24

In case you're wondering why I have been absent from the blogging world, I will openly confess that I have once again become addicted to "24". We started watching series 1 last year (yes, we are quite behind the times), but once the prayer room and the internship started in full force, spare time for that fell by the wayside. Now that we're on break again, we've been enjoying some down-time watching the series. It's quite addicting, to be sure. It's been a long time since I've been addicted to a TV series. On second thought, perhaps the first time in my life. But it's admittedly fun and a nice indulgence during break. Not to mention that it's quite 'end of the age' type material, and really gets one thinking about life, death, and eternity. And all that is yet to come. And the need for Living Reality on the inside.

A post-Christmas update (and pictures) will follow eventually.

Making Cookies (Again)

That was then.....


And this is now....

What a little champion!

I'd like to take this opportunity to brag on Taylor. We started potty training this week, and she has caught on so quick. Let's just say, no more dirty diapers for mommy and daddy to change anymore! And no accidents for the last 2 or 3 days! The last couple days she even woke up from her nap dry, and this morning when she woke up, the first thing she said to me was, "Mommy, have to go pee". I very quickly discovered that she had a dry diaper. From overnight. For real. Where did we get this kid from?

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas.....

Preparations are in full swing for Swedish Christmas Eve. It's been a family tradition since I was a kid, my mom being Swedish and all. It's one of those traditions that has lived on, and now Aaron and his family love the Swedish smorgasbord, too. For me, it just wouldn't be Christmas without it. So tomorrow night we'll have cheese and crackers, swedish meatballs, mashed potatoes, peas, rice pudding, 2 types of Swedish bread, lingon berries, a jello salad, and swedish ginger cookies for dessert. Doing (our American version of) Swedish Christmas in New Zealand is comparable to making snow angels in the desert sand - it's not quite the same. But believe it or not, it can be done. Yes, Swedish Christmas lives on in New Zealand.

It even has started to feel a bit like Christmas today - probably because I was starting to do some of the cooking for tomorrow. It also helped that it's pretty cold outside - I even saw my breath tonight! Now that really makes it feel a bit more like Christmas! Nevermind the fact that tomrrow it's supposed to be 80.

It's raining, it's pouring.....

'Twas another wet, rainy day today. Good days for staying home to concentrate on potty training (more success today - yeah!). Also good for staying home to bake more Christmas cookies - not that we need any more around here, I can assure you. I think that some of our friends will be fixin' to get a huge plate of cookies in the next several days if the production rate remains steady.

I did, however, leave Taylor and the potty training in the capable hands of her daddy and managed another walk up the mount - in between the raindrops, that is. (Which fortunately weren't as many in number today as compared to yesterday). This mount thing is starting to get a bit addicting. Not a bad thing to get addicted to.

Big Happenings

Lots has transpired since I wrote last....guess I'm well overdue for an update. The first exciting event was the internship graduation. On Friday night we celebrated the completion of yet another season in the lives of the five interns, as well as in the lives of our growing spiritual family here. It's hard to believe that not just one, but two, internships have come and gone. Even harder to believe that the first year of the Tauranga House of Prayer has come to a close. We had a great evening celebration here at our house - thankfully the weather was good (albeit cold once the sun went down), so we were able to have a short program outside. Now that the prayer room is closed for the month, we're really looking forward to a good break!


Dave Cole Speaking at Graduation

Saturday morning the whole family went to the mount - Nic and I went up, and Taylor and Aaron walked around. We enjoyed a nice breakfast at one of the local cafes that is situated right on the water. It was definitely the right way to start our time off!

The last couple days have been cold and rainy - good baking days! Yesterday I made some St. Lucia buns - a Swedish favorite.



Today - despite the rain - I decided to go up the mount again. Good choice - I went up without stopping once - although I wans't liking the rain one bit. I think I'll have to wait for it to dry out a bit before I venture back up.

But the biggest news of all today was Taylor's success at potty training - for the first time ever she peed in the potty! Yeah! She was pretty proud of herself, as we all were, of course. Hopefully the positive trend will continue tomorrow! :-)

Christmas

I have just made myself a cup of (American) hot chocolate with (American) marshmallows.....not because it's cold outside, but because I'm pretending it is. And I'm about to dive into the stash of Christmas cookies, not because I'm hungry, but because it somehow seems that it should be tradition.

I've just put up the Christmas tree and dug the decorations out of the box that I dragged inside only a week ago. But today (or at least, in this moment), I am conquering Scrooge, and the house is beginning to look a bit festive. Taylor had so much fun helping - she was really getting into it! And for that reason, it's all worth it.

Now that the sun has set and darkness has settled in, it's a bit easier to imagine that it's cold outside....maybe even snowing....and that when we wake up in the morning, the world awaiting us will be blanketed in white. Well, that might be pushing it a bit....but it's a nice thought while it lasts.

Time to go work on a song list....tomorrow is our last day in the prayer room until mid-January, and I'm leading intercession at 10am.

Feeling Pretty Lousy

I have changed my self-diagnosis from a severe case of hay fever to a lousy case of a cold. I've had a stuffy nose and have been really tired, so I camped out on the couch all day with a tissue box and a supply of American magazines that Sabrina brought over. I've admittedly indulged myself with more than one nap today, too. I still feel pretty lousy, but I'm hoping that by tomorrow I'll be feeling more like myself.

Up the Mount Again

I am suffering from perhaps the worst allergies I've ever had in my life. Certainly isn't fun; feels like I've been hit by a truck. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be feeling better!

Onto more exciting news for the day, I went up the mount again with Nic. This time I only stopped twice - for only about a minute or less each time. I was quite pleased with the effort, and am hoping to make it a bit more of a regular occurrence in my attempt to add some sort of exercise to my already busy life.

It's been awesome having Sabrina here. We went out shopping this morning with Taylor, went out shopping last night without Taylor, and will no doubt go out shopping again tomorrow. Not that we necessairly buy anything - but it's fun to go and look!

Tomorrow starts the last week of the internship, and the last week of the prayer room until mid-January. I think we all need a break - at least, I know Aaron and I do. It will be so nice to have lots of down-time so that we can (hopefully) go into next year refreshed and ready for whatever comes.

Church

The church that we've been going to here since we arrived is in the midst of some pretty big transition.

We started going to the church because we had a good relationship with the pastor and his wife. Last year he was even in Kansas City for a few days and spent some time at IHOP - and loved it. When we moved here, it was important to us to be in a church where the pastor understood us and was supportive of what we do.

The last few months, they had been talking a lot about transition, and some significant changes to the services, infrastructure of the church, etc. A group of 6 Americans - all young adults - recently moved here to help in that transition process. They have brought a lot to the table, and the pastors have been so open to their ideas and suggestions. It's been really awesome to see that! Aaron and I have enjoyed the services the last couple weeks - I've especially enjoyed the worship, which has gone up quite a few notches.

It's exciting to see what is happening there - and interesting to think about what the Lord might be up to in our city. I'm glad we're part of it.

Cookie Time

After a good morning at the prayer room, I decided to come home and go ahead with the cookie-making plan. I now have close to 7 dozen sugar cookies to show for it - all sealed away in tupperware containers, waiting to be decorated. Don't ask me who's going to eat them all.

Taylor had lots of fun joining in the project, using the cookie cutters to create all sorts of fun shapes....until her attention span ran out. Nevertheless, it was good mother-daughter bonding time.

And concerning my goal to get in the Christmas spirit? I tried really hard. I even put the Christmas music on.....despite the fact that all those melodies brought back memories of our house in Kansas City and winter Christmases and cold and snow - but I managed to keep on listening - until the CD got to track three, "I'll be home for Christmas", at which point I nearly lost it and turned it off for my sake and everyone else's.

My conclusion on the matter? Nice theory. Didn't work. Enough said.

Let the reader understand.

What we did today

This morning, Nana and Grandad and Taylor and I went to the park.....the one with this incredible view. We had lots of fun - Taylor loves having her Nana and Grandad here and enjoyed playing with them and showing off all her favorite tricks!



Anyways, we also drove by the house we used to live in when we first moved here - seems like eons ago that we lived there. And then on the way home, we made a quick stop at the bakery for a sausage roll and custard square.

It still amazes me that we live in such a beautiful place. Too bad it's so far from home.

Tomorrow (if I have the energy) my goal is to produce some Christmas cookies. My theory is that if I do some Christmas baking (and maybe even dig out the Christmas CDs), it will help get me in the mood for Christmas. I'll let you know if it works.

Early Christmas

It was a big day for Taylor today - Nana and Grandad came with suitcases loaded and lots of special treats. They decided to give Taylor a couple of her presents now so they could have several weeks to watch her enjoy them while they're here.

Sabrina is a genius. She figured out how to bring one of these on the airplane - quite a good deal, considering that they can cost up to NZ $200, but only US $50. Taylor had a blast riding around in it all day, and of course giving her stuffed animals rides, too.

Then, after dinner, it was time to set up the trampoline....not a Christmas present per se, but a gift from Nana and Grandad just the same. They actually bought it for Taylor last year to bring in the container, but seeing as how the container came during the fall, we decided to wait until the summer to set it up. Which worked out well, 'cuz that meant they got to be here to help set it up and watch her enjoy it for the first time.

And enjoy she did! Poor girl didn't want to get off when it was time to go inside for bed. I have a feeling its going to provide hours of entertainment this summer, and for many more summers to come.

A Long-Awaited Day

We've been looking forward to today for, oh, probably the last year or so. Sabrina flys in today. Needless to say, we're all excited.

Especially Taylor. All we've heard the last two days is, "Is Nana here yet? When does Nana come? I want to see Nana! Can we go to the airport now? Is Nana's plane here yet?" And on and on and on. Someone's a little excited.

It's going to be a fun month.

Mt. Maunganui

Our last bit of fun for the week was a hike up the mount Saturday morning. Believe it or not, I've lived here almost one year and had never hiked up the mount before. It was a pretty good workout and (borderline) fun - at least, once we got to the top. Here's proof I actually did it:



It's been a great week. Truckloads of fun, but it also has admittedly made me a bit homesick. Hanging out with friends from home can't help but be a vivid glimpse of the life we left behind - that life being one which I still miss very much some days, though it no longer exists how we knew it.

But enough of that. The good news is that Sabrina comes this week. It will be awesome having her here. Then it's time to start thinking about Christmas, which has potential to make me even more homesick. I was thinking today about putting up the Christmas tree.....just don't know if I can do it when it's warm outside and the windows are open. It just seems so, un-Christmas-like. Oh, well. I guess I can't be a Scrooge forever, so I better get used to it. Taylor deserves a Christmas tree and a mom who's (trying to be) into the holiday.

Our Week in Taupo

After Larisa's family went back to the States, we (Jeremy and Larisa, Aaron, Taylor, and I) headed down to Taupo for a few days away. It was so much fun to re-connect with friends from home......just like old times. Taylor was really good, too, which always makes for an easier (and much more enjoyable) vacation! :-)

One of the things we did was take Jeremy and Larisa to Huka Falls - a pretty impressive waterfall located just outside Taupo.






Taylor was slow to warm up to Jeremy this week - but she was quite happy to pose with him for some cute photos.

Going back a few days.....

It's high time for me to update my much-neglected blog. It's been quite the week. There's much to tell and many pictures to show. First of all, back to Thanksgiving. Here's all of us enjoying our New Zealand Thanksgiving.....outside. The food was good, the company even better.





Then, after Thanksgving, the girls went down to Rotorua while the boys went fly fishing. Rotorua is quite the cultural center - here's a picture of the native people (Maori) doing a traditional dance at a Maori village.



We also rode the luge in Rotorua - a go-cart-type-thingie that you ride down a paved course. It was pretty cool - even Taylor thought it was fun!

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving today was an absolute success! This is the first year ever that the responsibility of producing the turkey rested solely on my shoulders; and although the turkey was admittedly a slight bit overcooked, it sure wasn't bad. It was so fun to make (and eat!) all the other side dishes, too - stuffing and mashed potatoes and gravy and broccoli casserole and sweet potato casserole and the cranberry sauce.....and the pies for dessert. It's quite a sense of accomplishment to produce a Thanksgiving meal in another country; even better to share it with such good friends from home.

Happenings

It's been a full-on week. In fact, I'm not quite sure where the last few days went. I'm sure that yesterday was just Monday.

But Friday has come (and almost gone), and before I lay my head on the pillow, we will be well into Saturday. In a few minutes we leave to drive to Auckland to pick up some of our closest friends who are coming into town to see us. Jeremy and Larisa will be here for the next 10 days, along with her family, who will also be spending a couple of days here, too. We are really looking forward to seeing them and having some good time together. It will definitely be good for the heart.

Tomorrow we celebrate a belated Thanksgiving. We decided to wait until Jeremy and Larisa came into town so they could join us. They missed Thanksgiving in America, so we figured it would be fun to feast together here. Today I spent a fair bit of time in the kitchen doing lots of cooking for tomorrow, did a bit of running around town, and taught class tonight. It's been a full day already. I'm tired, but so looking forward to seeing our friends in just a few hours. What a gift to have them come and see us here.

Newsflash

The frozen cranberries have just been discovered. At an exorbitant price, to be sure; but rest assured - they are present and accounted for. For many months it has been expected that such a delicacy was nonexistent in these far-off lands, but tonight that false presupposition has been laid to rest. Thanksgiving celebrations can now proceed as normal.

Our little future gymnist...

...Appears to be busy practicing those headstands. My only question is this: What sort of new stunts are going to appear when the trampoline gets set up???

Surprise, surprise!

This seems to be a recent theme in the Walsh family of late. Today, surprise struck again.

A few weeks back, Graeme and Sabrina decided to send Graeme on ahead to New Zealand before Sabrina for a two-fold purpose: to have surgery done on his knee(s) and also to surprise Nic on her birthday.

After guarding our words carefully for the last few weeks lest the secret slip out, we were at last able to tell Taylor today - after Nic went to work. She was so excited to hear that her Grandad was coming today, and that she got to go to the airport (one of her favorite places) with us to pick him up. We had a great day together, and when Nic got home from school, Graeme walked into the room......let's just say that the response was worth every bit of the anticipation. Nic was shocked!

Graeme is loving being back in New Zealand....I think we're going to have a hard time getting him on the plane to go home. But it looks like he'll be here for quite a while - especially if he does end up having the surgery. Lots of good memories made today; many more to come in the weeks ahead.

Mommy's Little Helper...

....What's with the hand on the hip? :-)

Mr. and Mrs. Duck

We have some new pets in the family. Well, on second thought, "pets" may be a bit of an exaggeration.

For the last six weeks or so, we have been getting daily visits from "Mr. and Mrs. Duck". For a while they only stayed in the field next to our house, but in more recent days, have ventured closer and closer to the homestead. Now it's not uncommon for them to march right up onto our deck, stand next to our floor-to-ceiling windows, and peck their beaks on the glass, asking for their daily food allowance.

Taylor loves feeding the ducks - which, fortunately, provides all (rather, most) of the entertainment that a pet would, without the responsibility. And our only expense? 99 cent bread from the store every week. Not a bad deal.

Report on the day

Aaron and I just got back from one of our favorite spots - the hot pools. It was really cold today - felt like the middle of winter - so we figured it would be a great night to go. Was it ever so relaxing - we didn't want to get out! It's been a good week, but a long one, so we were definitely ready for the down-time.

Today I babysat for some good friends of ours that came up for the summit this week. They have a 9-month old baby girl who is just adorable. She was here for a couple of hours this afternoon, and we had lots of fun playing. Taylor was especially happy when she woke up from her nap to discover that her little friend was here! It was weird - made me realize just how quickly Taylor has grown up (seems like just yesterday that she was that little)!

Tomorrow is going to be a much-needed rest day. Normally I would take Taylor to play center, but I think that tomorrow it would do us both good to have a quiet morning at home.

But until then....time for a good sleep. The hot pools made me sleepy!

Is this cute, or what?

The other day, Aaron found a bug in the house and killed it with his baseball bat. So, today, Taylor found a bug near her toys, and what did she do? You guessed it.........off she went to Mommy and Daddy's room to retrieve the baseball bat and take care of matters herself. Like father, like daughter.

I wish I had a picture, but I don't.........so imagine....a little 2 yr. old girl lugging around a baseball bat (easily her size), on a mission to kill a tiny little bug. Pretty darn cute, I have to say.

House of Prayer Summit

Today was the first day of the House of Prayer national summit we are hosting this week at THOP. We had an extra 20 or so people in the prayer room this morning - made it feel like a full house!

Tomorrow I'll go in with Aaron and Taylor, armed with a bag full of books, paper, crayons, stickers - and snacks - and we'll see how long Taylor manages in the prayer room. Of course, I may end up leaving mid-morning and taking her out somewhere for a change of scenery if (yea, when) necessary, but that's fine with me, too. Then I'll begin the afternoon session for Aaron while he's at a meeting (and Taylor's home with Nic).......should be a pretty full-on day. Guess I better stop blogging and head off to bed!

Fireworks

Today is Guy Fawkes day here in New Zealand....something about some guy who tried to blow up Parliment way back when.....and now everyone celebrates on Nov. 5th with fireworks. So, its been a little loud this weekend (Read=Taylor was up until 11pm last night). And probably will be again tonight. Fortunatley for us (unfortunate for Nic), Taylor's activity of choice at that hour of night was to 'go to sleep' in Nicci's bed. Which meant poor Nic didn't get to sleep until 11pm, either. Tonight promises to be a repeat of last night. Guess we'll have a tired girl on our hands tomorrow. :-)

Girl Time

Today was fun - it was my day to be home with Taylor, and we were livin' it up with 'girl time'! This morning we had a visit from another young mom who actually lives about 3 hours north, but has been in town this week visiting family. I met Anna several months back when we first moved here, but this is the first time we've actually had some decent time together. It was fun to have her over and get to know her a bit, and Taylor had lots of fun holding her 4 month old baby (with Mommy's help, of course!).

Then this afternoon, we had a visit from the other Anna who now lives here. Anna was part of the first internship, went home and got married, and just recently came back to New Zealand with her husband to be involved full time in the house of Prayer. Anna is awesome - a fellow American and also a good friend; I'm so glad she's back!

On a completely different note, I called our local butcher today and ordered our Thanksgiving turkey. I was quite pleased to discover that finding a turkey 'round these parts of the world isn't as hard as I thought it would be; quite disappointed to find out that it probably would have been cheaper to buy the turkey in America and ship it here. A bit of an exaggeration, to be sure; but hey, it will be so worth it! I can't imagine not having Thanksgiving - more to the point, can't imagine having Thanksgiving without a turkey. Hey, if you can't go all out for the holidays, when can you?!

The calm before the storm

That's probably the best way to describe this week. It's been relatively low-key; mostly 'normal' (whatever 'normal' is). But that's all about to change. In a minute.

On Sunday we have someone coming to stay with us for the week.....a lady who currently lives in Townsville who we've known for a while. She's awesome - has been involved with WYAM and IWT for many years, etc. She's the real deal, and is coming through town this coming week. So, since we have an extra room, we gladly put our hand up to host her while she's here.

Also next week we (that is, the house of prayer) is hosting a week-long gathering of people from around the nation who want to gather together, basically, to pray. The schedule will be the same as it is normally for the interns, we'll just have about double the people doing it all with us. The fun part is that our friends, Andy and Bek, are coming up for the summit, too (not staying with us, though)....so we're really looking forward to having some good time with them. It's been a while since we've caught up in person.

Then a couple weeks after the summit, Jeremy and Larisa and their family come into town - can't wait to see them and to have some good times together - just like old times. That's going to be awesome. And then after they leave, Graeme and Sabrina come and then it's Christmas......wow. Where has the year gone? So, all that to say......life's about to get real crazy around here. And really fun. Really fast.

So, we've been enjoying this week. The last couple days, the weather has been beautiful, so Taylor and I have clocked in some good time playing outside and enjoying the sunshine. Hard to believe it's going to be summer soon. That's still so weird to me.......

October in New Zealand

One of the things I like about October in New Zealand is that the weather is almost like October in America......can't say that about many other months here, but in many ways, October feels like what October is "supposed to" feel like. I'm realizing again what I always knew to be true about myself - I love the seasons. I love what each month (and therefore, it's respective season) feels like and represents. And so it's been pretty disheartening living in opposite seasons. Don't even get me started about the holidays being in summer.....sigh......

But anyways, it was cold, wet, and rainy today, so how did I spend my Sunday afternoon? Doing exactly what I would have done on a cold, wet, rainy October Sunday afternoon in America - baking. Pumpkin bread, for that matter. Very fitting for October. I also bought ingredients at the store today to make pumpkin cheesecake bars (your recipe looked great, Jaime! Want to give that one a try.) I think it's engrained deep into my subconscious that October means fall baking which means pumpkins. Good thing we still have 7 cans of pumpkin - imported from America - on our pantry shelf.

Nevermind the fact that it really is spring.

Great to have my hubby home

The drive up to Auckland airport was good - easy directions, but I have to admit I'm not much for driving on NZ roads. It sure isn't the 4 lane highway where you set the cruise on 70 and go. No, this is driving on roads with twists and turns and if you get stuck behind a slow truck, you're stuck. Until there's either a passing lane or a safe opportunity to pass. Or, you could happen to be driving behind a big truck carrying something quite large when two huge metal chains suddenly fall off and fly across the road. Of course, I'm not speaking from personal experience or anything........

But I made it safe and sound and was overjoyed to discover a Dunkin Donuts just outside the airport. They don't even have one of those in Kansas City! So yes, I stopped, and they had 2 bavarian cream donuts left. And I bought both of them. Can you say, "yummy"?

Aaron and I enjoyed a great little time away - beautiful hotel situated in the most beautiful countryside. It sure was great to see him again and to share all our stories from the last week.
And of course, when we got home, Taylor was sooo happy to see her Daddy!

On our way home, we stopped for lunch at a cafe recently voted "best in New Zealand". The food was really yummy ~ I think that will now have to become a regular stop whenever we drive through Matamata.

I do need to brag on my wonderful husband for a bit....he sure knows how to make his wife happy. The presents he brought me back from Fiji? Two containers of American Kraft Mayonaise, a huge container of Kraft parmesean cheese, and a huge bottle of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing! Seriously, that made my week! Apparently there's some sort of Sam's/Costo sort of place there with lots of American stuff, so he cleaned up. He also brought me back this cool little flax woven basket/bag sort of thing with coconut soap, lotion, body butter, etc. in it. And he bought Taylor the cutest little island dress for summer time. He's got such great taste and knows what His family loves!

Strawberry Time

Strawberries are now in season - what a long-awaited joy! I've been anxiously waiting for strawberries to make their appearance on the store shelves......for a decent price. Since we're now in the southern hemisphere and found ourselves in the middle of winter in what "should have been" strawberry season (June-August), I've had to wait what seems like an enormously long time (admittedly only a few extra months) for those fresh, sweet, ripe strawberries to make their grand entrance into the grocery stores. And after my first experience today of New Zealand strawberries, I'm just about convinced that these could just be the best strawberries on the planet: bright red, slightly glossy, big, plump, juicy, and sweet!

Anyways, moving right along to more important things, this evening I drive up to Auckland to pick up Aaron from the airport - can't wait to see him! We managed to squeeze out a tremendously good deal at this hotel, so Nic is going to have Taylor for the night, and Aaron and I will enjoy a nice little getaway before venturing back home sometime tomorrow. I know he'll be anxious to see his littlest princess, too, so we probably won't spend the whole day away, but even so, it will be nice to have some good time together since he's been gone all week. Yeah!

A Potpouri of Subjects...

Aaron got off good today to Fiji. It's funny what perspective does.....there was a time in our marriage when him being gone for any longer than just a weekend seemed like a long time. Now, if he's gone for less than 2 weeks, it's nothing! :-)

The interns have been serving incredibly this weekend at a community outreach called "Party in the Park" which was held this afternoon. It is what it is - a party in the park - that is put on by a local church and also by a local Christian non-profit organization that works with underpriviledged children and provides housing for those whose parents aren't able to raise them. It was pretty low-key in terms of proclaiming the Gospel, basically just a practical way for the local church to get out and serve the community. The interns were on-site available to pray for anyone with any needs, and also just to "prayer walk" around the park. They also served like crazy helping to set everything up, and also tearing everything down tonight. They'll enjoy their much-deserved day off tomorrow!

This event was held in a park on literally the worst street in the roughest neighborhood in Tauranga. Nothing like New York City, but definitely pretty rough in comparison with other neighborhoods around here. It was the first time since we moved here that I really saw that part of the city. I was definitley out of my comfort zone, but it was really good for me to see this part of our city, not just mid-to-upper class suburbia. It helped me to get a broader picture and fuller understanding of the city we live in; to get a small, short glimpse into what life might be like for some people on the other side of town; to hopefully be reminded again of the Father's heart for the poor; and to now have faces in my mind for the people that we are laboring in prayer for when we're in the prayer room each morning.

So, with Aaron gone this week, I'm teaching on Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday night, but not my usual Friday night. So that means that I've got only a couple more days to put some notes together. Yikes! I think I better get to work. (Or maybe get some sleep......one of the two!)

Taylor's Latest Accomplishment

Okay, so every parent gets to brag on their kids just a bit.

When we were in the States, one of my friends told me about this DVD - Leap Frog's "Letter Factory". We bought it on her recommendation, and it has quickly become Taylor's favorite. (And since it's so educational, mom doesn't mind her watching a dvd quite as much....) After a couple weeks of watching it, Taylor has very quickly started learning her letters - and the sounds they make. I've also started working with her (almost) daily using her Fridge Phonics. I'll ask her if she can find a certain letter, and often she picks the right one....many times also telling me the sound it makes. In fact, she knows 16 of her letters so far. Wahoo! She's such a clever little cookie....

A well overdue post

Well, after falling off the blogging bandwagon this week, I think it's about time to get with it again. Every now and then I hit these blogging slumps....

We had a great week off. It was kinda strange having another break after just having 3 weeks away in the States, but it was still fun....no complaints here! :-) We started up again back into the routine yesterday, and it was really great to be back in the prayer room.

This week we were also able to welcome Dalton and Anna back into town. Dalton and Anna did the last internship, and were married in Scotland last month! It's so, so awesome to have them back with us....they are a great gift to us personally, as well as to this community and to this city/nation.

Next week, we also get to welcome back another couple from our first internship, who also got married last month. Jess and Jordan are headed back here on Wednesday, and we're excited to see them, too! We feel so strengthened with the return of both these couples; they both carry such a heart for the Lord and for the raising up of the house of prayer here. The Lord is definitely continuing to gather comrades around us.

Finally, the last pice of news for the night is that on Sunday, Aaron heads off to Fiji to teach at the IES school that Josh and Misty are leading. It's going to be weird not having him around. This is the first time since we've come to NZ that he's gone away for more than a night. I always miss him when he goes, but I learned long ago that it's important to make those time when he goes away a positive experience rather than a negative one that I dread every time. So now, I almost look forward to being able to do some things that I don't always get to do, like cook all the meals for dinner that he doesn't like (but I love!), having the freedom to come and go as I like without having to think about if he needs the car, and so on and so forth. And now that little Taylor is definitely old enough to understand that Daddy isn't around, hopefully I'll be able to come up with some fun things to do with her so that she, too, can learn that Daddy going away isn't always all bad.

And with that, I think I'm ready to call it a night. Prayer room tomorrow morning.....no staying up late for me tonight! :-)

Play Center

Taylor had a blast this morning at play center! It was great to see Kylie and Isabel again, especially after not seeing them for about 6 weeks. Taylor thought that was great fun! She also enjoyed playing with all the toys - both inside and outside.

Taylor's not too sure if she wants to join in the mess......


She's decided to add the water, and let Kylie do all the messy mixing!


Counting with Mom


Enjoying a little something to eat - playing so hard sure works up a good appetite!


The play center is really a great concept. It's mostly government-funded and provides an environment for parents to play with and teach their kids, as well as learn more about parenting and how to provide a opportunities at home for learning and stimulation. I'm not yet sure if this is something we'll sign up for to do every week, but I'm thinking it might be really good for Taylor. Since, by nature, she tends to be a bit more shy in new situations and hesitant to jump into new things (hmmm....wonder where she gets that from?!), I think this would be a good place for her to have the opportunity to get more confident in a setting with lots of kids and various new activities, ultimately preparing her for pre-school and/or school....all this with mom still nearby and able to still play an active role in her growth and development. Sounds like a pretty good thing to me! Thanks, Isabel, for inviting us to come along today - it sure was lots of fun.

South Pacific Geography

In response to the comment about the location of Vanuatu, here is a good map of the south pacific.

There you go, "PW"! :-)

Break

Today marked the start of the mid-internship week break. It feels kinda funny to be on break again, after just having 3 weeks away in the States.....but the nice thing about this break is that since I'm not really feeling behind on things, I'm not playing the "catch-up game" on life this week. That means that I get to do some of the things that I enjoy doing, but rarely have time for - like sitting and watching the baseball playoffs today during Taylor's nap, doing some scrapbooking this evening, and hopefully also spending some good time on the keyboard. I also took some time this afternoon to hang some pictures on the wall....I figured it's about time, seeing as how we've been living here almost 3 months now! :-)

Tomorrow morning, Taylor and I are going with Isabel and Kylie to a play center. I've never been before, but I'm told that it's kinda like a pre-school, except the parents stay and play with their children, instead of dropping them off. Kylie has been sick since we've been back, so Taylor hasn't yet been able to see her....she's excited to be able to play with her friend tomorrow!

A Bit of South Pacific History

On May 14, 1606, a Spanish explorer, Pedro Ferdinand de Quiros landed on the island of Vanuatu. Upon his arrival to the island, he held a mass and set off fireworks in celebration of his discovers. Following is his proclamation from that day:

Let the heavens, the earth, the waters with all their creatures, and those present, witness that I, Captain Pedro Ferdinana de Quiros....in the name of Jesus Christ...hoist this emblem of the holy cross on which His person was crucified and whereon He gave His life for the ransom and remedy of all the human race...on this day of Pentecost, 14th May....I take possession of all this part of the south as far as the pole in the name of Jesus...which from now on shall be called the southern land of the Holy Ghost...and this always and forever....and to the end that to all natives, in all the said lands, the holy and sacred evangel may be preached zealously and openly.
(Taken from this website, quote originally taken from "Honoring Australia's Christian Heritage", by Col Stringer)

Talk about a stunning prophetic declaration over this region of the South Pacific! Gotta love that.

Thoughts and Musings

New Zealand gives new definition to the phrase, "Change like the weather." As I type, I am staring through the window at the strange displays of weather. Numerious squalls have blown through today, but the gray clouds have quickly been fading to reveal bright sunny skies, only to be replaced moments later by another squall with copious amounts of wind and rain. It really is odd to see both bright, sunny, blue skies and gray rain clouds within moments of each other.

But enough thoughts on the weather. Taylor is now sleeping, and I have found my favorite haven to which I retreat daily during naptime.....a nice spot in the middle of our large, comfy couch, with my feet proped up on the coffee table. This is one of my favorite times of the day. The house is quiet, and I am left with my own thoughts and musings (and hopefully some of God's, as well)...... most of the time directed toward preparing for my Friday night teaching. Although we have no class this Friday (Thursday marks the beginning of the mid-internship week-long break), I still think I may take this opportunity to dive into some study. I'm really starting to enjoy the study and preparation that goes into teaching. Whereas before it was mostly draining and laborsome, now it is starting to be lifegiving and rewarding. To the point where I look forward to it in my day. Maybe I'm just getting used to exercising that muscle and it doesn't hurt as bad now. Maybe it's because there is grace to encounter God in the midst of this time, and that translates as life to my heart. Maybe it's both. But whatever the reason, I am grateful. So.....enough said. Time to study. And hopefully today, I'll be hearing God's thoughts and musings rather than my own.

Welcome to the world, little Zoe!

I'd like to draw your attention to Randy and Kelsey's blogs. This couple is good friends of ours from Kansas City, and within the last few days have been living out their long-awaited dream of adopting a little girl. They're in Las Vegas as we speak, in the process of picking up their girl, Zoe, from the hospital. My heart is rejoicing for them as they get to see in time and space the goodness and kindness of a God who answers prayer. Hopefully you'll enjoy their story, too.

Back in the Saddle

We certainly have hit the ground running since being back. It has been a full-go week with the internship and the house of prayer, and I've been trying to remember how to get back into the routine of life. I led a devo on Tuesday, (which was great fun), and today, I managed to navagate again the waters of intercession. Though a slow start, the prayer meeting actually turned out pretty good in the end, as we managed to catch a few currents and feel the presence of the Lord with us as we prayed and sang.

The last few days, I've also been working on my teaching for class on Friday night, this week being the "Introduction to the Bridal Paradigm". I'm thinking it will end up being the first of an 8-part series, of which I'm really excited about. For several months now, I've been throwing around some ideas on paper for a series of teachings on the story of God and man(kind). Yesterday, I had this thought to try to combine those ideas with the content that I'm wanting to teach on the bridal paradigm - and it seems to be merging together beautifully. Of course, it always has potential to be a flop when I actually stand up and teach it, but hey - it's a nice feeling to be looking forward to teaching, rather than dreading it! :-)

Home Safe and Sound

My last few days in the States were as wonderful as could be - savoring last moments with friends and family, doing lots of last-minute shopping, and trying to sleep in between it all.

Taylor was incredible on the flights home. She slept for 9-10 hours from L.A. to Auckland (no exaggeration), and I think that I got perhaps the best sleep I have ever gotten on that flight. We're still feeling a bit jet-lagged on this end, but traveling west is much easier than traveling east, so hopefully within a few days we'll be back to normal.

So, after traveling so extinsively the last few weeks, I have made a couple of acute observations on the differences between New Zealand and America, especially when it comes to airports. You know you're in New Zealand when....

.....The flight attendant approaches you immediately when you find your seat on the airplane, asks if you're traveling alone (with a sleeping toddler), helps you get settled, and then brings you a glass of water. Repeat scenario while waiting for luggage, this time by an airport volunteer who helped me get all my bags through customs.....with no tipping expected or required.

.....While sitting in the airport waiting lounge in Auckland, not one person in sight was talking on a cell phone or using a laptop. Yes, in some ways it feels like America 20 years ago.

......Also while sitting in the said airport, there is a group of about 7 guys obviously part of a rubgy team waiting for their flight. They're passing the time by throwing a rugby ball around inside the airport. And no one stops them.

.....Once on the plane, not only was the cockpit door unlocked, but it was left wide open for the duration of the flight. And did I mention that no one is required to go through any sort of security screening? Maybe that has something to do with the fact that the plane only seats maximum of 20 people - and that's a generous count.

I don't think we're in Kansas anymore.....

Daily Happenings

Props to the guys at Best Buy and Gateway Computers - my computer arrived this morning completely fixed, in plenty of time before I leave to go back to NZ, and without me having to pay a cent, b/c it was still under warrenty. Yeah!

This evening, we all went out to Jackstack for dinner. Oh, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways! There's nothin' like some good KC BBQ to relish before returning to NZ. It's been so fun to eat all the yummy American food that isn't available down under.

And this evening, we hit up Walmart and Target for our major shop. Seriously, I'm not exactly sure how we're going to bring everything home that I've bought. But I have to admit, I've had such a blast enjoying the American shopping - the prices and the variety! I'm convinced that you can buy anything you can imagine in America - most likely, at a price that you can afford. I think that our bank account will be grateful that I'm only in America for a couple more days!

And tomorrow Aaron leaves to go back to NZ - a numb reminder that our trip is just about over. Enough on that, though; no need to dwell on that thought any longer than necessary! :-)

Lions, Tigers, and Bears, Oh My....

Today we went to the zoo with Scotty and Hannah and the boys. Taylor has been asking to go to the zoo for months, and since there's no zoo near us in NZ, it was really a special treat to be able to go here. She loved all the animals - and we sure did see lots. Then we hit up a great Vietnamese restaurant for dinner, which was really yummy. What a great day!

I can't believe that we only have a few more days left here in KC.....our time here has been wonderful, and I'm admittedly not ready to leave. The challenge now is still enjoying every minute w/o the reality of going soon casting a shadow over the good times yet to come here. And we sure do have lots of things we'd still like to do in these next few days.....a trip tomorrow to Deanna Rose Farmstead with the Walsh family, shopping, and several friends still to connect with...all before Thursday. I'm not yet quite sure how it will all fit, but such is the nature of life. I probably could have spent a month here and it still wouldn't have been long enough; you just can't do everything. I'm just grateful we've had as long as we have here.....it really has been special.

7 Years Ago Today

September 19, 1999. Seven years ago today, I stood with a company of people in a small room of an old trailer, witnessing the beginning of a prayer meeting that is still continuing today. I was 19 years old, had just moved to Kansas City, and my heart was just beginning to be stirred by the call to live a life of prayer and fasting. I knew that I would be involved with the House of Prayer on a regular, consistent basis, and so I found myself at the dedication service. What I didn't know was what sort of journey that marked the beginning of. I didn't know that my heart was about to be completely 'ambushed', turned up-side-down, and my concepts of God completely turned around. I didn't know that my paradigms of God and Christianity were about to be re-written and completely shifted. I didn't know that I was about to fall in love, firstly with Jesus, secondly with the man I would eventually marry. I didn't know that both he and my future in-laws were in that room at that very same dedication service. I didn't know that I would be living in Kansas City for the next 7 years, that I would be married there and buy a house there and that our daughter would be born there. I didn't know that saying yes to a life of sincere devotion, prayer and fasting, and wholehearted pursuit of the man Jesus would change my life and cost everything. I didn't know that 7 years later, I would find myself living in a foreign country, giving leadership to the establishment of a house of prayer. My life would never again look the same. What I did know was that I was smack-dab in the middle of sovereignty. And yes, it was worth it all.

A Post of Two Themes

IHOP is in the middle of a 3 day celebration rejoicing in 7 years of 24-7 prayer and worship. Today we gathered as a staff for a time of remembrance....remembrance of the good times, the hard times, the funny times, and the embarrassing times. We laughed like perhaps I have never seen our community laugh together. These three days have been especially meaningful for Aaron and I, as ones who have been here from the beginning and who lived many of the stories and moments that were talked of today. It has been good to remember where we (as a ministry) started and how far we've come, especially now that we (as a couple) are re-living in a sense those early days again.....though where we are now in NZ feels about 10 years behind where we were in 1999 in KC. I have felt again such incredible gratitude in my heart to the Lord for calling me/us to this place to be part of the birthing of this movement - in a way that felt 'quite accidental' from a natural perspective. I looked around the room today in awe of the lifelong friendships that were forged in these years, and of the caliber of men and women that we were priviledged to 'rub shoulders with' and call our friends these last 7 years. For this, we are a blessed people indeed. It's no wonder it has been hard to say goodbye. But this leaving and re-locating is part of the strategy of God in forming this "international family of affection" as Mike calls it. These friendships and camaraderies are forged out of substance that transcends geographic location and the boundaries of time and space. Friendships that are real and remain despite the miles and hours between us. Relationships that will endure to the end. So it's good to come home and renew the ties and maintain the connections between these ones who have been and still are our comrades. And for this I am grateful.

And for something else, I am grateful for, too: Wal-Mart. Today was my first visit back to this blessed piece of real estate in Kansas City. I'm actually quite surprised that none of the employees stopped and asked where I've been for the last eight months. I was certain that I would have been missed, and a marked decline in monthly sales noted since late January. But alas, my homecoming in this regard went largely unnoticed. That, however, caused no disappointment in my shopping experience. Wal-Mart was just as good (if not better) than I remembered it to be. I relished in the large selection and ever-so-inexpensive prices that awaited me there. I'm quite certain I could have spent twice as much as I did, had I not been aware that my entire shopping budget for the trip couldn't be spent in one setting. It was while walking through the aisles this evening that I became aware of the great luxury it would be to be able to shop in such a wonderful place whenever I liked; I can't believe I wasn't aware of this great fortune when I lived a mere 10 minutes away. I have since decided that living in New Zealand is an expression of living the fasted lifestyle - probably good for me in a way, to deny myself of the pleasures of shopping and eating out in the glorious restaurants here in KC. I don't think there's any need to tell you that I am enjoying every minute here and living it up to it's full potential. And on that note, it's time for me to retire for the night. Another morning of shopping awaits us tomorrow!

The Surprise of a Lifetime

Aaron and I managed to pull off the surprise of the century - he showed up last night and surprised Graeme and Sabrina! We had asked them if their friends from Ohio could stay at their house for the weekend, and told them they needed a ride home from the airport on Saturday night. So at 10pm yesterday, Graeme and I got into the car and drove to the airport.....only for him to find out that it was Aaron we were picking up, not Marty! He got the shock of his life, as did Sabrina when we got home. And Taylor's face this morning when she saw her daddy was priceless - she's been missing him so much! But of course, we couldn't tell her, either, 'cuz she'd tell everyone that her daddy was coming! :-) It's so great to have Aaron here - I missed him more than anyone! This weekend is also IHOP's 7 year anniversary of 24-7 prayer, and they're having a huge 3-day celebration with food, video clips of the old days, stories from the last 7 years, etc. It's so special for us both to be here, especially since we were both here in the early days and we lived the stories that are being told. This is fun!!

Back in Kansas City Now

We had a wonderful week at home in CT with my parents. Dad took the day off work on Thursday, and though it was a rainy day, we still had lots of fun together at home, relaxing and enjoying being together. Friday morning Joanie and I took Taylor to an indoor playground, since it was raining again. We wanted to give her a chance to 'exercise her large motor skill abilities' before sitting on an airplane all evening. She had lots of fun, and Taylor certainly did get some energy out!

Our plane ride home was good - Taylor was an angel both flights! She really is such a good little traveller. Lord knows she's sure done it enough. We did have a bit of adventure along the way, though, barely making our connection in Charlotte........after boarding our plane in Hartford about 15 minues late, we were just about ready to take off.....and the piolet then told us that there was no flight path for us, and we had to wait for take-off...and he was going to turn off the engines to conserve fuel. I knew then we were in trouble, as we only had a 1 hour layover in Charolette. 10 minutes later he came on and said that we would be waiting for about 45 minutes. By that time I was wondering if we'd get into KC that night, or if we'd be spending the night in North Carolina. This is when I started praying even more. 5 minutes later, the piolet told us that we had been cleared for take-off in 5 minutes. So we got into Charolette in just enough time for us to run/walk fast through the airport to arrive at our next gate in just enough time to board. That was a close one, but I'm so thankful we made that flight!

So it's good to be back in Kansas City. I kept thinking when we were in CT that we were coming back to KC 'cuz we lived here......it is still weird to think about the fact that we don't live here, even tho it still feels like home. I'm hoping these next two weeks go by reeeeaaally, reeeeeallly slow!

The Fun Continues...

...as does the jet-lag. Once again, Taylor was awake at 11pm last night, ready to get up and play. But she's so good in the midst of it.....she stayed in her crib for about an hour and a half, again without crying or fussing. Just talking and trying to go back to sleep. It really could be so much worse. Of course, this also means that I haven't gone to bed before 1am all week......but this morning when I woke up, I didn't feel like I had been hit by a truck, so that's always helpful. :-)

This morning we (Taylor and I) went out for breakfast with my Pastor's wife and had a great time with her. Then this morning we went to the library with Grandma Joanie and got a huge stack of books to bring home. I must admit, it was a bit weird bringing Taylor to the same library that my mom brought me to when I was her age. :-)

Taylor is now sleeping, and I'm feeling like I could also use a little lie-down. But to take a nap is to give in to jet-lag....I may just press through.

Taylor is Definitely Jet-Lagged

I put her to bed tonight at 8pm....and she went to sleep fine. And was sleeping fine...until 10:30pm. It's now after midnight, and she's still awake. To her credit, she has stayed in her crib (with minimal crying) and is "trying" really hard to go to sleep, but to no avail so far. She has done so well, considering the last 4 days. I mean, the last two hours really could have been so much worse....she really is a little trooper.

I sure hope she goes to sleep soon, though, 'cuz mommy is getting tired and wanting to kick this jet-lag, too. It could be a long night.

Another Glorioius Day in CT

We had a blast today! This morning was church, and it was so refreshing! I love Gateway so much, and remembered this morning why. There is such a powerful anointing on the worship there - I worshiped this morning like I haven't in a long time, and it was so good for my heart. I also love listening to Pastor Brian teach - he has such reality in God and love for Jesus, and that is so evident when he preaches.

Then after church, we all went apple, peach, and raspberry picking. I've got some of the cutest pictures of apple picking.....but I don't have my laptop here to download them onto, so unfortunately I can't share 'em yet. But believe me, Taylor was just the cutest, and had such a great time pulling the apples off the trees. And the raspberry picking was the best - she kept eating them instead of putting them in the bucket! Can't say I blame her.....they're so yummy! Hmmm....might have to produce my favorite white chocolate raspberry cheesecake tomorrow. Now wouldn't that be a shame?!

Traveling Ramblings

My time here in the States so far can best be described as a dream come true; so many of the things that I was wishing for and longing for these last 9 months, now being lived in reality.

Yesterday (after bringing my computer to Best Buy to be fixed), I spent the afternoon with Larisa and had lunch at the Cheesecake Factory, eating outside on the plaza. It was so awesome to spend time with her and to enjoy some of the Kansas City sights. I also got to see both Linda and Deborah briefly yesterday - not long enough to have a "real" conversation, but long enough to remember how much I love them and to make me really look forward to having some good time with both of them, as well as with others.

Taylor had lots of fun with Nana and Granddad yesterday....running around (or rather, making them run around after her), playing with toys, reading books, laughing, and being silly. It was so fun to see them enjoying each other, but also painful at the same time, realizing how much they're missing out on.

Today we left KC to come to CT to visit my parents. I was dreading the plane ride, after just clocking in so many hours in the skies recently - especially for Taylor's sake. But it was such an easy day! Taylor was an angel on both planes - sleeping for the whole 2 hour flight the first time, and playing (and eating!) happily on the second. I genuinely enjoyed her company, and we really had lots of fun together. She (and I) arrived in CT in good spirits, and enjoyed a nice little trip to the park on our way home from the airport with Dad and Joanie.

It's great to be in CT....nothing like coming back to your hometown and being with family. It's so good for the soul. Tomorrow is church.....and hopefully tonight I can fall asleep before 1am. That would be a plus!

Home.

I'm home. And I love it. Granted, I've only been here a couple of hours, but it already feels good to be back. A whirlwind of emotions, to be sure. I think the question on the table is, "Will being here satisfy my longing to be home, or only make the longing deeper?" I think the answer is yes. A strange paradox, to be sure. The challenge for me will be embracing the reality of both, and not holding back because of it.

I can already tell that the second reality which must be realized: the life I left is not the life that exists here now. Meaning this: The 7 years we lived here were no doubt the best years of my life. Spreading my wings for the first time as a young 19 yr. old, falling in love, getting married, buying our first house, forming and deepening lifelong friendships, Taylor's birth, Graeme and Sabrina living right up the road, drinking daily from the well at IHOP, and the list goes on. But time moves on, and that which was before is no longer. And I can never go back to that life. Even if we had stayed here, our life would look different now than it did back then. Perhaps not all would be different, but the painful reality of life is that nothing ever stays the same.

So where does that leave me? With the gift of being able to come back here and enjoy. To enjoy friends, family, and the multitude of things I've missed about this place I love. Yes, there is a mourning that is real, too; but my prayer and desire is that the joy of coming home would far outweigh the pain of missing it.

Highs and Lows

It was a sad day for my computer today. I brought my laptop to the prayer room, brought it home, and by the time I had finished checking my email, I realized that one of the hinges on the screen had broken. I'm still not sure how this happened - I didn't drop it or drop anything on it.....but the thing sure is broken. Fortunately, it's still functional, but just doesn't open or close properly.

The good news is that since I'm going home this week and it's still under warrenty, I might be able to have it fixed or replaced......if they believe me that I didn't drop it!

On a much better note, the prayer room was awesome this morning. The intercession prayer meeting we had was perhaps the best one we'd had since the house of prayer started 7 months ago. Everyone in the room was engaged the whole time (all 4 of them!), the worship team was flowing so well together, and there was a definite prophetic anointing on the singers and musicians. It was one of those prayer meetings after which I felt refreshed, not totally drained. The Holy Spirit sure helped us on that one. Hopefully there will be many more of those in the weeks and months to follow.

Speaking of the weeks to follow, I'm getting so excited about Taylor's and my trip back to the States. I can't wait to be in America again, to see family and friends, to eat American food, to sit in the prayer room, and to go shopping!! I'm not looking forward to the flight, but there's no getting around that; it has to be done. The fun thing is that Sabrina is meeting us in LA to fly back with us and give me some help with Taylor on those last two flights - often the hardest ones, after the big long 12 hour flight. I can't believe we only have a few more days before we leave!

Taylor's new favorite look

Yesterday we hit a long-awaited milestone in Taylor's life - for the first time I was able to put her hair up in the cutest little pigtails! She loved it - kept running to the mirror to check out her new look. Needless to say, mom is having lots of fun and enjoying this new phase - one of the many fun things about having a little girl!

Putting it all in perspective

Today we sent away the application for Taylor's citizenship by descent, and I am well underway with my process for becoming a permanent resident. It's kinda weird to think that soon I'll (hopefully) be able to live indefinitely in a country not my own. I went to see the doctor (who is a good friend of ours) today to get my medical forms filled in, and he reminded me that this process truly is part of my inheritance in God; part of my destiny. When he said that, something leaped up on the inside of me; they were truly life-giving words that were a timely reminder that this whole thing is so much bigger than me; that this has been part of God's plan for my life before I even dreamed of it. I once again feel safe in the sovereignty of God.

Mother-Daughter Date: Girl's Night In

Aaron had a meeting this evening and Nic went away for the weekend, so Taylor and I took advantage of our night at home alone. It was a rainy evening, and after a long week, I was quite a tired mommy. Tonight was the perfect night to enjoy cuddles and a movie. I saw on the TV listings that there was a Winnie-the-Pooh movie on from 7pm-8pm - perfect! So we had an early dinner, an early bath, and PJs on by 6:30. Then Taylor helped me make popcorn (not the microwave stuff - the real stuff in the pot)...and then we settled down under the blankets with our popcorn and cups of apple juice, ready to enjoy the adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh and the Heffalumps....complete with lots of cuddles. I'm not sure who needed the quality time more - Taylor or I. Due to my busy teaching schedule this week, I was gone a lot more than normal, and I could tell that Taylor was missing her mommy. Likewise, I was missing my little princess. I think it would be safe to say that we both enjoyed our evening together. This is the stuff that being a mom is made of.

Lots of teaching

Tonight marks my third teaching in as many days. I think it would be safe to say that it's worn me out a bit. For one who normally only teaches once a week (twice is a lot) - this has been a huge week! I've enjoyed it, but it sure has been a stretch for me.

And tomorrow morning we do intercession for the first time this internship, and since I'm leading, that means I need to spend a bit of time preparing for that one tonight.

I think this weekend will be much-needed!

There's a mouse in the house...

Actually, it would probably be more accurate to say that there are mice in the house. It came to our attention several days ago that there were a few extra (unwelcome) houseguests that made their appearance. This is the first time in my adult life I've had to deal with this sort of nusiance. The last time I remember sharing a house with mice was when I was a kid and we had them in the attic.

Anyways, After a few unsuccessful attempts at catching the little rodents, fortunately today, there is one less mouse than there was 24 hours ago. Even more fortunate, there is one person in this house who is willing to, um, 'take care of things' when the mousetrap is full. That person is not me. Enough said.

My Day in a Nutshell

Things I did today:
1. Went to the beach with Taylor and Ann and Christine
2. Tried unsuccessfully to prepare notes for class this week after Taylor was awakened by the man doing the lawns....30 minutes into her nap.
3. Made chocolate chip cheesecake bars with a chocolate-chip-cookie crust. Don't know how they turned out yet. They'll be ready to eat in a couple hours.

Things I learned today:
1. I like the beach in the winter
2. The beach is theraputic for the soul
3. I don't go often enough
4. The sovereignty of God really does fascinate my heart, when I allow myself time and space to meditate on Him.

It was almost 3 years ago to the day when Aaron and I stopped here in Mt. Maunganui for the weekend, walked along the very same beach that I walked on today, and had our momentous conversation about maybe moving to New Zealand someday. This was way before we knew anyone here or had any hint of a house of prayer starting here; we simply chose this place to come to on holiday for the weekend 'cuz Aaron remembered it being a nice place. Every time I remember that story, I stand in awe of the sovereignty of God over our lives. He is so faithful to speak, even when we don't have a clue He is speaking. And seriously, this is an incredible place to live. I can't believe that I really call this place home and that this beach is only a 10 minute drive from where we live.

Time to Say Goodbye....

I chose this title for this post because this evening we had a going away party for Ann and Christine (the two girls from the States who have been here for 2 months helping us out with the House of Prayer), and also for Alissa, one of the previous interns who is on her way to do missons work in Columbia with the street kids. Although it's sad to see them go, at least we got to send them off with our love and prayers.

So....back to the title of this post. As soon as I typed it, I immediately thought of that song that Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman sing, "Time to say goodbye" (Yes, one of my hidden loves is Italian opera....). It's a very moving song - the vocals and music on it are just incredible, and the last several months it has become one of my favorites to listen to in the car as I drive around town. Tonight for the first time, I tracked down the lyrics translated into English, and it's no wonder something in my heart connected with this song. This is one of the translations of the chorus I found online:

Time to say goodbye -- I'll go with you
to countries I never
saw and shared with you,
now, yes, I shall experience them.
I'll go with you
on ships across seas
which, I know
no, no exist no longer...

How bizzairre is that? Here I was totally engaging with this song these last few months, feeling so strongly it was the song I was singing in my heart as I left America......Only to now for the first time to read the lyrics in English. Of course, I wasn't saying goodbye to Aaron....(so I'm probably taking the lyrics slightly out of context).....but in leaving my friends and family, my life there that was comfortable and that I loved, I was saying goodbye to my country and all I ever knew....it seems like quite an appropriate song for the last six months. No wonder I liked it. And I think that I like it even more now that I know what they're actually saying!

26 Today...

Today was my birthday. After spending the morning in the prayer room (complete with a small birthday celebration during morning tea, thanks to the interns!), I came home to a decorated house, a great pile of presents (including flowers from my hubby), a piano cake that Nic made, and one little girl who was soooooo excited it was her mommy's birthday! She even helped me open my presents. :-)



This afternoon I enjoyed the rare luxury of a nap on the couch - and reading those cooking magazines I started last night. And last but not least, we left Taylor home with Nic after we put her to bed, and Aaron took me here - one of our new favorite places to go these days. This place is a hidden gem - literally only 5 minutes from our house - one of the many great things about New Zealand that one just can't find in the States.....or, at least, in Kansas City. Not to make you jealous or anything........

More ramblings....

I've just come home from teaching class this evening. I really enjoy doing Friday nights. It's great for me to have another time in the week with the interns, and also a great chance for me to explore this whole 'teaching' thing. The best (and hardest) thing about doing Friday nights is the hours of preparation. It's a challenge, but also really good, because it forces me to stay diligent in my own study. Tonight I taught "The philosophy and values of the (harp and bowl) prayer model, part 1". I'll continue part two on class Tuesday afternoon and part 3 Wednesday afternoon. Hmmm.....lots of teaching next week.....

This past week has been fun. We've really enjoyed having Josh and Misty staying with us - it's been good to catch up with friends and enjoy many games of cribbage! It was awesome having Andy here, too. Unfortunately Bek and Abigail weren't able to come this time.....just a good excuse for them to come back again sometime soon as the whole family.

This afternoon I went to the dentist and got my teeth cleaned for the first time in, oh, about 7 years. The good news is that I had no cavities......I guess the fact that I love to brush my teeth has paid off. Thanks so much, Sue!

And with that, I'm off......to lie on the couch and read a couple of cooking magazines that I've been given before it's time to head off to bed......

Happy Birthday, Kylie!

Taylor's friend, Kylie, turned 3 today. So this afternoon, we went over to her house for a little 'afternoon tea' birthday party. Taylor had a great time playing with her and the other kids who were also there, and I enjoyed catching up with Isabel and the other moms who were there.

This weekend we finally got a couch and bookshelf delivered that we ordered a while ago, so I was able to unpack our library of books that have been packed away in 10 boxes for the last 6 months. Yeah! I've also been looking for a while for a new white, square dinnerset, and I found a great one on sale this week. It was about half the price of the sale prices of the others I had been looking at......so I bought 3 sets! Now we're ready to feed a crowd.

Good thing, 'cuz we're going to have a full house this week! Not 12 people, mind you......but our friends Josh and Misty have officially moved out of their house here in Tauranga because they'll be on the road off and on for the next six months. They'll be back in town for 5 days this week, so we've offered for them to come and crash at our place. And mid-week, we also have Andy coming from Taupo to teach a couple classes for the interns. It will be fun!

It's lining up to be a busy week. Guess I better go make the bed in the guest room and clear out all the boxes so Josh and Misty can have a nice place to stay........

Ramblings and random happenings from my day

Today was my day to go into the prayer room for the morning. I enjoyed some great study time - I'm preparing notes to teach about the harp and bowl prayer model to this new group of interns. I'm planning on teaching it totally differently than I did last internship, soI'm really excited to give it a go and see how it works this time. It was great to sit in the prayer room and enjoy an awesome devo while having some great study time....it had been a while and was much-needed! I also lead the 10am devo, which was also much-needed for my heart. It was one of those worship sets where there was an 'open door' into the heavens from the very beginning; no striving, no 'hitting the ceiling', and boy, was it fun! I only wish worship sets like that were more common for me.

We had class this afternoon at our house, and wrapped up with each of the interns sharing their stories. Sue Cole also came and shared her story and some stuff that has been on her heart; we really enjoyed having her there!

Tomorrow is my "home" day - promising to be a bit slower-paced than today. I love my schedule and the opportunity I have in this season to be a mom, and also to be involved in ministry. It really is such a great balance - after my "prayer room day", I'm so ready for a "home day", and after my "home days", I'm so ready for a "prayer room day". How wise and kind of the Lord to put us in this sort of situation with this sort of flexible schedule. I'm so grateful!

Fun day

Today is one of my days to stay home with Taylor while Aaron goes into the prayer room. I didn't have much pressing this morning, so I was ready to gear up for a fun morning. I invited our neighbor to come over for "morning tea". She's a young single mom, with a little boy who turns one in a couple of weeks. We had a great time together, and of course, Taylor loved playing with "baby Sam". After they went home for Sam's morning nap, Taylor and I decided to take a walk down to the grocery store to pick up a few bits and also to check out the local little shops (bakery, pharmacy, butcher, etc.). It was only a 15 minute walk from our house - just enough to get the blood moving, but not quite enough to get tired out! :-)

This afternoon we had class at our house....and after Taylor's nap? We went to her favorite place - you guessed it - the duck pond!

Time now to head off to bed....the alarm goes off at 6:30 tomorrow morning - it's my morning at the prayer room!

Feeding the Ducks

We found a duck pond only a 10 minute walk away from our house - and now it's Taylor's favorite place to go and thing to do! She loves throwing little bits of bread to the ducks, and even got one to eat out of her hand once. This sort of entertainment never grows old - the last picture says it all!

New Beginnings

Today marked the start of the second internship program. This afternoon, the new interns all came to our house for a short meeting/introductions/registration, etc. and then this evening we hosted a BBQ with the new interns, the former interns, and some others in the THOP community. It was a great evening - a time to strengthen bonds with friends and a time to welcome the new ones into the family.

I'm a bit sad knowing our week off is over, but at the same time, I'm ready to get back into the prayer room, get back into the routine, and keep walking forward. The next several months promise to be good ones....a trip home to the States in September, a visit from some of our closest friends in November, and Graeme and Sabrina here in December. Not to mention the fact that it's nice to begin an internship knowing that we're settled in our house, have been here for 6 months already, and feel a bit like I now have my feet underneath me. Looking back to February, I'm not quite sure how I did it. There sure was lots of grace! :-)

Love Sushi

We've had two girls from Kansas City visiting us here for the last month or so, and helping out with the House of Prayer. It's been great having them here.....they've been a massive blessing in the prayer room singing and playing guitar and leading worship, and it's been fun having them join into our spiritual family here. But I have to say, one of our most favorite times with them has been every week when they come over and cook Chinese food for us. And boy, have they produced some yummy stuff out of that kitchen! Last week they made sushi for us - not the "raw fish type of sushi" - more like those yummy California Rolls. They were so, so good....and we've told them they aren't allowed to go back home unless they make us another batch!

Sushi-making in progress:


The finished product:


So, Anne and Christine, I don't know if you read this, but if you do.....you guys are awesome!

Week Off

This has been the most wonderful, needed break we've had in a long time. Actually, I think it would be safe to say that this is the most "down-time" I've had since we started packing to leave KC. Yes, we have had other "mini vacations" since now and then, and even a full week off at Easter, but this is the first time I've really been able to unwind - mentally, emotionally, and physically - since, say, last August. And boy, does it sure feel good!

Taylor was sick for the start of the week, but is now feeling much better and is back to her usual self. We've had a fun week, spending lots of time together, since neither Aaron nor I have to go to the prayer room. Taylor has been a big help for Mommy in the kitchen this week, helping me make muffins, homemade tortillas, apple crumble, granola, and a handful of other yummy things.



Taylor has also been a helper keeping up on the gardening this week. We'll know she's really being a helper when she's able to movitate me to actually do some gardening. Although - to give myself a bit of credit - I did plant some cilantro in the herb garden yesterday. Now we'll just have to see how long it survives.

Gotta love the weekends

Great relaxing day today. After church and a nice little outing into town to buy some presents for Daniel's wife and little boy, the rest of the day was spent playing with Taylor lots and getting a bit caught up on internship admin and the huge mountain of laundry which had accummulated in our room, waiting to be folded.

With that said and done, it's now time to head off to bed, in hopes of a decent night of sleep.

First Milestone Gone By

Yesterday marked the graduation of the first THOP internship class. It was an awesome evening....it was great to reflect on each of the interns and where they started this journey and how far they've all come. It was sobering to stand back and catch a glimpse of the fruit of our labor, and to feel a bit of the pleasure of God in what He has done here in this city.

One of the highlights of the graduation was a last-minute visit from Daniel Lim, one of the senior leaders from IHOP-KC. He had been in Australia and contacted us a couple weeks ago and said that he'd love to come visit and pray with us. The timing of his visit couldn't have been better if it was planned. What a gift to have one of our friends from Kansas City here for the first internship graduation. Definitely a kiss from the Lord.

So now we have a week off - yeah! I'm really looking forward to having a chance to rest and slow down the pace quite a bit. I'm hoping that in this week I can get caught up, then prepare for the next internship - and then if I'm really doing good, maybe even get a bit ahead.

This evening we had a few families over for a mid-winter cookout. It was great to just relax and have fun and enjoy good food and good friends.

And now for a really random thought, here's a picture that my friend, Isabel, took while Taylor was playing at her house with her daughter, Kylie. Talk about a little cutie!

Time for me to fess up

So, I have a little confession to make. In a previous post in which I recapped the events of our packing week and made excuses for a notable absence of posts, I mentioned (in reference to the events of that week) that "you didn't miss much". Well, that wasn't entirely true. You all actually missed something quite huge, but I wasn't able to disclose this secret to the world because I needed to make a few overseas phone calls and tell some people "in person" first. No, I am not pregnant.

Taylor and I are going home for 3 weeks! Aaron totally surprised me - bought the tickets and everything - and I didn't have a clue! I was so excited when he told me that I started crying - I was totally un-done. I guess the best way to explain it is that in the midst of missing home, you just can't let your heart 'go there' to a certain level. And then when someone tells you that you'll be able to experience that which you have been longing for but telling yourself you can't have.....that is enough to bring the tears. And then Aaron even got my parents in on the whole plan, and arranged for us to fly up to CT for a week, too, so we can see them. How awesome is that??!! It will be so much fun for both sets of Taylor's grandparents to be able to see her and spend time with her, and not miss out on this phase of her growing up. Oh, I can't wait to see family, friends, go shopping, go to baseball games, eat all the yummy food I miss and just be in America. Amongst Americans. Yeah!! The only bad part is that Aaron won't be able to come with us, as he has to hold down the fort (i.e. lead an internship) here.

Thank you, honey. This is a true gift which I don't take lightly. You're the best.

Picnic Time

Taylor was given a cute little toddler-size picnic table when we moved into our new house. So yesterday we tried it out and enjoyed eating lunch outside.



Not too bad to be eating lunch outside, considering it is the middle of winter.

This ain't rocket science, folks

Storm warning on as Beryl moves north (Reuters): "The hurricane center said additional watches or warnings may be issued for part of Long Island and the New England coast later in the day. The storm was expected to turn northeast and gain pace over the next 24 hours, bringing its center near the southeastern coast of Massachusetts Thursday night or Friday morning, the center said. The tropical storm posed no threat to U.S. oil and gas facilities in the Gulf of Mexico." (emphasis added).

Anyone with a basic understanding of U.S. geography should be able to figure out that a storm barreling toward Massachusetts will definitely not pose any threat toward anything remotely close to the Gulf of Mexico.

Newsflash

New Haven, CT (my hometown) made the NZ national news last night. Apparently they've started a rugby team there, with aspirations of America someday becoming a competitor in the game of rugby. Don't know if that will ever happen, but hey, it's worth a try.