Character Building & Lots of Laughs
Kia Ora!! Beginning this journey we all had a feeling of excitement mixed with nerves for the unknown. But very quickly we are all settled in and have become a tight knit family already. (Elisabeth loves to knit jumpers around camp! No joke!).
Some little team snippets for everyone back home!
Susie has in depth explained Northern Ireland and how complicated the ‘wee’ country is!
Rachel has informed the team everything from milking a cow, riding a quad bike, to growing flowers. She’s now in charge of the alarm & light switch in the girls dorm.
Megan inspires us all through her creativity in poems, her singing and beautiful guitar playing.
Zack is the most Australian bloke out, but don’t let the Kiwi’s talk about possum pest control. Always hangs to the back of the walking group to help everyone stay motivated!
Thomas downs 6Ls of water a day to keep the engine running. One liners, laughs and charisma = Thomas.
Pia is the wise one. She is always inspiring people and has a really caring heart!
Nadja is super funny but full of wisdom. We learned last night that she is verryyyy competitive! A really fast learner haha!
Elisabeth has so much compassion and grace. She not only knits but makes hiking look stylish!
OTG Basecamp Bonding: We’ve become a family from all corners of the world, apart from the local Thomas & the North Island Kiwi Rachel. Megs from USA, Elisabeth from the Faroe Islands, Pia & Nadja from Switzerland, Zack from Australia, and Susie from Northern Ireland. We have shared life stories, cultural differences and had really fun evenings playing card games round the table at Basecamp to get to know each other better. Thomas is so funny that he makes everyone laugh/cry together.
We have really enjoyed getting into God’s Word and sharing our personal experiences in our faith with each other. There is so much to learn and we have been diving deeper into the Good News. We are thankful that we can worship together and spend time in God’s creation!
Skyline Sleeping: After a nine hour day of walking, we made it! Norm told us it would be ‘right round the corner’ MANY times… We were all amazed that we had so much grit and determination to make it to Bushline Hut. We were so blessed that the clouds quickly split once we made it to the top, to reveal stunning views below of Rotoiti Lake and mountains. We wouldn’t have made it to the top without granola bars, apples, couscous, scroggin, hot chocolates, coffee and pasta that have been ‘fueling our engines’ - Thomas. He also says going down hill we “chuck on the engine breaks”. No time to miss the phones, but we miss you at home.
Frisbees, Freedom & Fun: Jumped into the van, with togs & jandles (swimsuit & shoes for the non kiwi folk), jumped out at the beach straight into swimming/body surfing the waves. Followed by frisbee skills, soccer practice, and RAIN. It felt really peaceful and relaxing, like we have all known each other for much longer than a week. Everyone is very welcoming, so we are settled and ready for the coming weeks. Happy faces, salty hair and sore muscles.
Prayer Requests:
Please pray for safety on and off the trails - for health, no injuries, strength, smart decision making.
Please pray for strong mindsets/ open hearts / readiness to grow.
Please pray overall for the team as we grow together, that we will continue to bond and support each other through all the physical and mental challenges that will come. Also for our leaders for guiding and teaching our TEAM. (And for Christy to make more chocolate cake ;) )
Thank you for praying for our team! (Credit to Pia for some of these beautiful photos!)
Written by Susie (‘Wee’ Northern Ireland) & Rachel (New Zealand, Manawaru) on behalf of the entire OTG Team!