Looking Back

Family at Aotea Lagoon, Porirua, near Wellington

“Mama, while you go shopping, can we look in the Warehouse with Papa?” The plaintiff cry arose from the backseat as we approached ‘Pak’n’Save’. D looked to ‘the Warehouse’ and saw the big sign displaying it’s opening hours, “Open, seven days” he read, aloud, “Oh NO, it might be shut.”

Once I had parked the car and we had managed to stop laughing, we explained the sign didn’t mean per month or year, and that it was definitely open.

Recently there has been a lot more laughter in the Shudall caravan (I almost typed household!) I guess it’s a mixture of greatly improved weather, enjoying the company of other Christians at the recent TSCF staff and student conferences, having a sense of being settled here in New Zealand as well as feeling like we are beginning to understand what being called here means for us as a family.

It’s not that the worries about exactly where we will live have dissipated – they are still there, but they are mitigated by the realization that we are not ‘looking for a house’ we are looking for the home that God has for us. He knows what we need and the financial constraints, he understands the complexities of the situation and the balancing act that we need to go through to meet the needs of ministry and the requirements of bringing up 3 kids. He sees it all, it is as clear as day for Him and it is all under His control. This has enabled us to look through a book, “Where to Live In Auckland”, and to whittle down the options to a few areas. We arrive into Auckland over the weekend – please pray with us as we begin to look that we will keep looking with the eyes of faith and faithfulness.

Since last writing we have enjoyed the Art Deco wonders of Napier and moved on to the stunning scenery of Taupo. On arriving in Taupo we saw, from a distance, the three volcanic mountains of Ruapehu (draped in snow), Tongariro and Ngaurohe soaked in the blazing splendour of the sun in a cloudless sky. All of this enhanced by the massive surface of water that Lake Taupo offers to the scenery.

This is in stark contrast to eight weeks ago. We spent a miserable, cold, wet and damp few days at the foot of the same mountains. We were still new to the caravan, still jet lagged, wondering what we had done and why we were doing it.

It is great to have these ‘break points’ of looking back so that we know where we have come from. We now LOVE our caravan – it really has become a home to us – and last week as we were out of it, staying in one of the conference centre rooms, all 5 of us missed it! We aren’t cold, as summer has arrived and looks set to take up residence. We are well passed jet lag and although we are a little travel worn, we feel the benefit of having spent this time getting to know NZ and its inhabitants. What is more, we know what we’ve done, we know that it hasn’t been and won’t be easy BUT we know that we have not done this of our own accord. Our sense of calling here is incredibly strong and we feel that there are years of fruitful and fulfilling work ahead.

At the student conference Nigel Pollock spoke about the need to have a firm grip on Scripture as central and vital to the Christian life. One thing he mentioned was the need to memorise portions of the Bible. Ines and I realised that we had neglected this discipline and so have applied ourselves since. The first verses we committed to memory this week have enlivened and encouraged me greatly as we look to the next phase of looking for a house and beginning afresh to build and develop the work of TSCF:

“I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for the salvation of all who believe, first the Jew and then the Gentile. For in the gospel, a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness by faith from first to last, as it is written ‘The Righteous shall live by faith’ ” Romans 1.16-17

Caravan Crash!

Not a disaster but a cool, funny game - play it when you get a minute and appreciate the skill required to get us around NZ! Click the link on the right hand side, go on - you know you want to!

Paraparaumu!

Sunset over Kapiti Island - a view from Paraparaumu

We're coming to the end of SLC (student leadership conference). We are at a Christian Conference Centre just outside Paraparaumu (a town on the Kapiti coast, just above Wellington). We've been looking at Psalms and there have been 3 training tracks for students here for the first time, for those going into leadership and for those about to graduate. It has been a really encouraging week - of particular note and challenge for me were the stories of two students: one from a Chinese background who has had a lot of pressure from her family because of her faith in Jesus; the other a white Kiwi guy, who was saved from being a Neo-Nazi. Both of them shed tears as they spoke, both spoke confidently about the power and grace of the gospel sustaining them. Both reminded me that it is the Sovereign grace of God which is at work in the student world; the greatest encouragement of them all!

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The contingent from Fiji (as well as other Pacific Islands) have been an amazing challenge and massive encouragement to us all. They rise at 5.30am to pray, they are quick to serve and have led us in singing each night: their warm and vibrant love for God and His Word has been an example that the TSCF students have sought to follow.

This last week (staff conference and SLC) has been 'perfectly timed' for us - we needed the fellowship, the challenge, the perspective and encouragements that meeting with colleagues and students have provided. Nigel Pollock said to me last night, that he felt 'at home' in the TSCF context and I realised that this is true for me too: there are many things to accomplish but there is a real sense of belonging here (in a good way).

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What I'm not doing so well in is worrying about the house sale in the UK and buying a house here in Auckland.

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The sale of the house in Leicester seems to be taking forever and its hard not to be frustrated by the painfully slow process as well as being concerned that, like so many before us, the sale might fall through at the last minute. I'm praying that the sale will be completed by Nov 28th. Please pray with us that this timescale will be achieved and that the purchaser will not take advantage of our need to complete the process quickly.

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Buying a house in Auckland is worrying me too. [NB - I KNOW I shouldn't worry, I know it is sinful, unhelpful and achieves nothing Romans 7.24-25!] Almost everyone (outside of Auckland) we have spoken to in the last 6 weeks has demanded to know why we would want to live in Auckland and told us how expensive and impossible buying a house in Auckland is. This has served to build anxiety. Truth is that God has called us here, provided for us and we are certain that we MUST live in Auckland. I need to believe the Truth rather than entrust myself to the advice of Kiwis who live outside of a city that is not greatly loved by the two-thirds of the country who live outside it.

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We leave here tomorrow and begin to travel north to Auckland over the next 10 days. Once there we will begin to search for a home. I am praying that we will find a house and be in there before Christmas and I'm not sure that this is practical or achievable in human terms! :o)

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If you are praying, we'd appreciate you praying for our safety in travel, for the kids as we move on from our longest stay anywhere in the last 12 weeks(!!!) and that we would trust in Him who has brought us here to provide for all our needs. (If you want to get our monthly prayer emails just email to ask - click the link on the right!) Pray too that we would see the encouragements that are there and accept and make the most of the help of God's people here in NZ as we look for our home - the lovely Val Goold is in Auckland for lots of December and is making herself available to help us!

Psalm 92:1-5, 8

It is good to give thanks to the Lord,

to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
to declare your steadfast love in the morning,

and your faithfulness by night,

to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre.

For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work;

at the works of your hands I sing for joy.

How great are your works, O LORD! Your thoughts are very deep!

...You, O LORD, are on high forever.

Sovereignty and Sandflies

Ines and the kids on the Buller Gorge swingbridge - the longest swingbrige in NZ.

It doesn’t seem like a fortnight ago that I last blogged; it feels much more like a month!

Two days after Ruben fractured his wrist (the cast comes off this Friday!) we were travelling over the Haast Pass – a mountainous and windy road, climbing through the Southern Alps toward the west coast of South Island. It is a place of extraordinary beauty with many waterfalls cascading down steep sided mountains, alongside the road. We were pulling into one lookout place at ‘the gates of Haast’ when the caravan wheel caught on a high sided concrete kerb. The wheel buckled and the tire exploded. A beautiful journey suddenly became a nightmare. Adding insult to injury – as we got out to examine the damage – the place where we had stopped was a breeding ground for the New Zealand Sandfly: a small, black but voracious biting insect. We were miserable and worried that the caravan was beyond economical repair (we couldn’t see if the axel was damaged).

We got into the car, abandoned the caravan and travelled to the nearest collection of houses in Haast, 60 km (37 miles) away. There was a caravan park/motel and a garage there (an amazing provision considering the remoteness of the area) and although we didn’t get the caravan back for 24 hours, we did get it back and had somewhere to stay. The insurance is paying for the repairs and we are grateful that things were not worse – there was no damage to the axel of the caravan which was amazing, considering the knock it took.

We then travelled up the west coast – one of the most remote and sparsely populated areas of NZ. As we travelled it was absolutely clear to us that we are not cut our for country living – at least not that remote AND with that many sandflies, they really are evil creatures: our arms, legs and feet all resemble dot to dot versions of abstract art!

It seems crazy to say it but in the minor crises Ines and I have both been really challenged and chastened. We have been confronted with the fact that where we thought we were doing well, being content with what we had in Leicester over the last few years, we had actually become complacent and allowed house, finances, friends, church, colleagues and the rhythms of life become the basis of our security. A subtle but seditious shift had moved us from relying on God and being grateful for His generous provision to relying on the things He provided. As we faced the prospect of losing the caravan and as we have been away from friends and confronting the economic realities of living here, we have faced up to something that is summed up by the statement, ‘you are not God and this is not your universe’. Strangely, facing up to deeply routed sin is wounding to your pride and difficult to take.

“Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Well meant are the wounds a friend inflicts, but profuse are the kisses of an enemy.”
Proverbs 27:5-6

“And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as children - `My child, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, or lose heart when you are punished by him; for the Lord disciplines those whom he loves, and chastises every child whom he accepts. Endure trials for the sake of discipline. God is treating you as children; for what child is there whom a parent does not discipline? If you do not have that discipline in which all children share, then you are illegitimate and not his children. Moreover, we had human parents to discipline us, and we respected them. Should we not be even more willing to be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share his holiness. Now, discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.” Hebrews 12:5-13

We’re now back on North Island, based in Porirua just north of Wellington, and even the comfort of being in a more urban environment reminds me that we have to be on our guard against placing our security in all the wrong places. It is an important lesson for us to be learning – transition is always a time of looking back, looking forward and taking a good look around. I guess we should have known that we would not always like what we see; being confronted with your own sinfulness is not comfortable; but in Christ it is liberating. We don’t think we’ve got this lesson ‘taped down’ but we do feel like we have made significant steps in the right direction.

This weekend we move on to staff conference (11-14) and then on Monday the student leadership conference begins (14-20). Both of these will be important times – looking back on the last year (this is the end of the academic year – anther difference I need to get my head around) as well as praying about and planning the year ahead. Please pray with us that the next week will be significant for us and for TSCF; there are friends from back home around – James Allaway and Nigel Pollock (both on pre-emigration visits) and one or two people who are currently investigating whether they should join the staff team here.

One thing which has been absolutely great is that every day for the last two weeks each day had been warmer and sunnier than the day before: summer is coming and we are enjoying being in the November sun!