word and copy it in, or find a way to auto correct it. So annoying.

OK- better things. Tonight I went paintballing YESSSSSSSSS so amazing. So much fun!!!! The main guy who was heading it up was a hunter and was suuuuuper good at shooting, obviously, and he just NAILED on me one time. I was actually hiding behind this stick pile blockade thing and he still managed to get me on the arm, then the thigh and then straight up on my head. My ears started ringing really loud- it hurt SOOOO bad! But oh my gosh it was so much fun. We played this one round where one team was in a hut and had to stay there while the other ambushed them. The team in the hut had to bail out and go on the attackers team if they got hit, but the attackers could get hit all they wanted. So at one point I just charged the hut, got WAILED on, but it was worth it cuz it was fun. Now I have a welt on my arm, one on my head, one on my thigh, one on my waist, another on my side by my ribs. Oh and another on my knee. More are slowly popping p as time goes on. All my hair is covered in yellow paint, as well as my hands. I need to take a shower.   

LIVIN THE DREAM

So today was simple. But simply beautiful. I am sitting in a fort right now wearing spiderman pajamas that i bought off a 9 year old at a garage sale the other day. I also ate sloppy joes, corn and veggies with rice today with no hands and had sauce and rice all over my face. I love life. This is so beautiful. The world is waking up as the sun is busting out more and more every day. The craziest flowers are blooming everywhere. They are like gnarly explosions on stems. So great. I love new zealand. And forts. Time for bed!!!!

Yet another day of amazingness and blessings from God

SO TODAY WAS ANOTHER AMAZING DAY. I needed to walk to the store to get a couple things and I wanted someone to go with me but no one wanted to so I went alone. I was in a little bit of a funk, pretty sad because I didn’t want to be alone and it is a cloudy day today- looks like it’s gonna rain. So I was just talkin to God and I ask Him to cheer me up. So I continued on, laughing at the cows and sheep that follow me with their eyes and perk up their ears when I make their sounds. I listened to music and moved to the beat, but still felt sad. Then I ran into a few girls from church who are Bre’s age and walked a little of the way with them, talking about various things. After we split up I felt a little better, but not over-the-top happy like I wanted to be. So I continued on to find myself a small silver ring for my pinky finger (an important priority, I know). I got one and headed back home. THEN the moment that amazingness occurred. I was about to cross the street when the blue double cab bus pulls into the Paua & Pacific Jewel parking lot. I immediately start jumping, screaming, and flailing my arms. I had heard that the guy who owns it goes to my church. So I ran up to him screaming “I love your bus!” Turns out it is a 59, so amazing. He is very nice. So we start talking about VW’s and shows in NZ and the US. Then he asked if I’ve ever seen his wife’s bug. I knew she had one but I never had seen it. I asked what year it was, bracing myself for a lame year. He said it was a ’61. YES! So great. I was sooooooo excited then. THEN she pulls into the driveway with her bug!!! A beautiful, clean rhd two tone blue and white bug. LOVE IT! They are big surfers and just really nice people. So then Brian asked if I wanted a ride back to the Convent. I was on the way to New World, the grocery store, to get a few things so I said I’d take a ride to there, which is about half way. So I got to ride in the bus all the way to New World! Saved me a half an hour. And then he asked if I wanted a ride to the Convent if I was just getting a few things. So I ran in and then hopped right back into the bus and he took me all the way back to the Convent!!! The ride itself was nice, but what I loved even more was being in a VW. I’ve never gone this long without one and it was long overdue. I AM SO THANKFUL! The best part was we talked about VW’s the whole time and about labs because his chocolate lab was in the back seat. SO EXCITING!!!! Anyways, so I’m beyond very excited. Such a good day. I love God. He’s so good to me.

BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!!!!

So today was one of the best days of my life, hands down. It was so simple yet so amazing. First off, we're in the middle of our class Sustainable Community Development, which is my favorite class in the world. Our prof Mick is teaching sustainability in relation to his 10 year mission trip to the Philippines and I love that class. It's amazing! But during class I was thinking about how I've just been missing something in my life lately, significantly, and I really don't feel like myself. So after class I decided to go on a walk alone because I felt like I was going to explode. I realized I LITERALLY haven't been alone once, this entire semester. It's overwhelming. And my walk with God has definitely been better. So I was really hurting. A walk was a must. This morning when I woke up I did a devo, it was about learning to listen to God and to pay attention to him, referring to Moses and the burning bush. I asked God to renew me and restore me, meet me in a fresh, new way. 

      So I got out my ipod and I embarked on my little walk. It was AMAZING. God opened my eyes to the beauty all around me. First off, I was so thankful to be walking in my Rainbows once again. Since my feet have been injured literally for the last 5 weeks, I haven't been able to wear sandals for that amount of time. Now I got to rock my Rainbows. I was so thankful. The sun was shining, breathtaking, glistening streams flowing through the green grassy fields. Sheep grazing with their baby lambs. Horses running through the fields. Bright green rolling hills all around, with the Southern Alps behind them covered in white, fluffy snow. I decided to walk down the street to the beach as the sun kissed my skin. As I was singing on the top of my lungs to my ipod, these two guys drove by and I waved. Then, apparently, they turned around and yelled out their window, "Hey you from the Convent?" Upon answering 'yes' with great excitement about the weather, they told me they got an ice cream bar for their friend and he was at work so they wondered if I wanted it. YES!!! It was NZ's version of a Dove Bar. SO AMAZING!!! Then I found out they went to my church and are trying to set up an opportunity for our group to go paintballing in the near future. FUN! So they give me the ice cream and I say thanks and they turn back around and go on their merry way. I was so stoked! I proceeded on, singing super loud and dancing down the street through the fields of farm. Then, 1.5 km later, I reached the beach. I had never been to this beach before. This was the black sand beach [sand black from volcanic activity]. The dark sand was contrasted beautifully by light green plants and the aquamarine water. I walked for a very long time in the water, up to my waste at times [it's warming up finally!!!] and danced while watching the waves, along with the green hills and Alps that formed their backdrop. As I was dancing through the water I ran into a very happy seal, gave him enough room, and went on my way. After deciding it was enough, I turned around and went the opposite direction for quite a while, taking time every so often to get my jeans soaking wet in the gorgeous water. After an hour or two I decided it was time to go home. I danced my way back through the fields, down the train tracks, right back to the road that takes me home. I was having SO much fun singing on the top of my lungs that I went back to the Old Convent, changed the time I'd be back on the sign out sheet, got into dry jeans and danced down Mt. Fyffe Rd. once again for another hour in the sunshine. I sang to the sheep and to the newborn calves. I danced with no shame the whole time, out of the joy of the Lord. All I thought when I ran into people was about the story of David, who danced with all his might for God even if it made him look dorky. A lot of people laughed at me, but hey, atleast they were smiling! And I totally had an amazing time. I realize now that I need to spend more time alone with God, more time in the sunshine, more time singing on the top of my lungs, and more time dancing with all my might. I’m gonna try to do this every day. It warms my soul. God is so faithful J

Abel Tasman Adventure Week!!!

This was written a little while ago but I haven't had the chance (or internet speed) to post it....but here it is....

So ABEL TASMAN was so amazing. The entire week. Nelson and Blenheim too. God’s presence was just so evident the whole time. Examples? Ok. So the first day we kayaked our way through Marahau- GORGEOUS- and then started a 4.5 hour hike to Te Pukatea at 6 pm. The locals said we were absolutely crazy for attempting it. That just made it all more of a challenge. So we hiked through the night to the light of our headlamps [we did get lost] and then finally reached a sign for Anchorage. We kept going- MY FEET WERE KILLING ME- my boil had just become heavily infected that morning, along with a cut on the other foot I had obtained from kicking the heater on accident the day before. So my feet hurt so bad I couldn’t stand or walk, so we laid hands on the boil and prayed over it and God took away part of the infection pain so I could physically walk on it, with the help of a bandaid, med tape, duck tape and an ace bandage. It killed, but hey, it worked. So we are almost to Anchorage, which is just over the hill from Te Pukatea, and we reach this STEEP downhill which we had to go down with 70 pounds packs for a half an hour. I completely blew out my right knee to the point that it was very difficult to walk. When we reached the bottom [finally!] there was a GORGEOUS moon-lit beach. We dropped our packs and decided to sleep there. Then we realized we had no water and that the tide might hit our tents. So Kat and Anela went to look for a campground as Sarah and I laid on the beach to watch to packs. I was shaking, wearing soaking wet shorts after kayaking, but my clothes were in my pack that was 2 feet away. I honestly was so beat I couldn’t move 2 feet. THEN God was like hey I’m gonna bless you, which was great because we literally had just prayed for an angel/miracle. So Kat and Anela accidentally ran into the RANGER’S house, and he happened to be awake [on his way to bed]. He saw them and pointed us in a direction of non-diseased water [most water there is death water: carries a stomach disease virus]. He also told us where a campground was where we could camp for the night even though we didn’t have reservations. Then we slept in the next day till 9 [woke up scared to move due to the PAINNNN]. Ranger Jamal was there to make sure we were ok, suggested we have our packs drove up to Arawoa for us so we could actually make it to the next place. He even called the AquaTaxi for us. So nice. So then we leave for the aquataxi and see it pulling out of the harbor. We scream and flail our arms and they turned around for us to take our packs. We JUST made it in time. So amazing. Such a blessing from God.

Here is a prayer I read out of this little old school devo [that I got there at a rummage sale!] while I was there, I really liked it:

 

O God, who art the light of all my seeing, the truth of all my thinking, the peace and fruition of all my living, I come to Thee praying that I may have clear vision of the things which are spiritual and eternal. Help me to feel Thy Fatherhood, to see Thy hand in the history of the past, to receive into my being the full power of Thy redemption in Jesus Christ, to feast my eyes on the glories of Thy spiritual kingdom. Help me to see the things of the Spirit so clearly that I may be able to interpret them with pellucid expression to others: that minds which have dwelt in darkness may feel the light break through, and the mists be done away from their eyes for ever. Amidst the anxieties of every day life, may there ever be a holy of holies within my heart where Christ dwells supreme, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Amen.

We also saw God’s blessings when we were in Blenheim, it was pouring rain, and we had to set up camp and cook dinner in the rain when a lady, Helen -WE LOVE HER- offered us her flat to stay in. It was amazing. And then her lovely neighbor Sue gave us lamb for dinner. It was an amazinggggg night- sleeping next to the fireplace. God blessed us tremendously. Other than that, we had so much adventure: trecking to the moonlight, crossing the ocean, BEAUTIFUL white/orange sand beaches with emerald waters, attack of goats, delicious rice dinners every night, road tripping around the Marlborough Sounds, rollin to amazing Kiwi and Maori cd’s, and much much more. Oh man NZ is so fun. Can’t wait till Friday when we road trip all over the country for 10 days!!!! HECK YEAH! Right now I think I’m gonna make myself a hat out of this really cool fabric. We’ll see how that turns out….

 

Our Adventure week in Abel Tasman

So here are some pics of the week...I am SO going to put up a written post soon of all the things that happened, but till them, enjoy the random mixed up pictures!!! :)

God was with us from the start!

Beautiful sunrise
One of the days my foot got so infected it turned white on the toe and purple too on the side. Yum!

the last camp ground had a place for a fire!!!

We saw kiwi ducks- waka
love them!!

the aqua taxi splashed alot
crossing the ocean


We packed along the beach too
The quail here are so big! Dad you would love it

We ate on this beach one day for lunch. Lovely, as they say here in NZ

The water was a GORGEOUS color
So warm!
It was a beautiful trip
Our hike even involved crossing oceans

So there was a cave that we were curious about and we decided to go in it and check it out cuz it looked scary and when we got in we looked up with the flashlight and spider like things were crawling all over the ceiling, about the size of our fists. We Screamed and ran out shaking our hair out. SO SCARY!
We crossed bays too
SO PRETTY!
The bridges were very shaky and adventurous

It's really pretty cuz the sand here is orange

Fisherman's island, our little secret getaway
The tide drops 15 feet from low to high. Low tide is so gorgeous.
Gorgeous!!!
hiking on the beach!

The lovely couple that allowed us to stay a night in their flat rather than sleeping in the rain in our tents. We love Helen and Clarry!!!
The couple we stayed with LOVED giraffes and we loved them! [and their giraffes}
The sunset the first night
Our tent the first night [while we were still in the city] looked so sad. The next day in the forest we learned how to put it up right. We all slept like sardines, all 4 of us in the black one with our backpacks in the blue one
Don't know why I loved these little gas pumps so much, but i did.

The sunrise where we camped along the beach in the Marlborough Sounds. So worth gettin up super early

jump!
Psh that's right!!

Linnea I thought of you and absolutely had to take a pic! I miss you so very much and think of you all the time, talk about you a ton to my friends. Kat says that she loves you even though she's never met you. You are cherished.

So I wanted to ride this, paid and everything, and rode it for a bit when the lady in the toy store came out and said, "Excuse me, this is for smaller children" HAHAHAHAHHAHAHA
Me after just waking up from the car ride. The Marlborough Sounds were part of where Lord of the Rings were filmed, it's GORGEOUS
At the Marlborough Sounds!!!
Fish N Chips are our favorite thing EVER to eat here!!! Though I still get really sick every time i do. BUT in Nelson we had the best fish n' chips in nz, really, and it was so worth it!!!!!!!!

Beach time!!! It's so much warmer up there than Kaikoura

We bond by spitting food in each other's faces
The symbol of NZ
After the hike, one night we got a motel room, which was only 3 bucks more than camping and came with a kitchen and living room!!!
We stopped for one time and got starbucks after finishing the hike and saw some friends there that we met in the middle of Abel Tasman too! Sad thing is that they don't sell the Pumpkin spice latte. SAD DAY!

The full moon aided us in seeing when we hiked at night

Abel Tasman was absolutely GORGEOUS!
I woke up one morning and started crying because I was in so much pain. I feel so much more accomplished since I made it through the whole track like that!
Gettin ready in the morning
Mmmmm tasty! WeetBix and peanut butter every single day for breakfast. Only costs 4 bucks for 300 of them!!

takin a break on a log. Just kidding. We didn't take breaks, we just backpacked cuz we're hard core like that. This was a nice pic moment though haha

Lunch time!!
We ate lunch here
Kat and I in a teepee 
I LOVE THIS ORANGE SIGN! Orange signs were what indicated we were going the right way on the trail. When walking through the night across the ocean in the dark, this is like an angel.

It was such a beautiful day to kayak

Popping my blood blister :) It was darker reddish purple in real life
we rocked the fanny packs on one of the days and had an aqua taxi take our bags up since we literally could barely stand because of the pain
I miss everyone at home
the beaches were GORGEOUS

My feet were pretty jacked, this was the first day starting out

kayaking!
Kat and I took longer on our kayak cuz collectively we're almost 100 pounds heavier
Friendship :)

Kayaking!

OUr lovely crew. So great. Anela, Sarah, myself and Kat. My closest friends here. WE had the adventure of a lifetime. !! :)

We walked through the drivethru at McDonalds out of desperation [all foood is SOOO expensive]. They didn't like us and stared at us funny.
you can barely see it, but the sign says "Bridge Street". That's me!
Someone was making free hamburgers on the side of the road for a radio station. YES!
Dad, I was gonna get this book for you, but it was twenty bucks. So I took a pic. It was amazing.