Camp #2 - Living Springs

Hi everyone!

We made it safely back from Australia, and are adjusting okay to the chillier weather in New Zealand! I know, compared to the cold in Canada right now, we can't complain.

We arrived in Christchurch late Tuesday night, and spent a couple days with our new friends there, the Thorpe family. We headed to Living Springs on Thursday, the camp where we are working for a month. (Check out the website - www.livingsprings.co.nz - the views are amazing!) After a day settling in to our new house, we went straight to work on Friday morning. They quickly put Dave's building skills to work, fixing the roof of one of the sheds at the Farm Park. While he hasn't actually been able to play with them yet, Dave is in close vicinity to sheep, horses, llamas, donkeys, pigs and mules. I'm sure he'll find a way to get involved with the animals by the end of our time here.

I am also spending some time on a ladder, painting the laundry room of our house. The place is definitely a blessing to us, but it needs some sprucing up. The new cook will be moving in after we leave, so Living Springs want to get things spic and span. I told them about my Heidt Home Service's experiences, and they quickly put me on the end of a paintbrush. I am enjoying it though, and figure it will be good experience, as we hope to eventually live in a place with walls made of something other than nylon.

We spend our free evenings exploring the small town of Lyttleton, swimming in the pool at the camp, hiking around the beautiful surrounding hills, and filling out application forms! Fun! We're now in the process of applying to some mission agencies, who will hopefully accept us to go to Honduras in August. Please keep praying as we make decisions regarding the future.

We attended a great church on Sunday, the first one that reminded us of Next since we've been in New Zealand. All the key things were the same: it started late, everyone came in drinking a coffee (though not Tim Horton's), and there were couches in the sanctuary. Seriously, it was great to be part of The Door community, and we spent a great afternoon with a couple from the church who invited us over for lunch. The Door actually runs a cafe out of the front half of the building, which is how we discovered the church. We went in for a coffee, and saw a sign inviting us to church on Sunday morning. It was terrific!

We hope that gives you a glimpse into our lives at the moment. We continue to enjoy this adventure, seeing what God has around each corner. Thanks for sharing the journey with us!