Faith Week!

We've returned! Our team arrived back at the Base around 2:30 this afternoon. The last team (out of eleven?) trickled in just before afternoon tea (dinner) this evening. Upon arriving back teams (including mine) have been swamped with hugs and questions of how things have gone.

I have yet to fully process the week in my mind - I am not sure that many have yet. The week was short for some and long for others - yet there was little time in either case for complete processing of the events. I've attempted to summarize my team's story as much as possible below while including all the relevant aspects of the week, however, that summary is a bit lengthy and may be a bit broken as mentally I haven't grasped the whole picture yet. Pictures should be posted later this week.

All the teams have amazing stories to tell - as does ours. We get to share our team stories tomorrow (Sunday) evening with the entire group in short presentations. Of course, by that point, all the groups will have had a glimpse of the numerous faith week team stories.

When we set out from the Base a week ago we didn't quite know what to expect - not that we should - nor did many realize just how big God's provision would be. Many fellow students blogs are linked on the right sidebar of this page - check some of them out for their stories. Many teams have some pretty awesome things to share - certainly there were high points and low points for each team during the week. In fact, there are a handful of stories that weren't such pleasant experiences.

Faith Week was a week to step out in faith and witness God's provision and faithfulness. It was a week for following God's leading and looking for such as a team. It was a week for knowing that God is out there and that He cares deeply for our people. It was not a week to test Him or to beg resources from people. It was not a week to become a burden for anyone - it was a week for blessing others.

We departed the Base last Saturday (25 Feb) in teams (generally of 3 people) with $20 NZD per person. The vans were loaded with teams and set out in various directions dropping teams along the side of the road around a 1/2 hour drive from Base. Hitch hiking was to be our mode of transportation and as for accomodation and food, well, aside from our $20/person there wasn't much we could provide within our personal means.

So, Keia, Sara, and I were the first out of the van a week ago and as we watched the van depart the reality of the situation really set in - we were free! Of course "free" is a relative term here, regardless, we sat about applying sunscreen, strapping into our packs and writing the words "Ashburton" on a piece of cardboard. We begun walking in the direction that we needed the ride and within, literally, five minutes, we had our first ride (in a gold Mercedes none the less!) all the way to the city of Ashburton.

This is how the day continued after we had spent a number of hours in a park at Ashburton - that is, we were provided a ride within 5 minutes or so each time we began to hitch. Now, this isn't to say that we ended up in a location where we thought we might earlier in the day. We had set out from Ashburton hitching to Lake Takepo with intentions of eventually finding our way down the west coast to Milford Sound. That first evening (Saturday) we ended up in Timaru.

The first night proved trying and certainly was the low point of the week. We had attempted to find a place to stay at a hotel and backpackers hostel, however, that evening there was a rugby match in town and thus "No Vacancy" became a common sight as we traversed the main avenue of town. We nearly thought we were going to have a place to stay at a hostel/hotel, however, the manager turned out to be quite sketchy and so we left there breathing a sigh of relief.

At that point in the night it was getting quite late, an hour or so after dark, and the team was at it's wits end. We didn't understand what was going on and certainly were questioning the actions of the day - however, we spent some time praying and discussing our situation at a seaside park and came to the conclusion that this was a night we were going to spend on the beach. And that's what we did - found a spot on the beach with our backs to an overhang and got some sleep. Of any night during the week that was probably the best night for resting underneath the stars and listening to the ocean.

I don't know all the reasons why we were out under the stars. I tend to think, from my point of view at least, that I was trying to rely too much on my ability to provide and plan for the day as opposed to stepping out in greater faith. There is also an element of attitude and presumption that likely factors in here as well. I am not sure if Keia and Sara would completely agree but I believe they would partially and probably have a bit more insight into our circumstances of the day. Regardless, we spent a very pretty night under the stars. Perhaps the day was such to purely bring us to Timaru, a location for which our first hitch of the day had been headed, and a location that God clearly had his hand with us.

Speaking with a friend last night about the week's events it became clear that each decision and step which our team took individually and as a group has its own implications. I could sit here and question, debate, and rehash each decision's outcome, implications, and reasoning for why such a decision may have been made. I won't do that now, and I don't know if I will ever get through such for the entire week. Listening to others speak of their experiences, and telling our stories from the week (believe me, the Base was a-buzz with chatter for afternoon and evening today) it is clear that God was purposeful with the experiences each team has gone through - ours is no exception. God desired our faithfulness and obedience when asked and came through for each team in various ways. Another reason for being out there, and perhaps more of a reason then anything else, was to touch the lives of other people - to bless as we could. Every team has stories of such events, some teams with more dramatic stories than others and these stories all comprise a testimony for each team - a testimony that has become a blessing for others in sharing such.

And so, carrying on with our story, we set out from our starry night on the beach to find a church on Sunday morning. Our attitudes (attitude is a huge element in the week as well I believe, though I won't say much more about it) had changed from the previous day and we had shifted more of our faith and trust to God for our provision even though the night under the stars was being replayed inside our heads (at least in mine). Around the corner from our breakfast location at McDonald's (not our first breakfast hope, but our only as nothing else was open!) we found Chalmers Presbyterian Church and arrived just in time for the 10 am service. The breakfast meal we split at McDonald's that morning was to be the first and last of our money we spent on food.

Following the service at this large, old cathedral style church, we shared tea with many of the congregation - an elderly and smaller congragation. I should mention that the message that morning really spoke to each of us - many of the things throughout the week that provided evidence for God's hand in our lives. By the end of the tea time we had at least four invites for places to stay that evening in addition to a number of invites for lunch! We were slowly being blown away by the generosity and hospitality of these people whom God had brought us into contact with.

We shared lunch with the pastor and his wife at their home along with another couple from church. It was a lovely lunch within their shaded front lawn and we quite enjoyed our time chatting with them and spending the afternoon at their home. During the midst of the afternoon, prior to afternoon tea (dinner), we ventured back into town to visit a contact we had received through a member of the congregation that morning - the contact was a youth coordinator for the Anglican churches in the area and we were thinking that maybe he would be aware of a youth group or church for which we could help out with. Unfortunately he was not able to provide much in the way of contacts, although we did have a nice chat with him.

While, on the walk back from town, returning to the pastor's home, we were wondering what the other teams were up to and remarking how cool it would be to run into another team during the week. It was just seconds after we made such comments, that, on the back streets of Timaru, a car pulled out of a side street with a arm hanging out the window and a voice yelling "Hey, I know those guys!" Erin and Josh, a married couple team, were driving through the sidestreets with a couple they had met at church that morning and God had designed our paths to cross! This was a huge encouragement for our team, and them as well I believe. Not that our team was down and out having been provided for that day - rather this encounter just continued to boost our spirits and a clear indication that God was indeed at work within our midst.

Our evening was comprised of a great afternoon tea, another church service where we met up with Erin and Josh as well as a speaker we had a couple weeks ago (and at which we heard another message that really spoke to each us of living on faith - and where Sara got to speak with missionaries to Thailand - not her last encounter with missions to the countries for which she will be traveling to). That evening we spent the night at the couples house with whom we shared lunch with earlier in the day - a beautiful older home and a place for which we felt at home.

Our plans by Monday morning were still a bit liquid and we were debating where next to go as we turned in for the night Sunday. Destination and, moreso, the motivation for a particular location now reflects in my mind as another important aspect of the week. There was some thought to visit a local retirement/care home on Monday and just attempt to visit with the residents - we attempted but God closed that door and opened another. Though, I get ahead of myself now.

Monday morning we received a call at the house we were staying at from a person who offered us accommodation, food, and maybe even a van for local use the remainder of the week! We were absolutely blown away. Keia and Sara weren't actually up for a bit after we received that call and so it was fun to reveal such news to them after they had their breakfast in front of them. Certainly the news was met with a bit of anticipation as in some ways it was too good to be true! Such a opportunity presented an option to get involved with a youth group as well - another option that we had talked about the previous week and were hoping for as well, that is, just to get involved and help out in some way - to try and be a blessing to others. So, after praying a bit about it we accepted the offer and were able to meet up with Nyree (a youth pastor at a local church) after the door was closed at the retirement home.

We were completely blown away and just felt so blessed. We were taken in by Nyree and her husband Lindsay, and the rest of their family, without question and without having even met them. This was such a high from the low point of Saturday night! The week just continued to get better.

Monday afternoon we shared a wonderful afternoon with Nyree and Lindsay (who is an awesome cook) and were just able to relax. They made it clear to us that their home was open to us to just relax and we were just feeling so at home there. We very much enjoyed Monday getting to know them and being a bit spoiled - I think we all had a nap that afternoon as well.

Tuesday was awesome. We had decided to go into work with Nyree to see about what we could do to help out at the church. Basically, we were told that we would be doing youth group that evening - two hours for which we had to fill and be responsible for. That was a challenge that we certainly weren't expecting on faith week and none of us had any depth of experience in working with youth! Again, our anticipation was back, but, as we sat outside in the sun and shade and worked through a rough plan for the night our excitement grew and our anticipation dissipated completely. We were all for this challenge and excited to have such an opportunity.

The youth group event of Tuesday night was just grand! The kids were so interested in our story and just had so many questions. It was very much a learning experience for us as well, but one which I think it is safe to say that we all relished very much. However, the youth group Tuesday evening was one of two highlights for the day - the other was truly a God moment.

The week before we left on Faith Week our team (Sara, Keia, and I) had gone out to dinner one night at the local Oxford cafe. We had just ordered and were waiting for our fish and chips (why they don't serve more fish and chips in the States I don't know - I'm ready to open a takeaway fish and chips spot though!) the other couple sitted in the seating area was departing. On their way out they stopped by our table to say hello and just chat for a minute. This was an elderly couple on holiday from a location we didn't recall later - it was just a nice, quick visit and off they went from this small town of Oxford to their B&B outside of town. After they had left Sara made a comment that such is going to be the way we meet people during Faith Week and continued on with our meal and conversation.

Well, back to Tuesday on Faith Week. In addition to the youth group meeting in the evening for which we were preparing for the senior pastor had asked us to speak, or rather to be interviewed, at the Community Service - a 2 pm service held monthly focused towards the seniors in the area. We walked into this meeting and we're met nearly immediately by the same couple we had met nearly a week ago in a small-town Oxford cafe! A God moment for which we were blown away! Clearly an indication that God had us in a spot where He had intended us to be.

The remainder of the week went grand and similarly indeed (though not with such overwhelming God moments) - a number of times we were asked to participate in activities for which we had an 1/2 hour notice. Every time God came through and used us to encourage others and to be a blessing I believe. It was strange in a sense - here we were in Timaru, New Zealand, staying with a lovely family, eating awesome food (Thurs night we had the best meal I have eaten here - homegrown beef steak with homegrown eggs, chips [fries done the right way] and homegrown coleslaw), relaxing when we weren't involved with activities (I had the best sleep Tuesday evening - never slept as good in NZ), and just experiencing opportunities that we would have never expected during Faith Week!

In addition to the youth group and Community Service events of Tuesday we had the opportunity to be involved on Wednesday with a Kids Club and then a Home Group Bible Study that evening. On Tuesday we also committed to doing a Friday night cafe with the youth and so Friday night we had heaps of fun hanging out with youth and doing a short program.

Saturday (the day this post is dated) Lindsay and Nyree gave us a ride back up to just outside Christchruch and we had two great hitches from there to Oxford - we only waited 10-15 minutes for both and shared a much different attitude than the attitude for which we had a week ago - we had complete faith that God would provide. The second and last hitch was a woman from Sheffield, just down the road, who invited us over for tea with her family. She had previously had boarded a Faith Week team and was just so hospitable and happy to share a meal with us. It was encouraging as well in that we were pretty excited during this morning to get back to Base and see everyone - to be "home" - however, this Christian family just seemed to be so encouraged by our visit with them - the husband even gave us a ride back to Oxford. It was a lesson for me in being willing to adapt to God's plan and just being available.

Faith Week has now come to a close. It is an experience that will not soon be forgotten. If asked to do it again I would say yes, with a bit different approach and attitude. There are other aspects of the week that were special which are not mentioned here - I could refer you to the nearly 30 handwritten pages that I have filled in the Faith Week journal should you care to read more of our experiences. I have tried to share the highlights of the week as a testimony to what God can and will do with people. I am not saying that we are shining examples of such, but present this testimony for what you, the reader, may take away with you.

And, so, you see that God is real, that He does care for each person, and that faith is putting one foot out in front of another in a direction that may not be known or along a path that may not be seen, but He is there, even through the dark, encouraging, providing, and guiding. Such an adventure only begins with a simple choice - will you, or will you not Believe? It is simply a choice and nothing more - you can easily find and contrive arguments to support either position of such a choice, however, it is the choice that is yours, and yours alone.

Tim Tams and Vehicle Common Sense

As one may imagine New Zealand has a number of products, specialties, interesting items, and just plain oddities to which no other country, well, at least America, has any hint of. One of the more amazing delightful products that this land holds is a product actually imported from Australia (go figure) - it's called a Tim Tam. These are a variety of chocolate biscuits (or cookies for you North American types) that are perhaps the greatest thing ever to come out of Australia, apart from their cheap, quality wine (at least from my limited viewpoint having not been Down Under quite yet).

So, what may you ask is a Tim Tam exactly? A chocolate sandwich of two chocolate wafers with a chocolate mousse spread between, then dipped in chocolate for a tasty and chocolaty snack, or meal depending upon on many one cares to eat. Did I mention they contained a bit of chocolate? Now, the packages of ten Tim Tams do go very quickly, however, the speed of consumption increases exponentially when one performs what is affectionately referred to as a Tim Tam Slam (check out this definition). Such an event is this that it requires a full and steaming cup of coffee or hot chocolate (preferably coffee and none of that instant coffee crap). Two diagonally opposite corners of the rectangular Tim Tam are gingerly bitten to expose the sandwiched biscuit from beneath the chocolate coating. Then, carefully biting the midst of the biscuit between one's teeth, much like a straw would be used, dip the exposed end of the biscuit into the mug of hot drink and drink as much of the beverage as possible until such a time as biscuit just begins to fall apart. Now at this point in time, if there are no hands involved, the key is to tip your head back and enjoy the now quickly disintegrating biscuit. It is a must to advance to the stage where no fingers are toes are used in the Tim Tam Slam - certain authorities suggest the use of such extremities, however, the real experts go solo - no hands or feet. In any case this is a biscuit that is hard to ignore no matter the method of ingestion - ah the simple pleasures in life. Go out and get a package if you haven't yet (unless of course you are not located in Australia or New Zealand or the few Asian countries to which they are imported...).

The other wonder of this southern island world is the choice of SUV's. The Kiwi's are amazingly smart in that they also choose to drive Isuzu Trooper's - well okay, that Trooper model is actually called a "Bighorn" down here - however, the point still remains, Kiwi's have some good sense about them. Back home in the states my vehicle is, as one may have guessed with the heavy previous endorsement, an Isuzu Trooper. Of the many SUV's here on the road in NZ a large percentage are Isuzu Bighorns - this is one of the larger SUV's (or vehicles for that matter) that are driven on the roads here (not including the camper-type vans which are also very popular). In fact, I have only seen one full-size truck (in the American sense of the word) - it was a beast for these parts. Also deserving note is that the Bighorns are also offered with a diesel engine - why in the heck can't we have diesel Isuzu Troopers in the states?! I am glad there are some countries out here with a bit more car sense then the states...

Okay, so I have said my peace on two of the many things that I really think highly of here in Kiwi land, there's more, but that would require some more rambling of which I don't have time for as I would then be late for this mornings continuing lecture...

Greymouth and beyond...

So, I feel as if the updates to this site are trickling in - well I suppose that is because they are. In any case, this particular update is going to be a tad lengthy - reminiscent of the England musings of some time ago...

Where to start? There have been a number of questions coming in and so maybe I will try and summarize things here to answer a few of those questions then we can jump into a more rambling approach at this past weekend's adventures - of course some of the following may be a repeat from earlier posts - I can't remember what goes on from day to day...

So, we are currently in the midst of beginning Monday for Week #4. The "routines" of the weeks have been well established such that we can now know what to expect, within at least the framework of time allotted for activities. The weekday mornings are set with either a time of worship or prayer followed by a number of hours of lecture (though a tea break is held halfway through or so). The afternoons of the weekdays have various activities - a free afternoon, outreach preparation (learning intercultural things or children's songs or traveling items), weekly work duties, small group activities, and free time in Christchurch. Evenings hold some free nights and some activities, most notably is a time for outreach team meetings on Monday and outreach activities in Christchurch on Friday evenings. Weekends encompass a day of activity out in New Zealand (location and activities vary) on Saturday and a free day on Sunday - one which is much needed.

It is difficult to attempt to describe why time seems to be so busy here. I don't mean to put a negative connotation on this busyness and it is certainly not a busyness without purpose. However, the days fly by and it is hard to believe it is now nearing a full four weeks since we have arrived in this place. I liken the activity and bustle of this Base as something similar to a mixture of college, church, summer camp, and missions.

Our topic this week is on the Nature and Character of God, however, the speaker is more in tune with teaching about the Life of Jesus and so it is a combination of such subjects, and actually, really is the same topic. Previous weeks have held topics of Hearing God's Voice, Life Evangelism, the Kingdom of God, and Relationships. Each week has been challenging. Challenging not so much in a physical way of accomplishing certain assignments, rather, challenging on a personal and spiritual level - pushing our comfort zones beyond our reality and wrapping our minds around concepts that both excite and dare.

The living arrangements for the guys are quite nice. We have our own house down the street that serves the purpose very well. All told there are 16 guys - 5 staff and 11 students. In this house of five bedrooms the students are split six and five in the two larger rooms. The staff are split up with two guys in two of the remaining rooms and one staff with his own room. There is one full bath, a toilet, and then a shower sink combo - we actually manage better than I thought with regards to the bathroom use - guys don't apparently require much time there except we could use more air freshener at times... There is a full kitchen as well as a large lounge/library area and a spacious backyard off the lounge patio. It really is a nice place to shack up for a bit.

I share a room with five other guys. Funny in that the room arrangements worked out such that my room of six guys are the older unmarried guy students (this same "unplanned" arrangement also took place with the girls that live in the Base house, 5 of them). The ages range from 23 - 32 with 4 Americans (Alaska, Oregon, Chicago, and Indiana), a South Korean, and a guy from New Caledonia (sp? - an island nation just north of NZ). We have taken to living together quite well and I think we actually shocked the staff in the general tidiness of our dorm room - maybe that is because we have all had the independent living experience in life as opposed to some of the younger students who are here. It's a good group of guys - we have become fiends quickly and have little issue with one another other than the wayward alarm clock.

The living arrangements for the girls are a bit varied. The staff girls (four plus two admin) live in the main Base house along with 5 girl students. Eighteen (I think - I lose track easily) girl students live in a place called the Ghetto (a separate dormitory right near the base) - I haven't decided if that is an appropriate name or not for the girls dorm. Let's just say they end up with a few more living arrangement issues than the guys house. There are three married couples as well here - they share a number of separate bedroom cabins near the Base house.

All told there are 40 students (22 girls and 14 boys - I think I don't dare try and add them all up) and nine staff (4 girls including school leader and five guys). The average age of the school is 23 - ages spanning from 18 - 32. There are actually quite a number in the late twenties and early thirties, especially when one includes the staff, however, there are plenty who are in their late teens and early twenties, thus swaying the average to the low twenties. We have a grand time here.

One last thing about daily life to add for now - the food is awesome and healthy. We have a chef who does an amazing job - I don't think anyone is losing weight during the lecture part of our experience. Each day I swear I am not going back for seconds, however, that hope is quickly dashed when the food is so nice to eat... I suppose it is best that we gain a bit of weight now so that during outreach we have a bit in the reserve tank, so to speak...

So, this past Saturday morning I had signed up to travel to Greymouth (on the west coast of the South Island). A few minutes after 8 am we departed in two vans with a total of 17 people looking for a day out and about in NZ. The plan was to drive to Greymouth (a bit over 3 hours drive), check it out, and then continue up to Pancake Rocks (just under an hour north) and then drive back to Oxford the same day. It was likely going to be a long day's drive, and everyone had prepared for that (I think) - more so it would be an opportunity to see a bit of New Zealand that was as of yet untouched by the eyes of most of the students here.

The drive to Greymouth ascends and descends through Arthur's Pass; a beautiful mountain drive with one-way bridges, steep and sharp corners, and even a section of protected roadway (rockslides). The road to Arthur's Pass is the same road which takes a person to Castle Hill and Cavestream - places that had been visited a couple weeks ago. The road to Castle Hill and Cavestream is beautiful enough - continuing on through Arthur's Pass is so much more.

It's difficult to describe the natural beauty present here - even the pictures don't quite do NZ justice. However, eventually, there will be pictures posted depicting the trip's adventures. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, there were 17 cameras taking pictures this past weekend - many of the same poises taken like 7 times with different cameras. Anyway, some day were going to sort through these photos and pick the best of the best - maybe some will get posted - at least that is a far off dream...

Ok, back to the story at hand. Our route into Greymouth took us through the enchanting Arthur's pass shooting us out into the tropical rainforest of the west coast. Now, this was perhaps the striking feature upon reaching near Greymouth - the change of foliage. This side of the South Island carries more of a dry characteristic with distanced foliage, whereas the west side of the island (the Southern Alps separating the two sides) carries a heavy handed rainforest completly reminiscent of a tropical island (Kauai of Hawaii comes to mind). It's amazing the sharp contrast of foliage and variety of geography within this South Island.

Once arrived in Greymouth we searched out food. Gangs of YWAMers spread out across this small city area looking for the best deal on the varied cravings of the individuals. A number of us struck gold at a west side cafe with fish and chips (English style with malt vinegar - mmmm) for $NZ 5.50 ($1.00 NZ for every $0.70 US) - we thought it was a good deal anyway. This lunch feast was enjoyed at a sidewalk table under a cloudy but comfortable sky.

Nearly two hours after arrival in this quaint seaside town we found our way up the coast to Pancake Rocks - a location of geological significance regarding the rock formations - they look like pancakes. To tell you the truth I didn't think the rocks were that cool - it was more of a tourist destination than anything. We did have a good time walking around checking things out and taking pictures. It's quite a tourist attraction - did I mention that yet...

While we were there someone thought it would be a good idea to keep going (it was after 4 pm) - that is forget driving back to Oxford (at least 4 hours from where we were at) and continue to parts unknown. So, after a brief prayer and haggling over who would be the one to call back to Base to seek approval from the proper authorities we received some much anticipated approval to continue on our way. This now became our adventure, the costs of which would be born by the students and the destination of which would also become our destination. We didn't know what God had in store for us.

About the time we received permission to continue the weather cleared - the sun now breaking through the cloud cover and storming the country. We drove north in glorious sunshine with the coast sparkling in an aqua blue and forest green blanket. We couldn't have asked for better weather - views as far as the eye could see - even a hint of Mt. Cook far off to the south. There were a number of stops made at various viewpoints - had we not been spurred on we may have remained at one or two of these indefinitely.

We pushed north in the direction of Westport - a town on the northern end of the coastal hugging road system in this part of the island and our possible destination for the evening, although, we were open to anything. Somewhere nearing Westport one of the vans decided to try a hard left onto a narrow, gravel road. The road was in the general direction of the coastal beaches, however, it remained questionable for a bit as to whether or not there would be a beach at the end of the grey gravel road... Now, as if the day wasn't already keen enough (learning those Kiwi terms) the gravel road eventually (it wasn't that long really) brought us to a small beach - a small beautiful beach with a rock outcropping that divided two bays. This was our spot - well, if we could have stayed here I think we would - amazing sunshine, bright teal water, and waves crashing into the beach - a NZ tropical paradise.

Now, on the west coast of NZ, along the Tasman Sea, beaches are not generally recommend for swimming. Apparently the surf succumbs to a rather strong riptide pushing in across the Tasman from Austrailia. There are probably beaches that could be considered swimming beaches (no signs posted one way or another) - however we chose not to try out any theories this day - wading in calf deep water was cold enough as it was.

Something eventually came up about dinner and a place to stay for the night (understand that the west coast is not particularly populated along the roads in these parts) and so we had to depart from the beach. Along the way to the now planned destination of Greymouth we did make one last stop at a seal breeding area to view what we could of the baby seals - cute little tykes but a bit noisy and smelly.

Somewhere in the mid-evening we rolled into Westport and set about finding a place to stay - 17 people don't always fit nicely into accommodations. Thankfully, however, our second attempt at finding a hostel for the evening worked out as a fine place to crash for the night. A quaint hostel that with our burly (or not so burly) crew pushed the capacity to the max - check out TripInn Hostel.

Westport is not exactly a large town (well, neither is Greymouth) and as things generally go in NZ (even in Christchruch) everything shuts down in late afternoon or early evening. Thus, we had to do a bit of scrounging for food but made out okay and found a nice little joint that served just about anything deep-fried (hey, who's here to lose weight?).

Sunday we awoke and held a small church service of sorts in the hostel before heading on our way. Again, it was a beautiful day for a drive east across the mountains and down southeast through Lee's Pass and into Oxford. We departed Westport at 11 am and arrived in Oxford at 5 pm - the day was pretty solidly spent just driving with a few breaks mixed in. Thankfully the mountain passes were beautiful in the partly sunny weather - only did it begin raining once we arrived on the east side of the mountains...

So, that is our trip for last weekend. Hard to do an adequate job describing how nice it was, but, as it was Adam's birthday Saturday, I think he captured the essence of the trip when he said that the day on Saturday (and trip) was "the best day of his life". Christina posted a crayon trace of our route which is kinda cool to see - however the map is a bit hard to read. Maybe next time I will have a few more comments on the school, however, there is just so much that could be said and seeing as how it's time for dinner, well, you know where my priorities lie...