worth 14000 words

Kia Ora!!  That’s a New Zealand term for hello!  I should figure out what they say for goodbye I supposed, because we will soon be headed to the airport (actually 4 am on Wednesday) for our next hop to Australia.  It is going to be here soon.  I’m writing this blog quickly as we have had limited internet access this week and all the women on my team are trying to get blogs out before we move out of the apartment we are in, and into our tents for the next 4 days.  Yes, it’s true!  I’m going to sleep in my tent for the first time ever!  I hope that I remember the instructions the nice man at REI gave me for putting it together.  We are still at the same location, but will be hosting about 160 guests for a YWAM conference this week and that puts us out on the concrete in the back yard.  No worries, it will be a good adventure.  I’m excited. 

 

Speaking of, we found out today that our Australia assignment is to be in the city of Darwin.  We knew that our flight out of NZ would be landing in Brisbane, but I’m shocked to find out my team will then travel all the way across the continent to the Northern Territory, which is huge!  We are to stay on a farm with our ministry contact who works with aboriginal people.  I’m super excited at hearing this news!  More to come on that. 

 

This picture blog is long overdue, but will give you a visual of what we’ve seen here in the past 3 weeks. 

 

          Both of these shots were taken between       
          Matamata and Tauranga. 
         The skies in NZ are beautiful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tauranga coast and a view from Mt. Maunganui just up the trail. 

 

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was so fortunate to be able to visit the Hobbiton movie set from the Lord of the Rings trilogy. This working sheep farm is owned by a New Zealand family and was used as The Shire (or Hobbiton) for the films. 

 

           This is the hobbit hole that 
      was used to film Bilbo’s house. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Party Tree where Bilbo stood to give his speech, put on the ring, and disappears.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next to the Party field, this is the lake where the firework dragon flew over.

   

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a shot of the Party Tree in the background and a photo of the actual set for the filming Bilbo’s birthday party.  

 

 

 

 

In Auckland, the obelisk and the view at One Tree Hill; there used to be a tree on the hill, too, until an angry Maori man chopped the tree down. It’s still called One Tree Hill though. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This laundry represents much of the work we’ve done at King’s Kids this month.  It has been a good opportunity to learn to be humble and serve others.  Until next time…