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.

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... :)

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.

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