10 Facts about my life in New Zealand so far…
1. 1. I arrived safely on Jan 3 after a long flight. Well, Jan 2 in the US. The 2nd didn’t exist for me. We left LAX on the 1st and landed here the morning of the 3rd after a 12 hour flight that included crossing the international date line.
2. 2. It’s not cold. It’s the summer!! The ozone layer is also very thin here, and it doesn’t take long for your skin to get a little pink.
3. 3. As you might have guessed, it’s beautiful here!!
4. 4. I’ve experienced many emotions in the past two days as I’ve tried to transition into 11 months of a completely different way of living life. Sadness, loneliness, relief, thankfulness, and joy to name a few. The bottom line is that I know the Lord has led me here, and he will equip me with what I need every day. He has done that already by giving me peace, comfort, and strength as I adjust to what is happening now and prepare for what is to come. I thank you for that, Lord.
6. 6. It’s not all that different than the US. The scenery, accents, and the side of the road the Kiwis drive on are different, but I don’t anticipate experiencing culture shock here. The extreme change in culture will come soon enough I’m sure!
7. 7. God is going to blow me away this year with the things he is going to teach me. I’m a little nervous about the intensity of his teaching methods! I keep hearing the stories of past racers and the things they say they’ve seen the Holy Spirit do in their lives and in the lives of the people they interact with in different countries is absolutely incredible. Seriously…incredible!
8. 8. Our ministry will be starting soon. Our squad that is all currently here together will be divided into our smaller teams and sent out to start our ministry on Saturday.
9. 9. I’m as excited as ever for you to join me this year throughout this journey that the Lord has taken me on. I can’t wait to share with you how the Lord has worked in and through me and how he is doing incredible things all over the world that I have the privilege of being a part of.
10. 10. We love a God who is good, can be trusted, and is worthy of our praise no matter where we are in the world and no matter where we are in our “world”. I pray that all of you see the evidence of that in your life today as I continue to see it in mine.
