Pictures

This is a sign here at the Bible college that made me chuckle...
...I obviously don't follow directions well...

The train car cabins at Raglan
A view from our Bay of Islands cruise...
A perfect sunset
Night kayaking!
Waterfall wonder woman-that's me!

Trip to Raglan, Parachute Music Festival, Whangerai, Paihia, and Bay of Islands

I know, I know-I'm tardy again. This traveling and studying at the same time business does not leave a whole lot of extra room for posting blogs, but now that I've turned in all the homework that's due before I get to China, I now have a chance to update you on my travels.



So, allow me to go back to January 25th-27th when we took a trip to Raglan, a tiny little beach town about one hour away from Hamilton, where we attended the Parachute Music Festival. We spent Friday at the black sand, surfing beach, soaking up the sun and playing in the waves. It was fun getting knocked around by the force of the water, but after a while it got somewhat tiring and I was glad to rest in the warmth of the sun (how's that snow treating all of you, by the way?). We stayed at a campground called Solscape. The owners had turned a bunch of old train cars into cabins, which were really neat to sleep in. I felt like I was one of the Boxcar children :-)

On Saturday, we headed to the Parachute Music Festival in Hamilton. The main event of the night was the Switchfoot concert, which everyone was really excited about. I was overwhelmed, however, with the massive crowd that was packed onto the lawn. There was absolutely no room whatsoever to move, and there were constantly people pushing and shoving there way through the audience to get closer to the stage. I touched way more sweaty bodies than I would have cared to, almost got trampled a few times, and felt mildly claustrophobic. I quickly learned that if I didn't jump along with the rest of the crowd, then there would be no hope for me, so once I loosened up and started having fun, it was a much more enjoyable experience. Switchfoot put on an excellent show, and I loved singing along and worshipping under the stars-it definitely turned into a sacred moment, and was one of the highpoints of the trip.

Now, let's fast forward to February 3rd-7th. On Sunday, we packed up, piled into the vans, and drove to Whangerai, where we stayed at a holiday park for the evening and rested up for the rest of the week. The main event of the night was playing mafia-always a good time!

On Monday morning, we went to the Treaty Grounds and learned a lot about the native Maori of New Zealand, as well as their national holiday, Waitangi Day (February 6, 1840), when British sovereignty was claimed over the country. I learned a lot of interesting things, and gained more of an appreciation of Maori culture and the birth of New Zealand.

We spent Monday afternoon in Paihia, where many members of the group found the Superbowl playing at a restaurant and planted themselves there for a couple of hours. I honestly didn't have a whole lot of interest in the game-it just was not the same as watching it with friends and family in the states-so Bethany and I decided to go souveneir shopping instead.

The real excitement started at 5:00 when we boarded the boat for our overnight cruise to the Bay of Islands. This was definitely the highlight of my trip thus far. The crew of the "Rock the Boat" cruise was very friendly and gave us a great time. We were able to go fishing off the back of the boat, and much to my amazement, I caught a fish. There's no need to worry about how big it was-the main point is, I caught one. After much insistance from the crew that I needed to cater to tradition by kissing the fish since it was the first (and only) one I caught, I finally conceeded and puckered up. Blah.

My favorite part of the cruise was being able to go night kayaking-definitely an experience I will never forget. It was about 10:30 at night, and pitch dark because there was no moon. The only light came from the billions of brilliantly bright stars scattered across the inky black sky. I've never seen so many stars in my life! The crew members took us out 8 at a time, and led us around one of the islands for a little while. I loved the feeling of gliding through the water in my kayak, and felt as though I could have paddled around all night. Also, experiencing the phenomenon of the phosphorescence in the water was priceless. When I scooped up the water in my hand, it looked as though I were holding thousands of fireflies. It was breath takingly beautiful.

The next morning after breakfast, we had the opportunity to go snorkeling. I had never been snorkeling before and was excited to try, but was also a little hesitant due to the fact that it was raining and the water was somewhat choppy. Also, I was slightly grossed out about putting the mouth piece in my mouth as I thought about all the different people who had used it in the past, and I wasn't too sure about how conscientious the crew had been about sanitizing them. However, my philosophy on this trip has been to try everything, so I swallowed the lump in my throat, donned a wet suit, flippers, goggles, and the breathing tube, wrapped a pool noodle around my waist, and jumped into the water. It was really cold at first, but got better as I started swimming around. I was concerned that I wouldn't breath the proper way and end up swallowing a bunch of salt water, but I was surprised at how easy it was and didn't have any problems. Unfortunately, the water wasn't too clear and I only saw a couple fish, but it was still fun and I'm glad I gave it a shot. As to my concerns about the mouth piece, I was reassured later that salt water sanitizes quite well, which brought a great sigh of relief.

Around lunch time, we kayaked out to the shore of one of the 144 islands that make up the Bay of Islands. It was still raining and the wind had picked up. Nevertheless, barefoot and wearing only a swimsuit, with my rain-drenched towel wrapped around my shoulders, I followed a crew member as he led us on a hike up the face of a steep hill. The grass was surprisingly thick, soft, and springy, and I felt like a hobbit as I made the trek in barefeet. The view when we reached the top was worth the climb, as we were able to look off across the ocean and see ourselves encircled by more islands.

We spent Wednesday back in Paihia, resting and doing more shopping, and then on Thursday morning we packed up and headed back to the Bible college. We stopped in Whangerai, where we took a trail down to the base of a waterfall and ate lunch. It was the perfect end to our 5 day adventure!

Since arriving back at the Bible college, we've spent our time finishing up our homework for the New Zealand portion of the trip. Tomorrow morning, we're packing up and moving out of the Bible college to spend 1 more week traveling around New Zealand. We'll be going to Rotorura, Talpo, and Waihi and will experience many of the extreme sports that New Zealand is well known for, such as luging, zorbing, and...SKYDIVING. Yes, everyone, I am going skydiving. I'll make the jump on Valentines Day (which will actually be the 13th for all of you, since NZ is 18 hours ahead). I would greatly appreciate your prayers as I would prefer to survive to tell the tale and show you all the video. I've always wished I could fly... :-) We'll also get to see the Haka, which is a traditional Maori dance, and go to Hobbit Town and see the remaining set from Lord of the Rings. Also, I've been wanting to feed a little lamb a bottle of milk on this trip, and although it's not a guarantee, I've been told that it may happen on this leg of the trip, which I would be greatly excited about.

On February 20th, we fly to Australia. We'll be there for 9 days, and then on February 29th will fly to Beijing. I probably won't have internet access during the next couple of weeks, but as soon as we get settled in China I will let you know how everything is going.

It's been a great adventure so far. Thanks for all of your prayers and support!

Brothers

I just finished an assignment in which I wrote about my relationship with my younger brothers, Tyler and Evan. It made me really miss them a lot, and so I thought I'd make a quick post in their honor before I go off to lunch.

So, Tyler and Evan, if you're reading this, please know how much your big sister loves and misses you, and how proud she is of you! There have been many moments on this trip when I wish you could have been here with me. It would have been fun to try surfing with you out on the beach, or to have been able to go to the Switchfoot concert together.

Mom told me that there's a pretty big snow storm right now back home, and that you got the day off from school. I hope you have fun on your day off! And as you're shoveling the drive way, you can think of me, suffering in the 80 degree heat of New Zealand :-)

Kiwi Flu and Pahi Beach

I apologize for my lack of posting. There honestly hasn't been a whole lot to report on this past week, as we've been spending the majority of our time here at the Bible college having class and completing assignments. We only have the rental vans on certain weekends, so unless we have either a day trip or weekend excursion planned, we can't get anywhere unless we use the bus system, which can get a little pricy (as can everything here in New Zealand!). Also, I've been battling the "Kiwi Flu," or so its called by the New Zealand natives, who refer to themselves as "kiwi's" after their national bird. It started out as a fever and sore throat and has morphed into a really bad cold. I'm constantly either coughing, sneezing, or blowing my nose. I've been told that this is normal, that everyone who travels to New Zealand comes down with this at some point, so I'm just trying to push my way through it. It has made getting a lot of homework done difficult, however, so I'll have to make up for lost time later. Everyone on the team has been very supportive, though, giving me cough drops and Tylenol cold medicine. I've been drinking lots of water and eating lots of organges to get that oh-so-important Vitamin C, so hopefully I'll kick this thing in a couple more days.

We picked up rental vans yesterday so that we'd have them for this weekend (more on that later), so last night after supper we took a trip out to Pahi Beach, which is known to be an excellent surfing beach, but also dangerous due to the waves and strong tide and rip current. The 30 minute ride there was adventure enough! We had to drive up these extremely narrow, winding, mountain roads and at points I was sure we were either going to go careening over a cliff or hit another car as it came flying around the corner. It was certainly a harrowing experience. However, the scenery we saw during the drive was absolutely beautiful, and the site that we beheld when we reached our destination made it all worth it.

We had fun taking pictures and wading out into the water. Feeling the pull of the tide coming in and out was amazing. I'd be standing out in the water taking a picture and then I'd feel the sand beneath my feet start to sink. Some of the team decided to go swimming. I figured that wouldn't be such a great idea since I was sick, so I limited myself to just wading in a bit. I really enjoyed getting out into the country side (this area was pretty isolated) and away from the city, and catching a glimpse of the beauty that New Zealand is so well known for. God totally captured my heart as I saw such a clear picture of His majesty displayed in His creation, and as I watched the sunset, it made the discouragement of being sick these past few days momentarily fade away.

After we made our way back down the mountain, which was even scarier in the dark, we stopped at McDonald's before heading back to the Bible College. I'm generally not the greatest fan of McDonald's. However, New Zealand has some pretty classy McDonald's (even though you don't have to wear shoes when you go in, although that is typical of most places we've been so far in New Zealand). I'd been craving french fries, so I got that taken care of, and when we returned to the Bibe College I fell asleep with a happy tummy inside my freshly washed and sun-dried sheets feeling a great deal of contentment.

Now, for our up-coming weekend adventure. The plan is to leave after lunch today and head to Ragland, which is a beach town about 2 1/2 hours away. We're going to stay at a campground whose cabins are designed to look like train cars...kind of cool. We'll spend time at the beach and shopping, and then on Saturday we'll go to Hamilton for the Parachute Music Festival. It's a huge music festival that happens anually here, and I guess it's a pretty big deal. I don't recognize many of the bands other than Switchfoot, which we'll get to see play on Saturday, so maybe this will be a chance to broaden my horizons as far as musical taste is concerned. Hillsong United is going to be there on Sunday, but, alas, we're only going to be at the festival on Saturday :-( I'm hoping to still get a chance to see them at some point while we're here, though. We'll stay at the campground again on Saturday night, have a slow Sunday mornining, and head back here to the Bible college early afternoon. So, when I get back, I'll let you know how it went! Time to pack now!

Be Still and Know...

Me, Holly, and Bethany enjoying the best ice-cream I've ever tasted...ever!

A couple shots of the beautiful beach we spent the afternoon at.

This is over looking downtown Auckland from on top of Mount Eden. You may recognize the famouse Skytower "towering" over the city...
Rachel, Holly, me, and Bethany...we love playing eucher together.
The sun setting over Auckland. Beautiful, isn't it?

This morning in my devotions, I read the following:

"His voice demands the silence of the soul...My soul, hast thou pondered these words, 'Be still, and know'?," referring to Psalm 46:10, which says, "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Later on in our group devotions after breakfast, we were directed to Psalm 63: 3-5 which says, "Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you."

I feel as though this whole day was full of moments where my soul could "Be still, and know that He is God," and He gave me reminders all day long of how His love really is better than life. I feel as though all I experienced today was full of blessings poured out of the recesses of God's never-ending love for me. Whether through continuing to form new friendships with the rest of my group, walking along the beach, laying out in the sand and letting the sun kiss my skin (you will be glad to hear, mom, that I wore two layers of sun screen and didn't burn at all, after the tellers at the bank where we exchanged our money took one look at me and said, 'You have very fair skin and the burn index is 12 minutes today, so you best wear a lot of sun screen'), looking out over the sun setting on the city of Auckland from Mount Eden, eating the best ice cream I've ever tasted at Mission Bay (a waffle cone with a scoop of Caffe Mocha Machiatto and a scoop of Tiramisu...$7.50 of deliciousness), or in the simplicity of hanging up my clean clothes to dry on the clothes line in the court yard of the Bible college (using the washing machine here is free, but the dryers cost money...what does a poor college student do in this situation? hang the clothes up outside, of course...which reminded me of so many childhood summer afternoons spent helping Grandma Cline hang up her laundry), I experienced how God's love truly is better than life.

Well, it's getting late and I best be turning in, seeing as how we actually have to start classes and homework tomorrow. I have to keep reminding myself that this is not a vacation and that I am still taking 15.5 credit hours this semester.

Before I say goodnight, here are a few pictures from the day. I will create an album in the next day or so, but I'll give you enough tonight to whet your appetite for the rest.

New Zealand at last...

Hello friends! This is going to be a quicky, since we're about to leave for the beach in a few minutes...jealous? :-) Just wanted to let you all know that we've arrived safely in New Zealand and I promise to post more about our travels soon! Thank you for all your prayers. We definitely felt them, as our travels couldn't have gone any more smoothly than they did. I love and miss you all!

Don't Cry Because It's Over, Smile Because It Happened

My dear friend, Colin, once shared the following words of advice with me: "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened." I have found this to be helpful through years of "Hello's" that don't seem to last long enough as well as "Goodbye's" that always come far too soon. I've said goodbye to numerous beloved, familiar faces and places in the past couple of days, and tomorrow begins a brand new hello to some equally unfamiliar faces, not to mention places (try 3 brand new countries!). Up until this point, I've been feeling mostly excited as the commencement of my trip approaches. However, for the first time this evening as I sat in a Starbucks, surrounded by some of my dearest friends from Bethel, laughing and playing cards as we stole a few more hours of precious time together, I was gripped with a sudden sense of panic. Here's a little glimpse into what was running through my head for a few minutes: "Katie, what in the world do you think you're doing? You're leaving behind everything you know and love, all of these wonderful friends encircling you now, and traveling to 3 different countries for a whole semester and will be not merely states, but oceans away from home...are you crazy?!" Thankfully, a sense of calm washed over my spirit as I asked God to grant me peace, and I was reminded that this is where faith comes into play. God's been preparing my heart for this trip in ways both known and unknown to me, and He has an incredible journey waiting for me. I'm so thankful that amidst all the upcoming change, He remains constant. He's bigger than anything I will encounter these next few months, and I have a feeling that when this trip is over, I will have a brand new perspective on just how big He really is.

5 Days 'Til Take Off!

It's hard to believe that after planning for this trip for almost a year now, it is finally about to become a reality. It all seems very surreal, and whenever I tell someone that I'll be studying in New Zealand (5 weeks), Australia (10 days), and China (6 weeks) for the semester, I often feel as if I'm talking about someone other than myself. Surely it is not I who is about to embark on this grand adventure. Yet the bulging set of luggage lying open on my bedroom floor, waiting for me to add the finishing touches to my packing (hopefully not exceeding the 50 lb. weight limit!), tells another story.

In answer to the question often posed to me as to why I chose to study abroad for this semester, or what made me choose the Pacific Rim program, here's a bit of an explanation.

First of all, the timing worked out perfectly. In fact, this semester is the only one for which it would have been possible for me to study abroad due to the nature of the classes I will be taking as I venture further into my Psychology and Sociology major in my last two years of college.

Secondly, it's something that I never would have pictured myself doing, and for me, that's all the more reason to go. I want to be challenged and pushed out of the comfort of the "Bethel Bubble," to be faced with the opportunity to experience living in 3 cultures so unlike my own and to see for myself what else is out there in the world that God created for me to explore and take ownership of (cultural mandate, anyone?). I want to grow more into the woman God created me to be, and I know from experience that often the times of most growth occur when I place myself somewhere outside the realm of my ordinary, day-to-day life. I also know that along with growth, "growing pains" will naturally occurr, and although they may not always be pleasant, James 1: 2-4 tells me to "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything," and consequently, "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." (James 1:12).

Finally, I'm anticipating that my perspective of God will be broadened far beyond the borders of anything I've experienced before in my relationship with Him, and I'm so thankful for that, because I never want to place Him in a box and slap a label on Him that comes from rote memory of all I've learned growing up in the church and in Christian schools. I'm so thankful for that knowledge, and I know it's important, but I'm excited to experience God in a way that I've yet to experience Him. I know He's going to absolutely blow me away, and whatever He has up His sleeve for me for these next 4 months, it's going to be incredible.

Now, I've been told that the internet should be easily accessible for most parts of the trip, so as often as I am able, I promise to keep you posted! Thanks for taking time to read. The support I've received from my friends and family is one of the main reasons that I feel confident enough to even travel to the Pacific Rim in the first place. Thank you so much for loving me enough to let me go.