Hello mates! We have been in New Zealand for two weeks now,
serving at El Rancho for about 8 days. This last week we were leaders and
helpers in an awesome Kids Camp. God was really present in the week and many of
the kids committed their lives to Christ, which was SO cool.
So perhaps you are wondering what day to day life looks like
in New Zealand. For us, it has meant eating like a hobbit, living like a
servant, and working with a song in our heart.
El Rancho is beautiful. On one side of the camp, green
mountains kiss the cotton-ball clouded sky. The other side slopes down towards
a river, and walking along the river leads you to a beautiful beach. From
there, you can see a lush mountain island emerging from the sea, and a horizon
that goes on unending, with multiple shades of blue as far as the eye can see.
We have been terrifically blessed this month-they feed us
and then feed us and feed us some more. We have breakfast, morning tea (which
is usually at 10 but sometimes at 11-ELEVENSIES), lunch, afternoon tea, tea (which
is dinner), and supper (which is evening tea). It is a little crazy for us
busy-bee Americans, but I am learning to love it. Maybe we don’t need to eat
biscuits (cookies) each time, but to have 10-30 minute breaks built into the
culture is pretty cool.
Last week, I served as a leader at Kids Camp. This meant
being a camp counselor for 5 10-12 year old girls. They ran the gamut from
tomboy to girly-girl, and some knew Christ and went to church whereas others
had never heard the gospel. We had one camper from South Africa, and the others
were fairly local. Many went to school in P.R.A.M—Paraparaumu. They were
definitely more challenging than I am used to-many came from broken homes and
hurting hearts. But God did a good work in us as leaders and in them as
campers, and lives were changed.
This coming week, we will humbly serve the leadership and
fellowship of New Wine, as they have a huge conference here at El Rancho. Today
that has meant lots of cleaning, organizing and setting up. In coming days, it
will most likely mean a lot of bathroom cleaning and dishes. I think it will be
challenging for us to accept this utter servanthood, but I am excited to see
what our team does with it. 
Some fun Kiwi slang:
Kiwi-refers to someone from New Zealand, or anything to
describe a New Zealand item-i.e. Kiwifruit, kiwi bird, kiwi slang
When you eat a kiwi, you are actually eating a kiwifruit. If
you refer to it as a kiwi, they will think you mean you are eating the bird.
The kiwi bird is endangered, so you would not want people thinking you were so
barbaric as to eat it.
–as: Kiwis add this on to many words to emphasize a point.
I.e., cool-as mate, or sweet-as, eh?
Oy: used to get attention from someone
Choice: excellent, optimum, prime-choice wave, bro
Bro, sis, cuz: terms of endearment, used like we use DUDE
(which they occasionally use, or Man)
Check out more pictures here!
Blessings & love,
Glenalyn
