Chasing Lions vs. Chasing Wekas!
Hallo zusammen & Shalom!!!
Welcome to our blog for week four at OTG! Buckle up for a week of tramping, going deeper in our faith and several animal encounters!
Week four began with a three day tramp along the Abel Tasman National Park Coastal Track with two of our leaders, yay! What lay ahead of us was one of New Zealand’s great walks. Starting at Marahau, we passed golden beaches and beautiful views until we arrived at Bark Bay for the night. However, this was not like any other walk we have done before as we were joined by a very special guest……a Blue Duck! Barry (yes, that’s what we named him) decided to join Adam and Eva for 20 minutes along the coastal track before deciding he’d had enough - a very special sighting as they are a protected species!
This tramp was also an opportunity for us to think deeply about who we are and how we think. We all embraced this challenge and helped each other come to realisations that we had previously not known. By taking this time over the three days, it helped us to develop our leadership skills and to see how God can and will use us.
Day two started with a hard question: Is my salvation about me or about sharing it with others? This tied in to our study about the Great Commission and how we can share the Gospel with our neighbours, family and friends. Whilst we thought about this question, we walked to our next hut in Awaroa. However, it was not without another animal encounter….a Weka stole one of our muesli bars!! And while two of us were chasing this weka and the others where watching, a second weka stole a second muesli bar. Unfortunately, we didn’t get them back; but it was really funny!
The way back to the car began with a challenge and a time limit. We had to cross the inlet before the tide came in. With crocs in sports mode and trousers rolled up, we started to make the crossing. Stina nearly lost her flipflop!… but she got it back (phew). The tramp ended at Totaranui where Christy picked us up and we began the 3 hour drive back to Basecamp.
Our original plan for the week was changed due to bad weather - it’s good to be flexible and adaptable!! We used the day to recover (only our muscles, not our brains) and to do all the laundry, because we started our next tramp on the next day. On Friday we embarked to Nelson Lakes National Park (very beautiful!) to climb to Angelus Hut. This tramp had totally different scenery than the others, with mountain ranges stretching as far as you could see and a hut that could have been straight out of a movie (what would you expect being 1700m high!). The hut sat next to an alpine lake……of course Mirjam had to have a quick swim in the icy waters! That evening gave us a chance to share what we were learning on OTG with others, as the hut was packed. In fact, some of us decided to take the opportunity to sleep under the stars; another chance to marvel at God’s wonderful creation and spend some cold but fun time together.
But the night was not that long: early in the morning we chased different ‘lions’, for example the fear of heights, and for others, lions are mountains we are climbing in our hearts and minds while on OTG. We summited Angelus peak before breakfast, for some of us the highest we have ever been. But it was worth it: the views were stunning and we had time to reflect on how we want to be after OTG finishes. With the best weather conditions all week, we made our way back to the van to hang up our tramping boots for the week.
Church this past Sunday was amazing. The youth in Hope Community Church prepared the service and gave us a short view of what they learned during their recent youth trip. It’s great to see young people growing and getting ready as leaders.
Although our OTG Team has only known each other for a month, we have grown so close and feel invested in how we are all doing. Being away from home can be difficult at times but having a family here to help and encourage one another means so much and is so valuable to our spiritual growth! We can’t wait to see what the final 10 days look like!! :)
Prayer Requests:
Please pray for us to stay motivated and push to the end of OTG to get the most out of our time here.
Please pray for hearts and minds to be open to see what God wants us to learn.
Please pray for us to be prepared for the time after OTG when we get home or chasing the next adventure.
Personal Note: Stina
Hallo an alle, vielen Dank für eure Glückwünsche und eure Gebete. Mir geht es gut und ich darf in der Gemeinschaft hier viel lernen, werde aber auch herausgefordert. Ich freu mich schon, wieder von euch zu hören. Stina
Personal Note: Stina - Translation
Hello everyone, thank you for all the birthday wishes and your prayers. I am doing well and I can learn a lot in the community here, but there are also challenges. I am looking forward to hear from you soon. Stina
Personal Note: Adam
Hello and Shalom! I hope you are all doing okay back at home! :) Thank you so much for all your prayers and support for me being out here. I am enjoying learning more and having the chance to grow in faith and being shaped for my return home. Mum and Dad, thank you for sending the card and I hope yours arrives soon! Becky, I miss you and I received your letter! See you all soon! Adam x
Written by Stina (Germany) & Adam (England) on behalf of the entire OTG Team