Baaa

From the land of many sheep, I say, "Good mornin'!" We are about finished with our staff training, as the rest of leadership training begins the moment our first student steps off the plane, which is on Thursday. It is crazy to think it all begins and doesn't stop until the end of February. Our students that are coming are longing for adventure and to grow with their relationship with their Creator, and after they are poured into, we go out to share. We are doing two schools at once, with the Justice school rocking our backpacking socks off. Please be praying for safe journey's for our students, for open and soft hearts.
All is well over here. The weather is warming and the sheep are a sheepin'. Peace to you from the Ends of the Earth.

Oh, and here is the staff for the backpacker school. We like being outside, but even more we love Jesus.

Snow pellets falling.

Good afternoon from a land far, far, away. There is not too much to update as of yet. We are in the middle of staff training and also the Rugby World Cup. I have read over my last update a few times and am amazed at how bad it was. I wrote it after 24 hours of airplane travel, so just tuck that update right into your e-mail trash. I suppose it got the point across of making it here safely. 

So, I am trading college football season for rugby this year. Although, it is not the same at all. The vibe is very different. I noticed while watching New Zealand's team play, in a room full of Kiwis, that the amount of yelling is a ton less. I tend to yell all the way through each great play and had to stop myself every time. When they do make a try (goal/touchdown) there are only a few louder claps. Maybe I wasn't in the right place. Two of my Kiwi friends get this update, maybe they can enlighten us.

Some good tunes I am enjoying as of recent: Ben Rector (Something Like This), Mumford and Sons (Sigh No More), Enter the Worship Circle (any album), and always Waterdeep (any album). One of my favorite memories of my life involved a hammock, a cup of coffee, and a record player. Music speaks things about life in a way nothing else can. Go find some great music and let it soothe your soul.

Here are a couple pictures from a few moments when snow pellets fell from the sky. It was so neat! The first picture was taken right before Jeremy (the fellow on the left and our brave base leader) got hit in the eye by one. The second is on the porch of my house.

Home, sweet, New Zealand

Well, for those that don't know I did make it to Oxford, New Zealand. There is a chill in the air, but warm coffee in my tummy. Some of my favorite people are here and boy we sure have fun. We are all so excited for this school. Thank you all for supporting me with love and prayers. Blessings.

The Rugby World Cup is in town, go All Blacks. They are New Zealand's team. There jerseys are all black.

First star to the right and straight on 'til morning...

I just wanted to post a link to several videos. In a few days I will be on a plane back to one of my favorite places on the planet. Christchurch, New Zealand; a city devastated by earthquakes. The videos show what the Central Business District looks like as of August, six months after the earthquake that killed over 100 people. The videos show the red zone. The red zone is the area where only structural engineers and really, really cool people are allowed. I would love to help clean up the city, but it still isn't safe enough for us to go. Now, it is nothing like what Japan has suffered, but I try not to compare. Things just stink no matter what a lot of times, but it is how people respond that brings light to the darkness.

Click on this to go to the link.

On another note, please be praying for my good friend Andrea's nephew, Talbey, the little guy needs supernatural restoration to his three year old body.

And to end, a quote that is really great.

"...to be in a relationship with God is to be loved purely and furiously. And a person who thinks himself unlovable cannot be in a relationship with God because he can't accept who God is; a Being that is love. We learn that we are lovable or unlovable from other people...That is why God tells us so many times to love each other."

-Donald Miller (Blue Like Jazz)