Learning!

Tomorrow marks Samuel turning 2 months old. I can hardly believe it! The past 8 weeks have been a steep learning curve both for me and for him. Every so often I have to stop and remember that he hasn't done this before either and he is still learning! He really is a great little baby and we have been so blessed by having him here. He is rewarding us with lots of smiles and pleasure talking which is particularly cute in the middle of the night if I am up with him! So far though we haven't captured one of his little smiles on camera!

This past few weeks we had my mum staying with us. She has now returned home and we miss her already. She was an enormous help to us as we adjusted to having a new baby. She enjoyed meeting her little grandson and helping out in so many ways. We are looking forward to heading home soon to introduce Sam to the rest of our families. I know there are lots of auntie cuddles planned by both Jude and Hannah!



I am enjoying spending my days with Samuel but also the new friendships that having him has brought. Our antenatal group have stayed in touch and we intend on meeting up a couple of times a month.











The highlight for us this month was our appearnce on national TV here in New Zealand on a slot about babies sleeping! It was great fun and will be something to tell Samuel when he is older!


It was Father's Day in New Zealand last Sunday so Samuel bought his Daddy a present! The general consensus is that Sam looks really like Ben, however, I am sure I can see a bit of me appearing as he gets a little older! The blue eyes are at least mine!

A few more recent pics can be seen here

More news of our wee man!

For pictures of Sam's second week of life click here

Things are going fairly well as we settle into our lives as a little family. Early days still but Sam is pretty settled during the day - though he struggles with the evenings and nights. I am reassured over and over by other parents that these unsettled difficult times do get better and once again some normality in life will be restored!

That said, we are really enjoying every moment with Sam. Ben has been off work and has been such a great help around the house, with meals, and as Daddy to his little son! Thank you Ben!

Samuel James Carswell

I am sure that many of you have heard our news but just in case I thought I would pop on here and do a quick blog! Samuel (Sam) arrived in this world on Monday 20th July 2009 at 11.28am after 13 hours of labour followed by an emergency C-section. I was in shock for the first day or so that he was a boy! I was 99% sure we were having a girl!! Sam is the first grandson for my parents after Jude's two lovely girls -quite a novelty for them all to be out looking at blue clothes! He is the 6th grandson for Ben's parents. Ben's brother in law thinks the family are well on their way to producing a whole Rugby 7's team - and with Sam weighing in at 8lbs 6oz, I reckon he could be right!

We finally came out of hospital on Saturday and are gradually getting used to our new lives as parents! My overwhelming thought as I went to bed last night was "How can such a little person make such a massive impact on our lives?!" I absolutely adore him and want to share some links to pictures of him on here - please have a look at our gorgeous boy!!

Samuel James Carswell pictures here
Sam's 2nd day pictures here
Sam day 3 & 4 pictures here
Sam Carswell Heads home pictures here

Family news

Only 4 days left of work. Quite hard to believe really. Finishing on Thursday should (in theory!) give me 4 weeks off to get organised and rested before motherhood begins. So many people tell me of stories where they know someone who went into labour early the day after they finished work (or something equally as scary!) so I am hoping and praying that baby Carswell will remain in comfort and the warmth for another month! You can see my "bump" progress here

We have started our antenatal classes and so far are enjoying them (well, mostly!)...it is when the theory needs to be put into practice that we will see how much we have really learnt! Joining us in our class our Catherine and Richard - a lovely couple who also belong to our church. We look forward to going through this transition to parenthood along with them!

Last week we heard of a new arrival into our wider family. The birth of Bo means we now have 5 nephews and 2 nieces. Ben's sister gave birth in Argentina to Bo . Seth seems well and truly taken with his little brother and we look forward to meeting the new arrival at some stage. Ben's parents are now the proud grandparents of 5 grandsons whilst my parents are all about the girls! So whatever we have should prove a real novelty to one side of the family anyway - though whether boy or girl, I know that our baby will be exciting for both sides!


I was pleased to hear this morning that Lauren got a glowing P1 school report! Jude and Roy should be so proud of her! We continue to love to speak to them on the phone or skype and Amy keeps us very amused with her various stories and comments! We also love to speak to Harry, Noah and Theo (Ben's younger sisters' children) but Harry was recently struck with stage fright and went silent on the webcam!

This picture is of Lauren pre-P1 sporting her school tie! She has grown up so much in this past year! And this is one of Amy sporting her mischievous look!










It is just over a year since Papa passed away - I cannot believe it has gone by so fast. Nana seems to be doing well, despite really missing him, and she is an inspiration on how to maintain faith and stay strong despite difficult circumstances. One of the many things she has taught me over the years is to be thankful daily for the many blessings God has given us, even when times are hard.







One special mention for Dad - as it is Fathers Day in the UK, and not in NZ, unfortunately with baby brain well and truly established, I forgot to be more organised! So here is a special "Happy Fathers Day" message for my Dad who I really love and appreciate for all that he does for me and for us.


One of the things I have missed about being in NI is singing with Grosvenor. I still love to listen to recordings that we did during my time with them and also to keep up to date on their news. I was really pleased to hear that Luke, Nigel and Ailsa Pollock's eldest son, had joined his school Chorale. I went along with Ailsa to hear them recently at a choral festival and was blown away by their performance of this piece. It is a mixture of a Haka (Maori traditional dance) and a waiata (Maori folk song). See post below to watch the video!

Kuarongo - Wellington College Chorale

One of the things I have missed about being in NI is singing with Grosvenor. I still love to listen to recordings that we did during my time with them and also to keep up to date on their news. I was really pleased to hear that Luke, Nigel and Ailsa Pollock's eldest son, had joined his school Chorale. I went along with Ailsa to hear them recently at a choral festival and was blown away by their performance of this piece. It is a mixture of a Haka (Maori traditional dance) and a waiata (Maori folk song).

Babymoon

Babymoon - "a vacation taken by a couple that is expecting a baby in order to allow the couple to enjoy a final trip together before the many sleepless nights that usually accompany a newborn baby" (definition from Wikipedia!!)

We had a Babymoon last weekend in New Plymouth. Check out more of our pictures here ! We had a great time relaxing and seeing some of the sights that the Taranaki region had to offer including a trip up (but not the whole way up!) Mt Egmont (an active volcano!). This is where we got up close and personal with snow in New Zealand - and like this time last year, as winter was setting in, I became confused about what time of year it is and half expected Christmas to be around the corner! We also enjoyed a bit of pottering around the shops, a walk a little way along the coast to see the wind wand, and some lovely meals out! All in all a great time was had! And it is with thanks to mum and dad who had given us some money at Christmas to spend on a trip away.

One advantage of living overseas is the enjoyment at receiving parcels! I have had such joy opening boxes sent by Mum and Jude over recent weeks - baby things of course- but it has been great getting little treats from familiar shops - so thank you to both Mum and Jude for these!

I have been so bad blogging recently - I just seem to have very little inspiration! But I do often think that I must get back into the habit of updating you on our news albeit somewhat hum drum at times!

I am now back to saying that I have 7 weeks left of work (or just under) before taking a few weeks to make final preparations for our baby's arrival.

Winter is well and truly on it's way and we have our fire lit most evenings. Nice and cosy but not so much in the mornings when there is no heat...hard to put your toe out of the bed!

Meet our bump

I thought I should share a picture or two of how Baby Carswell is developing! The scan is of 20 weeks and the photo is me this week (24 weeks). I am enjoying getting bigger (probably the only time I will feel comfortable saying that!!) and enjoy feeling the regular kicks and flutters from within! I really miss family and friends at this exciting time but have some great surrogate mums and sisters here in NZ who are excited for us and who love to share in all things baby! Mum has booked her flights to visit in August and I am really looking forward to having her here to help me become a mum! I would appreciate your prayers as we start the countdown towards meeting Baby Carswell (who we have chosen to not find out if they are a boy or a girl!) - that we would be good parents, like our own have been to us, and that our baby will make a safe arrival into this world!

Happy St. Patricks Day

Why is is that St Patricks Day is celebrated more outside of Ireland than in it?! Perhaps it is to do with the fact that places like New Zealand, Australia and the USA have so much Irish heritage.

Tomorrow in work we are having a special St Patricks Morning Tea charity fundraiser. We have to wear something green for the occasion (I will wear Ben's Ireland Rugby shirt so I think I will win hands down if there is a contest!)

I am not sure how much people actually know about Patrick but I remember hearing his story every year at school. What stands out in my mind the most is that he brought Christianity to Ireland, long before we had Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, and used the Shamrock to explain the Trinity. Legend has it that he also drove snakes out of Ireland, but I am not sure how true that bit is!

Tomorrow is not only St Patricks Day but it is also Ben's birthday. The day when he catches up with me!

And here we are in NZ, and although we are certainly not the first to bring the news of Christ to these Islands, we continue to try and spread the good news to the students and people we meet.

I leave you with the words of the prayer of St Patrick which reminds me of how central Christ should be to the message we share.

Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me.

Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, and in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger

One of the advantages of living in a different time zone...

...is that you can prolong turning a year older by a whole 13 hours (because technically I should celebrate my birthday on UK time as that is where I was born). I attempted to do this today...however, the excitement of lots of parcels to open was too much and so I gave in to turning 31 ahead of time.

We have said goodbye to Sarah who had a great couple of weeks seeing a bit of New Zealand. It was great to have her here and I was sad to see her go as she is the last of my visitors from NI for 4 or 5 months..after which Mum hopes to come over again to play Nana for our little arrival.

Here is a picture of Gordon (who Sarah and I both know from Bangor and schook days and who is now living in Wellington), Sarah and Brony at a great Teppanyaki restaurant near our house.

We have begun the task of looking at baby equipment and I must say, I never knew how confusing the world of "baby stuff" can be! There are so many choices of cots, prams and car seats. It is at times like this where I wish I had mum and Jude here to come out shopping with me to help me choose...and that is before we have even started to think of baby names, clothes and other essential items! As I think about our developing baby I am struck time and again by the words of Psalm 139:

13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.

¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

¹⁶ your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be

It is amazing and comforting to know that God has a plan and a will for our little one, whatever that might be, even before he/she was being formed, now and in the future. How awesome to trust in that promise for ourselves and for our children!

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Visitors

This past few weeks have seen our 1 year anniversary of our arrival in New Zealand. We touched down on Kiwi soil on January 27th 2008. The year has really flown by!

In our time here we have enjoyed the company of many visitors and most recently we were pleased to welcome Sarah along with her friend Brony. They are in the South Island as we speak, but we spent a great weekend with them in Rotorua where we took in some amazing geothermal sites as well as indulged in some real Maori culture! It was brilliant to welcome such a great and special friend to our home and to Aotearoa!





NZ is gripped by the news from over the Tasman with the bush fires still raging through Victoria in Australia. It is truly shocking to see and hear about the tragic deaths seemingly at the hands of arsonists. The fires are not helped by the extreme hot weather -some of which has made it's way to NZ where some areas are in the mid 30's at times. Wellington tends to be a bit cooler (and windier) so we have some relief at least!

This year we expect to greet another very special visitor in the form of a mini-Carswell. All being well, this little visitor will be arriving mid-July. Lots of planning and preparation required for this particular one!

Is it dinner time?

Oops. Sorry. Haven't blogged in a good while. Our Christmas break was just so full of catching up and chilling out that blogging fell well and truly of the list of things to do! We are now back safely to NZ and woke up this morning at 4am. Jet lag is bizarre and more bizarre because you want strange foods at strange times. So right now it is nearly 6am and I feel like eating dinner - I suppose that makes sense because in the UK that is what most of you will be preparing right now. The flights back went smoothly and weren't nearly as bad as I had anticipated. Our house in NZ is still standing - though we are wondering about some possible earthquake damage along our garden wall which is made up of large stones...suppose we will never know!

Our time at home was just great. It felt so good to be back with people, places and things that just felt familiar. The goodbyes were not as bad as last year because I knew where I was coming to and what was waiting here for me. Having said that, it is never easy leaving behind the people you love.

On a more positive note, it is the summer here! Apparently. We have woken up to heavy rain, but it feels warm at least. Think Ben is going to pop to the supermarket soon to buy something nice for dinner...I mean breakfast!

Home Sweet Home

We made it! Though at one point on the long Hong Kong flight to London I thought I would lose the will to live. The hours seemed to go by very very slowly! But we touched down eventually and then made our way to Belfast last night. It feels so good to be back home. The home comforts and familiar sights and smells. It even feels like Christmas now...a cold dark morning and the twinkling of the tree in the hall. Of course our body clocks are all over the place and so we woke at 5 this morning, starving and ready for the day! I am sure tiredness will hit me again soon but before then we have a great family day ahead with everyone coming to mum's for dinner. I can't wait to see Jude, Roy and the girls and Nana. There are so many people I want to see over the next few weeks but I fear time will be too short to squeeze them all in, but I will try.

I hope to post again in the next few days with news of our time in Hong Kong. Til then, enjoy the run up to Christmas and being with family and friends!

It's been a while...

In fact, it has been 3 weeks since my last post. Very slack of me who aimed to update at least fortnightly! I am sure nobody has been hanging out for my next post but just in case, I am sorry it has taken me so long!

We have had such a busy couple of months but they have been just great - so perhaps I have just been resting with some chill out time since mum and dad left us. Two weeks today we leave New Zealand for our long journey home for Christmas! I cannot believe that we have been here for nearly a year. This time last year I was blogging about only having weeks left at home and my mixed emotions about leaving to come to NZ - it was all so unknown to me. I had no idea what to expect and looking back now I can hardly believe that I got through all the goodbyes and actually made it here! But that is thanks only to God who has been here throughout in both good and bad times.

I am excited about coming home to see family and friends and catching up with all that has been going on. I am also nervous about how I will feel when it comes time to leave again, but at least this time I know that here in NZ awaits new friends, beautiful scenery, a home, a job, and students who really need to hear about Christ - which is what we were called here for in the first place! And these things should hopefully ease the pain of saying goodbye again...

It has been hard to feel seasonal here in NZ. When did you last watch Santa arrive in town dressed in your summer gear?! The weather is really getting lovely and warm and when we get back in late January, summer will be well and truly here. I am looking forward to a cold Christmas though - isn't that the way it is supposed to be?! Maybe we will even have a white one.

Here a few more photos of our time with mum and dad. Count yourselves lucky to only see a few. Dad had over 2500 by the time they left! You can see more of ours by clicking here and here !

P.S. I was gutted to see that my blog viewers world map had reset itself..though it looks like the red dots are starting to spread again!

Congratulations!

Just a brief post to give a huge CONGRATULATIONS to Grosvenor Chorale (the superb choir I sang in before coming to NZ) as they have got through to the Grand Final of BBC 3 Choir of the Year! They have done so well and I am proud to be able to say that I was part of them for so many years. I am just gutted that I wasn't part of this particular event! I wish them and Edward Craig (their wonderful Musical Director) all the very best for the final in December - keep up the hard work - it is well worth it! You can keep up with their news here

South Island travels

What a great week away we had with mum and dad! We saw and experienced so many things - there is just no way I can detail them all on here or show you the hundreds of photographs we took in the process! But I will share some of the highlights! (click on pictures for enlargements)

Our road trip took us down the east coast of the South Island right to the very tip and then back up along the west coast where we left mum and dad so that we could return to work. They are still at the top of the South Island and will be back with us on Thursday night.

We saw snow topped mountains, aquamarine rivers, bungy jumpers, waterfalls, sheep, cows, deer, seals, and little blue penguins. We went walking in the west coast rain forests, travelled up long and winding mountain roads, shopping in cities, and gold panning in streams. We ate far too much great food and enjoyed wine tasting both at vineyards and during our meals! At every turn there was something breathtaking to see and we all agreed that New Zealand is indeed a very beautiful and stunning country. The weather was mostly kind to us and I think that we had a bit of everything from glorious warm and sunny days to snow falls!

For me, the places I particularly enjoyed were Dunedin, Oamaru (home of the little blue penguins) and Milford Sound. But what I really enjoyed most was just getting to spend so much time with my parents and Ben as we shared stories and laughs along the way!

Mum and Dad arrive back to ours on Thursday and will be in need of a rest and some downtime before they head off again - this time up North towards Taupo and Rotorua. We will then head up to meet them next Friday for a final weekend together in Hawke's Bay. I also have a great friend, Judith, from work in NI, coming over with her friends mid-November so it will be great to catch up with her too! With all these visitors and road-trips it's a wonder I have time to do anything else! But I love it! And it helps me feel that although at times I feel so far from home, family and friends, I have not been forgotten!

Rain Rain...

...Go away! I knew I was a bit premature! The weather has taken a turn for the worse and is a bit wet and windy again! And just in time for mum and dad's arrival on Wednesday! I hope that even if the weather isn't great that they will receive a warm welcome anyway! We head away on Friday morning to the South Island for a over a week of travelling so I hope there will be some sunny days there. Will blog on our return to let you know!

The sun has got his hat on...

Hip Hip Hip Hooray! We are so pleased to see and feel the sun! I don't want to be premature in saying that it feels like summer is at last here because I am told that it will be fairly changeable over the coming weeks before summer really does reach us, but boy does it feel good to not have to put a warm coat on just to get to work or rush home and put on extra layers to keep warm! We spent a lovely weekend soaking up the great weather - as did most people in Wellington it would seem! On Saturday we headed to Oriental Parade and enjoyed watching the world go by - people on the beach, kids playing, and even a brave few taking a dip in the sea! We got our exercise by hiring a sort of bicycle cart thing (I am sure there is an actual name for this but I have no idea what it is!). Geraldine has been staying with us and so the three of us enjoyed a cycle along the pathway ringing our bell to warn others of our presence! It was great fun and well worth it!

On Sunday we enjoyed a trip to the Botanic Gardens in Wellington. So many beautiful tulips and poppies in all sorts of colours really helped lift our spirits! It was the end of the Spring Festival and so we were treated to entertainment from jazz bands as we wandered through.

In just over a week we will be welcoming Mum and Dad to the shores of New Zealand! I can hardly believe it. Sometimes it seems so long ago that we said our goodbyes at Belfast City airport and at other times I can remember the occasion like it was yesterday! Thankfully this time (as they arrive ) will be more joyful - though I still think there could be tears of a different kind! I just wish that with them they could bring Jude and the girls, but I will have to wait another couple of months before I can see and enjoy being with my whanau (Maori word for "extended family" - 'wh' pronunced as 'f')!

Motorhome Mayhem

Last weekend we went away in a motorhome. We were wise and only had 2 nights for our first experience! We really enjoyed it but I was glad to get back to the house and a bit more space! Ben was already in Auckland with work so I flew up to meet him on the Friday evening and then we set off to the Coromandel Peninsula. This was a part of New Zealand that we hadn't been to before and it certainly lived up to it's expectations - as one website describes it - "misty rainforests and pristine golden beaches, the Coromandel is blessed with hundreds of natural hideaways, making it an ideal place to slow down, relax and unwind". So I suppose our 2 night getaway was really a bit of a reccy and we have put the Coromandel on our list of places we should go back to!

It was a bit of a comedy of errors - from the electricity power cut in the town we stayed in, to the moment when we realised we weren't going to be able to drive ourselves out of the sand pit that we seemed to find ourselves in! We knew we weren't supposed to go onto the beach in our motorhome, and we didn't, but the area we parked at to look out at the beach seemed to have an inordinate amount of sand on it, and deeper than we realised! The more Ben tried to drive the more the sand kicked up behind the rear tyres and the deeper we sank.

The next 10 -15 mins felt really surreal. There wasn't another soul nearby, yet after a few mins of us huffing and puffing in an effort to get the motorhome moved, one by one cars arrived and before we knew it we had 5 helpful Kiwi's, who didn't stand around and discuss how to get us out (as I fear many Brits would have done), but simply got stuck in and helped dig and push us out and onto our merry way! I am just sorry I don't have any photographs of the event!

We enjoyed a ride on a train through the beautiful Kiwi forest (also known as the "bush"). It was a great experience to see lots of native flora, to smell the ferns, and to hear the birds singing. We particularly love to hear the Tui birds and are so pleased that there are plenty in our back garden. I've added a video I found on youtube so you can hear for yourselves!

This weekend we have the pleasure of having Geraldine to stay. Geraldine is from Duke Street Church in London where Ben attended for a few years. She is here as part of her sabbatical from her role as Senior Administrator at the church. She will be with us for a few weeks and we look forward to welcoming her and showing her around New Zealand.

Percy Pig in Singapore

This post is long overdue but I wanted to let you all know how we got on when we were in Singapore. We had a great week away and I was really pleased that I was able to join Ben. Ben has reflected on our time at the FES conference on his blog so I thought I would tell you more about our time after the conference. It was hot - that is for sure. Hot and humid. So humid that my glasses steamed up when I got out of the air conditioned taxi!

But we went prepared with our summer wardrobe which served us well...except my flip-flops, which really weren't comfortable for walking around in! Singapore struck me as a place of many sights, sounds and
smells and amongst the places I liked the most were
Little India, Chinatown and Arab Street.

I was amazed at the array of colours of the fabrics, rugs and pashminas that donned the narrow pavements and the smells of the herbs and spices in the containers that sat along the shopfronts. There were many different voices and accents that added to the whole buzz of the place. As you entered each of these "cultural" areas, it really felt that you had entered a different country.

I could have walked up and down the streets over and over again taking in all that was tempting my various senses! We visited Buddhist temples, Islamic mosques and Hindu temples and I felt overwhelmed by all that we saw.

On the other extreme, we wandered around the numerous malls on Orchard Road passing by amazing window displays by designers such as Louis Vuitton and Chanel, and of course there was Marks and Spencer! I have survived for 8 months (don't ask me how!) without the presence of M&S in my life, and merely seeing that great green sign in Singapore made me smile! Strangely enough I resisted and didn't buy anything! Not even a bag of Percy Pigs!! However, I did notice though that Percy Pig has had Piglets, and I look forward to sampling those when we are back at Christmas!

Mr Percy Pig. How could you not love him?!

So now we are on the countdown until mum and dad arrive. 4 weeks to go! The weather seems to be improving (no.1 sign is that we aren't rushing to light the fire in the evenings!) though I am told that this is the windy season - personally, I think it is always fairly windy (see one of my early posts of our first few weeks in Wellington)!

This weekend in Singapore is the night time Grand Prix and I know my dad will be excited to see that. They were getting the city ready for that when we were there with the powerful floodlights and grand stands visible along the streets! This weekend we are off to the Coromandel (North East of the North Island) in a motor home! I am really looking forward to that experience and will no doubt blog about it soon!

I have posted more pictures of our Singapore trip here

Those were the days

Happy 1st wedding anniversary Ben! Here is a shot of us back in the days when we were happy!!

Of course, we still really are!! We have had a great first year of marriage, albeit one with many changes!

Spring has Sprung

I have no idea where the past few weeks have gone but apologies for the severe blogging drought! I think since Julie left we haven't really done a whole lot - though Ben has been busy with work so check out his blog if you haven't already! Tomorrow sees us head to Singapore for a week to spend some time with the TSCF equivalent organistion, FES Singapore, for their 50th anniversary conference. It will be really great to be a part of this and to see what God is doing in another country amongst students, and also to share in Ben's work a little more. We also hope to see a bit of Singapore while we are there..and I am particularly excited at the prospect of going into Marks and Spencer for the first time in 8 months! How sad!

The 1st September marked the official start of Spring and it has certainly felt more Spring like of late with plenty of daffodils popping up and little lambs appearing in the fields. Not sure there are any lambs in this picture but here are just a few of New Zealand's 40 million sheep!

The 8th September marks the first day of school for my niece Lauren - I can hardly believe she will be heading to school - seems like no time since she was a baby. I am really sad to be missing such a momentous occasion but I look forward to hearing all about it when we get back from Singapore. This is one of my favourite pictures of her!

The 15th September marks our 1st wedding anniversary - I really am stunned when I think that it was a whole year ago we walked up the aisle (or down the aisle in this photo!) It seems like yesterday...that must be a good thing surely?!

Ulster Birds meet Kiwi Bird

Thank you to everyone who read and commented on my previous post. I am really pleased that so many of you enjoyed it! I am writing this after starting back to work following a great few days off. My good friend Julie, from NI, came to visit. It was so good to see her and to spend time together. It really felt like old times and I just loved showing someone from home around New Zealand. It was also great to have another NI accent around - it certainly provided Ben with plenty of opportunities to mock!

One of the highlights for me was seeing a real life Kiwi bird at a wildlife sanctuary in Rotorua. They are far bigger than I expected and really were quite bizarre looking birds! It was so difficult to get a picture because they moved so fast (and you weren't supposed to use flash photography) but we did manage this picture of the Kiwi bird hiding.

I think Julie best described our time together in the message she wrote in our guest book.

"Really great seeing you guys..you pair were a really good excuse for me to visit this wonderful corner of our planet. Thanks for the itinerary and fabulous road trip around the north island - lakes, craters, mountains, forests, waterfalls, spas, beaches, wineries, shops, towns, cities, cafes and much much more! I will also be recommending Motel Carswell to all!"

Julie informed me that she hadn't read my blog for quite a while so we will see how long it takes her to catch up and find out that I have posted her comments!

The weather was great for most of our trip, though we definitely needed to wrap up. Julie is now in the South Island and I hope the weather will continue to be good for her. We are now looking forward to welcoming mum and dad to New Zealand in about 10 weeks time.

Other things that I have been up to recently include trying my hand at a bit of scrapbooking. I am not (yet) a pro, but I have really enjoyed it and hope to record some of the highlights of our time in New Zealand in this way. I am enjoying watching the Olympics (aren't we all?!) - particularly the gymnastics and diving! The opening ceremony, or what I saw of it, (because it was on very late at night here) was fantastic. Makes me wonder what London will do when their turn comes...

So, it's time to put the kettle on and watch a little more.

What a friend we have

Years ago I was in the Girls Brigade and we had a GB "song" that we sang many times at various services or events. This old hymn used to become a bit meaningless to me because of how often we sang it, but I was recently reminded of it as it was a hymn chosen by my Nana for Papa's funeral. Since then I can't stop listening to "What a friend we have in Jesus" and once again have been reminded of the power of the words - simple and child-like in places yet such a powerful reminder that we have a God who is with us in every need and who is interested in every detail of our lives no matter how big or small.

I researched the origins of the hymn as I know that many great hymns have amazing personal stories behind them (another great example is "It is well with my soul"). This is what I found out about What a friend we have...

Joseph Scriven was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1819, and came from a wealthy family. He graduated from Trinity College, Dublin. At the age of twenty-five he decided to leave his native country and migrated to Canada. His reasons for leaving seemed influenced by his personal tragedy-the accidental drowning of his fiancée the night before their scheduled wedding. He fell in love again but tragedy came the second time when his bride to be contracted tuberculosis and died before their wedding could take place.

Originally a poem, "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" was never intended by the hymn writer, Joseph Scriven, for publication. After learning of his mother's serious illness and being unable to be with her in faraway Dublin, he wrote a letter of comfort enclosing the words of his poem.

It seems to me that despite all his tragedies and great sorrows, he took great comfort in knowing that he had a friend like no other in Jesus.

I am so glad that Nana chose this song for Papa's funeral as it has brought a whole new meaning of the song to me - it is no longer the "boring" hymn we sang with GB! It is a song that has brought our family comfort and I know that Papa trusted the words.

I found this great version of it by Northern Irish singer/songwriter Kathryn Scott, and thought I would put together a little video of our time here in NZ so far. Enjoy!

And, whilst I'm talking of friends...a very Happy Birthday to my big sister, Jude. Hope you have a great day! x

Photo fest

At the weekend we had our housewarming party and although it was great to have so many new friends and colleagues come along it is a pity that some of our "old" friends couldn't join in the celebrations! So I thought I would post a few pictures of our new house so that you could at least see where we are living!

(L) Our coffee table and WELCOME sign!

(R) Our bedroom (net curtains not our choice!)

Our central heating!

The weekend before we had Ben's sis to stay and I couldn't resist posting this picture of Ben and Seth dressed in their Canterbury "Ugly" rugby shirts (well, Ben's is a rugby shirt, Seth's is a babygro!)

Not sure who has more hair!

Warming the house

This weekend we are having our housewarming party..and quite an apt name for a party with the winter weather continuing here in New Zealand! We hope to welcome many friends and colleagues to our house on Saturday night and get a few more pages of our guest book filled in! I have found that the art of "making friends" is difficult and requires quite a bit of effort! At times I just wish I was back with my "old" friends who know me so well. But I know that although difficult, it is important to build relationships here.

Ben has been away a fair bit and this week he is in the South Island (see his blog for more info). It is hard when he is away but I know that this is what he has come here to do and I try to support him in that. To cheer me up a bit, his colleague Tim and wife Lizzy (who he is working and staying with in Lincoln, Canterbury) sent me some lovely flowers! Such a surprise! So thank you Tim and Lizzy -I really appreciate your kindness. I was going to take a photo of them to blog but realised that Ben has the camera with him.

Tonight I have planned a surprise chat with Nana on the webcam. Mum is bringing her round to theirs and I plan to phone for a "live" chat later this evening- it'll be the first time she'll have seen me since we left NI in January so I am hoping it will cheer her up.

We had Ben's sister, Emma, and her husband Ollie, to stay last weekend. With them came baby Seth and we enjoyed having them all here and showing them where we live. Seth is really sweet and I made sure I had plenty of cuddles before handing him back to his parents at the airport! My friend Julie arrives in a few weeks which I am really looking forward to. Mum and Dad are booked to come in late October so we are busy planning a travel itinerary for them to make sure they get to see plenty of what NZ has to offer - as well as just spending time with them!

Everywhere you go...

....You always take the weather with you! Or see it seems. Each and every time we have been to see the rugby, a great big Southerly storm has blown up (and remember, a Southerly storm in the Southern hemisphere is COLD)! I am starting to think that I am the common denominator! But last night we went prepared. I lost count of how many layers I had on, and those, complete with a stylish blue poncho, managed to keep the worst of the weather out! Snow has well and truly fallen over the South Island and on some higher parts of the North Island. The day after a southerly storm is usually calm and today is no exception. It is a cold and crisp Sunday. Perfect for sitting with the woodburner fire on (the fire being our only form of heating!).

Ben has been away at the TSCF students Mid-Year conference. This seems to have gone really well and he has written more about it on his blog. I stayed at home, mainly due to work. It would be great to be able to travel with him a bit more and share in his ministry, but I only have a certain number of annual leave days and I am storing these up for various visits from friends and family! This week sees the first of our visitors arrive. Emma (Ben's older sister) and her husband, Ollie, arrive in NZ tomorrow along with their baby boy, Seth. Ben is going to meet them in Auckland and then travel down the North Island to Wellington. I am looking forward to seeing them and to meeting our new nephew!

This afternoon we are going to try and put up our Ulster posters -not in preparation for the 12th July - but our tourist posters that Ben bought me for Christmas so that I could have a little reminder of home in our house here. Mum and Dad posted them over and we have had them mounted onto board ready to hang! Can't wait to see what they look like! But before that, I might just have another cup of tea in front of the fire!

Trials and Tries

To date 2008 has been a difficult year for us with members of both sides of our families having been through major surgery and bereavement amongst other every day trials and difficulties, and although at times I feel a little despairing of all that has gone on, and although it sometimes raises questions as to why these things happen, I draw comfort from James 1 vs. 2-4:

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

I have to trust that in all these things, God is at work and ultimately has a plan for each of us through these and other testing circumstances that are sure to come. In many ways it is hard for me to really believe that Papa has gone because I have not been in NI, but as you may have read on Ben's blog, we had our own little rememberance "service" with the same hymns and readings to help me feel that I too have celebrated Papa's life (thanks to my friend Jennie for that idea). My mum and Nana are doing ok though it is obviously hard for them, particularly Nana. Mum is still experiencing some issues post-op too and we would appreciate your continued prayers.


On a lighter note, there are so many things we have been doing over the past few weeks that I haven't yet blogged so rather than write a long-winded account of them, I thought I would give you a picture summary!

• We have moved house! We are now finally settled in our own place and it feels great! We have plenty of room for visitors and we look forward to welcoming Ben's sister and her husband (and baby Seth) in a few weeks time. I am also looking forward to our first visitor from Northern Ireland in the form of my good friend Julie!



• We had a great weekend away to the South Island and were able to see the beautiful Abel Tasman National Park by boat taking in the gorgeous sights of the beaches and surroundings. We also saw plenty of seals and a friendly dolphin who rode alongside the boat!

• I have become an avid follower of rugby (well, not really, and by NZ standards, certainly not!). I have watched more live rugby in these past 5 months than I have ever seen in my life. The highlight for me was donning an Ireland shirt to watch Ireland vs. All Blacks. It was quite possibly the coldest, wettest and windiest night in Wellington yet and the Irish team looked like they might take a long time to thaw out afterwards! The following weekend we went to see England play the All Blacks and this time, instead of being the only one not in black, I swapped allegiance and wore an All Black shirt! How fickle?!
  


• On our way back through the airport at Auckland I managed a bit of celebrity spotting. Ben was amazed that I recognised this person (him being an ex-England rugby player and all) but it was his fame from Celebrity Come Dancing that made him instantly recognisable to me. Here I am with....Matt Dawson!

• The flight to and from Auckland was a clear one which allowed us to view the tips of snow covered Mount Taranaki and Mount Ruepehu

Ben is set to be fairly busy these next few weeks with conferences away so I am pleased that we finally have internet at home and free calls to the UK so that I can catch up with family and friends. I will have a fair bit of time to spare so I really must look into those scrapbooking classes I talked about.....

(As usual, more pictures are posted here)

In Loving Memory

This weekend I got some sad news that my 91 year old Papa passed away. Although his health had been failing him it was still somewhat of a shock to us all that he died. I feel very sorry that I am not at home to be with my Nana and family at this time but they can be assured that I am thinking about them and praying for them lots, especially on Tuesday at his funeral. Despite our grief we can be thankful that God blessed Papa with nearly 92 long and happy years, 60 of them married to Nana.

He was a great Papa to both Jude and myself and I know he was also a doting great-grandfather to Lauren and Amy. I have very happy memories of him including his fondness for jokes and stories and his ability to entertain his on his fiddle!

I am so pleased that he was able to be with us on our wedding day and that I got to say a proper goodbye when we left in January. I praise God that Papa knew Him and has gone to be with Him, and our family are comforted in knowing that Papa is finally at rest.

George Trimble 1916-2008

In case you were wondering..

Don't worry - we haven't actually disappeared off the ends of the earth - we are just presently without internet access since we moved house! Our move has gone well (apart from the internet set up!)and we are already beginning to feel settled. We have been kept very busy getting things organised but it has been great fun! I will post an update as soon as we get our internet sorted - lots to tell you about our trip to the South Island, our very cold and wet experience at the Ireland vs. All Blacks match and our big house move! Hope you are all well!

The Queen and a Rosella

In seven days we will be moving into our house but before then we have a trip to the South Island planned for over the Queen's birthday. In NZ we get a day off to celebrate this happy occasion -how nice it is for the Queen to share her special day with us!! Thing is, I am not really sure when her actual brithday is. I know that she has 2 in the UK - one offical and one "real". In NZ we celebrate her birthday this Monday coming, yet in Canada her birthday was a few days ago. All very confusing, but I am not complaining because it means a long weekend!

We plan to take the Interislander ferry on Friday evening. I am hoping for a northerly wind as a southerly will make the sailing very rough and bumpy as we pass through the Cook Strait - seasick bags at the ready! We will spend the weekend in the Abel Tasman national park - this has been highly recommended to us so I look forward to seeing more of the beauty of New Zealand. Will need to wrap up warm though...

Whilst out on a work home visit the other day a mother pointed out a rosella.
Had she not explained, I would have thought that somebody's pet parrot had escaped. How amazing to think that such a beautifully coloured bird can turn up in your back garden!


We are sure to take lots of pictures of our weekend away and have stories to tell so keep checking by to hear how we got on. In the meantime, Happy Birthday Elizabeth!

A quest to find my creative side!

The other Sunday I went on a jewellery making beginners workshop. I decided that I should try a few "creative activities" to see if I indeed have a creative side - after all, my big sis does, so perhaps I too have a hidden talent that is yet to be unearthed! (Those of you who know me well would probably tell you that I don't but I think that even if I don't, at least I will have had fun trying!). I really enjoyed the class and am pleased with some of my jewellery..have a look and see what you think!

(This is a silver art clay pendant and a pair of earrings both made by my very own self!)

I also went to a great scrapbooking and craft shop in Wellington and I was totally enthralled by all the many papers and materials that there are out there. So I am thinking of trying a beginners class in this too! Watch this space - and scrapbookers out there, any tips would be appreciated!

In just over 2 weeks we will be packing up our suitcases and moving to our new house! It won't take long to move - we only brought 2 cases each to New Zealand! I have already packed half a case with my summer clothes - I have finally given in to winter.

I have been struggling to know what to blog this past week or two so I am sorry that there hasn't been anything too exciting to report. I have been kept busy with work and thinking about all the things we will need for our new house! I have had a couple of homesick moments during the past week but this may in part be due to the fact that Mum is still in a fair bit of pain and discomfort after her operation. I hope she will be feeling much better soon.

Congratulations to my friends Sharon and Tony on the safe arrival of their new baby boy! Can't wait to see more photos!

We have got tickets to see Ireland play the All blacks in a couple of weeks so I am really looking forward to that -yes, Jenni who knows very little about sport of any kind is excited about a rugby match! Ben has promised to lend me his Ireland rugby shirt for the occasion.

North and South

Those of you reading this in the northern hemisphere are beginning to enjoy good weather but here in the southern hemisphere things are cooling down! I have noticed on my google desktop toolbar that Belfast is beginning to overtake Wellington on the temperature front! So as you start to plan BBQ's and making the most of your long summer evenings, spare a thought for me having to get wrapped up for the colder, darker mornings! (Ok, so it isn't that bad yet but I hear that July and August can be pretty cold - a concept that still confuses my poor northern hemisphere brain!)

This past week has brought with it a little anxiety but I know that God has been with us throughout. Mum had surgery last weekend and although it was serious and worrying, she is doing well and is now on the road to recovery. Dad will no doubt get great practice at housework and cooking over the weeks to come!

We have had good news on the housing front - we hope to move into our own place in a month or so. We are so thrilled and are looking forward to settling in.

Work continues to go well for me. As part of my cultural learning I have been joining in with the weekly waita practice. A waiata is a song or chant and is an important part of the Maori culture. Work meetings are often opened with a waiata. It has been great to be able to meet with other colleagues to learn and sing together. We meet for half an hour to practise singing along in Maori with a guitar to accompany us. The music is really beautiful and I am keen to learn as many songs as I can (watch out Grosvenor - you could be performing the Haka at a concert yet!)

Have a watch of this to get a bit of an idea what the music sounds like (very different to the original Hayley Westenra version of the same song that I posted earlier in my blog). The singers are in their tradtional Maori clothes which, you'll be glad to hear, we don't have to get dressed in for our waiata practice at work !



So I hope to continue learning these songs and also to learn a bit more of the Maori language. Maybe I will post some words on here as I learn them and you can all learn along with me.

Remembering

On Friday New Zealand remembered the soldiers of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who fought at Gallipoli in Turkey during World War 1. On Friday the Carswells remembered Barbara Hill (Ben's Aunt Barb) who died peacefully in hospital. During this past week the people of Manukau, Auckland, have remembered the Elim Christian college's six students and one teacher who tragically drowned in the Mangatepopo riverwhile at a school camp. This past week has been an emotional one for New Zealand as a result of this but in a more personal way, we were saddened to hear the news that Ben's aunt died peacefully after a week in hospital. I didn't know Barbara all that well but I know that Ben enjoyed seeing her and spoke of her often. See Ben's blog for his tribute to her.

This morning we went to church in Auckland and we heard Andy Shudall (Ben's colleague and our friend) speak honestly and passionately about growing in God through suffering. He reminded us that God knows how we suffer and that God remains in control through our suffering - and just as the school teacher in the Mangatepopo river disaster carried one of the weaker students to try and save him that day, God sent His Son to save us from our sin and resulting death. It is tragic that both this teacher and student died, but we can be sure that although Jesus died for us, He rose again so that we throw ourselves on Him to rescue us.

"Jesus said to her, "I am the Resurrection and the Life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" John 11 v 25-26.

We spent this weekend making our way up to Auckland on a one way car hire road trip. We had a great weekend, though it was somewhat affected by the news from home. We went up Mount Ruapehu (an active volcano!) via chair lift and were amazed by the wonders of Craters of the Moon and the geothermal atmosphere (and sulphuric smell!) of Rotorua.

I have uploaded more pictures from our road trip on here. Hope you enjoy the scenery as much as we did!

We'd appreciate your prayers for us and for our families this week because we know that God hears prayers and answers them.

A hongi and a hangi

This post is an educational one! So listen up as I tell you a bit about the Maori people of New Zealand!

At the weekend I went up with Ben and the International Christian Fellowship (ICF) to a Marae. The whole experience was new, particularly the communal sleeping arrangements! It is traditional for Maori people to meet together in their Marae and then all stay there. The Marae was lined with mattresses and sleeping bags and we each took a place for the night. I have to say it was a fairly good nights sleep considering the number of people. It was cold though and a few people were woken up by snoring (not mine!).

Before we went to bed for the night we were given a Maori lesson and learnt how to greet people. It was good fun going around the group as we all tried our best to speak Maori. I find the vowels the trickiest but that is probably due to my Northern Irish heritage! We also had a go at the Haka - don't think the All Blacks would be scared off though by my attempt!


On the wall there are photographs of the families who belong to that particular Marae (you can see them in the background in this picture of me). There is a real sense of community and the Marae will often be used for social gatherings and meetings. On Sunday the Christian Union (CU) arrived and in a traditional Maori way a powhiri was held. This is is a ceremony of welcome extended to visitors - so the ICF welcomed the CU onto the Marae. I found it all very moving as songs were sung to greet one another. This was followed by the hongi (the touching of noses). Through the exchange of this physical greeting, you are no longer considered manuhiri (visitor) but rather tangata whenua, one of the people of the land.

Also on Sunday we had a hangi. This is the Maori method of cooking food under the ground with hot stones (which were heated up for a couple of hours using a log fire and then placed underground). The hangi is prepared in the morning and then food cooks for a few hours. We got to taste the food that evening and it was great! There was pork, chicken, potatoes, kumara (sweet potato) and pumpkin. The food had a really smokey taste and everyone really enjoyed it! It is amazing to think that this old traditional way of cooking is still used today with great results! (Please click here for more photos)



So now the week has begun again and I am back to work! I received a parcel from Jude today with a great picture of Lauren taken at her Nursery School. School photos have certainly changed since I was little. Lauren loves the camera and her first school photo shows it! Thanks Jude for sending it - I love to see Lauren.

Watch these!

I just have to add this link. I know I keep mentioning Grosvenor - but have a watch of these and you will see why I miss singing with them so much! Will be posting soon about our great trip to the Marae.

Coffee and Chocolate

Kia ora koutou katoa (Greetings, hello to you all)

I am writing this at the end of my 3rd week of work. I am sitting with a box of chocolates and a plunger full of coffee to make my way through - what a perfect end to a week of work! Ben is away so that means I have the evening to myself...I think I am just going to lounge around and watch a bit of NZ television - having said that, it is mostly UK programmes on this evening! I head up to meet Ben tomorrow for the remainder of the Christian Union camp and International Christian Fellowship weekend to a Marae - I am really looking forward to the Marae. I will let you know how it goes. All I know at this stage is that it will be a really informative and interesting immersion in the Maori culture.


Work has been good this week. I have been able to see some children and am glad once again to be able to help and support them and their families. On Wednesday I went to visit a child at a Kohanga Reo. This is a Maori pre-school where the Maori culture and language are promoted amongst the children. It was such a good experience and privilege to be able to be part of it, although it was a fairly different experience as we hugged and kissed the staff to greet them! Yet this broke down any barriers and immediately I felt welcomed and part of the Kohanga Reo. The best bit was sitting in with the children as they told each other their Whakapapa (their individual heritage and geneology) and then they all sang a waiata. For those of you who were at our commissioning service at West Church, you would have heard Ben and myself give our whakapapa - My mountain is Cave Hill, my river is the Lagan. But I am not sure what my canoe is - maybe the titanic?!

On Sunday we went to Lower Hutt Baptist. We really enjoyed it there and everyone made us feel really welcome. We are going to settle at this church and I am looking forward to getting involved in some of their activities and ministries.

On Monday night, Grosvenor (the choir I was in) are performing for the BBC Radio 3 choir of the year competition regional level. I want to wish them all the very best and to let them know that I will be thinking about them all and that I hope they do really well! Go for it! I really wish I could be a part of it. Looking forward to hearing how it goes.

So for now it is back to the coffee and chocolates...Hope you have a great weekend!

Cuckoos and Cows

First of all Congratulations to Emma and Ollie (Ben's sis and her husband) on the birth of their first son, Seth, who arrived on Monday in Argentina! Looking forward to seeing pictures and meeting him in real life in July when they are planning a trip to NZ.

I have been working now for a whole week! I am gradually settling in to "work mode" again and this has been helped by a really great office full of friendly and helpful colleagues! There are differences to how I have been used to working - some of these are challenging but some are refreshing! I hope to start seeing children by the end of this week so most of my time at the moment is spent planning and preparing for these kids - as well as finding my way around the office and getting used to the different resources and ways of working!

We went on our travels again at the weekend - this time to the Wairarapa region. We had a really good time which is great as it is only about and hour and a half to get there so we intend to go back! The whole area is lovely but we particularly enjoyed Greytown (lesson to learn - don't judge a town by it's name!). We stayed in an old farmhouse (which could sleep up to 14 - so we rattled around a bit) and went to sleep to the sound of the cows mooing right outside the window. We enjoyed relaxing and pottering around the various shops and vineyards (are you noticing a theme for our weekends away?!).

One big excitement was our encounter with a cow in the middle of the road on our way back to the farmhouse. It was just as well that it was a black and white cow because in the pitch black we wouldn't have seen it. It seemed fairly dazed and confused but eventually it struggled back over the fence into safety!

We have been so impressed by the food and cafe culture in NZ. We have yet to have a bad meal and we are enjoying experiencing new and exciting restaurants. At the weekend we went to Cuckoo in Greytown. The restaurant was really cool and the food was amazing! Have a look at the menu and the online photos in the website gallery. We are keeping a journal of our travels and are keeping notes of the places we want to visit again or to bring family and friends to.

I have been really bad at replying to emails so please forgive me. I promise to sit down some evening and reply to the many friends who have so faithfully emailed me. Thank you so much - I love to hear from you - I am just finding it a bit hard to get a good chance to sit down and reply. You are not forgotten! My Nana has also faithfully written a "proper" letter to me every week or so. She did this throughout my 4 years away in England at university and I always know that she is thinking about us and praying for us and for that I am so thankful.

(As usual, check out more photos here )

Working nine to five (well, actually eight-thirty to five)!

I am writing this after completing my second day at work! And I am tired! I have gone from being a lady of relative leisure to a full time therapist again. Ok, so the first 2 days haven't exactly been full on therapy -more like meetings and induction about various policies & procedures and being introduced to lots of other staff (whose names I will struggle to remember!). I haven't really started a "brand new" job for over 7 years so there is a lot to take in. I was reassured yesterday that God has gone before me in these new changes when I got chatting to a Scottish therapist who is also a Christian. I found this out over coffee as I asked her if she knew an ex-colleague of mine -turns out she knew him from her Christian Union at Queen Margaret's College in Edinburgh!

I have enjoyed my first couple of days and I look forward to finding out more about what I will be doing. The biggest difference with the NHS I see so far is that yesterday I was presented with a box of my very own business cards! It amused me greatly....(those of you working for the NHS will understand what I mean)!

We spent Easter up in the Hawke's Bay area of NZ. Enroute we stopped at "The Wee Red Barn" which was a fresh fruit and veg shop on the roadside owned by a Scottish lady and her Kiwi husband. We bought some freshly picked strawberries and enjoyed them as we travelled along the rural roads, passing the Longest Place Name on our journey. We even drove past the Falls Road!

The weather was fantastic and we enjoyed a couple of days seeing Napier, the Art Deco city, and the surrounding areas as well as trying out some of the wine at one of the many vineyards. We did all this based out of a gorgeous little villa in the middle of an orchard, which meant we were able to pick some apples to take along for our journey towards Palmerston North where we met up with some students on a Christian Fellowship weekend away in a remote area near Mangaweka.

Ben's blog has a few pictures (see if you can spot which one is the big bird) and I have added some different ones in this post. I have uploaded lots more here for those who are interested!

House hunting is still an ongoing concern and with working I am a little anxious that our times for looking will be limited somewhat. We continue to pray that God will lead us to the right place. But in the meantime, a HUGE thank you to our hosts, Keith and Raewyn, for putting up with us for so long! Ben has enjoyed the banter with Keith about sport, especially cricket - Keith arrives back tonight after a few days away so no doubt there will be some jokes about England winning the cricket (I am fairly surprised that I even know that they did!).

So there are only 2 more days til the weekend when we are off again for a couple of nights to the Wairarapa region. I hope this great weather keeps up!

Reflections

A while ago I blogged about having 7 weeks left until I was unemployed - the tables have now turned and I have 1 week until I am employed again! I have really enjoyed the time off from work (apart from the having to bid farewell to friends and family!) but I am looking forward to beginning my new job - although, ask me again in another month or two and I could well be wishing that I was enjoying time off again!

As I reflect on what has gone on in these past few months, I'd like to share with you some of the highlights and why...

• Getting married! What a great day! I still look back and think about all the fun we had preparing for the day itself and then starting our married lives surrounded by so many wonderful friends and family.

• Our fantastic honeymoon! We frequently think about how much we loved South Africa. Wellington reminds us a bit of Cape Town - particularly down by the waterfront. In some ways Wellington reminds us of Belfast too with the harbour and city being side by side.




• The preparations for leaving NI for NZ - those were difficult times as we said our goodbyes, but they were also very special and poignant times as they meant we spent quality time with family & friends in the run up to our departure.
  
  
  

It was during these times that I learnt more and more about trusting God and it is this learning that continues to remind me to look to Him for guidance and strength. As I read back through my blog I am reminded of God's many blessings and answers to prayer.

• The journey here! It was a long one! But it was one filled with excitement and anticipation of all that would greet us in NZ. We had a great welcome to NZ - people here have been so warm and friendly which I think has helped us to settle quickly. During our meal out last night (to celebrate Ben's 30th birthday) I was struck by how we are starting to make good friendships here (see Ben's blog for photos!)



• We have had some great times here - 30th Birthdays in the sunshine, trips to Auckland, days out to visit new places and more trips planned for Easter. Oh, and not forgetting the cricket (refer to Ben's blog for pictures of this too!). During the more difficult days (of which there have been one or two) I need to remind myself of these good times and to look forward to sharing these with family and friends as they come to visit us here.
  

And so it is nearly the end of March and we have been here for 2 months. I have been enjoying blogging our journey so far and always look forward to reading your comments so keep them coming! Until next time....

Two links to try

Found this blogsite with daily photos of Wellington ...and an equivalent one for Belfast ! Have a look!

Another week gone by

I don't know where the weeks go! Sometimes I want the weeks to fly by so that I can get to the stage where I no longer feel like a newbie, but sometimes I wish the weeks would go slower so that I could enjoy this prolonged holiday from work, routine and the everyday mundane things of life! (Not that my life in NI or work was mundane - I do really miss my friends, working with children and having colleagues around!)

Speaking of work, I am now cutting my extended holiday short and starting work a week earlier than planned. I was given the option to start earlier due to a change in circumstances in the team there, so I am now due to start on 25th March. I will be glad to have my own focus and to be able to make my own way a bit. I really have enjoyed being able to be part of what Ben is doing but think both he and I will be pleased that I will have a bit of my own independence!

Starting work means we will need another car so that is something we are looking at. Last Monday night we went to the local car auctions - just to get a feel for how it is done - it made a great evening out! The auctioneer was great fun and the buzz of the place was great! We kept our arms by our sides though..just incase we came away with more that we planned to!

At the weekend, Ben was involved in an Interfaith forum so I headed off with Anna (who also works with TSCF) for the day to Staglands Reserve. It is set in such beautiful surroundings and we had a great time wondering around the reserve feeding ducks, guinea fowl, pigs, donkeys, sheep and goats!

They also had an aviary with lots of birds including some of the more endangered species of birds (Jude - you'd have loved that bit!).

At the end of the walk there was a "secret garden" with lots of rabbits, peacocks and an orphaned fawn. It was like something out of Bambi or Alice in Wonderland!

After exerting nearly all our energies walking around the reserve, we squeezed a little bit more energy into shopping!

A great way to end a girls day out!

( Left: This is a picture of me at the Old Bush settlement!)

(Right: This is Anna and me having lunch at the reserve before hitting the shops!)

(Check out New Zealand (2) on the left side of my blog for more pictures)

Ben turns 30 next week and to celebrate the English cricket team are coming especially to Wellington to play New Zealand..and we have tickets so Ben is excited about that!

Interesting trivia for you - there is a tunnel in Wellington where it is a widely known fact that while you drive through it you hoot your horn! At first I freaked out when Ben started pumping away on the car horn (and a VW Polo horn is a bit weak and embarrassing)! The horn echoes really well and people all seem to take part in the hooting of horns..for no apparent reason! It has become something that amuses me greatly when we drive through..and it is near the airport so anyone who comes to visit us will have to experience it! Whilst searching online for more about this tunnel I came across this blog which has lots of interesting photos and facts about Wellington - for those wanting to find out more!

Your continued thoughts and prayers would be appreciated as I now prepare to start work and begin to get more settled into "real life" in New Zealand!

Autumn is here

The 1st March has come along fast and with it Autumn - officially! Ben and I remarked that although it is now officially Autumn in NZ, if we were in the UK (and in particular Northern Ireland) we would probably be thinking that it was still a great summer! The weather has turned a bit with it getting a little cooler and wetter, but like I said, we are still in our summer wardrobe!

At the weekend we headed up the west coast a bit with the International Students Christian Fellowship. We had a great day with visits to a chocolate factory, Lindale farm (where we had great ice cream!) and a Pick Your Own fruit and veg farm. It was great to see some more of New Zealand, something that we hope to do lots more of whenever we get the chance to. Here are some pictures of our day out.....

Last night I spent some time online trying to look for choirs in the area that I could join as I am really missing singing with Grosvenor - there are a couple of options that I will explore, but it got me thinking that maybe I should be using this opportunity to try new things. So I googled a few more options of things to do in Wellington...I could be trying anything from bungy jumping to cookery, wine tasting to Morris dancing! Any ideas what I should try....?

There are a few things on my mind at the moment - things that are worrying me a bit. But worrying about these things won't actually do me any good. I have to remember that God is in control and to worry is to doubt Him and therefore to worry is wrong. Jesus commanded us in Matthew 6 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?....Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"

The things that are on my mind are best left with Him who is in control, and I need to actively hand my anxieties and fears over to Him, daily, because He cares for me.

(1 Peter 5 v 7)

Photos!

Try this link New Zealand so far then come back and check from the "New Zealand Pictures" link under "Worth a look!" (on the left side of my blog) to keep up to date with our photos!

News Update!

This morning I received a belated birthday gift! On arriving at Ben's work my telephone rang with the news of a job offer! I have accepted this offer and hope to begin work as a pre-school/early years speech and language therapist Kiwi style in April. Just wanted to share the good news with you!

The Big 30 and my Thanks go to....

This weekend saw my 30th birthday! It was the first time ever that I was able to enjoy it in the warmth of the summer. Friday was a particularly sunny day which was a great way to celebrate!

I received a good number of cards from family and friends which I displayed on the window sill of our bedroom.

Jude had made me a great card with a mini DVD inside -when I played it on the computer I was so pleased to see and hear Lauren and Amy singing Happy Birthday! Well, Lauren was singing, Amy kinda looked a bit bemused!! It brought tears to my eyes and made me wish I could have been with them for real birthday hugs and kisses! Thank you so much Jude for making that for me!

Last week at Ben's work, during the morning devotions time, Ben's colleagues laid on a birthday surprise treat for me complete with a really lovely chocolate cake! Nigel Pollock's wife, Ailsa, and I went for a birthday lunch and a walk on Friday which again, has all added to how welcome and part of the TSCF family I am. Thank you to you all!

Ben had organised a weekend to Auckland so off we headed on Friday night. We had a great time away -despite the rain! The highlight for me was going up Sky Tower on Saturday night and having a meal at Orbit, the revolving restaurant (Thank you mum and dad for that too)!! The lights of Auckland were an amazing sight, but I must admit to being a bit scared walking over the glass floor 328 metres high!!

So a big Thank you to Ben for organising a great 30th birthday treat!

We have been here a month already now. Sometimes I feel as if we are only up the road from family and friends (largely due to being able to talk so freely online etc) but at other times (like birthdays) I feel quite far away and just wish that I could see everyone and talk to them in person. I miss you all but Thank you for all your support and encouragement, messages and cards - they really do mean SO much to me!

The lady and the tramp

Ben has been very amused by my cultural faux pas whilst out for coffee with his colleagues. We were discussing favourite holiday spots and one of the guys said how he really liked Stewart Island (at the tip of the South Island) and one of his reasons was "because it had so many tramps" to which I responded with a face of horror at the thought of tramps being all over the place!! I was quickly corrected (and suitably embarrassed) to learn that a "tramp" is the Kiwi name for a hill walk!


Another week has nearly gone by and we continue to be kept busy with various things! We had an enjoyable weekend with a trip to the cinema on Saturday night. On Sunday we went to a Baptist church in Lower Hutt which we really enjoyed and we may well go back there. This week I have been particularly busy with thinking about job possibilities. There are a couple which I am investigating further including an interview! I am not a big fan of interviews but I will have to just do my best and see what happens and remember that God is in control. I also met up with another therapist here who I was put in contact with via a colleague at home. It was great to meet someone else and chat with them about life as a therapist in NZ!


Today the weather was lovely so we headed out to the Basin Reserve (which is practically beside Ben's office) to eat our lunch. (The Basin Reserve is a cricket ground for all you non sporty types - I include myself in that category!)

I am looking forward to our weekend away. We head up to Auckland on Friday night. I am debating whether or not to celebrate my 30th in New Zealand time or UK time - my thinking being that I could squeeze another 13 hours into being in my twenties if I go UK time! I have already received some post and parcels from home which is great (Thank you!!) I can't wait to open them but Ben is trying to encourage me to keep them for the big day itself! We missed dad's 60th but Jude shared some pictures with me and now I share one with you!

This evening we went out for a walk on the beach (2 mins from where we are staying in Island bay) where Ben attempted to go for a dip in the sea - which is fairly chilly even in this summer weather. I met up with a friend, Anna, for a hot chocolate afterwards which was a perfect way to end another day..I could get used to this no job thing!!

Honeymoon to Home

This week has been a really interesting and exciting one in terms of all we have been learning about Kiwi life and culture and about the Maori culture. In many ways there are similarities with my own culture, but there are both obvious and subtle differences. In one of the sessions we were taught about the 4 stages of culture shock - honeymoon, hostility, humour and home. Since arriving in NZ I think that I have been the first 3 of these stages at one time or another!

Let me explain...

Honeymoon - in many ways the first week of our time here was very much like being on honeymoon!! Everything was new and exciting and the weather really helped! Other discoveries have felt exciting over the last few weeks also - some of these are familiar and some are brand new (like a fab department store selling great things - like my Bobbi Brown make up!!)

Hostility - this is a stage that I have been through occasionally! This is usually when I am faced with some of the more overt differences. I have found myself feeling quite frustrated at times about differences, particularly in relation to housing. I don't think I expected to feel these things, but differences can lead to me feeling a little hostile...but thankfully, with the help of Ben and new friends here, I have been able to move through this hostility into the next stage...

Humour - being able to laugh and find fun in difficult situations has really helped and this week has had plenty of laughs as we continue to develop new friendships with the TSCF staff. We had a great "getting to know you better" session over iced coffee yesterday and the many stories and conversations helped me see the lighter side of life!

Home - this is the final stage which I have not yet reached. Home to me is based on many things and whilst I have Ben here and whilst I have discovered some familiar things, I know that this stage will be the most difficult for me - in many ways I am still a little hostile to thinking of this new place as my "home" but I also know that my future happiness here depends on me embracing all things Kiwi and moving towards this stage of feeling like New Zealand is my home -at least for the next couple of years!


Our visit to Te Papa was really good. It is well worth a visit if/when you come to Wellington. We only got to see a small part and I am keen to go back and see more of it. It is really interactive and you could easily spend a few hours wondering around.

Chicken feet and tripe were part of experiencing other cultures - there are a large number of people living in NZ from Asian cultures - China, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong, to name but a few. Many are students and some of Ben's work will involve working with these international students. I have to admit that I did not try the chicken feet or tripe but Ben did so you can ask him what he thought!

Today is Valentines Day so Ben and I exchanged cards this morning! Romance isn't dead! Next weekend we are heading up to Auckland for a few days for my 30th birthday present. Looking forward to that! Ben's 30th is in a few weeks and because New Zealand is sport mad, I think it shoud be fairly easy to get him a present...

Speaking of birthdays, Dad is 60 tomorrow and Mum is fiftysomething next week! I am really sad that we won't be there to share this milestone with dad but I hope that both he and mum know how much we will be thinking about them both on their special days!

Check out Ben's blog about our new car!

Cultural experiences

Just a quick post to keep you all up to date with our goings on...

This week we are spending time with Ben's work at new staff training. It is really great that they involve me in this. The first couple of days are learning all about the new culture in which we find ourselves and includes a visit to Te Papa which is the museum of New Zealand. I am really looking forward to that! I will let you know how we get on. I have just overheard in the office that as part of our culture learning we will be trying some chicken feet for dinner...hmmm, not sure about that!

I have been busy today with job hunting - mainly as a result of meeting Amanda last week. It feels like today has been particularly productive on that front with plenty of emails back and forth with significant people.

Yesterday Ben and I took some time out to read our Bible and pray whilst looking out at the lovely scenery down by the coast. Things have been a bit tough this past few days in relation to making decisions about houses and we both feel that we need to seek God's guidance more. Today I feel quite a bit better - the issue of finding a house is not resolved but I feel so much more comforted and at peace that God will provide for us. Psalm 121 is a real comfort in times of trial and I love to read it.

"I lift up my eyes to the hills—
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD watches over you—the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
The LORD will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life;
the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore."


I have decided that having long hair in Wellington is not advised. Wellington is a windy city and I frequently come back indoors with my hair absolutely everywhere!!

I leave you with a picture of me on Waitangi Day (6th Feb) - a public holiday celebrating the Treaty of Waitangi.

Decisions, Decisions!

This week has been good but also a bit difficult as we try to make decisions about where to live. We have viewed quite a few houses but still haven't made a choice as there is nothing that we really feel fits the bill. Houses here are different so it takes a bit of adjusting and a bit of re-defining of what "home" is. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we consider this fairly major decision!

The sun has been out most of the week though so that has kept our spirits up! Ben has been into his office a few times and it has been great to be able to join with him and the other TSCF staff for morning coffee! They are all very friendly and a great support to us. We have been out for dinner a couple of times this week - last night we met up with an old primary school friend of mine who has been living in Wellington. It was lovely to catch up with him and also his parents who belong to our church in Northern Ireland - they have been visiting and travelling around New Zealand.

Today I went to visit a friend who I met back in 2000 while working at a camp in America. I was very proud of myself finding my way there and back (with the use of a borrowed Sat Nav!) as Ben was away with work. The Sat Nav does freak out a bit though if you take a wrong turning! It was great to see Amanda and her 9 month old boy, Lucas. She is also a Speech and Language Therapist so I managed to get some more tips on finding a job!

Chatting online via MSN or Skype has been great. We have been able to have really good chats with my parents and my sister. Lauren and Amy are also enjoying the experience, though I am worried that Amy might grow up thinking I actually live in the computer!

I am not feeling too homesick to date - but I do have my moments where I wish I could just click my fingers and be back enjoying being with family and friends - so keep emailing and commenting as that really helps me!

A week of "firsts"!

Just before we left NI we had a week of lasts! But now we have had one week here I want to share with you some of the 'firsts' that we have experienced!

first time for me in New Zealand (bit obvious!)

first time that I have had summer in January

first time I have seen sheep being shorn

first time I have had fish and chips Kiwi style (they were great!)

first time I have had lamb sausages (they weren't so great!)

first time I have had Feijoa - a gorgeous fruit -see below!

first time at a Rugby Sevens match (and having less players still doesn't help me understand the game!). See Ben's blog for more on the rugby!

first time I have been to a church in New Zealand

first time I have chatted to my parents and Jude on a webcam

So in one week I have experienced many "firsts" and I know there will be more to come. I look forward to them!

Thank you so much for your comments - it has meant a great deal to me logging on and seeing that people have read and commented on my blog. I am still finding it bizarre that while you are all sleeping I am up and awake and vice versa!

We have been car and house hunting but will fill you in on these things in my next blog!

Where do I start?!

I am sitting here in New Zealand in the gorgeous sunshine but wondering where on earth to start about what has gone on in the past few days! So, for now I am just wanting to let you know that we are here safely - we survived the long journey and jet lag has been fairly non-existent. So much has happened these past few days and once I get a chance to sit down and share them with you all, I will. But one thing I can share is that I just know that God has gone before us and that He has been with me and helped me through these early days of our journey here. We are at Ben's work's staff and families conference in the South Island- we came by ferry which was reminscent of the Larne to Stranraer ferry we used for family holidays - but I think the view here is a bit more spectacular! It's been great to meet Ben's colleagues and their familes and they all seem really great and very friendly.

I have mixed emotions really. Leaving family was so difficult but arriving here has been exciting too. At the moment it feels very surreal - a bit like we are on a holiday! How are you all doing in the cold January weather?!

Keep reading and commenting so I know all your news too!

I leave you with a photo of us on board the ferry as it left the port of Wellington.

Ready, not quite so Steady, Go!

This is it, the last night in NI (for now!). We have our packing done (Ready) and the majority of our goodbyes said (not quite so Steady). They were hard, no doubt about that, but they are done and so now I can start to look forward more to the next few weeks..and what fun there will be in trying to communciate via the internet and a webcam! And the house hunting, and the car hunting, and the job hunting, and the shopping for food in shops that I have never heard of!!

Please keep joining me on this journey and let me know how you are all getting on with your journey through life over the next 2 years! Will be in touch as soon as we get settled, so for now, goodbye! (and just be glad that you don't have at least 24 hours of travelling ahead of you!) GO!

A week of "lasts"

Sunday started our week of "lasts"! Though saying that makes it sound so final. A week of "lasts, for now" would be a more helpful way of saying it! We were at church on Sunday for the last time (for now!) . It was a lovely service and what our minister spoke on was really helpful. He finished his sermon by reading a poem written by a Chinese man whilst in prison -it is called "God's way" and I have copied it out below. I felt it showed me that whilst things may seem difficult or hard at the time, God has a plan and a way - all of which is perfect. We must be patient and wait, but we can know and trust that God's way is always the best way.

God's Way

"I asked the Lord for a bunch of fresh flowers but instead he gave me an ugly cactus with many thorns.

I asked the Lord for some beautiful butterflies but instead he gave me many ugly and dreadful worms.

I was threatened, I was disappointed. I mourned. But after many days, suddenly, I saw the cactus bloom with many beautiful flowers. And those worms became beautiful butterflies flying in the Spring wind. God's way is the best way."

The Great Crash

So, our packing is going well so far. Mum and Dad came to help us, and particularly me, in the wardrobe clearout which began with a little "moment" of tears as I sat on the floor faced with the task of decision-making about my belongings! I am having these little "moments" every so often when I think about what lies ahead, but I am also having excited moments as I think about this great journey and adventure we are about to embark on to the ends of the earth! So many new things to experience in these next few weeks and in the warmth of the New Zealand summer! Jealous?

But just as things have been going well, my computer has been going the opposite way and today it finally crashed! It seems to be unfixable without spending a fortune - so typically when my To Do list couldn't get any bigger, I have had to add "get a new computer" to the list (though secretly, I am quite excited about a brand new laptop to email and blog from as my old one has been on the verge of crashing for quite some time now!). I managed to save my email addresses, itunes and other important documents before the crash occurred so that was a relief!

I spent this afternoon out with one of my best friends, Sarah. It was lovely to spend time with her chatting and doing the things we love best - wondering around the shops and grabbing a coffee at Starbucks. On Thursday night I spent time with my friends from work - this too was a great night with plenty of Pavlova and cheescake! Friends are so important to me and I will really miss my friends here but I am looking forward to meeting new friends in NZ too!

From the Great Commission to the Great Packing!

We are presently living with boxes all around us! I tend to wander around a little bit aimlessly as I try and work out where to start or what to do next. I haven't quite worked out what I will bring with me or what I will leave behind but I know that I have to reduce my life into 2 suitcases..and being the indecisive girl that I am, I am not sure it will happen easily...I may try and hijack some of Ben's cases to squeeze in that extra top or pair of shoes!

I went to choir on Monday night to say cheerio to everyone there. It was really special. They gave me a gorgeous bracelet and performed one of my favourite pieces for me. I held it together until I walked out of the door and then the inevitable tears came! But I know I will be able to keep up with all their news (when they update the website!) and I will always be thinking about how they are doing!

And so I must go and wander around these boxes some more hoping that if I click my fingers, Mary Poppins style, that the things will pack themselves!

The Great Commission

Last night we had our commissioning service at church. It was a great evening and I was so touched by how many people came along to show us support in what we are about to do. It was a night full of anticipation and excitement about what lies ahead but it also was difficult at times as the reality set in that very soon we will have to say the goodbyes - or as my sister put it, the "See you laters"! What a couple of weeks it is going to be - I am almost glad it is only two weeks because it means we have to get on and just do it rather than think about it for too long.

Once again, thank you to everyone who has supported us so much to date and who I know will continue to support us as we go to be God's witnesses "in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1 v 8)

Ben presented some facts about New Zealand and what we will be doing there with TSCF, and showed a great video accompanied by the wonderful voice of New Zealander, Hayley Westenra singing Pokarekare Ana,a traditional Maori song. I have posted the youtube version of her video (not the one that Ben used) so that you can share a little in what we heard last night. Enjoy!

Up, Up and away

Flights are booked. Wellington, New Zealand, here we come (via London, LA, and Auckland!!). We leave the cold wintry shores of Belfast on 25th January 2008 for the warmer sunnier (I hope!) shores of Wellington. But I feel cheated as we lose a day in the process!!

Ben has entered the world of blogging too so please visit his blog (we have a reciprocal agreement!) by clicking Here.

So here begins the fun and games of packing! Not sure where to begin! Will keep you posted!

Such a promise!

As I sit here thinking about the fact that in under 3 weeks we will be en route to the other side of the world, I am experiencing such mixed emotions. I know that this is going to be such an exciting adventure and I look forward to all the things to come - but I am sad and anxious too. However, just when I start feeling too sorry for myself I am reminded of God's amazing promise in Deuteronomy 31 v 6 (which I found on my church's website) "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."

So I know I will get through!

Mud Glorious Mud!

I am just back from my night away with Mum and Jude at the Galgorm Spa and Wow, what an experience we had. The hotel and spa facilities were amazing and we had a really enjoyable and memorable time away! We journeyed around the various treatment areas at the thermal spa which included an outdoor hot tub - which was made even more amazing by the snow that lay all around us and the ice cold air on our faces! After that we experienced an aroma filled steam room and many other weird and wonderful things!! Mum and I chose to have the Mud Serail. We weren't sure what to expect but it turned out to be great fun! We ended up covered from head to toe in mud!! Mid way through we broke into song "Mud, mud, glorious mud!". What a memory! We finished off today with a lovely facial and massage. Totally bliss.
I wish everyday could be like this...

Thanks Jude and Roy for a great Christmas present and thanks to Mum and Jude for making it a super time away!

Hokey Cokey

Last week we went for our medical - an integral and expensive part of our visa application for New Zealand. The down side was having to give what seemed like litres of blood (which has resulted in Ben calling me Wiggles, after my squirming around on the chair as the nurse bled me dry) but the up side was the comedy Hokey Cokey moments on the doctor's couch as he got us to lift our arms and legs up and down, in and out and all about to check if our reflexes, and dear knows what else, were how they should be! I think we passed.....

Christmas came and went and so did New Years but we really had a lovely time with our families. The kids (on both sides of the family) provided us with plenty of laughs - Harry dressed up in Ben's boots with his great grandma's walking stick pretending to be a shepherd and Lauren complaining that she was bored because all the adults kept on talking and talking!

We have set up a webcam at my parent's and at my sister's house so they can get used to it for when we are in NZ. So far so good...but we have yet to master the sound, oh, and we need to buy ourselves a camera too!

My best Christmas present happens this weekend! Jude & Roy bought us a night away and a spa treat at Galgorm in Ballymena! The three of us (mum, Jude and I) head away for what will be a lovely time to relax and be together.

These next few weeks (and months) will be a time for totally trusting God. I will look to Him for strength in all that we do in our final preparations, our goodbyes and our new adventure. A verse that comes to mind and brings me comfort is Isaiah 40 v 29-31"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint".

And I will need His strength to say goodbye to everyone, especially these two....

Have yourselves a merry little Christmas!

Just to wish everyone a Very Merry Christmas! We are off tomorrow to my sisters for the day - it will be great spending time with her and her family as well as my parents and grandparents...oh, and with our adopted family member - Jonathan, Ben's brother, who is joining us for the day! On Boxing day we head to Leeds to spend a few days with the Carswell clan. Enjoy your time wherever you spend it!! x

This time next week...

This time next week we will be full of turkey dinner and probably falling asleep amidst wrapping paper! I cannot believe that it is Christmas in a week - I just don't know how it came around so soon. I think we are nearly sorted with presents - just got to wrap them all now! I am looking forward to spending time with our families over the next few weeks. We also have a wedding to go after Christmas which looks set to be a good day!

Last Friday night we had our annual carol service with Grosvenor chorale. I really loved singing in it and worked out that it was my 6th or 7th carol service singing with them. I was really quite tearful during our final descant but I hope that one day I will sing as part of the choir again!

Last night we went to the Christmas markets in Belfast - what an array of sights, tastes and smells! Ben bought some Guinness cheddar so I am looking forward to trying that!

Apart from that, this past week has been fairly uneventful! I hope you are all enjoying the run up to Christmas!

Hark the Herald Angels Sing

Well, Hark the Herald Grosvenor Chorale sing actually! I am just in from the first of our Christmas season events with choir. We sang our little hearts out for charity down at Belfast Central Station! This Friday sees our annual Carol service in Downpatrick Cathedral. I am really looking forward to that but am also aware that it will be my last one for a few years. I really will miss choir and singing. Being in Grosvenor has taught me so much about music and singing, so I hope I can find an equivalent choir in New Zealand!

This week we have to get our medicals done for our visa for New Zealand. Not looking forward to the blood tests! We are still aiming on getting to New Zealand by the end of January 2008 and I am feeling much less upset and anxious about going - a real answer to prayer I think. So many people have said they would pray for us, and in particular for how I was feeling about leaving here. God is surely at work in our lives and I continue to trust Him fully as we move on to what He has called us to do.

Christmas is here!

Christmas has arrived in our house this afternoon - albeit in a very low key way!! We haven't gone overboard with decorations - we haven't bought new ones because that would mean having to store them somewhere for two years while we are away. But we have enough up to get me into the festive mood!

I was laughing with Ben earlier thinking about how there is such an ideal picture created of the whole Christmas decorations thing! Families gathered round the tree with rosey cheeks singing carols, snow falling against the window, the fire roaring and presents neatly wrapped and placed under the tree! Is it really like this?! Or am I the only one who gets frustrated unwrapping the fairy lights, finding the broken one, fighting with baubles and wondering how on earth I am going to find time to buy and wrap all the presents?! Bah humbug!!!

We have just been so busy but I know that now as Christmas gets closer I will enjoy our first Christmas together and remember the real reason for celebrating this special time of year!

3 weeks left of work...4 weeks left til Christmas!

On Saturday I had a great night away with my girl friends. We had our, what is now an annual, Christmas treat night away at a hotel. It was a really lovely time - a chance to relax, catch up and have a laugh with some great friends. We ended up practicing posing for the camera to avoid double chins..apparently you tilt your head up and to the side (a la Posh Spice)!! Not sure it really worked, but we had a laugh doing it!

This week sees me getting closer to leaving work! It will be a busy few weeks but the end is in sight. Though, that means Christmas is getting much closer too and we still haven't really started our shopping! Nightmare!

Also over the weekend we had one of our friends to stay - Mike (check out his blog -Not just a hat rack). A few weekends back we had another friend Tim to stay. It was good to spend time with them and I think Ben enjoyed having "boys" to play football with on the PS2! When Tim was over we went on an open top bus tour of Belfast. What an experience! We actually really enjoyed learning facts about Belfast. If your city has an open top tour bus you really should go on it!

I am so excited about my blog map! But I might need a trip to Africa to get a red dot on the only continent left without one! Oh, and Antarctica, but not sure I fancy a trip there!

One more thing...check out this great photography site My Photography Journey . My friend Simon has got such a great talent for taking pictures and these will remind me of Northern Ireland when we move away.

Affecting others...really matters!

I hadn't realised just what an effect we have on other people. As I am beginning my goodbyes (mainly to the children in work) I am starting to see that what we say and do can really affect others' lives. Some of the children are drawing me goodbye pictures, asking me when I will come back to see them, asking for postcards, or asking who will continue to treat them once I am gone because they are worried the new therapist won't be "nice like you" (N.B. Speech and Language Therapists are ALWAYS nice!). It got me thinking that everything I say or do with these kids really matters in their lives.

This weekend past we were away at the Association of Evangelists houseparty. It really was a great weekend and it was especially good to see how many people support the work of Ben's dad and the others in the association. Liam Goligher from Duke Street Church in Richmond really challenged us to think that we each have a responsibilty to tell others about the gospel because knowing Christ can have such a massive effect on a person's life.

So just as my work as a Speech and Language Therapist really matters and affects a child's life, the fact that I am a Christian also means that what I say or do can have an effect on a person's life and I should be telling them that knowing God really matters!

On a funny note, don't you think a baby's laugh has a really postive effect on you?!

Wanted: Speech and Language Therapy Job

I am busy looking at possible jobs in NZ. I am not relishing the thought of having to be interviewed - I had been wondering how they would do this with me still being over in NI (half hoping maybe I won't have to do one) but alas, in this day and age of modern technology (!!) they can do an interview over the phone! Incredible. So it seems I better brush up on my interview skills if I am to be employed....

There are a couple of possibilities of jobs in the area we are moving to (Wellington) so we are praying that if these are for me then God will provide everything we need...in the time that we have! Like how long does a visa take!?

Have you checked out the map at the bottom left of my blog? It's letting me know where people are reading my blog from...just need Africa and Asia to have someone on every continent! Very exciting!

Post Please!

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Go, Stay, Give

On Tuesday night I went to hear one of my favourite speakers, Jill Briscoe , and I reckon she wrote her talk just for me! She was over in NI with her husband, Stuart, who was leading a conference at Glenabbey Church on missions. The main theme of her talk was "Go where you are sent, Stay where you are put and Give what you have got".

I really felt God was speaking to me throughout and probably for the first time saw and understood that our going to New Zealand is not just because Ben is being called there but because BOTH of us are! So, although it is going to be really hard, particularly leaving behind my family, I know that God has called us to serve Him and He will be with us all the way!

I am now beginnning to accept more that I should Go where I am sent, Stay where I am put (until God moves us again!) and Give all that I have got - and right now I think that means being more positive about our exciting challenge and realising that the cost involved in going is NOTHING compared to the sacrifice Jesus made by dying to save each and every one of us!

Here are a couple of pictures (taken a while ago) of me with my 2 gorgeous nieces who I will miss so much! Lauren, now 4, and Amy, now 14 months.

Not a lot happens...or does it?

I am starting to realise that not a lot really happens in a week - or nothing that you would really want to read about...like washing and cleaning, cooking and going to work! But actually if I take the time to really think about the last week I start to see how blessed I am to have a great husband who does lots for me while I am at work! He has also been busy with more preparations for NZ, like putting together our support leaflet and prayer letter (PLEASE let me know if you would like one!)

Tonight I am going to visit a friend from work who is busy working on her new house -making it feel like home! I remember doing that for the house we are in at the moment and it was great fun adding all the finishing touches - that is something that we'll get to do again when we move to NZ. I'll enjoy making wherever we live feel like home - even it is temporary!

7 weeks til I am unemployed!

Today marks the date where I have only 7 weeks left at work - both an exciting prospect but also a fairly daunting one! Whilst the break from work during December/January will be nice, the time off will be spent packing up our belongings and saying our goodbyes - something I am dreading. I fear many tears will flow, but this is where I have to trust God to give me the strength because without Him I couldn't do it.

Things I am getting to know about New Zealand!

The Haka! I was going to post a Youtube video of the All Blacks Rugby team but Ben showed me this version which is altogether a little less intimidating! Have a look and see what you think..

How it all began

Looking back on the last few years I sometimes can hardly believe how things have changed and how my life has turned around. After a spiritual crisis during my uni years, God brought me back again to know Him and to trust Him as He guides me through my life's journey. This year so far has been busy - mainly with wedding preparations (we got hitched on Sept 15th) but also with plans for our move to New Zealand. This is why Jen's Journey has been created! I want to not only be able to record my journey but also share it with others- the physical "moving" to NZ, and the emotional and spiritual changes that will undoubtedly take place!

Only God really knows what the future holds - and that is exciting because "we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8 v 28

Introducing Ben - a pic of us on our wedding day