"Hmmm, good question Simon... And to be honest, I'm not quite sure." That was the best response I could muster for the most interesting question I've had on the ice to date... One of my clients, while in the middle of a full day trip, was curious as to wether the ice screws that hold our hand lines in could hold the weight of an elephant. Assuming, of course, that we could find crampons large enough to fit the elephants, um, "feet", and get the elephant up onto the ice. :) Oh the things that come to mind when blogging. What's blogging anyways? For another time perhaps.
This is one of the most physical jobs I've ever had, and I enjoy it quite a little bit. The reason for this is because we carry large ice axes for cutting steps (as opposed to those used for walking or climbing). This is because we need to cut steps into the steep terrain to get our clients access to unique features. That and we have to cut ice off the walls (or tops) of the crevasses so we can walk through the bottoms of them. The handlines go in the ice next to the step lines for people to hold on to, and they're held in by those elephant-worthy ice screws that can hold about 2,500kg... In shorty short short, it's well worth the work.
As of a few weeks ago I got signed off as a Grade 4 guide (my bosses are grade 2). The training took about 5-6 weeks altogether and included everything from crevasse rescues to river-crossing training in case the Waiho (the river in our valley formed from runoff and meltwater from the glacier) floods. So now I can take clients onto the ice myself, instead of being followed around by someone with a note-pad all the time. Needless to say it's nice to have that bit behind me :)
We're allowed to take 11 clients on a full-day trek, and 13 on a half-day walk (just a shorter trip). And when we have over five hundred people (!) up on the ice in one day, you can imagine group management and timing is fairly important. There's plenty of variety as well, because each of the guides rotate through half and full day trips, eco trips (in the valley only), heli-hikes (you land higher on the ice), and ice climbing. I really do feel very blessed to have the job. The best part about all of it is the people you meet. That's the way it usually goes anyways, and this is no different. It's quite rewarding to equip people and give them the confidence to get out and explore some terrain that they would other wise never come even close to. It's not uncommon to get clients that have never seen ice or even worn boots before... guiding is a good name for it, then.
The environment is pretty wild, especially when you throw the weather in. First off, there's a huge hole in the ozone layer above Australia and New Zealand, so sunscreen is part of the daily routine, even if it's gonna be cloudy. Combine that with the amount of rainfall we get in the course of a year - about 5 meters, or 16.4 feet just in town (!!) and you have, well, a n aptly named rainforest. Just for reference, Seattle, WA gets about 3.2 feet a year... Plus we get more than that on the ice. 7.5 meters at the terminal face (front) of the glacier, and 15 meters (!!!) up top on the snowfield (neve) that feeds the crazy thing. Come on a trip and I'll tell ya all about it.
It was interesting to have a holiday season here, and to be honest it didn't really feel like it was Christmas, mostly because of the lack of snow (on the ground at least). I definitely missed my family, but it was great to be able to catch up with them on the phone/skype. The Lord provided some people for me to celebrate with as well, and we cooked a sweet meal, and chatted about different traditions we took part in at home. Backyard football, scavenger hunts (cool ones of course), and doing as many doughnuts in any parking lot in a vehicle with (preferably) rear-wheel drive. Never gets old. All this made spending Christmas evening on the beach with a bonfire a bit comical. Learning to throw a rugby ball properly helped :)
The most challenging part about being here? And I knew it would be this way long before I even got into the country somehow, is the lack of fellowship. Jesus is, bar none, the most important thing in my life, and being in a town where nobody else says that brings with it all sorts of opportunities. I continue to read my Bible every day. And I know it's not the best way to it, but I've been reading it cover to cover again, and just made the turn to the New Testament a few days ago. There's some obscure material in there buried under the famous and oft-quoted passages. Yet we don't read the Bible to finish, we read it to change. I'm in no rush. I'm memorizing what I can as well, which is Psalm 91 right now. And on my sabbath I'll listen to sermons to try and stay sharp. And to be honest, I love it. This is where I want to be for now, for this time. I feel as though I have to put up or shut up. Am I the same person here that I was in the States? Do I mean what I write about? What do I really believe? When it comes down to it, what's actually important to me? Some good questions to ask myself I reckon. Thanks to everyone who is praying, because I'm seeing the results of it :) I was able to have some great conversations with a couple guides and some locals about God and who Jesus is and why He's important. I even got to share the Gospel with a few of them. Yet it isn't me is it...
It's interesting to think of how everything is still going on else where as it normally does...
I've been able to explore a bit as well. David (another guide from England) and myself drove down to Queenstown to pick up his sister who was visiting. From there we drove up to Mt. Cook (NZ's highest peak)Village and camped, and then drove to Christchurch so she could fly out, and from there drove across Arthurs Pass through the southern alps and back south to Franz Josef. All in a weekend. It was about 17 hours driving, but who cares? Fun to see the change in the landscape and put some miles on.
Well, more later. I need to go practice putting a 6:1 pulley system together that we use for rescues because I'm being assessed on it this week. The training is on-going for everybody - which always keeps us on our toes. More later - in the mean time, Trust Jesus.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Team America
That's what myself and Levi, a fellow guide are called by a few guys on the management team. We're the only two from the States out of 53 or so employees. Around 30% are English, 35% or so Kiwi, and the rest is a hodge podge. Just the other day when I was working at the rain-jacket station I briefly met people as they gathered their gear (which we issue them) and prepared to go out on their hike on the glacier. I met people from Brazil, Norway, Sweden, England, Australia, India, Chile, Columbia, Singapore, Jersey (the country :), Spain, Germany, Canada, The States, Holland, and Denmark. Needless to say we've found all sorts of creative ways to communicate with people about what they need, where they should go, and that we'd generally prefer that they didn't experiment with the suitability of their over-trousers for toboggans... It certainly does make the world feel a bit smaller - though it's still massive and incredibly diverse.
That's got to be one of the most rewarding aspects of this job too. We have the opportunity to take people on to a glacier that have never seen ice before - let alone snow. It's a fine line really, because we can't afford to take clients into an environment that they can't physically handle, yet that's a major aspect of guiding: we give people the confidence to safely explore terrain that they'd otherwise never set a spiked foot on... All this just continues to impress on me the importance of people in my life. What else is going to last anyways? I have a innate need to interact with others, and in the midst of that interaction, explore life and discover what legitimate reasons are for living. For me, ultimately, it's Christ alone. All this may seem a bit deep for a tour lasting only a few hours on the ice, but for me, without these types of conversations and interactions everyday tasks become satisfying and complacency takes a foothold. As Grandpa Farrier always used to say, "By the dyin' if it's worth doing it's worth doing right." :) And of course I'm going to claim he was the first to say it. :) Everybody has a story.
This is a fitting time for a new post. And what is a "blog" anyways? What kind of a name is that? Would anybody be offended if I started calling this my "Mostly one-sided unguided collection of curious and altogether random cognitive outputs via the World Wide Web"? We'll stick with blog ba blog blog for now. Rabbit trail. A fitting time for a new post because yesterday was probably my best day I've had on the ice yet. A Royal Enfield motorcycle just rode by - sounded great. I was double-guiding with AJ, what of guides that has been around the longest. He has a wealth of knowledge and experience with climbing and guiding that would put somebody very knowledgeable about climbing and guiding to shame. We had a great group and they were all quite capable on their feet so we explored some more interesting terrain in the Roberts Point Icefall. We ended up setting no less than 10 handlines (ice screw and rope) on sloped terrain as we cut steps for them. How do we cut steps you may wonder? With big ice axes with a handle like a sledge hammer and a double picked axe head a bit like the miner's tools you'd see in cartoons when you were little. The handle on mine is Rata, which is a local hardwood - I wanted something local - and it's beautiful. I'd be lying if I said I didn't occasionally spit on my hand and rub it on the wood to bring out the grain for a minute on the daily bus-ride out to the glacier... Alas, we could talk about axes for hours. Another day perhaps.
Last weekend I got to explore one of the sweeter perks of our job - there are quite a few... I got to ride in a helicopter for the first time. There's a company that shares our building with us and for heli-hikes they use our guides which is sweet because once I'm cleared I'll get to take clients on those trips occasionally. Anyways, I got to snag an open seat (FOC- Free of charge) on a 40 minute scenic flight which included a 5 minute landing on the Fox Glacier neve (snowfield above a different glacier just down the road which is about 36 square kilometers). If I just rocked up as a tourist I'd have paid $285 NZD... It was very very beautiful to say the least.
Later that day I (along with my flatmates) borrowed a car and drove as far as we could towards the coast and hike the rest of the way through the rainforest to the deserted and incredibly rugged coast. The mountains look crazy impressive too because even though Mt. Cook is "only" 12,316 feet, you're seeing ALL of that elevation - whereas in Colorado you're usually already at significant elevation when you look one of it's 53-odd 14,000 foot peaks.
Hope all is well where you guys are in the Norther Hemisphere. Hope the winter is white for ya :) Thanks for your thoughts and prayers as always.
That's got to be one of the most rewarding aspects of this job too. We have the opportunity to take people on to a glacier that have never seen ice before - let alone snow. It's a fine line really, because we can't afford to take clients into an environment that they can't physically handle, yet that's a major aspect of guiding: we give people the confidence to safely explore terrain that they'd otherwise never set a spiked foot on... All this just continues to impress on me the importance of people in my life. What else is going to last anyways? I have a innate need to interact with others, and in the midst of that interaction, explore life and discover what legitimate reasons are for living. For me, ultimately, it's Christ alone. All this may seem a bit deep for a tour lasting only a few hours on the ice, but for me, without these types of conversations and interactions everyday tasks become satisfying and complacency takes a foothold. As Grandpa Farrier always used to say, "By the dyin' if it's worth doing it's worth doing right." :) And of course I'm going to claim he was the first to say it. :) Everybody has a story.
This is a fitting time for a new post. And what is a "blog" anyways? What kind of a name is that? Would anybody be offended if I started calling this my "Mostly one-sided unguided collection of curious and altogether random cognitive outputs via the World Wide Web"? We'll stick with blog ba blog blog for now. Rabbit trail. A fitting time for a new post because yesterday was probably my best day I've had on the ice yet. A Royal Enfield motorcycle just rode by - sounded great. I was double-guiding with AJ, what of guides that has been around the longest. He has a wealth of knowledge and experience with climbing and guiding that would put somebody very knowledgeable about climbing and guiding to shame. We had a great group and they were all quite capable on their feet so we explored some more interesting terrain in the Roberts Point Icefall. We ended up setting no less than 10 handlines (ice screw and rope) on sloped terrain as we cut steps for them. How do we cut steps you may wonder? With big ice axes with a handle like a sledge hammer and a double picked axe head a bit like the miner's tools you'd see in cartoons when you were little. The handle on mine is Rata, which is a local hardwood - I wanted something local - and it's beautiful. I'd be lying if I said I didn't occasionally spit on my hand and rub it on the wood to bring out the grain for a minute on the daily bus-ride out to the glacier... Alas, we could talk about axes for hours. Another day perhaps.
Last weekend I got to explore one of the sweeter perks of our job - there are quite a few... I got to ride in a helicopter for the first time. There's a company that shares our building with us and for heli-hikes they use our guides which is sweet because once I'm cleared I'll get to take clients on those trips occasionally. Anyways, I got to snag an open seat (FOC- Free of charge) on a 40 minute scenic flight which included a 5 minute landing on the Fox Glacier neve (snowfield above a different glacier just down the road which is about 36 square kilometers). If I just rocked up as a tourist I'd have paid $285 NZD... It was very very beautiful to say the least.
Later that day I (along with my flatmates) borrowed a car and drove as far as we could towards the coast and hike the rest of the way through the rainforest to the deserted and incredibly rugged coast. The mountains look crazy impressive too because even though Mt. Cook is "only" 12,316 feet, you're seeing ALL of that elevation - whereas in Colorado you're usually already at significant elevation when you look one of it's 53-odd 14,000 foot peaks.
Hope all is well where you guys are in the Norther Hemisphere. Hope the winter is white for ya :) Thanks for your thoughts and prayers as always.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
The Frank Joey Glacier
So the real name of the place I'm working now is the Franz Josef Glacier in Westland National Park. But my brother, papa Trav, chose the aforementioned name which, to be honest, sounds hilarious when said out loud.
Following up where my last post left off, I got off the train in Wellington, the countries capital. The man from India that I'm in the picture with gave me a ride to my contact down there (that called me en-route to tell me I could stay with him). I really enjoyed Wellington. I was able to explore Te Papa (or Our Place) which is the nation's museum and spent the better part of a day wandering its multiple floors. Unfortunately I'll have to disappoint my father and tell him I didn't read every exhibit :) - but that was mainly down to there being about 7 floors of material. I only took one picture while I was there and it was of a motorcycle cunningly made my Jason Britton in his garage. Maybe I should broaden my horizons...
I really did enjoy learning about the country - everything from the Treaty of Waitangi, to the Giant Squid (not terribly impressive, to the "sculpture" I took a nap on out on the sun deck of the top floor (don't worry, we were able to touch these :). Plus the whole bit was free, but the maps were 3$... bugger.
I met some great friends in Wellington too. I was introduced to Jamie, Alistair, Dave, Mike - I actually have phone numbers in my phone now - which really is a cool thing seeing as how I didn't know anybody before I got over here. The Lord continues to provide. I wasn't able to find work there for those few days but did have fun with my new friends that I met through church and a connect group for young guys I was invited to.
A couple highlights were teaching Jamie how to slackline (youtube it if you're unsure) and cooking a incredible dinner of rabbit and kumara (like a sweet potato). We also took a few short hikes around the city for some great views of the bay. Plus Wellington has an incredible botanic garden which was cool - and also free. I can't imagine how much work must go into keeping everything pruned and up to snuff. Grandma and Mikhail - you continue to impress me with your Port Huron yard :) The last highlight was going to Alistairs recital - he was a jazz drummer - and easily the best I've ever heard live!! If I'm ever asked the question of what I would be between guitarist, bassist, or drummer, I always say drummer. He was a second year student at the local university and organized the entire performance. He brought the noise.
A sweet realization that I continue to remind myself of (or that the Lord reminds me of) while I've been here is that everything I'm surrounded by is His. The people, the mountains, the oceans and seas - he made them all! Just like he's crafted myself and you, the reader. That really is a cool thought because people aren't really foreigners anymore - we simply have just met for the first time. I was thinking about this as I got on the ferry to cross Cook Straight between the North and South Island. After exploring the entire ship I camped out on the top deck for the whole trip just because I could, and didn't want to be inside. I was laughing to myself because with the gale force winds out in the middle of the straights I was wondering if it was worth it - and I don't mean to be dramatic, nobody fell over from the wind, but you could lean into it. Who is this man that even the winds and the waves obey Him? Didn't see any of the 20 species of whale that have been spotted in the straights, but still cool. Marlborough sounds was incredible too - such a unique landscape.
I caught a bus from Picton to Nelson and spent the night there as the bus down to Franz Josef only travels once a day and leaves at 7:30 AM. So I had dinner with some people from Germany, Slovenia, China, and a few other countries in the backpackers (or hostel). And let me tell you, did they love their catch phrase...
I'd imagine my grocery shopping would drive some of you nuts too. I went to stock up the day before I traveled south because Franz Josef is a town of 300. Maybe my late Grandma Farrier would like it. I grab a basket and look for the essentials - baguettes, cheese, meat, peanut butter, jam, noodles, and all the while wander the entire store looking at what's new and different. I have a lot to learn about cheeses I think... but it's nice not to be rushed :)
All packed up the night before I took off for the bus and got there 40 minutes early. I knew I had plenty of time, and there was no way I was missing the bus. Though I love to drive and ride my motorcycle (got to drive a mates car in Wellington by the way - right side drive and a manual - pretty fun) it is nice to be on foot. It's just simple. Even though there were only 4 of us on the bus I sat up front so I could see where we were going and look out the sides - the bus driver initially looked at me like "seriously?" but didn't mind after we got to chatting. She had be driving the route for 20 years and was all to happy to share about it.
We stopped at Punakaiki and had a short lunch break where I took off and hopped out to see the pancake rocks, eating as I walked. Then we ventured on down to Franz Josef - it was a cloudy day, which was a shame, but not uncommon for this time of year. I got off the bus at 4:35 (didn't feel like I had been riding since that morning) and found some accommodation. The next day was the first day of my interview with the Franz Josef Glacier Guides - the reason I was heading south. I probably won't be required to wear crampons for an interview ever again... :) We spent the time out on the ice learning about the glacier and giving short speeches so the head guides could see how we handled talking to a group. We went over step cutting (literally cutting steps into the glacier) and route finding and had time to ask them all sorts of questions. It went quite well.
The next day was the sit down interview and after that (about 11:00 AM) I went hiking. No point in sitting around. I ventured up to Roberts Point on the north side of the valley to get a higher up view of the glacier. The trail had some sweet features, like 3 swing bridges, and a cliff staircase. Cool that they would put that much effort into making a viewpoint so accessible. We weren't going to find out about an offer for about 48 hours so the next day I got up earlier and hiked up to Alex Knob - around 8 hours and 17km's or so. Super cloudy, couldn't see a thing, but always nice to get out and be in it. Those places are often where I feel closest to the Lord.
Finally, the next day, after a morning hike, I came back and checked my email and found out that I had been offered a job! There had been a lot of people that applied - so I was hopeful but unsure - so it's great to know now. God is so good.
I have a peace about being here, and knew exactly what I was getting into, but fellowship is going to be a challenge. The town is 300 strong and St. James Anglican church meets maybe twice a month... So on the front end I find I have a unique opportunity for growth. I've already started to work on memorizing Psalm 91, and would like to start a Bible study if others are interested, but we'll have to see. I want to see the Lord help me flourish in an environment like this - surrounded by non-believers, in an area that so naturally points to Him. Thanks for your prayers and concerns.
If you've made it this far in one sitting - good on ya. Sorry for your strained eyes - as well as the lack of pictures. Computer use is sporadic, and this one I'm on won't let me upload photos because it's restricted. They're coming later. As a strange type of reward, I leave you with a taste of what goes through my mind while I hike and the grey-matter wanders... :
Could I use my camel-back as a snorkel if I got caught in quicksand? Would it actually be as cool as I think to get Michigan tattooed on my chest (upper and lower peninsula of course)? Do I let my faith be known enough in daily conversation? How much is too much for new co-workers to hear? Am I reading Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne for a reason? What if I suddenly become allergic to ice? Should I take more pictures of this sweet rain forest? Will I remember it if I didn't? What would I do first if one of those crasy Kea birds flew straight at me and tried to wedge itself into my ear? Geeze, if it's this gorgeous here, heaven is going to be the bees knees. And it is. I don't deserve this, thank you God.
Following up where my last post left off, I got off the train in Wellington, the countries capital. The man from India that I'm in the picture with gave me a ride to my contact down there (that called me en-route to tell me I could stay with him). I really enjoyed Wellington. I was able to explore Te Papa (or Our Place) which is the nation's museum and spent the better part of a day wandering its multiple floors. Unfortunately I'll have to disappoint my father and tell him I didn't read every exhibit :) - but that was mainly down to there being about 7 floors of material. I only took one picture while I was there and it was of a motorcycle cunningly made my Jason Britton in his garage. Maybe I should broaden my horizons...
I really did enjoy learning about the country - everything from the Treaty of Waitangi, to the Giant Squid (not terribly impressive, to the "sculpture" I took a nap on out on the sun deck of the top floor (don't worry, we were able to touch these :). Plus the whole bit was free, but the maps were 3$... bugger.
I met some great friends in Wellington too. I was introduced to Jamie, Alistair, Dave, Mike - I actually have phone numbers in my phone now - which really is a cool thing seeing as how I didn't know anybody before I got over here. The Lord continues to provide. I wasn't able to find work there for those few days but did have fun with my new friends that I met through church and a connect group for young guys I was invited to.
A couple highlights were teaching Jamie how to slackline (youtube it if you're unsure) and cooking a incredible dinner of rabbit and kumara (like a sweet potato). We also took a few short hikes around the city for some great views of the bay. Plus Wellington has an incredible botanic garden which was cool - and also free. I can't imagine how much work must go into keeping everything pruned and up to snuff. Grandma and Mikhail - you continue to impress me with your Port Huron yard :) The last highlight was going to Alistairs recital - he was a jazz drummer - and easily the best I've ever heard live!! If I'm ever asked the question of what I would be between guitarist, bassist, or drummer, I always say drummer. He was a second year student at the local university and organized the entire performance. He brought the noise.
A sweet realization that I continue to remind myself of (or that the Lord reminds me of) while I've been here is that everything I'm surrounded by is His. The people, the mountains, the oceans and seas - he made them all! Just like he's crafted myself and you, the reader. That really is a cool thought because people aren't really foreigners anymore - we simply have just met for the first time. I was thinking about this as I got on the ferry to cross Cook Straight between the North and South Island. After exploring the entire ship I camped out on the top deck for the whole trip just because I could, and didn't want to be inside. I was laughing to myself because with the gale force winds out in the middle of the straights I was wondering if it was worth it - and I don't mean to be dramatic, nobody fell over from the wind, but you could lean into it. Who is this man that even the winds and the waves obey Him? Didn't see any of the 20 species of whale that have been spotted in the straights, but still cool. Marlborough sounds was incredible too - such a unique landscape.
I caught a bus from Picton to Nelson and spent the night there as the bus down to Franz Josef only travels once a day and leaves at 7:30 AM. So I had dinner with some people from Germany, Slovenia, China, and a few other countries in the backpackers (or hostel). And let me tell you, did they love their catch phrase...
I'd imagine my grocery shopping would drive some of you nuts too. I went to stock up the day before I traveled south because Franz Josef is a town of 300. Maybe my late Grandma Farrier would like it. I grab a basket and look for the essentials - baguettes, cheese, meat, peanut butter, jam, noodles, and all the while wander the entire store looking at what's new and different. I have a lot to learn about cheeses I think... but it's nice not to be rushed :)
All packed up the night before I took off for the bus and got there 40 minutes early. I knew I had plenty of time, and there was no way I was missing the bus. Though I love to drive and ride my motorcycle (got to drive a mates car in Wellington by the way - right side drive and a manual - pretty fun) it is nice to be on foot. It's just simple. Even though there were only 4 of us on the bus I sat up front so I could see where we were going and look out the sides - the bus driver initially looked at me like "seriously?" but didn't mind after we got to chatting. She had be driving the route for 20 years and was all to happy to share about it.
We stopped at Punakaiki and had a short lunch break where I took off and hopped out to see the pancake rocks, eating as I walked. Then we ventured on down to Franz Josef - it was a cloudy day, which was a shame, but not uncommon for this time of year. I got off the bus at 4:35 (didn't feel like I had been riding since that morning) and found some accommodation. The next day was the first day of my interview with the Franz Josef Glacier Guides - the reason I was heading south. I probably won't be required to wear crampons for an interview ever again... :) We spent the time out on the ice learning about the glacier and giving short speeches so the head guides could see how we handled talking to a group. We went over step cutting (literally cutting steps into the glacier) and route finding and had time to ask them all sorts of questions. It went quite well.
The next day was the sit down interview and after that (about 11:00 AM) I went hiking. No point in sitting around. I ventured up to Roberts Point on the north side of the valley to get a higher up view of the glacier. The trail had some sweet features, like 3 swing bridges, and a cliff staircase. Cool that they would put that much effort into making a viewpoint so accessible. We weren't going to find out about an offer for about 48 hours so the next day I got up earlier and hiked up to Alex Knob - around 8 hours and 17km's or so. Super cloudy, couldn't see a thing, but always nice to get out and be in it. Those places are often where I feel closest to the Lord.
Finally, the next day, after a morning hike, I came back and checked my email and found out that I had been offered a job! There had been a lot of people that applied - so I was hopeful but unsure - so it's great to know now. God is so good.
I have a peace about being here, and knew exactly what I was getting into, but fellowship is going to be a challenge. The town is 300 strong and St. James Anglican church meets maybe twice a month... So on the front end I find I have a unique opportunity for growth. I've already started to work on memorizing Psalm 91, and would like to start a Bible study if others are interested, but we'll have to see. I want to see the Lord help me flourish in an environment like this - surrounded by non-believers, in an area that so naturally points to Him. Thanks for your prayers and concerns.
If you've made it this far in one sitting - good on ya. Sorry for your strained eyes - as well as the lack of pictures. Computer use is sporadic, and this one I'm on won't let me upload photos because it's restricted. They're coming later. As a strange type of reward, I leave you with a taste of what goes through my mind while I hike and the grey-matter wanders... :
Could I use my camel-back as a snorkel if I got caught in quicksand? Would it actually be as cool as I think to get Michigan tattooed on my chest (upper and lower peninsula of course)? Do I let my faith be known enough in daily conversation? How much is too much for new co-workers to hear? Am I reading Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne for a reason? What if I suddenly become allergic to ice? Should I take more pictures of this sweet rain forest? Will I remember it if I didn't? What would I do first if one of those crasy Kea birds flew straight at me and tried to wedge itself into my ear? Geeze, if it's this gorgeous here, heaven is going to be the bees knees. And it is. I don't deserve this, thank you God.
Praise God I got a job!!!
It's in Westland National Park with the Franz Josef Glacier Guides - I'll be a guide on the ice!! http://www.franzjosefglacier.com/ I'm jacked - thanks tons to everyone who's been praying!! You guys rock!!! More to come later when I have a minute - and some great pictures... :)
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Ridin' The Choo Choo
A special thanks to little Brody for the inspiration for the title of this post. May his zeal for "Choo Choo's" of all varieties never fade :) I'm in the process of making my way down to the South Island for a job interview on Nov. 6th and 7th with the Franz Josef Glacier Guides. I was up in Auckland, and took the train south through the heart of the North Island to Wellington - the country's capital. The train was a bit more expensive than the bus, but it was one of the best decisions I have made. What a scenic ride!
I got up at 5:30 and got by pack together and made my way to the train station to check in as the train left Auckland at 7:25. I was staying with a mate that I met at Equippers Church - Auckland named Ryan. To be honest, it has been quite humbling to see how the Lord has provided places and people for me to stay with since I've been here. He cares about the smallest things. Ryan and I actually watched a bunch of old episodes of the Dukes of Hazzard that he owned while I was with him. If you know me then you know how much I enjoyed that!
So I set off on that morning to go south to try and work my way down as I had some time to kill before the interview. It was a fairly eventful trip... I rode in my seat for a few hours (the train wasn't slated to get into Wellington until 7:30PM) and then went and camped out on the small open air observation deck for hours. It's just sweet to be riding on a train outside with that kind of scenery going by. That and I wanted to get a good look at the three volcanoes - Tongariro, Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu - of Tongariro National Park. Unfortunately it was pretty cloudy but still sweet to see them. And for you Lord of the Rings fans Mt. Ngauruhoe was Mt. Doom from the movie. Locals think the original name sounds much better...
Not the best picture but Mt. Ngauruhoe is on the far left and Mt. Ruapehu on the right. If you care to look some pictures up online they're quite impressive. And here are some pictures from the train.
I got up at 5:30 and got by pack together and made my way to the train station to check in as the train left Auckland at 7:25. I was staying with a mate that I met at Equippers Church - Auckland named Ryan. To be honest, it has been quite humbling to see how the Lord has provided places and people for me to stay with since I've been here. He cares about the smallest things. Ryan and I actually watched a bunch of old episodes of the Dukes of Hazzard that he owned while I was with him. If you know me then you know how much I enjoyed that!
So I set off on that morning to go south to try and work my way down as I had some time to kill before the interview. It was a fairly eventful trip... I rode in my seat for a few hours (the train wasn't slated to get into Wellington until 7:30PM) and then went and camped out on the small open air observation deck for hours. It's just sweet to be riding on a train outside with that kind of scenery going by. That and I wanted to get a good look at the three volcanoes - Tongariro, Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu - of Tongariro National Park. Unfortunately it was pretty cloudy but still sweet to see them. And for you Lord of the Rings fans Mt. Ngauruhoe was Mt. Doom from the movie. Locals think the original name sounds much better...
Not the best picture but Mt. Ngauruhoe is on the far left and Mt. Ruapehu on the right. If you care to look some pictures up online they're quite impressive. And here are some pictures from the train.
Near Te Kuiti - the sheep shearing capital of the world... I told you it was an eventful trip.
A picture of the coast just before we arrived in windy Wellington that evening.
After a quick stretch stop at National Park (actually the name of the town outside of the Tongariro National Park) we boarded the train again and I found my way to the back where there was a small lounge area. I ended up eating my lunch with people from South Africa, India, and England - you never know who you're gonna meet. I got to talking with the gentleman from India and as it turned out he was a worship leader and had just moved to Wellington a few months before hand. We had a very encouraging conversation about how he came to know the Lord and opportunities he had to lead worship different places. As it turned out his he was with his son who was coming home from studying in India - he hadn't been home for eight years (!). They were glad to be together. It was just very cool to be able to talk to him because his Love for the Lord just poured out of him. After talking for an hour or so we prayed for each other right there in the lounge area and exchanged some contact info. Later on he ended up giving me a ride to the place I needed to get to in Wellington after giving me a copy of his families own worship music on CD - cool guy.
I had tried to make some connections in Wellington before I left but things weren't working out so I left Auckland that morning without a place to stay that night - just praying and expecting that the Lord would provide. If push came to shove I could stay in a hostel for a few nights before I took off for the South Island. It ended up that I got a call from a friend of Ryan who I stayed with in Auckland who said I could stay with him that night and with one of his friends the next few days. Sweet :)
The morning after I got into Wellington I got a ride out to watch some local motorsport. Targa NZ was a competition of privateer racers who had been traveling all over the North Island for he last week racing on closed stages in an event sponsored by Dunlop. I had been following them a bit hoping I'd get to see them somewhere and it happened that the last few days of their racing was to take place around Wellington.
The spot we watched from was an old Air Force Base, which is odd because the landing strip was a few km's away... not a lot of room for error then or you'd land in the drink...
A local I was talking to couldn't believe I knew what this car was - an Renault Alpine. One of the best sounding cars there for sure regardless of the other Ferrari's and Porsche's...
This fella had a bit of a shunt and almost ended up in the harbour. It was only a couple corners past where I was standing and when I saw his headlights facing the wrong way for a second I knew something as up. Lucky he didn't roll it.
No joke, there was a group celebrating Captain Cook's birthday down on the waterfront. Yes, I did eat a piece of cake, and yes of course we sang to him.
There was no way I wasn't including this picture of an Italian made Fiat 500 Abarth. :)
Wellington from the Botanic Gardens.
Some fellas I was hangin' out with that I met through a local church. You can see the South Island and Marlborough Sounds in the distance just barely.
So yeah, just a few comments before I take off. First of all, this is an interesting position to be in - though I love it. I've only met about 4 other people from the states since I've been here, so it has been great to meet other internationals. I can't help but feel a bit ignorant though because most everybody speaks English - yet I can't speak their native tongue at all. Yes, I know English is considered the standard language of worldwide commerce, but I wish I could talk to them in German and Italian and Dutch.
This has been a humbling experience too - to be able to do these things and meet these people and see the Lord provide day to day. I didn't know anybody before I came over here, and a few weeks ago I bought a cheap mobile phone so I could contact employers and whatnot. Now I already have a good handful of friends numbers in there just from meeting people along the way - pretty cool.
Thanks very much for your prayers and encouragement along the way - I'll catch up with you all from somewhere in the Southern Alps...
Trust Jesus
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Put Yourself Out There
You know, blogging is a funny thing. And a whole other diddy to get used to. For instance, I have the urge to tell whoever is reading that I've come to really come to appreciate a great non-stick frying pan. But why should you care? And I catch myself thinking these things throughout the day - wondering what would be interesting to put on a blog. Not everybody would like to see what I want to see on a blog. Namely motorcycles, hypothetical pictures of Jesus, scientific answers as to why the sky is blue, etc...
Regardless, I do enjoy a great non stick pan because I'm coming to realize I really enjoy cooking. I really like eating too - what are the odds? I've found it immensely satisfying to buy groceries on a budget and make some sweet meals. The staple of my culinary masterpieces... meat. Lots and lots of meat. The other night I made a soup dish and had more cheese sausage left than the soup. And I already had at least one piece in every bite. So satisfying.
On to things you may (or still may not) care about. I had a sweet day today. Went on my first proper hike, ended up being around 18kms (whatever that is...). My flatmate took his car so I got up, made a meaty-egg skillet in that nice pan and took off to the races. My aim was to start at Bethell Beach and follow the West Coast by the Tasman sea North. Bethell beach was fantastic - the West Coast is notoriously wild in terms of landscape. The wind was blowing in 10 foot swells too.
I was looking at a makeshift map I made from what I saw online and a couple walked up and struck up a conversation. Probably because I looked so foreign... :) They knew the area well, and owned a bach (pronounced Batch) which is a small weekend house that happened to be just up the way. So we journeyed off with their dog in tow to their favorite spot. We had to cross the tide in one spot and I had no choice but to soak my denim britches to the knees. Couldn't have cared less, we were exploring.
They led me to a spot where I could pick up the trail I told them about and offered to have me over for tea later if I was back over that way - quite a kind couple. I followed the trail and climbed to the ridge of the coastline and followed the Te Henga trail for 10km or so. It was beautiful, and nary a visitor were to be seen for a few long stretches of it. You do need to be careful of the sun though, the bugger. Apparently there's a huge percentage of Kiwi's that battle melanoma. There's also a huge hole in the ozone layer above Australia and New Zealand. You can be burned in minutes if you aren't careful. Sheep owners in Australia are actually taxed because the flatulations of their flock don't help the process either. So nows my chance to burn a silhouette of Michigan into my chest with carefully applied sunblock....
My plan was to connect the Te Henga (or Hillary Trail - For Sir Edmund Hillary, the first gentleman to climb Everest - who happens to be a Kiwi and also the face of their 5 dollar bill) with the Mokoroa Stream Track which was inland and ended at some pretty sweet falls. The trek up the stream was great, more natural than the other trails and much less traveled. Probably because it crossed the stream about 7 times. But my jeans were already soaked so who cares? On and off came the shoes...
I talked to another lovely older couple exploring the falls, which is also just a short walk from the carpark. And through sharing what we did for work I found out they were Christians too, pretty cool. Everyone is an opportunity to share. She's the one who took this picture. And through sharing what we did for work I found out they were Christians too, pretty cool. Either her or I can cover some sweet ground in the time it takes the 10 second self timer to go off... Timers are funny things. They make you put your camera in stupid places, propped up on one end by a pebble because the post you've selected for your "singlepod" isn't quite level... don't act like you haven't done it... There was also a younger couple who carried their 7-or-so month old daughter down to the water to splash her bare feet in the water while they held both her hands. Made me miss my niece Addie not a little bit :) Turned out to be a great day. Thanks for your prayers.
** No non-stick anythings were hurt in the writing of this post. Fence-posts were promoted to master-photographers though. Not ashamed.
Trust Jesus
JPS
Regardless, I do enjoy a great non stick pan because I'm coming to realize I really enjoy cooking. I really like eating too - what are the odds? I've found it immensely satisfying to buy groceries on a budget and make some sweet meals. The staple of my culinary masterpieces... meat. Lots and lots of meat. The other night I made a soup dish and had more cheese sausage left than the soup. And I already had at least one piece in every bite. So satisfying.
On to things you may (or still may not) care about. I had a sweet day today. Went on my first proper hike, ended up being around 18kms (whatever that is...). My flatmate took his car so I got up, made a meaty-egg skillet in that nice pan and took off to the races. My aim was to start at Bethell Beach and follow the West Coast by the Tasman sea North. Bethell beach was fantastic - the West Coast is notoriously wild in terms of landscape. The wind was blowing in 10 foot swells too.
I was looking at a makeshift map I made from what I saw online and a couple walked up and struck up a conversation. Probably because I looked so foreign... :) They knew the area well, and owned a bach (pronounced Batch) which is a small weekend house that happened to be just up the way. So we journeyed off with their dog in tow to their favorite spot. We had to cross the tide in one spot and I had no choice but to soak my denim britches to the knees. Couldn't have cared less, we were exploring.
They led me to a spot where I could pick up the trail I told them about and offered to have me over for tea later if I was back over that way - quite a kind couple. I followed the trail and climbed to the ridge of the coastline and followed the Te Henga trail for 10km or so. It was beautiful, and nary a visitor were to be seen for a few long stretches of it. You do need to be careful of the sun though, the bugger. Apparently there's a huge percentage of Kiwi's that battle melanoma. There's also a huge hole in the ozone layer above Australia and New Zealand. You can be burned in minutes if you aren't careful. Sheep owners in Australia are actually taxed because the flatulations of their flock don't help the process either. So nows my chance to burn a silhouette of Michigan into my chest with carefully applied sunblock....
My plan was to connect the Te Henga (or Hillary Trail - For Sir Edmund Hillary, the first gentleman to climb Everest - who happens to be a Kiwi and also the face of their 5 dollar bill) with the Mokoroa Stream Track which was inland and ended at some pretty sweet falls. The trek up the stream was great, more natural than the other trails and much less traveled. Probably because it crossed the stream about 7 times. But my jeans were already soaked so who cares? On and off came the shoes...
I talked to another lovely older couple exploring the falls, which is also just a short walk from the carpark. And through sharing what we did for work I found out they were Christians too, pretty cool. Everyone is an opportunity to share. She's the one who took this picture. And through sharing what we did for work I found out they were Christians too, pretty cool. Either her or I can cover some sweet ground in the time it takes the 10 second self timer to go off... Timers are funny things. They make you put your camera in stupid places, propped up on one end by a pebble because the post you've selected for your "singlepod" isn't quite level... don't act like you haven't done it... There was also a younger couple who carried their 7-or-so month old daughter down to the water to splash her bare feet in the water while they held both her hands. Made me miss my niece Addie not a little bit :) Turned out to be a great day. Thanks for your prayers.
** No non-stick anythings were hurt in the writing of this post. Fence-posts were promoted to master-photographers though. Not ashamed.
Trust Jesus
JPS
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Livin the Dream
Livin the Dream because of Psalm 37:4 - Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. I believe that's because my desires become his desires. His dreams are my dreams - namely seeing the world come to faith. It is an adventure for sure, especially in NZ.
So we'll start this one out with a few special shout outs... please, don't anybody feel excluded. The first goes to Third West Wengatz for the title of this post because I really have dreamed of doing something like this for years, and the second goes to Scotty Scott Scott Mason and his posse for being the first to "follow" this blog even when there wasn't jack squat to see or read. Until now.
A few things before we get rollin'. As Kyle Lantz can verify, when I write like this it's often in a "stream of consciousness format" meaning when something comes to mind, I'll jot it down. Which means I could be writing about why I still tell people I'm from Northeast Michigan when they might not even know where Michigan is, and how I think the never-before-seen-by-me Red Beaked Gull has such a lovely pure white feather tone - in the same paragraph. Enough fribbery.
So yes, the flight over went well and was fairly uneventful. Except for Customs in New Zealand having to wash my tent and my hiking boots because there was dirt on them... And jet lag really wasn't an issue either believe it or not, though it was about 22 hours total of flying. The 14 hour flight from LA to Sydney was during the night so I slept when I could and hit the sack as I usually would the day after I got here. The first few nights were in a hostel downtown, and now in a flat with a mate named Ryan, who just happens to like the Dukes of Hazzard (the old show) and Night Rider. Go figure. Needless to say we get along famously. I met Ryan at Equippers Church the Sunday after I got here and to be honest I couldn't say enough good things about this church. It truly was an answer to prayer. Yours and mine. Just so many people that love Jesus and are genuinely interested in why I'm here and what I'm doing. An incredibly diverse congregation as well which is fantastic. There really aren't many people here from the states at all. My initial friends I met in the hostel were from Germany, Belgium, Italy, Canada, the UK, etc. I love it.
So just know that I've seen your prayers at work. I wasn't on the ground for 50 minutes and got to talking with a few girls from Canada inline waiting to go through customs. One of them just kept asking questions and on the busride into town I got to tell her about why I was involved in church and what Jesus meant to me! It's just cool because you never know who you'll meet. God continues to take care of me as He always has - no surprises there.
A few days ago I went for my first hike - except it was all paved... bugger. It was the coast to coast walk in Auckland. It stretches from the harbor downtown, 16km to the other coast. It was great fun, and took us around six hours. We wound our way through parks, stopped to watch a bit of a cricket match, and marveled at some really big trees near One Tree Hill - which U2 sang a song about... Ok fine, I marveled at the big trees, but the mates I was with were surely starting to catch on :) They think I'm funny anyways because of my accent and how I say things, which is hilarious when we start joking about it.
The new news for today is this. For the last few days I've been looking for and praying about jobs. One of the greatest things about being here is the simplicity of it. All I brought was my hiking pack and a day pack - it all fits on my back. And I'm flexible enough that I can really do whatever I have to - whether that's jobs or moving or whatever. So over the last few days I've been in contact with an organization based on the South Island and found out yesterday that I have an interview with Franz Josef Glacier Guides. I'm REALLY pumped about it. And even if it doesn't work out it'll still be sweet to go down there and see how they do stuff. So you prayers would be appreciated on that. The interview is Nov. 6th and 7th. A day to see how I do on the ice and a day for a formal interview. I'll do some travelling between now and then, and see how it goes. It'd be a unique and fantastic experience I think though. It is a very remote location, which is fine, but I'm going to need fellowship somehow, so that's on my mind.
Thanks for caring enough to read all this, and for praying for me. God is so good. I wish you all the best. I'll try to post when I can. I'll try to get some pictures up when I have access. Trust Jesus.
So we'll start this one out with a few special shout outs... please, don't anybody feel excluded. The first goes to Third West Wengatz for the title of this post because I really have dreamed of doing something like this for years, and the second goes to Scotty Scott Scott Mason and his posse for being the first to "follow" this blog even when there wasn't jack squat to see or read. Until now.
A few things before we get rollin'. As Kyle Lantz can verify, when I write like this it's often in a "stream of consciousness format" meaning when something comes to mind, I'll jot it down. Which means I could be writing about why I still tell people I'm from Northeast Michigan when they might not even know where Michigan is, and how I think the never-before-seen-by-me Red Beaked Gull has such a lovely pure white feather tone - in the same paragraph. Enough fribbery.
So yes, the flight over went well and was fairly uneventful. Except for Customs in New Zealand having to wash my tent and my hiking boots because there was dirt on them... And jet lag really wasn't an issue either believe it or not, though it was about 22 hours total of flying. The 14 hour flight from LA to Sydney was during the night so I slept when I could and hit the sack as I usually would the day after I got here. The first few nights were in a hostel downtown, and now in a flat with a mate named Ryan, who just happens to like the Dukes of Hazzard (the old show) and Night Rider. Go figure. Needless to say we get along famously. I met Ryan at Equippers Church the Sunday after I got here and to be honest I couldn't say enough good things about this church. It truly was an answer to prayer. Yours and mine. Just so many people that love Jesus and are genuinely interested in why I'm here and what I'm doing. An incredibly diverse congregation as well which is fantastic. There really aren't many people here from the states at all. My initial friends I met in the hostel were from Germany, Belgium, Italy, Canada, the UK, etc. I love it.
So just know that I've seen your prayers at work. I wasn't on the ground for 50 minutes and got to talking with a few girls from Canada inline waiting to go through customs. One of them just kept asking questions and on the busride into town I got to tell her about why I was involved in church and what Jesus meant to me! It's just cool because you never know who you'll meet. God continues to take care of me as He always has - no surprises there.
A few days ago I went for my first hike - except it was all paved... bugger. It was the coast to coast walk in Auckland. It stretches from the harbor downtown, 16km to the other coast. It was great fun, and took us around six hours. We wound our way through parks, stopped to watch a bit of a cricket match, and marveled at some really big trees near One Tree Hill - which U2 sang a song about... Ok fine, I marveled at the big trees, but the mates I was with were surely starting to catch on :) They think I'm funny anyways because of my accent and how I say things, which is hilarious when we start joking about it.
The new news for today is this. For the last few days I've been looking for and praying about jobs. One of the greatest things about being here is the simplicity of it. All I brought was my hiking pack and a day pack - it all fits on my back. And I'm flexible enough that I can really do whatever I have to - whether that's jobs or moving or whatever. So over the last few days I've been in contact with an organization based on the South Island and found out yesterday that I have an interview with Franz Josef Glacier Guides. I'm REALLY pumped about it. And even if it doesn't work out it'll still be sweet to go down there and see how they do stuff. So you prayers would be appreciated on that. The interview is Nov. 6th and 7th. A day to see how I do on the ice and a day for a formal interview. I'll do some travelling between now and then, and see how it goes. It'd be a unique and fantastic experience I think though. It is a very remote location, which is fine, but I'm going to need fellowship somehow, so that's on my mind.
Thanks for caring enough to read all this, and for praying for me. God is so good. I wish you all the best. I'll try to post when I can. I'll try to get some pictures up when I have access. Trust Jesus.
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