So here at the end of my stay here in Gisborne I’m now writing about this place, the locals call this the best spot in the world and I very much believe them when they say that.
New Zealand is a young country that is still trying to find it’s way in the world but when you talk to any Maori person you feel as if you knew everything that you ever needed to know about the culture and the way they live, everyone is so willing to talk about who they are and what they believe and teach anyone who is willing to sit and listen to stories about their ancestors and history of their family’s.
The city of Gisborne lies on the east side of the north island, as Far East as you can possibly go which makes it the first place in the entire world to see the sun rise. It’s surrounded by ocean and over 40% of the population consists of Maori people and everyone is kind and generous with their possessions and time.
My time herein Gisborne has been full of learning and thinking, living by the ocean has showed me the power of God in so many ways. Seeing storms and waves that were just as high as a house truly exemplifies the power of the Holy Spirit and the power that it has over this town. The Maori culture is so much based on the story of Jesus; they are true warriors of Christ without really knowing it. The children of this town are very stuck in all of the unfortunates of generational problems when it comes to life and expectations of what they need to do. We met this Amazing kid (no names sorry) who just kind of showed up at the YMCA program that we have been doing here and he blew me away with his knowledge and love for life and his ability to care so much and be curious about everything that we are talking about. A few days into his visits with us we found out from our contact that about 8 months ago his father had committed suicide because he found out that his wife had been cheating on him so he killed himself so that the mother would find him but instead our friend found him. There is also another boy who we just thought in the beginning had some social issues but it turns out that around November this kid and his dad moved here from Auckland to get away from the boys mom and stepdad because of physical abuse and so much brain washing.
After a ton of prayer and just alone time in Christ I’ve really come to believe this town is special and has a Glow that only can been seen by the Christians that come through here, The YMCA has been a place where children can be themselves and hope for a better future, I see God working everyday that we have been here, just by giving these kids a few weeks of happiness from that lives that they have been living.
The children of this town, The Gisborne YMCA that they will encourage and continue to do everything they can for the Children and adults of the community.
