Make Change Photos

Matt, Sam and Jacobme with Hannah and Emma
Shar, me, Karen and Bec
Daybreak

These are the Days of our Lives

It seems like I hit the ground running and I haven't yet come up for air - this is the best description of my first month in Christchurch. I pretty much arrived, then within a week took off north for Make Change and Parachute, and arrived back in the middle of last week, went back to the officer, spent the weekend at the Linwood Corps Camp, and here I am again, with Nelson looming on the horizon.

Make Change and Parachute were awesome. I met heaps of the youth from down this way - even if I didn't realise there was any from Blenheim or Belfast until the final Sunday - oops! God fully showed up at Make Change (as we had prayed for!) and heck ... well, it's hard to put into words aye sometimes all that happens. But God is good and He is faithful and He met me as well as many young people there and spoke pretty powerfully into our lives.

It was cool catching up with so many old friends from around the country, and of course, making new ones, though I found it quite strange to be at this event that I hadn't really been part of organising but was labelled as part of the team because of my new role. But I tried to help out where I could, and it was definitely helpful that I knew my way around Hamilton well still! I often was out buying things that we had forgotten or run out of!

Definitely a top notch affair.

Anywhos ... back to the drawing board. So much to do!! Mum and Dad arrive tomorrow night for a holiday, so I'm very looking forward to that - the first of my friends and whanau to whom I can show off my new digs!!

Coming Home From My Summer Holiday...

Seems like a bit of a weird title considering I'm kinda not really home. Depending on your view of things. But I've left my "north" holiday in Hamilton/Waihi Beach/Rotorua and I'm back, albeit ever so briefly in Wellington, before leaving in the early hours of tomorrow morning to catch the ferry to move south to Christchurch. But enough of that ... time to reminisce ...

My final night at College was meant to be a prank night, and I had it planned, but alas it all turned nasty on me and I ended up the one being pranked by Robert. Thus, my pride is still hurt and I shall wait on telling you about that for another time.

Saturday morning before Christmas I drove to Hamilton, via stopping for shopping at the outlet stores in Otaki (if I'd known how good they were, I would have stopped more frequently in my two years living here!) and also at Wayne and Bridget's new place for lunch. It twas fab seeing their mansion (literally) and I've picked my room for when I stay. Isaac and Joel were fun to spend time with, and it turned out it was Bridget's birthday, so a great little break.

After that, I pretty much drove straight through to Hamilton, stopping for a drink at Taihape, and arrived at Mum and Dad's for a late dinner.

Spent the next few days just meandering round my old haunts, taking Matt Christmas shopping (seemingly a new tradition!), and catching up with friends.
Aunty Jocelyn, Uncle Ian and Olivia stayed with us from Christmas Eve, so they joined us for our family present opening and BBQ bfast with Popa. Lunch Uncle Wayne, Aunty Carolyn, Michael and Hannah added to the chaos at our house (nah... not really ... was fun spending time with them all!) and at dinner we went out to the farm for our Smith Christmas.

Boxing Day I took Olivia out to the sales ... nothing like shopping ... and even ran into an old guy (Joe) from the youth group I'd lost touch with years ago, which excited me much - I had been praying about him just recently and had asked God if I could run into him so was absolutely stoked.

Spent the next couple of days just resting, watching DVDs, reading books etc at Mum and Dads before heading over to Uncle Alister and Aunty Sue's bach at Waihi Beach for a few days, including New Years. Was great catching up with family again and friends I haven't seen in ages, and in particular Haley and her growing baby bump! We kind of had three New Years celebrations around midnight, because we weren't too sure who had the right time, but eventually conceded it must be 2008. (Scary - where are the years going!?)

Matt and I drove from there to Rotorua where we picked up Kelly, Lucy and Michael and then went to Blue Lake to spend the day with Jaci, Carl and Joel and Jac's whanau. They've been like a second family to me growing up so was awesome to spend time with them, and play around with Levi and Joel.

Then Matt and I stayed the night with my cousin Linda and her family before I went and met up with Jaci and Carl again to head out to Lake Rotoiti where we met up with Sue, Simon and the girls. Much fun heading out on the boat into the island hot pools. Nice. Methinks I'm slightly browner than when I left. (I do mean slightly!)

Then I drove back to the 'Tron, where I spent my last day running around doing final errands, catching up with the Siufangas and Rachel, before flying down this morning.

Anywho, that's the basic gist. Had a few great laughs etc, and will post some photos at a later date, but my fingers are getting tired and I'm sure you've had enough of reading my bleating. I just now need to figure some way of getting everything to fit into my car somehow ready for the morning .... eh.

Life ... as it's happened.

Okay, so I'm the slackest blogger out (well, outside of Sue and Si!!) but bear with me, it has been full on crazy around this place, with graduation, commissioning, my birthday, packing, and the moving trucks .... eh.

However, I'm alive still and now a fully ordained and commissioned Salvation Army officer (scary!) and about to head off for Christmas and New Years before heading to Chch to begin my new role and live my new life.

Plus on the absolutely awesome side of life, I got my new car. Very nice. I love it.

Meanwhile.... some photos of the big commissioning w/end...

A long running practical joke that I won't explain, but here are our session giving our ATP Janine a bunch of plastic flowers.

At the Silver Star lunch - in the back is Christine, Matt, Val, Dad. In front is me, Popa and Mum.
At the Silver Star lunch are some of the Smith cousins: Olivia, Emma, me, Ben and Matt.

After the graduation, Matt, Michael, Hannah and I have a photo with Billy Booth.
Getting ordained, commissioned and appointed.
Trying hard to remember the doctrines.
With Janine and Roberto, are the Witnesses for Christ in their lovely sashes and the newly commissioned Captains.

And for the first time we ALL have red stuff on our shoulders!! From left: Jo, Ross, me, Perry, Sue, Simon, Annette, Kevin and Janette.

FIRE!!

Well, you can never say life is dull!!

This morning, Tiko and Shelley, Stu and Kylie, Kevin, Annette, Suzanne and I went into town to the tailors to have another uniform fitting (prior to commissioning) and we stopped off at Trade on the way. I was looking at the books when the fire alarm sounded and we (minus Stu and Tiko who were off getting us all coffees and hot chocs) were ushered along with all the THQ and Central DHQ staff - and whoever else got caught in it - to a 'safe place'.

Lo and behold, then four fire engines turned up (and I have to confess I was jumping up and down in excitement!)

It turns out there was a real fire. I'm not sure on the details but from what I heard, someone was working on something on the roof and somehow caught something on fire and smoke was smelt in the building somewhere. Fortunately no one was hurt and I believe THQ is still standing.

I'm reminded of one of Jen's favourite sayings: Drama, drama, drama!

Being a Christian

“When you become a Christian, Jesus will invade your life and make you into somebody He can use to change the world. Through you, He will challenge racism. Through you, Jesus will attack sexism, poverty, and militarism. That was never taught to me when I was growing up. I never heard that I could be an instrument that God could use to change the world.

All I was told was that being a Christian meant I would go to heaven when I died. I was never told that the primary reason Jesus saved me was to make me into somebody whom He could use to change the world into the kind of world He willed for it to be when He created it.”

-Tony Campolo

Guy Fawkes

Yeah sure, it seems a little nuts that we in little old NZ would have fireworks in remembrance of a guy who tried to blow up the British Parliament Buildings yonkers ago, but, hey, any excuse for a BBQ and fireworks, eh?!

Clockwise from left: Reuben, Naomi and Patrick bring over the fireworks; Kendal, me and Naomi; The men doing the BBQ; Naomi cartwheeling; Tiko prepping the BBQ.
Clockwise from left: Reuben and Patrick on the see-saw; Monique and Sue; Terry (Gotta love Perry's face in the background!!); Kayla and Kylie.
Clockwise from left: Christina, Kate and Hannah; fireworks; Emily and Reuben with sparkers; the kids sparkler trails; Kendal.
Clockwise from left: Simon lights the sparklers for the kids; Naomi and her sparkler; fireworks; Kayla watching the fireworks in the sky (classic face!); Kate; Rochelle.