I'm sorry it has been so long since I've posted! School has been keeping me very busy! "School?!" you say? I know. I was shocked they make me do work here too. But with 4 large papers and 2 exams in the past 12 days, I made it my job to be a sleep-deprived, library-loving, study-bug lately!
Well much has been happening down here in the Southern hemisphere. For now I'll just tell you about my most recent fun adventure! Easily the highlight since my last post was seeing Dad over Easter Break. We had so much fun that week!! He and I both flew to Auckland and met there in the airport. I'm not sure if there's any better feeling than seeing a loved one in the airport. He's such a great dad!
We had a full week scheduled that involved seeing the famous glow worms of Waitomo, going on a high speed boat tour around the Bay of Islands and seeing the ancient Kauri trees!
Above: Dad showing off the Kauri trees. The picture doesn't seem to do justice to them. Take my word for it though, they were huge!
In addition to the aforementioned great sights, Dad and I journeyed down to Hobbiton! (For those of you who aren't big Lord of the Rings fans, Hobbiton (aka the Shire) is where Hobbits live. It can be seen in the very beginning of the first LOTR movie and end of the third movie too.) This was by far my favorite thing we did the whole week, and maybe even my favorite thing I've done here over the past 3 months! The sun was shining, we had a pleasant lunch and got to see the beautiful set of the Shire. We had a funny tour guide and we just laughed a lot. It was such a special day!
Above: Dad and I outside a hobbit door!
At left: Entering the Shire!
In the time since break, I have been just trying to keep up with my studies, catch up with friends and enjoy Dunedin. The city has 2 free museums with some of New Zealand's most famous artists! Woo! Also, it boasts great restaurants and shops! Sweet as!
In spite of so many wonderful things, I have been missing home a bit lately. That being said, I am definitely trying to enjoy this gift of an experience. Not everyone gets to spend 4 months living in a different country and I am so grateful for all I am learning here! The Lord has been very faithful to me and I'm seeing more and more why I rely on Him alone. We're told in Deuteronomy, "The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." I have seen it is absolutely true that the Lord is 100% faithful to me. He truly will never leave me or forsake me- even if I'm away from family and farther from home than I've ever been. What peace and joy that brings!
Well I think that's all I have to report at the moment! Thanks for reading! Hope you have a day full of sunshine and smiles :)
We had a full week scheduled that involved seeing the famous glow worms of Waitomo, going on a high speed boat tour around the Bay of Islands and seeing the ancient Kauri trees!
Above: Dad showing off the Kauri trees. The picture doesn't seem to do justice to them. Take my word for it though, they were huge!
In addition to the aforementioned great sights, Dad and I journeyed down to Hobbiton! (For those of you who aren't big Lord of the Rings fans, Hobbiton (aka the Shire) is where Hobbits live. It can be seen in the very beginning of the first LOTR movie and end of the third movie too.) This was by far my favorite thing we did the whole week, and maybe even my favorite thing I've done here over the past 3 months! The sun was shining, we had a pleasant lunch and got to see the beautiful set of the Shire. We had a funny tour guide and we just laughed a lot. It was such a special day!
Above: Dad and I outside a hobbit door!
At left: Entering the Shire!
In the time since break, I have been just trying to keep up with my studies, catch up with friends and enjoy Dunedin. The city has 2 free museums with some of New Zealand's most famous artists! Woo! Also, it boasts great restaurants and shops! Sweet as!
In spite of so many wonderful things, I have been missing home a bit lately. That being said, I am definitely trying to enjoy this gift of an experience. Not everyone gets to spend 4 months living in a different country and I am so grateful for all I am learning here! The Lord has been very faithful to me and I'm seeing more and more why I rely on Him alone. We're told in Deuteronomy, "The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." I have seen it is absolutely true that the Lord is 100% faithful to me. He truly will never leave me or forsake me- even if I'm away from family and farther from home than I've ever been. What peace and joy that brings!
Well I think that's all I have to report at the moment! Thanks for reading! Hope you have a day full of sunshine and smiles :)
