Bike tour pics

Surprise birthday trip

At Pacifica restaurant

View from Te Mata Peak

One of the Art Deco style buildings in downtown Napier

Waterfront at Napier

I knew Kris had been planning something special for an anniversary/Christmas/birthday present, but he let me think we were going into Wellington on Wednesday the 29th for a shopping day. Well, Tuesday morning we woke up to torrential rains and fierce winds. Kris suggested we go to a coffee shop, so I loaded up a few things. We stopped by the church, but as we left, he turned the wrong way for the cafe. Here is our conversation:

Megan: "Where are you going?"

Kris: "Oh, I wanted to stop by the pharmacy first."

Megan: "It's a bit out of the way."

(We pass by the pharmacy)

Megan: "You passed it."

Kris: "I know; I just thought we could go on an adventure today."

(thinking that was code for 'I made a wrong turn') "It's not really a great day for an adventure."

He started to drive out of town, so I said "Do I need a camera for this adventure?"

Kris: "Yes; I brought it."

Megan: "But I need batteries."

Kris: "I know, I brought them too."

Megan: "What's going on??"

Finally he told me he was taking me away to Hastings and Napier in Hawke's Bay for a few days! He had everything packed, and I had no idea! Meanwhile, it continued to downpour and blow, and we were forced to turn around due to the pass being closed about 45 minutes into the drive. It was a long detour, but it took us along the stormy, wild ocean! It rained most of the way there, but we enjoyed seeing new parts of the country as we headed north and east. Hawke's Bay is known for its fruit and vegetables, and its vineyards. We stayed at the very dated Angus Inn in Hastings.

We did some shopping (part of my present was shopping for a new outfit), then drove in to Napier and walked along the waterfront and the main shops. The city was destroyed by an 1931 earthquake and fire, and much of it was rebuilt in the Art Deco style.

The next day, my 28th birthday, Kris had booked us a bicycle tour through wine country, which I have wanted to do for years! They set us up with bikes, helmets, a box lunch, water, and a map, and off we went. There were 8 vineyards along the 25 km route, and we stopped at all but one of them. Most of the ride was on paved roads, but occasionally it took us off the roads and through olive groves and apple orchards. We enjoyed tasting the wines and seeing the different styles of tasting cellars, eating our picnic lunch; by the time we hit the last one we were getting a bit "puffed" as they say here. We bought 3 bottles of wine, which the company picked up for us and brought back to their headquarters. It was a perfect day!

After that, we drove up to the summit of Te Mata Peak, which gives 360 degree views of the entire area; it would have been even more spectacular had it been a clear day. For dinner we ate at Pacifica, Napier's "Best Restaurant". The portions were small, but beautifully presented and tasty. After dinner, we spent awhile in the Ocean Spa pools, a nice end to our day of riding.

The next day we walked through the Centennial Gardens near the beach, and discovered a really cool waterfall and pond. We walked down the street to the St. John the Baptist Anglican Cathedral. It was really interesting to see pictures of it after the destruction and rebuilding after the quake. We did some more shopping, visited Opossum World (complete with possum sweaters and a history of possums in NZ), and ate lunch at an Irish pub. On the way out of town, we stopped at the Silky Oak Chocolate Museum, "the only chocolate museum in the southern hemisphere". Unfortunately it wasn't worth paying the admission, so I just ate some chocolate instead! We also stopped at a couple of the many fruit stands along the highway for some fresh cherried and broccoli.

It was a wonderful trip and I loved being surprised! In our travels so far, we have always enjoyed the places but come away with a renewed appreciation for Lower Hutt as our home.

Kiwi Christmas

We initially had a hard time feeling like it was almost Christmas, for several reasons--warm weather, no family, not buying Christmas gifts, few decorations (though we did receive a lovely tree!). It did help when I found a US radio station to stream live Christmas music to my computer. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, I really was able to turn my attention more to "the reason for the season", the fact that Jesus is with us. For that reminder, I am thankful.

Knox had a Christmas Eve service, a family service focused on the kids. They played a funny video of the Christmas story acted out with Legos, there was a song and dance routine, some Christmas carols (2 of which were sung differently than we know them), and a silly skit put on by Kris and one of the other children's leaders. That evening, the four of us had a nice meal of ham, asparagus, sweet potato casserole (people here can't imagine sweet potatoes with marshmallows and brown sugar!), creamy veggies, and brandy snaps for dessert.

On Christmas morning, a beautiful sunny day, we attended church again (another new thing for us), with more carols and a message about Jesus. After the service we went home and Skyped our families, though it was still Christmas Eve for them. We had Christmas lunch at the pastor's house--lamb with mint sauce and gravy, potatoes and sweet potatoes, cranberries, peas, asparagus, and strawberry spinach salad. The best part was the dessert--a yummy pavlova with ice cream, hot raspberry sauce, and chocolate shell syrup! We had a lovely afternoon with them, and we are blessed to be well taken care of by them. All in all, though it was a different Christmas than we are used to, it was very special!

The day after Christmas is Boxing Day, which is one of the biggest shopping days of the year. For some crazy reason, we decided we needed a few things from the mall, so we braved the traffic downtown and in the parking garage, and then braved the foot traffic in the mall. I have to say that rivals the Black Friday madness in the US!

NZ (500 photos), by Megan Longenecker

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Gone Tramping

Top 2 pics are from the hike on Saturday, the bottom 3 are from Friday's hike in Eastbourne.

Fridays are Kris' day off, so we usually sleep in a bit and then go to a cafe for breakfast. This week we went to Petone, which is at the south end of town along the waterfront. It's a cute area with lots of cafes and boutique shops. After walking the length of Jackson Street, we settled on Mr. Bun...bad decision! Greasy eggs and bacon and really bad coffee. But that's all part of the adventure, finding a new place to go every week! From there we drove around the harbor to Eastbourne, across the harbor from Wellington; it only takes about 10-15 minutes. It was a gorgeous day! We took a short hike up to the trail that runs along the ridge, with great views of the Hutt Valley, Welly, and the Strait. After that, we drove out beyond Eastbourne til the road ends, and we walked the gravel path along the beach that eventually leads to a lighthouse at Pencarrow Head (we're saving that for another day, when we can go out with bikes). We really love the Eastbourne area!

Saturday morning we went to the big farmer's market with Matt & Ang; you can buy everything there, it's kind of overwhelming. Way cheaper than buying from the grocery stores. From there we drove out past Wainuiomata, about 30 minutes to Rimutaka Forest and the Orongorongo Trail. This was a 10 kilometer round trip tramp along a stream, through all kinds of trees and ferns, opening up into a big river valley. We have had unbelievable weather, apparently much warmer for longer periods of time than usual for this time of year. Being outdoors like that nourishes my soul and reminds me how awesome our Creator is!

P.S. "Tramping" = "hiking"

An update on jobs: I had an interview at a women's gym last week, for a position of fitness consultant. It's very similar to a personal trainer: assessing new members, learning about their current level of fitness and their goals, designing an exercise and nutrition program, regular coaching/training sessions, and some small group exercise classes (5-8 people). The interview went really well, and I have a second interview tomorrow morning. I think this would be an enjoyable job, a way to combine my experiences in the health industry with my passion for helping people get well physically.

On Sunday, Kris preached his first sermon at Knox, about taking hold of God's vision for our lives. Call me biased, but I think he was awesome!

NZ (471 photos), by Megan Longenecker

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More pictures of the trip

Thanksgiving and Kris' birthday trip

Thursday night the church hosted a dinner to thank the volunteers, and they made it a Thanksgiving dinner in honor of the Americans. They had turkey, stuffing, cranberries, and a pumpkin pie made from real pumpkin (not the canned stuff, they don't have that here!). Leigh even made us a large brownie with the American flag on it! Everyone is so thoughtful, and we're grateful for their efforts to make us feel at home.

Since Kris' birthday was the 27th, we decided to take a trip to Nelson, the sunniest place in New Zealand, on the South island. We took the train to the ferry, and rode the ferry 3 hours from Wellington to Picton. It was neat seeing the Harbor and the coastline, and you see how close the 2 islands are. It was a gorgeous day! As we entered the Sound, we were in awe of the landscape--green hills rising steeply from the turquoise waters, dolphins swimming along side the boat. We docked in Picton, a cute tourist town, and we rented a car that had a sticker on the dash reminding drivers to "Keep Left"! We drove through the Marlborough region, which is a valley of vineyard after vineyard, then through some windy mountain passes. We arrived in Nelson, a neat hilly town on the Tasman Bay. It has a great downtown, and a really neat Anglican cathedral up on the hill that we walked through. Our accomodation, the Golden Lodge, was a neat old Victorian home made into guest rooms, on a hill overlooking the city and bay. It had great character and was a neat place to stay a night; we enjoyed sitting on the balcony looking over the city, talking for a long time as the sun set.

The next morning we had crepes for breakfast at the famous Farmer's Market. Then we hiked up a hill to the geographical Centre of New Zealand, with amazing 360 degree views of Nelson, the Tasman Bay, and the valley. Again we spent a long time just talking as we enjoyed the sunshine and the views. From there we drove to Cable Bay, a small sheltered area where we would love to come back to someday with sea kayaks! On the way back to Picton we stopped for lunch in Havelock, the mussell capital of NZ. We ate mussell chowder at the Mussell Pot cafe, and it was sooooo good (my first mussell experience). We took the scenic route back to Picton, winding along the "fingers" of the Queen Charlotte Sound. We got to Picton early and just enjoyed watching the people and sailboats on the waterfront.

Our ride back to Welly was on a much smaller ferry, and though we had blue skies, this time we could really feel the waves rocking the boat! Our stomachs were ready to be out of the Cook Strait and back into the protected harbor again! It was neat coming back as the sun set, and seeing the cities on the harbor with the lights at night. Overall, it was a lovely trip and we would love to go back and take Kris' parents and my Mom, and also go to Abel Tasman National Park.

People

One nice thing about our time in Lower Hutt is that people are always eager to sit down for coffee or tea and biscuits (cookies) to have a conversation. I have been able to have some lovely conversations with some of the ladies in the church, and I appreciate having time to build relationships with them. Also, after the church services people aren't in a hurry to leave, so there is a lot of good fellowship and connecting.

Last night the session (elders) had us join them for a nice dinner out, a beautifully presented 4-course meal. It was a time for us to get to know the very people who prayed over the process of bringing us here, and there was a real sense of joy in knowing that God has faithfully led the right people to Knox. There is a lot of excitement about the future at Knox and how God is going to use Kris and Matt to help Wayne and the session bring God's Kingdom to bear in a greater way there.

Thursday, the church is hosting a dinner to thank all of the church volunteers, in the spirit of Thanksgiving. We even learned that Phyllis made a pumpkin pie for us--from scratch, because they don't have pumpkin pie filling here! Can't wait to taste it!

New things

Today I thought it would be interesting to think about some things I have observed that are different:

• Starbucks is not a big deal (though there is one), and people drink a lot more instant coffee. One of the more popular drinks is the "flat white", which is like a latte
• Everyone has an electric kettle for heating up water for cooking and for tea; morning and afternoon tea are standard
• Goodies are always available!
• Gas ("petrol") is much more expensive at $1.82/liter (4 liters per gallon)
• Homes are chilly when there's no sun because most are not insulated and don't have central heat, so you want to look for a place that gets good sunlight in the key places (our house gets good sun)
• Most of the clothes drying is done on the clothesline
• Many lots have been subdivided, so there are a lot homes in a small area, quite close together
• Mobile phones and the plans are a lot more expensive, so everyone has landlines as well.

Here is our address:

1/28 Garden Rd

Avalon

Lower Hutt 5011, New Zealand

Job hunting

I took a few resumes (or "CV's") around to some physio clinics and a health club on Monday, only to learn that many of them are cutting back on staff rather than hiring. The ACC, which is the government-funded health care that is the primary payer for physio services, has cut reimbursement to physios significantly in the past year, which has caused drastic cuts in profit. Not a good time to be looking for work in that field, unfortunately! I also learned not to say that I'm looking for work at a "health club", because here that apparently refers to nudity clubs rather than a place to exercise! I must say "gym" or "fitness center", and I keep catching myself! I did do an interview with Adecco for temp work until I can find a suitable permanent option, and I plan to go into the local Christian bookstore and cafe as well.

Generous

We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of the people at Knox ever since we arrived, and this has continued through this week. We have had help with everything from buying a car to supplying our new home with furniture! We are humbled that so many people are willing to joyfully give to us; God has truly provided for all our needs. Kris and Matt bought vehicles at the auto auction; we are now the proud owners of a silver-blue 2000 Toyota Camry wagon! I spent much of Friday looking at PT ("physio" here) clinics and gyms and working on my resume, and will go in on Monday to speak with some of them. We would appreciate prayers that I would get a part-time job that I will enjoy, close enough to walk or bike most of the time.

November 5 is Guy Fox Day, remembering the day that Guy Fox tried to blow up Parliament in England. So to celebrate, they have BBQs and shoot off fireworks! The Tennents had the youth group kids over and they did the fireworks quickly before the storm came in...and then later under the umbrella!

Saturday we got to start moving into our new house. The guys collected furniture from various homes around the valley while Ang and I and the Tennent girls cleaned and organized. It's starting to look like a home! Tonight we will start staying there. We look forward to getting settled in and getting into some kind of normal routine again.

More Pictures of Wellington

Commissioning Service and more

On Sunday morning, Kris and Matt were commissioned as Children's Pastor and Youth Pastor at Knox Church. They explained that that day was the culmination of nearly a 2-year process to find the right people for the jobs, each of them made a declaration of faith and commitment, they were prayed over, and then several ministry leaders presented them with various gifts. We were amazed at their generosity! The congregation even provided baskets full of items for the home and pantry. After the service, we met many in the congregation in cafe. We feel so very welcomed, and Knox Church and Lower Hutt is already feeling like home; we also feel very clear confirmations that this is where we are supposed to be.

On Monday, we found out that we got the house we wanted to rent, with Matt and Ange. It's a really great house with everything we were looking for, and will save us a lot by sharing it. It has 4 bedrooms, so come on down for a visit! We started looking for cars a bit too, and we're learning that we might have to spend a bit more than we had hoped to get something decent (so you can pray we find something both road-worthy and affordable!).

Today was Kris' first official day of work, starting with staff meeting in the morning; more about work later, when he gets home! In the meantime, Leigh (our host) took us out to Eastbourne for lunch and we took the ferry across the harbor into Wellington. It's a beautiful sunny day with almost no wind, and we could even see the mountains of the south island in the distance. Wellington is such a cool looking city. The downtown is right on the wharf, and you can walk all along the waterfront looking at shops and cafes. FYI, Wellington was just voted the 4th coolest city to visit in the world! There are more cafes per capita than in New York City.

We have spent quite a bit of time driving around town, and we really like the feel of the city!

To Lower Hutt

On Wednesday (which is Tuesday back in the US), Andy and Angie drove us 2 hours to Hamilton to catch the Overlander train. We caught the train (barely) at 10:00 and it drove us 10 hours south through the country. Two words could sum up most of the trip: GREEN and SHEEP! I have never seen so many sheep!! The steep green hills were covered with them the whole way. The train was a neat way to see new parts of the county, and in places we wouldn't see driving. As we rolled in to Wellington, we enjoyed seeing the hills covered in houses, looking over the water. We were picked up at the train station by Wayne (the pastor) and Peter, and they drove us about 15 minutes north to Lower Hutt, pointing things out along the way. It's a really neat area surrounding the harbor, and Lower Hutt sits in the Hutt Valley. We are staying with a family from the church, and everyone has been so wonderful; we feel so welcomed!

Leigh drove us on a tour of town and took us into the mall, then to the church, where we had a quick tour and finally met Matt and Angela (the other Americans who are taking on the youth pastor position). After a great Indian food lunch, we spent the afternoon driving all over the place looking for places to rent. We have really enjoyed getting to know people here, and they have taken great care of us!