Hongi is how the Maori greet each other. It involves one touching the nose to the other person’s nose and to me is one of the most beautiful ways to greet a person.
Hangi is pretty much an underground oven to cook lots of food and you have a big dinner with everyone afterward.
I was welcomed into New Zealand with a hongi at a powhiri (welcoming ceremony) eager to learn more about the beautiful country and culture. What I didn’t expect was to find the presence of God so apparent and so visible through the country and most especially through the people.
At our goodbye ceremony, the te ate awi (the elders) of the Iwi tribe came to El Rancho to send us off. After a couple of the guys shared their gratitude and sang a song , Uncle Tuki asked if one of the ladies would speak. God told me it was going to be me so I spoke about the people and then yes… I sang… no not Britney Spear but the broken chorus of Mighty to Save (since that was the first song to pop into my head after a plethora of 70s music and you are my sunshine.)
The staff at El Rancho are hands down some of the most amazing people I have ever met. They worked so hard to accommodate us and it was a constant outpour of Christ. We served them and wanted to keep serving them to any capacity and they did the same for us. It was beautiful to witness the body of christ working in this community at El Rancho and to be a part of it for the past 3 weeks.
Thank you Rob, Jen, Rod, Amy, Amy-Leigh, Bernie, Gavin, Gaynor, Ruth, Sam, Levi, Grace, Lexi, Natalie and everyone else at El Rancho for blessing me with your love and welcoming me into your world. Thank you for inspiring me to become a better Christian in my walk and just showering us with joy and love. God’s light and beauty shine from everyone one of you so brilliantly/ Through you I was able to see the real beauty of New Zealand.
One of the things I was looking forward to seeing in New Zealand was a Haka. Haka is a Maori war dance that was used to intimidate their enemies. Yesterday on the bus I was getting quite car sick and prayed to God to take it away.. So he put me in a deep sleep. I began to dream that I was talking to God and said half jokingly, “thank you for the experience I have had here even though I didn’t get to see a Haka.”
He said,” Michelle, all your life you have been dancing with me. Do you not realize that you and your brothers and sisters here are doing it. You are chosen. You are scaring and fighting away the enemy in my name. You didn’t need to see it because you are living it.”
Be encouraged. We are fighting to bring Glory to his kingdom here to the places we will be traveling to and to Australia next. My team and I will fight for it in Byron Bay alongside 4 other teams asking the Lord what he desires us to do during this beach ministry month.
“Ask and I’ll give the nations to you, Oh lord, that’s the cry of my heart….”
We are asking for Byron Bay. We are claiming it as our King’s. We are walking into month 2 as warriors for a mighty God. I pray that we fearlessly make the gospel known and boldly share to others the best thing that is in our lives. God will be glorified!
